Bain

I once used that analogy and, at the end of the inspection, the agent asked me to show her where the tire was on the roof. . . I said something like, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that there *was* a bald tire on the roof. Rather I was trying to explain that the worn shingles were *like* a bald tire in that neither could be relied upon to provide long term service." Of, course, she just screwed up her face, tilted her head, and said, "huh?" At that point, the buyer jumped in and helpfully explained, "He was making a simile. You know, like when someone says that you're as dumb as a post, they don't really mean that you're a post, just that you're as dumb as one." I took that as my cue to thank everyone and get the heck out of there. I don't get it. Is she or isn't she a post?

Totaline (sp.) thermostats operate the same way. There's no emergency heat setting, but it switches over when the condenser times out. As Erby said, there's some sort of keystroke method by which you can electronically switch to EM mode. But . . . I got one to switch once, but couldn't get it to go back to regular mode despite twenty minutes of messing with the thing. The instructions, by the way, are all on-line, but each thermostat operates differently--for some dumbass, moronic reason--so unless you have the model number, you're hosed.

It's "grammar". You're welcome. (Sorry. . . I'm board) hee . . . .

Its function was probably to prevent a disposal from being turned on unless water was running.

No, it's okay.

Be aware that you're going to have to disconnect the line from the larger tank and reconnect it to the smaller tank. I'm guessing you'll have to change couplings, as well. If this isn't something you have expertise in, you could blow your head clean off. Furthermore, a 20 lb. propane tank holds something under five gallons. It isn't going to last long depending upon the size of the furnace and how much it's running.

I just tell people what's up, and to keep an eye on the flue pipe. It's likely 18 years old, as well, and the zinc coating has eroded away from the galvanized metal, so it's rusting. It could be fine for several more years . . . or not. Painting, clearly, is not an acceptable repair method. : ) Click to Enlarge 88.15 KB

This is a public forum, so all I'll say is I would never lie . . . for a stranger. You did the right thing. PS: With nothing but kindness and respect, Eminem kind of sucks.

hahaha . . .

Well, but the vinegar actually did the trick, and the humidifier is working like it's supposed to. Interestingly, this is only the second occasion I'm aware of in which Jim Katen was wrong. The other occasion was when he told me I had a bright future ahead of me and would no doubt be a tremendous success. Click to Enlarge 43.25 KB

Today is the first truly cold day this winter, so I decided to fire up my humidifier, a Honeywell TruSteam. Almost predictably, the error lights illuminated and the thing refused to operate. There was scale in all the water ports, and the heating element was nearly completely coated with gunk. The instructions say to use a scouring pad to clean the element, but that's nearly impossible due to the small grooves, especially since the element can't be removed. My solution? Fill a plastic tub with vinegar and let the thing soak. Does anyone have a better idea, though? The humidifier is only two years old, and the filter was replaced last season, so it's not as if there's years and years of neglect to contend with. Click to Enlarge 32.12 KB

It's all true, and I make no apologies.

It could be worse; they could have filmed it in Arkansas. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike That's not exactly a fair comment; some of the things you other guys find are far worse than what I see. After all, idiocy has no geographic boundaries. And besides, contrary to public opinion we've had indoor plumbing since 1983![] Kevin, I hear you. We take heat here in Kentucky all the time. Some of it's deserved, some not. True, there are more than a few dudes who could easily play the banjo-player role in Deliverance, but there are also plenty of really awesome and brilliant people like me.

I just KNOW I posted the photos here, after which I sent a few to Mike. In my . . . slightly disoriented condition, however, maybe I THOUGHT I posted the photos here but actually stuck them somewhere else. But where . . . ? At least I haven't been arrested yet. That's definitely a good sign. I did learn an important lesson last night. The police frown upon extreme kayaking in hotel-lobby fountains.

Well, shit . . . Where'd they all go?

Happy New Year! And I suppose I should apologize in advance for any drunken posts with incorrect spelling or photos of nude, crazy women that I may post later from my mobile.

I'm with Tom. What I don't understand, is why there are shingles beneath the OSB. The house was roofed before, or at the same time, the sheathing was installed? That's beyond dumbass.

A mud-jacking contractor could easily fill a hole like that and it would support the footing just fine. That wouldn't add much cost if they were already there for other work. What other work are you referring to?

Too, there's no way you could pack anything beneath that footer in a way that would actually support it--short of injecting concrete or something similarly expensive. I've seen partially undermined footers beneath 50-year-old houses and there were no problems at all. Having said that, however, you run the risk of a future inspector referring out to a structural engineer who's been inside a total of 20 crawlspaces during his lifetime. Since the footer doesn't look like the one in the textbook photo, you run the risk of exposure down the road. Which is why our jobs aren't much fun at times.

I think it's beautiful, though I have to admit I've never seen one up close and personal. As for the blue tape, I have a light fixture with a completely cracked base in my basement ceiling and, with the exception of replacing the bulb, I'll likely never touch the thing till it's time to sell my house.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but I hope you haven't misunderstood. You were the original poster, pointing out the single flue within the chimney. We typically try not to point out other flubs in photos--like the chimney cap--because that can be interpreted as insulting to an original poster . . . you, in this instance. I was actually sticking up for you.

I said what I did above because of the unwritten rule that respondents to threads shouldn't point out flubs that aren't specifically mentioned by the OP. The subtext in doing so is a presumption that the OP didn't know what he or she was looking at.

I don't understand. What's wrong with the cap?

WRONG, Kevin. I'm an expert when it comes to these things. The mouse was on the blower squirrel cage. The squirrel cage began to spin. And Mr. Mouse lost the race. The position of his body COMPLETELY supports this premise. (Bullshit aside, however, I don't actually think mice do the treadmill thing. I was just being silly.)

I see snakes from time to time, and that strange little tingle unfailingly trickles down my spine. There was one on top of a foundation in a basement, once. I must have walked past it three times before I saw it, maybe two feet away. My imagination had the thing leaping for my throat, but of course it didn't. I did, however, slowly back up while telling the snake there was plenty of room in the basement for the both of us.