hausdok

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Release #07-108 Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with the Water Heating Division of Rheem Sales Company Inc., of Montgomery, AL. and Paloma Industries Inc., of Oxnard, CA, announced a voluntary recall of approximately 42,200 Powervent Tankless Water Heaters, due to a defect that constitutes a carbon monoxide poisoning hazard. According to the manufacturer, Components inside the water heater may shift during transit, causing an air filter door switch to operate improperly. If the switch fails and the air filter door is out of place, the water heater could continue to operate and dust and lint could build up, posing a carbon monoxide poisoning hazard. So far, they haven't had any reports of incidents or injuries associated with these water heaters. The recall involves indoor models of the Power Vent 199,900 BTUH tankless water heaters. The brands and model numbers included in this recall are listed below and are located on the front of the unit and the rating plate. The water heaters have a cream jacket or gray jacket enclosure with the piping on the top and bottom of the unit. The rating plate is a silver label located at the front of the unit in the lower right hand corner. Brand and Models: Paloma: PTG-74PVN; PTG-74PVP; PTG-74PVN-1; PTG-74PVP-1; PTG-74PVNH;PTG-74PVPH; PTG-74PVNUH; PTG-74PVPUH and PH-28RIFSN; PH-28RIFSP;PH-28RIFSN-1; PH-28RIFSP-1; PH-28CIFSN; PH-28CIFSP; PH-28CIFSN-1;PH-28CIFSP-1 Rheem: RTG-74PVN; RTG-74PVP; RTG-74PVN-1; RTG-74PVP-1 Ruud: RUTG-74PVN; RUTG-74PVP; RUTG-74PVN-1; RUTG-74PVP-1 Rheem-Ruud: GT-199PV-N; GT-199PV-P; GT-199PV-N-1; GT-199PV-P-1 Richmond: RMTG-74PVN; RMTG-74PVP; RMTG-74PVN-1; RMTG-74PVP-1;RMTG-74PVNH; RMTG-74PVPH; RMTG-74PVNUH; RMTG-74PVPUH The water heaters were sold by retailers nationwide and through plumbing wholesale distributors to plumbers, contractors and consumers from May 2004 through December 2006 for between $800 and $1,300. The water heaters were manufactured in Japan. Consumers with the recalled water heaters should stop using them immediately, if the air filter door is not in place. Consumers, who have not already been contacted by an authorized contractor, should immediately contact their installer or Rheem Manufacturing Company to arrange for a free, on-site repair. Consumers are reminded to use the air filter door for these water heaters to avoid a carbon monoxide hazard. For more information, contact Rheem toll-free at (866)369-4786 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.and 4:30 p.m. CT Saturday and Sunday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.tankless-recall.com CPSC also warns that, regardless of the type of water heater that is used, every home should have a CO alarm outside all sleeping areas, and consumers should ensure that their CO alarms have working batteries. To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please click here.

Hi Barry, Apologies, but I'm having a very hard time envisioning the system based on the description you've provided. Do you have a scanner? Is it possible that you could make a rough sketch, scan it, save it as an image and then post it to this thread, so we'll have a better understanding of what you mean? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Thank You All, I've got what I needed. I'll try and return the favor one day. OT - OF!!! M.

Kewl! Now the cobwebs are clearing. Now if I could just remember which box the danged code stuff is in. OT - OF!!! M.

Roger, wilco. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Chad, You're right, eaves troughs is exactly what I meant to say, which is a good illustration of how easily one can mis-state something, yet those hearing/reading it will still understand the context and meaning. OT - OF!!! M.

