Chad Fabry

You're right about that Mike, but I'm acutely aware of that fact having handled what probably amounts to thousands of halogen bulbs. Halogen and other pressurized bulbs don't like to be dirty because the glass on the exterior can't cool evenly and the resulting thermal stress causes fractures that let the gas escape and then the bulb burns out. At least that's what the propaganda machine tells me. I've never done my own research. The flashlight was new ...maybe some irate, itinerant worker touched both my bulbs because he had to work a Saturday.

I spent 80 dollars on a Streamlight Stinger Ultra flashlight. It's light, rechargeable and comes with 110v and 12v chargers. It has a nice adjustable beam. My first bulb lasted 30 minutes, my second bulb lasted an hour or so. I just ordered 6 bulbs @ 6 bucks each. I'm not very happy right now, but have decided that it was possible I had two defective bulbs from the same bad batch. Anyone else have this light? it's the 75,000 candle power one that, remarkably, isn't much brighter than my 15,000 candle power maglight that has a bulb life that measures in months or years, not minutes. Please tell me that it must be a fluke.

Kurt, I installed that system at my house.

Australian thing = digeridoo Drum thing = drum thing Kurt's only slightly better looking than I had imagined. I NEVER imagined Kurt wearing sneakers.

Yep

I'd like to acknowledge George's incredible intuitive insight to human ability. But, I never imagined the moon shining upon a cold gray stone illuminating the words "brilliant mechanic." In my mind I always see,glowing in the eerie light, "throbbin hunk o man meat"..

I'm one of the men...I just wanted to make that clear.

George, I think what he's saying is; for there to be a voltage drop of any significance there has to be resistance in the circuit. Resistance in the circuit would increase current drawn and generate heat in the effort to push through the bad connections or undersized wire. The voltage drop is symptomatic, not causal. You're right that it's the current generating the heat. But the essence of the statement would be true

I didn't get any instructions either. I didn't even get a plastic box. I did, however, receive an incredibly strong plastic package that required a reciprocating saw, two dwarf helpers, and a strong will to gain access to the contents. I also noticed that the new wiring in my son's bedroom showed all false grounds, which was attributed to the electrician that did the wiring. After I got off the phone with myself I felt assured that the electrician was competent and the tool was giving erroneous data. It's very nice to know that the electrician was correct and the tool was wrong.

The NHIE wasn't difficult. I believe that if there is licensing, a minimum standard should be established by having a comprehensive, proctored exam using photos of actual defects and descriptions of actual problems to be solved. There should be no multiple choice questions. Should there be course work involved? Maybe. But if the exam were comprehensive and demanding, and the applicant passed, then course work for that person may just be redundant. Possibly the exam could be broken into sections and the applicant would have to only improve weak areas. I'm the kind of person that reads every spare moment. I'm largely self educated and believe that overall I have a very thorough understanding of building science. I also have the ability to research anything I have any question about. I'm sure that course work wouldn't be a total waste of my time, but I already know what my weak areas are and I'd like the option to prepare for the test independently. I've been through a lot of technical training in my life. Most of it, like in high school was "busy" work. I can achieve in two hours of research what would take two weeks of course work because I wouldn't have to sit and listen about stuff I already knew. Doing the research on my own would also let me determine what was important and I wouldn't be influenced by the instructor's prejudice.

Most, if not all fluxes are inherently corrosive. Rosin based fluxes much less than acid base fluxes. The reason you get the green stuff near the sweat joints is the flux has accelerated the copper oxidation process by keeping fresh copper exposed. After a matter of weeks, or a few months at most if a lot of flux was left, it becomes inactive...neutral. Once the green stuff is there all the damage that flux was going to do, has been done. Acids react but the continuing reaction will, eventually, neutralize the acid. At any rate, I'd tell the people to wipe the joints because it's damn ugly, but it's not a defect.

It'd be deductible too... it's 5 here today and we got 16 inches of snow in the last 18 hours.

George, I'm happy to just think about it. Chris'll tell us what was wrong when he pays the bill.

George you make me think, It if wasn't a scroll compressor that thing would have slugged refrigerant a long time ago and grenaded. If it was in heat pump mode and stuck on, that'd make sense as there'd only be airflow through the condenser/evaporator (inside) as the thermostat called for heat and the system would seem to be functioning.

Sadly, I hate working on cars too. More and more I use my employees as an extension of my body, I do the thinking and let them be my hands. It took me a long time to turn over even that much control. I'll never understand the guys that work on them all week and then build race cars on the week end.

Here's a couple non inspector uses. I bought mine (and use it for) an extremely fast way to isolate a non firing cylinder in both gasoline and diesel applications. I just shoot each exhaust outlet at the manifold and then go to work on the cold one. This technique sometimes shows things that 100 grand worth of scopes and computers miss. It's especially helpful on older diesels w/o computer controls and mechanical injectors. I use it on my boilers out-put and return lines when I want to know if I can add a circuit. I check brake rotor temps to do a simple equalization evaluation. Isolate squeaking belts. They squeak because they're slipping and the cause of slippage can be determined (hottest pulley) and estimated w/o any disassembly. My list goes on and on, but it's a handy gadget.

Chris, If it was iced the compressor was running, not only the condensor fan. If it was running 24/7, man that'd be a high bill. Most of these units have relays that handle the current that actually runs the compressor when the thermostat calls for cooling. The relay could be stuck closed, or more likely, there's a short in the thermostat wiring or in the thermostat itself. See if she's hung pictures on the wall above the thermostat... could be a nail intrusion. from here down is an edit... It wouldn't be a thermostat problem or it'd be cold in the house. But the thermostat input on the unit could be shorted.

Thanks for the laugh Richard..that was beautiful.

In a world where there are still masons that say "masonary" I'm afraid that tuck point job will continue to be the status quo. Kurt, I see the effects of improper mortars every time I drive down the main street of the historic village near where I live. The brick faces are being blown right off two of the buildings from the water freezing after it gets trapped in the mortar joint. Of course we all know the correct way to fix this problem..parge it or cover it with Thorseal and paint it red.... When I was in my twenties, I had the privilege of working with a master craftsman who was in his eighties... not for pay, just to learn. I helped him (carried a lot of mud etc) build a stone home out of sedimentary rock common to our area. He explained how important it was to make the mortars compatible with the materials used and I suppose he piqued my interest in building science. I should thank him...I wonder how much it costs for long distance to the here after?

Hope it went well Richard, hopefully it wasn't the inspection where it's necessary to inflate the system to allow access for the video probe.

He assaulted her w/ his lips... if he'd used a battery he'd have to marry her.

I am going to join ASHI. It might take a year or two for me to get a respectable portfolio of inspections to present, but that's when I'm joining. Until then I trust in this group to teach me. I'm betting some of the best intellect is right here and I won't need the ASHI forum.

I get an affiliation,an acronym, a link, and an excuse to not solicit realtors. I'll probably have to go door to door selling Amway, Fuller brushes and home inspections to eek out a living while the more polished middle Europeans with Vitalis on their hair languish poolside with others that look like that too, at the Realtor/Home inspector convention. If I can't get a hundred honest inspections my first year I'll toss my ethics to the ground and send roses to all the Realtor's secretaries. This post was edited in the interest of good taste.

I'll cough up the fifty bucks to join. As I said before, I wanted to be sure I could adhere to the no realtor thing. If I must succumb to soliciting realtors, I'll just have to email Dennis and tell him I've fallen off the wagon. I'll spend the next two weeks delivering all the big screen TV's... then I'll join.

Where'd the IHINA forum go?