dlee

I've been considering getting the 61-155, but am still dragging my heels. (Inspector Tools has it for $253, compared to PE at $276.) I'm not interested in doing voltage drops, after reading many forum threads on it, but the talk about the IW presentation (not there myself) has gotten me to shopping again. Question about false grounds . . . I assume that's the same as bootleg ground, and it's a reference to jumping a wire from the ground screw to the neutral: what is the safety concern about that? I generally don't call out stuff unless I can explain why it's bad. -David

No. I get the same calls, and as far as I know that "Someone called us and asked about you" is simply a marketing line. I pushed the caller on that issue once, and his waffling told me that was just spin. I've resisted, and don't see any point to it. -David Lee

David, Good point, perhaps this is what KY Ted is trying to do. Do you check the temperature rise? If so, would that not give you sufficient information for a home inspection?. You know, tizz working, or taint working. George Sure. And that's the basics. But I find it easy enough to go this bit further and describe the situation where I only get 20 amps draw, and the breaker is a 60 amp. I don't know what's wrong, but that's enough to say that either one's there and not coming on, or the breaker is oversized. The real limitation of this method comes with newer heat pump auxiliaries - which sometimes have a limit switch that only allows one element to come on if the ambient temp is moderate. If I suspect that, then I just waffle: heater came one, or didn't come on. -David Lee

Mike, given that cast iron boilers last 30-50 years or so, I don't worry about precise years of mfr like I do with fussier equipment. I just do approximates,like "over 25 years old and in the middle third of its normal life." -David Lee in VA

The other "only way" to test these is to get into the electric panel, which you would do anyhow, and put an ammeter on a furnace lead. Simply report the amp draw - 0= not working at all, 20 amp = one element working, 40 amp= 2 elements working, etc. Looking at the breaker will give you an indication of how many elements there are, given that it will be oversized by 10-20 amps over the nearest multiple of 20 amps per element. A 60amp breaker is for 2 elements, e.g.) This method is for us guys who don't want to even look like we're "dismantling" equipment (per ASHI SOP), and wouldn't want to set a precedent by getting into furnace cabinets. -David Lee

I think George is right, and that this is a heat pump, with all sorts of electrics screwed up, among them a failing defrost cycle. -David Lee in VA

This was not simply filtration, atleast not just sediment filtration. Certainly not waste water treatment. 'Sorry I was not more clear. It had one large tank about 5' high and 20" in diameter with a domed top to it,and another tank containing 'caustic solution' that was about 3' high. As with all other systems that I've seen, there were no identifying labels. -David

I did a fairly new house this week with a water treatment system. I disclaim saying anything about either what a system is for or whether it works or not. All I really pay attention to is where the system is discharging, being sure it has an air gap at a drain, or goes outside. This unit had no discharge line at all, so I called it as needing further inspection by somebody smarter than me about such stuff. Don't all systems need a discharge line for something? -David Lee in VA

I've been running into a new exterior trim product called Miratec lately. Trim people around here tend to not want to paint field cut ends, and have now taken to using this stuff, presumably thinking it's OK not to paint because it's billed as rot resistant. It's a 'treated' hardboard product. The web site installation instructions still require painting field cut pieces. So much for the easy life. http://www.craftmasterdoor.com/pageBuil ... m&UserID=A -David Lee in VA

I don't understand what the "nice little history" is. There is no referent in the conversation menu that was in front of me. - ? Now, I'm looking around for a large POST button and don't see one. Maybe it's the 'Post New Reply' button. If it is that one, then it's misleading, since - to my mind - a 'new' reply would be one other than this one. It should simply say 'Post" or Post This Reply. I'll try it now . . . -David