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Brandon and Darren, Come on, Guys, that's a rotating google ad. The chances of a decent number of folks seeing it was pretty small until you guys gave them free advertising by posting that link on TIJ. I've removed the link. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I guess ignorance is bliss. I'm a computer moron and I've made mine talk to each other. Go figure. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Well, it's bated, but if you've just had chum for dinner it might be baited. OT - OF!!! M.

So, Al, does that mean you are volunteering or un-volunteering, or is thread drift a hobby of yours? OT - OF!!! M.

I've asked, Frank, believe me, but the doc says that all he can do is recommend an implant. [:-eyebrow OT - OF!!! M.

Time to replace it. If thats corroded completely through what do you suppose the condition of the sides of that center tube is? OT - OF!!! M.

I dunno, Mark, By the looks of your avatar photo, I'd say you must have consumed that whole baggie. OT - OF!!! M.

The client has questions about the advantages of foam insulation? Send them here to watch an HGTV.pro video short on the subject.

Do you ever get calls from customers wondering about how various type of heating systems work? The next time a client calls to ask about a ground source heat pump, refer the client to this video short from HGTV.com.

If anyone is interested, here's a little video on tile roofs from HGTV pro. Click here. OT - OF!!! M.

Yeah, yeah, but what about the dress? []

Here's an article wherein a home inspector offers an additional service - testing a home for drug residue. Is this guy nuts or is this the wave of the future? What say you? To read the entire article, click here.

Hi Les, Yeah, I've heard you tell that story before, but the simple fact is that if ISE isn't doing anything to enforce it, like going after every company that uses 'garbage disposal' as a key word on search engines to drive consumers to their pages, then they're going to lose it. By the way, growing up in the 1950's we didn't have one. My mother used to tell my Dad she'd like to get a garbage disposal. She never said, "I'd like to get one of those nice new In-Sink-Erator Garbage disposals," but she used to say things like, "Frigidaire makes a better refrigerator" and stuff like that. Maybe in the early 90's they were trying to figuratively flex their muscles with the word but since the internet explosion I think trying to enforce that is going to be like pissing into the wind. They'll only soil themselves by trying. My opinion, worth the price charged. By the way, got a dress to go with those pumps? OT - OF!!! M.

In this article from the HeraldTribune.com, Richard Satterlee, a Venice, Florida bait shop owner, who used to have a home inspection company and used to operate a pest control company, has been accused of scamming three investors out of $90,000 ($30,000 each), by promising to train them as pest inspectors, give each a share of the business in the form of a territory, and then refer work to them. Satterlee's home inspection business has been closed since 2002 and his pest control business has been inactive since 2003. To read the entire story, click here.

Here's an interesting take on municipal inspections in Florida where the building boom caused so many delays that some municipalities allowed builders to hire private inspection firms to perform code inspections. To read the entire article, click here.

The garbage disposal. I notice that Sears calls them waste disposers and another company calls them waste disposals and, according to Wikipedia, they're called garburators in Canada. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_disposal

If that's the final finished and painted product, the builder and the trim carpenter should both be taken out and flogged. OT - OF!!! M.

This article from the Lawrence Journal World is about an inspectors who has finally reached his 10,000 inspection after more than 20 years in the business. To read more, click here.

Those of you who live in areas where natural disasters of one form or another aren't uncommon, and where homeowners sometimes install standby generators for those times when the power is down, will appreciate a free downloadable article on standby generators that is available free from the Journal of Light Construction (JLC). To download the article in either .pdf or HTML format, click here.

Hi Mark, We aren't supposed to presuppose what a sparky will say or do. The textbook answer, as I said above, is that the outside disconnect is the main panel and the inside panel is a sub-panel. Given that, you have to separate the grounded conductors and equipment-grounding conductors on separate buses by adding an equipment-grounding bus and then install a bonding screw in the appropriate location on the exterior enclosure, exactly as Richard states above. That's the way you write it. The reality is that what will then most-probably happen is a sparky will come out, make some comment about "Idiotic friggin home inspectors don't know their a** from a hole in the ground," and will install the bonding screw in that hole at the strap between the two neutral buses at the top of the inner panel, replace the faulty breaker, close the panel up, and walk away. Because the two panels are joined by that metal hub and conduit, I don't think it will make a bit of difference to the electricity passing through there. If something happens, it will still do exactly what it is supposed to do in a perfect scenario, albeit in a not-so-perfect way. That is going to be the sparky's call and when he makes it you should simply shrug your shoulders and say, "He's the electrician, not me; it's his call." Just explain to the client that you are the family doctor and that the sparky is the brain surgeon; if the sparky chooses to make an unorthodox call it's on him, not you. Whatever you do, stay out of it from the point where the sparky gets involved. Don't dispute the sparky's work unless you want to become ensnared for practicing as an electrician without having an electricians license. Just document every conversation and archive every email related to the issue and make sure the client understands that you've washed your hands of it once the sparky touches it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hmm, Been testing the cooking sherry have we, Kurt? Glad to see you survived the drive. I was beginning to worry. OT - OF!!! M.

Well, it's about flippin' time! To learn more, click here.

Lebanon,TN - 8/30/2007 As part of Lochinvar's Hot Water Solutions Tour, the company's Residential Boiler Product Van is making its way across the country to educate the industry on the KNIGHT® modulating, condensing boiler and other high-efficiency hydronic heating products. Driven by Lochinvar salespeople and manufacturers’ representatives, this state of the art, multi-media lab makes scheduled stops at distributors and wholesalers in coordination with their special events, such as customer appreciation and counter days. Engineers and contractors are invited to stop by the van to witness first-hand Lochinvar’s finest residential boiler offerings, such as the Solution Boiler and the floor-standing and wall-mounted KNIGHT Heating Boiler. Lochinvar experts also cover topics such as condensing technology, primary and secondary boiler piping, application flexibility, modulating firing rates, sequencing options, venting solutions and thermal efficiency. Following are the scheduled stops on the 2007 Lochinvar Hot Water Solutions Tour September 19 – 26 Philadelphia / Southern New Jersey / Eastern Pennsylvania September 27 – October 1 Maryland / Northern Virginia October 3 – 4 Southern Virginia October 8 – 11 Pittsburgh / Western Pennsylvania October 15 – 18 Chicago October 22 – 25 Wisconsin October 29 – November 1 Minnesota November 5 – 8 Nebraska November 12 – 14 Iowa November 15 – 20 Eastern Iowa November 22 – 27 Missouri and Southern Illinois Specific dates, times and locations of events can be obtained from the local Lochinvar representative. For the representative in your area, please visit www.lochinvar.com and click on “Rep Locatorâ€

Watch out you west coast inspector dudes and dudettes, the California Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 has just passed both houses. This bill provides a $250 million fund to provide rebates to homeowners and businesses that invest in solar water heating technologies. Sounds like a whole new specialty for the enterprising home inspector who wants to do a little solar heating homework. To read more, click here.

Popular Mechanics is offering a free home and auto do-it-yourselfer handbook online. Sure, it's chock full of advertising, but there's a lot of good stuff in there for the first-time homebuyer who is itching to start doing stuff in his new *garage*. To download a free copy, click here.