The diameter of this piping, at least, would be known to IH and can be checked after the end of the test. As always we do not have definite information, but Rossi is keeping quiet and we have from a likely IH expert witness a definite and easily checkable statement. People make mistakes, but I'd not expect it here.
Quote from AbdIf there is an open magicians, the game is clear, and "success" simply means that the skeptic can't figure out how the magician did it. With a practically infinite world of possibilities, and the limited observational powers of an expert, this game favors the experienced magician. This is not a claim that Rossi is a magician, but that this is within the bounds of possibility. As well, there are people who function like magicians, but who believe in what they do. Not all "magic" is deliberate. Sometimes the force of belief of the person is enough to draw people along. Pseudoskeptics are contemptuous and think anyone fooled by a magician is gullible.
I can see that there are pseudo-skeptics, but don't find the word very useful. I could for example similarly call 90% of the people on blogs who support LENR pseudo-believers for the same dismissive lack of attention to details. That would be insulting, and not I think helpful. Generally labels do not help.
The thing about Rossi independent tests is that it all depends on the experience and attitude of the testers. Rossi can provide a box that apparently performs miracles (and perhaps believe it is truely doing this, though I'd say more that he does not acknowledge that question as important), in many ways:
mis-placed TCs
mis-used flowmeter
mis-measured electrical supply
mis-wired electrical supply
wrong assumption about water phase
wrongly calibrated IR camera
large internal high temperature block of metal
All of these are "magic" when not understood, and things automatically checked when understood. Jed has had a long learning experience and now is aware of pretty well all of these things (maybe not the high temperature block of metal one). These are however only things that I am aware of: I'd be very surprised were there not other "magic" I'm not considering. Few "experts" will be aware of all of them.
So an independent tester can be deceived by any of this magic. Given enough time, and repeated checks, these things get uncovered. For that you need the right mindset. I'm not confident this was present in the private tests that Jed knows and we do not.