mgbinspect

Relove, Just asking this question is the beginning of WWIII! Frankly, I've come to the conclusion that no one else can possibly answer that question for you. If you spend time with each organization's members, spend time on their message boards, study their requirements and missions and consider your own desires and needs you will know which organization is right for you. Best wishes!

I'll have to study my next generator panel harder to be sure. It just seems that most of them aren't as idiot proof as they should be. They require knowledge and deliberation. Not a good idea when the new home owner probably lacks the knowledge to be deliberate! Not to mention, I can only guess that being accidentally tapped into the main entry when the system's down would fry a generator pretty quickly.

Thanks Jim, I was hoping you'd chip in. So, to be perfectly clear. The "transfer switch" is the assembly or linkage that forces one breaker to be in an "off" position in order to permit the other to be in an "on" position? That's the heart of my second question. I can't believe so many electricians around here don't install them! It's mind boggling. And, I see more generator panels every day here. I always think to myself, "How many homeowners have any idea at all what needs to be done when the power goes out and they plug in that generator?" There never seems to be any manual or instruction plate handy. I think that should be a requirement as well, to have some sort of instruction plate similar to the one chained to a metal prefab gas log fireplace.

I too have seen the dim light on a tester, and as Jim said it's almost always a switched outlet. I call for the switch to be replaced. Your conclusion of the three light result is interesting and seems to makes sense. I guess most appliances simply would not work plugged into it? Or could it be far worse? It doesn't sound good at any rate. And, How would you technically call out that condition? "Hot Neutral"?

I have had three lights on a couple of rare occasions and haven't ever learned what it means. I just write it up as miss-wired, but join you in wishing precise info.

Here in Richmond, probably 8 out of 10 sub-panels for generators don't have that special linkage that makes it impossible to receive current from two sources at the same time or back feed into the main system and fry some poor power company lineman. I'm wondering: 1. Is that actually required by code? 2. Can a couple of you electrical gurus offer some good terminology for identifying the condition and recommendations for a remedy. 3. What is the proper name for that main breaker linkage or assembly? This is one I always more or less fumble through. I always call it out. I just wish I had a good authoritative statement and remedy. Help?

[:-party] Ahhhh... It doesn't get much better than this. My first inspection of the week was a 1950 solid masonry slab on grade transitional. Better yet, as I entered and popped my shoes off. (I always take my shoes off so when people call to say I tracked in dirt I can say "I'm sorry, but it couldn't possibly have been me." As soon as my stocking feet hit the floor to my surprise the floor is about 95 to 100 degrees! It had a hot water radiant heating system in the slab. It was the good life for a couple hours. (There aren't many radiant heating systems left in Richmond)

Bill, seems to have a nack for making sense (Brian too). Not to mention, how in the world, Bill, did you know about the three faces of DavePHD, ??? Are you clairvoyant or something? I'd have never put the pieces of that puzzle together.

I've never seen (or even heard of it before) either? I've seen nickel coated copper, but not copper clad aluminum. That's a new one. One would think that would have to be pretty pricey stuff due to the overcoming oxidation during the cladding process. I know from my days in steel that properly preparing aluminum to receive paint and actually applying the paintis no small task. (special solutions and speed)

Thanks, Bill. Very interesting. Yeah, I was wondering how the very earliest colonies heated their buildings. It was hard to imagine, for instance, that the first visitors brought brick for fireplaces. But, while I have been to both Williamsburg and Jamestown, they were a ways down the road from Manteo. I'll have to check that out next time I'm down at the outer banks.

Bill, that wasn't a trick question. I was genuinely interested in your input. [?]

Have you tried www.mikeholt.com That seems to be a pretty good site for electrical info

Yeah, that's one of those "Uh, oh..." crawlspace door revelations I was talking about, now. The million candle light comes on and you see those babies hangin' here and there. "gulp" Or, worse yet when you see tubes on the surface of attic framing... "Now, if they've made it all the way up here, what am I standing on, anyway? Exit, stage right!... I can't wait to see this crawlspace." It's kinda funny. The worst cases are typically rentals. Tenants! Until the termites are actaually raiding the pantry nothing is said.

