StevenT

Emailed Goodman, waiting for response. It just dosen't sound right to me.

The units are brand new. I'm wondering if it's a typo on the label. I find it odd that the smaller unit calls fo a 40, etc., but I'm even more taken back that calls for more than the larger unit.

Neal, I agree. I was just wondering if there may have been a legitimate reason to install this ... plug??? As I stated, I recall a drainable "t" fitting that allowed condensation to drain. But the horizontal run was much greater than this one. I thought there was a possibility that this could be an "acceptable field fix" and not a "bogus band-aid."

The outlet is very close. About 3' rise and 3' out. All stainless steel. I do notice the pitch of the pipe coming out ofthe boiler to be a wee bit negetive. I'm wondering if condensation has been a problem. Now that I think about it, the outer pipe is not cut or capped. Perhaps rainwater is/was a problem? Image Insert: 43.64 KB

One of the items I check is the maximum circuit breaker size for a unit and check to make sure that the proper size breaker is in the panel. Today I came across a matched set of compressors. The 2 ton unit called for a 40amp HACR and the three ton called for a 15 amp HACR. This seemed quite odd to me, I usually see larger units with larger breakers. As I said, they are identical units, except size.

I'm guessing it is some condensation drain. I'm not sure if is homemade or supposed to be there. In my memory, I think I've seen drains on fan assisted systems, but they didn't look homemade. Image Insert: 61.12 KB Image Insert: 58.99 KB Image Insert: 53.16 KB

Uh, I forgot.

Chad, You have a house just to smoke in???? What exactly do you smoke?

I don't know about Headphone Jack, but I once saw a movie called Kangaroo Jack.

I also keep trying to link to a URL that in on the server of another report company, but the URL keeps changing to inspectorsjournal... I've tried about 10 times so far. Is the problem occuring because it is on the serevr of another report company and there is a block on it?

3519.kb

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The pdf is too large, so I tried to post a link. I copied and pasted the url, but it keeps showing up differently than how I paste it.

Thanks for the compliment Bob, but I am the first one to admit that I have alot to learn. It just so happens that I really love inspecting, and I really really love inspecting EIFS. I tried to post a copy of a recent EIFS inspection. But the site doesn't seem to want to accept it.

The tool you are talking about is called a Substrate Resistance Tester, the purpose of this tool is to test and plot the damaged substrate. It's the step after plotting wet areas with a Tramex and before you start removing the EIFS to make repairs. The tool works like a hand held fish scale, but in reverse. Instead of measuring the pounds of resistance pulling, it measures the pounds of resistance pushing. Different tytpes of substrates will have different resistances. By the way, the best tool for inspecting EIFS is one's eyes.

So long as the sides are strong, who cares if it's ugly? There should be a cover on it. But if it is weak, perhaps a new plastic sleeve would fit right in it without removing the old one. if the pipes leading to it are in rough shape, you could be opening a can of worms. You could also put a perforated 5 gallon compound bucket in it and put some stone around the bucket. If you need more height, cut the bottom off another bucket or two and stack the remaing tops inside one another. You may have to use a pump with an internal switch, the float switch can get hung up in a bucket. By the way, where is the check valve? I usually like to see them as close to the pump as possible.

settlementatudation

You stated that the house is on the waterfront. I would be curious as to how high the water table is. So long as the house isn't floating, my thoughts are, being that the house is 60 years old, unless I saw something that led me to believe that those cracks are recent or if the pictures are simply typical of similar cracks all over the place, I wouldn't be too alarmed by them. Like I said, unless there is more than the pictures dipict, my thoughts are that they have done whatever they are going to do. Waterproofing cracks is easy enough. I prefer Hydrophobic Polyurethane. Injected under pressure from the inside. Since the walls are open, that's easy enough. Like Mike says, make sure the exterior drainage is well away from the house. If you do buy the house and wish to monitor the cracks, purchase a small microscope slide (glass). Using urethane adhesive, attach it across the crack. If the crack widens, the glass will break.

If I saw something that I didn't like on a building I was inspecting, I would call it. It wouldn't matter to me if it was "code", "grandfathered in" or "something I learned through experience". I also use the words qualified, licensed, reputable or professional. Sometimes I even use the expression, "make sure you get somebody that knows what he's doing"

A couple of years ago I had to underpin a section of foundation about 40' long. We were dropping a basement floor about 2 feet. I dug out an approximatly 2 foot sections spaced approximatly 6 feet apart and well past the exterior of the foudation. The hole extended about 3 feet lower than the new floor level and was "belled" on the bottom. I then formed in the void and poured concrete high enough to encapsulate the old foundation by about 12 inches. One section of the old foundation had collapsed (in prior years), I jacked up that section prior to encasing it in the form. A few weeks later after stripping the forms I dug out in between my retrofitted footings. Although at these locations I did not excavate quite as much. I then built forms and underpinned the remaining areas. All held very well. Chad, don't you mean settlementatudation?

Different sealants are for different purposes. The backer rod also helps create an "hour glass" shape, this helps when a joint that stretch and recover better.

While were on the subject of caulking/sealing, how few jnow how to apply it properly?

Commercial installations cost more, thus allowing for a better installation. There are a few... very few... installers that do have the knowledge and are willing to install the system properly. Adhering to strict installation standards and insisting upon progress inspections during the installation will help provide for a better finished product. Unfortunately, most residential installations do not provide for this. Once again, my idea would change all of that. A friend of mine is an inventor. If there is a cheap way that I could protect my idea, I will share it. Until then, I couldn't agree with you more. When I first encountered EIFS, I thought it was great and loved it. As time went on and it's short comings became known, I hated it. When I became an inspector, as far as I was concerned, if a house had EIFS on it, it "failed" as soon as I pulled into the driveway. Since it is and continues to be an accepted and widely used product in the industry, I felt I needed to back up my opinion with factual knowledge. I also felt that it was necessary it "pass" or "fail" each installation on it's own merit. That is why I became certified in it's inspection. There are installation methods that address it's short comings, which by the way are really due to the fact that the material used is too good... too waterproof and vapor proof. I have yet to see this type of installation on residential, and even if it were, most installers don't know and don't care enough to install it correctly. If installed incorrrectly, the drainable systems won't work either. There are also other issues that I have regarding even the drainable systems that have not been addressed. Such as vapor. Just like it is the vapor that makes gasoline so volitile, I believe it is the vapor that make moisture so damaging. Water in a liquid form can be drained off, it is the vapor that is much more difficult to deal with. Just like any building envelope, breath-ability is very important.

Hey Jim, You stole my idea!!! No, I really do have a great innovation. Think "Breathability"

Hi Bob, How the ole Wolf tonight? Out chasin' foxes? I got the video ... and permission to use it, from EDI. I'm sure it was in response to law suits and alot of bad PR.