Richard Moore

Abandoning a perfectly good wall drain in favor of a new S-trap...and then not capping off the old? Maybe not that in particular, but I have certainly seen stupidity before. [:-banghea

I think TIJ deserves something a little more grand. Let's hold out for a place with at least 37 fireplaces!

Or Mexico! Click to View 55.02 KB We have to get back to actually making things here!

The Gypsum association has a Fire Resistance Design Manual. You can buy a copy or download sections or the whole thing for free at http://www.gypsum.org/GA60006.html . I doubt anyone here needs to read the whole thing, but section 1, starting at page 12 would be a good place to start. I remember watching a good segment on TV a few years ago of a fire-rated wall assembly being tested along with a good explanation of what was happening, but I don't remember the show and can't find it online. Anyone? My vote, FWIW, on the original question: (Paraphrasing Jeff) For our purposes, gypsum board, by itself, is a non-combustible material. Assemblies are a whole different beast.

40 and 50 degrees! Are they black and white, with short stubby wings and webbed feet by any chance?

With the applied layers of the "architectural" shingle it's tough to be sure what's going on underneath. But therein lies a problem. The apron might well be over the lower layer but, if I can't actually determine that, am I allowed to guess and say it's OK? (I'm still not convinced it would be OK. I like to see the aprons and the water kept on top of all roofing.) I know we have to take some hidden things for granted with roofs but when something is already on the, ummm, odd side it needs closer scrutiny. In this case it seems unlikely I would be able to come up with a definitive answer, and therefore I would punt and call it. Eric also mentioned that ALL penetrations were done this way. That sounds like someone who just doesn't know what they're doing rather than an attempt to beautify this particular vent. Bonus question: Would a 2-year old home typically have a separate warranty for the roofing?

Judging by the ring, that would be a very large round box. It looks to me that the cover plate mounting hole in the recptacle is just that, a hole and I seem to be seeing the edge of a square box at the left. Therefore, my guess is that it doesn't have a cover plate and they have just mudded in a bare receptacle in a normal square box. What's the conductivity of drywall mud?

I'm also having a problem imagining moisture running down the walls just from poor attic ventilation. Bad flashing, furnace now exhausting inside the home, blocked off bath/kitchen ducts? Any chance you can get there tomorrow before the roofer fixes his "small blunder" and maybe covers up the bigger ones?

Kurt, I agree it's not a classic S-trap, but anything that slopes down that much is not vented correctly to prevent siphonage (albeit, it seems unlikey that full siphonage could actually occur). I guess I should have used "effectively acting as a S-trap"?

I would consider that an S-trap. The trap arm, the pipe crossing in front of the stop-valve, should be near horizontal. It could be reconfigured using a longer tailpiece (or a tailpiece extension) to achieve that. "How long does the horizontal portion, directly downstream of the 'P', have to be to make it a 'P' and not an 'S'. Or is that not the criteria?" If you are talking about the short section before the 45 bend, it doesn't matter in this case. The whole trap arm (including all bends) has to be near horizontal until it reaches the vented drain in the wall.

Thanks Brad. I want one!!! [] Mike, did you click on the "Release Date"? The whole thing is a very slick and clever commerce promotion for Nova Scotia. I'm impressed!

I'm no scientist, but that's got to be some nasty stuff.

Thanks Bill. House with a basement would typically be an older home around here. So the question is, what codes were violated and was everything functional and safe? Plumber looking for work?

Link isn't working for me Mike. Just a blank page.

Sorry, didn't mean "sill" but rather the frame channel beneath the sash. I'm gonna shut up now as I have no idea what would cause that "bubbling" in vinyl.

Really, really hard to tell but I seem to be looking at wood in the 2nd photo, both at the sash (judging from the seam) and at the sill (from the discolored paint). As for the various "bubbles"...rust??? It almost (I stress almost) looks like frass of some weird sort and I wonder if you may have some sort of imported beetle damage? BUT, just based on the photos and without poking at it myself, everything is just a WAG. Hell, could just be harmless crap they sloppily painted over.

"I am going to try the ice melter in a pair of tights... I'll let you know how it goes :)" Personally, I'd wear more than that in those temperatures...but that's just me. []

I don’t have that much to add as I agree with Jim’s comments. Judging from your photos, much of the roof is FUBAR and, unless there are other planes that actually look OK, piecemeal repair doesn’t seem like a feasible option and the whole thing needs replacement. I don’t think it is going out on a limb to say that (politely) and recommend they get estimates for new roofing. On the use of “amateurâ€

Bill, check the post dates. The thread is a year and a half old and it was, and still is, the originator's only post. The chances he will come back to answer your questions range from very slim to none.

"I'm assuming the stat was cranked to it's highest level?" No, and there's no suggestion in the instructions to do anything like that. It seems to me that the "recommendations" for tempering valves are to ADD another anti-scalding device, not to substitute one for the other and then rely only on that unknown "after-market" device. While it might be a good idea(?), I think I would want the water heater manufacturers to include, and be responsible for, the valve before I would be comfortable with cranking the thermostat to its highest as a regular practice. In my case the thermostat was at its normal factory mark, but I was initially only measuring around 95°F. I had to turn the tempering valve up to determine the actual tank temp was 115°F and that the tempering valve was set low.

...and only a "cross-connection problem" if you pee or poop directly into the tank.

Just a regular 40,000, Mike. ----- "Does the manufacturer allow the plastic tpr extension pipe and pipe insulation to be that close to the draft hood and vent connector?" The CPVC doesn't start until that first elbow and the insulation clearance also looked fine to me. Too many elbows when you include the two that had to be in that outside wall and the final one at the discharge termination itself, but it was a very short run. Although the home was new, it was now bank-owned and being sold as-is. I made the executive decision that it was safer to leave it that way than have the client really screw it up trying to change it.

I had a new home today. The water heater was a fairly basic 40 gallon American ProLine (with Flame Guard) and served only the potable water. It was plumbed with a tempering valve directly above it. No harm in having one but I don't believe I've seen one before unless the water heater also served hydronic heat. Click to View 68.83 KB I took a look at the on-line install manual and found this... Out of curiosity I also took a look at a Rheem manual and found this... Not a "requirement" in either case, but I was wondering if youse guys are starting to see these installed? I have mixed feelings about them in this application. On one hand it is an added safeguard against scalding but, on the other, it could mask a developing problem with the water heater thermostat.

Kevin, I'm sorry, but my medications have worn off and I now have no idea what I said.

FYI. The original GE turbo-encabulator was later modified by Rockwell. You can find further info on the new Digital-Retro-Turbo-Encabulator here... http://www.prc68.com/I/DRTE.shtml Mike(s), I believe you can find one practical application described here... [utube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kezBpcjqZ5s" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"> ...although being a British device, the right-angled node-phased current from the turboencabulateur would have to first flow through a lithium feathered floppy dork-nozzle. But, you knew that!