Chad Fabry

Yes, S Trap. Well, P traps improperly installed to create an S trap. Clearly not a "career" plumber (or municipal inspector)

The first photo is behind the counter of a local ice cream stand. The next two- I scored a new, in-the-box Federal Pacific panel with all the hardware for the display at Inspector Central. I have a fully wired, as originally installed, Bulldog with circuit taps on the bus bar and a fully wired FPE as well. Douglas built a board of horrors out of plexiglass for ITA - it was pretty cool because you could see things were wired wrong and the three light testers showed all was well. If anyone has one of those kicking around, I'll buy it.

Good luck to you, friend. We know you won't be a stranger.

You should be able to see the weep screed for the stone veneer. That's messed up. The flashing should just be a simple apron that extends behind the weep screed and the WRB. The WRB is the counter flashing in this scenario. The diagram shows a rake to wall detail- this detail should look like the diagram w/o the step flashing.

The air gap isn't big enough. I shouldn't have said "OK". Honestly, I thought you were asking if it was OK because it was an indirect connection. I just spent 7 or 8 horrible minutes reading the plumbing code. It's all in chapter 8 of the IPC. I'll email it to you if you want.

It's an indirect drain for non-potable, clear waste water. It's ok. The air gap prevents a sewer back up from fouling the heating/ cooling equipment. The only draw back may be if the heating/ cooling system goes unused long enough for the trap water to evaporate and lose the seal. That's a stretch though.

Four 50-year-old Wadsworth load centers that should have been wired as subs (not) that were significantly overcrowded. Two of the panels were about 7 feet high over stairs. One panel had a line splice using a weaver split bolt that was taped for insulation crammed up against the back of the dead-front. I went and bought rubber gloves to re-install the dead-front and left a big note in black sharpie on the panel. Also on site was an exterior, live meter pan with no cover, cracked SE cables about 30 inches over the entire span of the flat roof (too high to hop, I had to limbo). Fun? maybe not as much as time-consuming, profit-sucking and dangerous. Three hours just on electrical.

Yesterday, I needed help. I was on a roof of a small commercial building and inspected the HVAC equipment. It was all 208-230v three phase stuff typical for smallish commercial spaces. There was a (full of yellow jackets) Fed Pac, three phase disconnect on the equipment. In the basement, there were three single phase 100 amp disconnects that served panels in the building, and one service panel all fed from a gutter. There was one single-phase disconnect fed from another source with a back-fed 100 amp breaker, two, 2-pole 20-amp breakers and a 2-pole 60 amp breaker. The 60 amp breaker was identified as the breaker for the HVAC equipment. My head started hurting. I then noticed that all the *neutral* wires had been re-identified with black tape. I metered L1 to L2 and got 240v. Then I metered L1 to ground and L2 to ground and each produced 240 v. I called Douglas Hansen; his caller ID must not work and he answered. After I explained the situation, he identified the system as corner grounded three phase. I've read about the configuration- I believe that the breakers used must be rated @ 240v or higher (not 120/240), they must also be rated for 3 phase. §240.85 Is there anything else I should discuss? Clearly, the panel in question is a complete do-over- I see the stuff wrong in this panel, but if I run into another one of these things what should be discussed? Since folks won't be able to resist- the panel and breakers are water damaged, breakers in use not rated for the panel, HVAC breaker should be 50 amps, not 60 and no hold-down kit on the back-fed main. Douglas- thank you for your help, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to answer my call.

I've seen this before in local buildings. The stone looks like it is between limestone and sandstone. Often, I see fossils at the fault lines which probably contribute to ice lenses forming and popping the face off the stone. The "sugaring" is from saturated porous material freezing. Kibbel would know if there's a repair, but you should at least slow down the erosion with a permeable water repellant. I suggest you call these folks and ask their advice. I'd be inclined to use the silane/ siloxane repellant.

The label and AGA logo look very similar to my 1959 Richmond (RIP) Winter Air Conditioner. The heat exchanger was a barrel inside a box.

I couldn't identify the windows. No markings except for date codes (88), aluminum clad wood with crappy operating mechanisms. Roughly half had broken seals, almost all had broken crank assemblies. I got one open and started sweating when I couldn't get it closed.

No idea

Or slamming the front door.