Hmmm..... I thought last time I drove through Geogia on my way to FL I was beginnin to feel like the bottom half was pretty sandy. But, that Rt 95 and could have been pretty close to the ocean? What do I know? I was just passing through and glancing. At any rate, the little buggers just LOVE it here and you can see them trying to make their way to the sill plate in practically 2-3 out of every 10 crawlspaces. And, yes I actually have watched them immediately begin closing a tube I broke. It was pretty amazing. I've seen some tubes that had become super highways out of necessity. Once they really get going look out! Those are the crawlspaces that as soon as the million candle light flash light comes on, I'm thinking to myself, "Uh, oh..."

I wonder, Brian, if it's soil composition? Is Mississippi really sandy like Georgia? Termites LOVE Richmond! Mucho clay and silt. We must be their Florida Keys.

Apparently not. The worst I've ever seen is tubes up to and along the crease forming the downward portion of the shield. I've not seen them tube upside down and downward to and over the lower edge of the shield. I just this afternoon saw a pantry door frame and casing eaten up thanks to termites. My finger went right in. Bring back termite Shields!

Well, old Richmond is pretty much soldered and standing seam tin and/or slate roofing with replacements becoming modified rubber. - Maybe 10% cedar shake, which hardly ever even lasts as long as composition roofing here (too hot and humid) - A bit of asbestos cement slate - An occasional asphalt built up roof (They're pretty much all replaced now with rubber) - An occasional terra cotta tile roof (and some tile used to cap parapet walls) The most popular by far is 3-tab and dimensional asphalt shingles

The wood looks to serve as a shim to create a consistant slope to the hip tiles. Beyond that I'm lost. I only see a tile roof about once every three years here. How do you know that the tiles aren't fastened? Could there be some form of anchorage cast into the underside of the product that you can't see? I wish I knew more about this roofing system myself.

Thanks Mike! Sorry I overlooked youjr previous post.

I'm with you Bob. Those termite shields were quite popular here in Richmond a few years ago. In 14 years I've never seen termite damage in a home that had them. It seemed like a good idea to me. Another good and similar question, houses that have the old foil backed paper vapor barrier stapled to the underside of the floor framing consistently have framing in exceptionally good condition. (like new!?) Sometimes it's hard To o understand why certain practices were abandoned.

This algae came on the scene here in Richmond only within the last 8 - 10 years. It used to be a far South phenomonon so I'm told. I did a home inspection for a client whose dad told me that his new roof was made to resist this algae and has for several years. Has anyone heard of such a shingle?

And then Kurt, on top of it all we have sobering moments like I did a couple days ago and are reminded that our profession is at best an imperfect art. Sometimes we all screw up. The day before yesterday I somehow overlooked a pretty rotten stair railing and the buyer had to mention it to me. I'd like to think that as I left I'd have seen it and went back in to document it. But, I guess I'll never know now. Being human particularly in this profession sucks sometimes. I have a bit more understanding for the building inspector than the installer. The unspoken responsibility that we all rely on lies with the installer, the expert in his field. When he is careless, everyone else is put at risk.

No doubt it did, Bain, but we all tend to be creatures of habit. I suppose the inspector may have had it in his mind that he'd already inspected the flue and was simply there to approve the furnace. I'm willing to give the building inspector the benefit of the doubt, but the installer certainly knew better. I think he was just lazy and didn't give a rats a&&.

"Hey, how'd this plumbing vent collar end up in the back of my truck?" said the roofer when he got home for the evening.

Yes indeed, Bain, you are correct. I mis-spoke. They are mid-efficiency units. It was just hard to believe that a building inspector overlooked something this basic. But, now that I understand that the second furnace was added last minute, it all makes a bit more sense.