Okay Guys, Having a brain fart here. I still haven't unpacked all of my stuff after the move and can't find the references I need. Had remodeled 1909 bungalow that had been completely rewired yesterday. Found a dishwasher, disposal and countertop outlets all on one GFCI yesterday. Memory is telling me disposal and dishwasher can be on the same MWBC but that there has to be a handle tie. It's also telling me two 20-amp appliance circuits, but I can't remember if it allows these other two on the same circuit. What say you gurus? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Jerry, I agree, it's splitting hairs over a non-issue. In different parts of the country, some things have different names and that's a fact one has to recognize and get used to. In some places, they're "gutter troughs" while in others they're "gutters". In some places they're "downspouts" while in others they're "leaders". In some areas it's called "Window flashings" while in others it's called "window splines". In some areas, they're called "head flashings" while in others they're called "cap flashings". In some areas, it's known as a "rim board", while in others it's a "rim joist" or a "band joist." It's a water heater and it's also a hot water heater. Run the hot water and cold water enters the tank to get heated. However, if you don't run the hot water at all, after a while the water in the tank gradually cools to a set point and then the heater kicks on and the already-hot water is re-heated to the maximum temperature setting, though it's still pretty hot. So, it is in fact a hot water (re)heater. As regards this one piece of terminology, I think it's making a mountain out of a mole hill and that's what I'd personally tell any attorney who tried to use that kind of a faux pas as currency in court. I've spent a lot of time on witness stands word fencing with defense attorneys over criminal cases and never had one beat me yet. I don't think it would be that much different in this gig. Their mission is to try and make it look like what you wrote could have been misconstrued to the point where the client gets to blame you for having said the wrong thing. It's just a matter of keeping your cool and calmly explaining any distinctions and why it was impossible for anyone to misconstrue what you said or wrote. I'm not concerned that if I ever have to deal with a litigator in court for a home inspection issue that I won't be able to handle their inane little attacks and make anyone listening understand exactly what's being said. But that's me, I suppose. Others' mileage may vary. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi John, Good to see you here and I'm glad you reminded me about Mr. Chalfin. Over the years, he and I have had a few interesting email and telephone conversations and I was telling myself last week that I hadn't heard from him in months and should shoot him an email. Then I plumb forgot all about it. Guess I'll do that now. He tells me that in the early days folks were dreaming of a future when inspectors would be very well educated in colleges that taught home inspections and building science and that every inspector would one day have to submit to peer review to work in the field. He's more than a little disappointed that the profession has evolved the way it has, but he's still optimistic that it could be turned around if enough folks were willing. Hope I'm still that idealistic when I reach his age. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Shoot me the image by email to hausdok@msn.com and I'll insert it in your report. For future reference, pictures have to be in jpeg format, less than 100Kb and the file name can't have any spaces or special symbols, such as parenthesis in it. Plus, if you're using netscape, it'll probably still refuse. When that happens, just click upload, browse to the file, click to upload it and then, when the window says that it's been upoaded, copy the URL displayed and past it in under your post. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Go here: http://www.airvent.com/professional/education.shtml Take the online ventilation course. It's free. OT - OF!!! M.

Go here: http://www.airvent.com/professional/education.shtml Take the online ventilation course. It's free. OT - OF!!! M.

Oh, I knew and understood that. I thought that a little explanation would preclude others from making any faux pas'. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi, I had a house last summer completely sided with redwood that looked like that. It was built in the 50's and most areas were doing fine, except where some dildo had allowed planting beds to lie against the bottom edges for decades, where the siding, and framing was rotting. The biggest complaint the client had was the dark color. It had turned almost black after more than half a century and they wanted to paint it. As oxidized as it was, I told them that I didn't think it would take paint well at all. My guess - they'll strip all of it off and re-side it with something that they can paint, rather than live with that deep brown to black color. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Good one. Just to clear up the confusion for others reading - it's okay to publish a link to someone else's site, it's not alright to cut and paste their content to TIJ, or any other site, without their permission. This is an embedded link to Mike Holt's site. However, if I'd downloaded the document and then added it to TIJ's downloads library without his permission I would be committing piracy and copyright infringement. It's important to understand the distinction and not to cross that line, because not only can the person who cuts and pastes it get in trouble, the owner of the site where it's posted can get into hot water too and that I don't need. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Obviously, whoever the roofer was who installed the ridge vent doesn't understand why/how ridge vents are there - he just installs them. He probably never bothered to educate the homeowner about the need for good airflow from the soffits to the ridge or explained why the gable end vent will defeat the soffit vents. Right now, you're pulling air from the gable end vents. If you close them without opening the soffits, you'll increase the amount of moisture-laden air pulled into the attic from the home. If they want it to work correctly, they need to close the gable end vents and adjust that insulation at the wall plates to facilitate good airflow. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Cool, Sorry for looking a gift horse in the mouth, but in today's litigous world one has to be careful. Drive on! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Paul, Not that I'm ungrateful for the detailed electrical information you're providing to TIJ's members, but do you have Mike Holt's permission to copy and display content from his site on TIJ? That illustration was used on his Grounding vs. Bonding series #5 from July 2005. Anytime that skilled technical folks want to contribute to TIJ, I'm very grateful - I just can't afford to deal with any of the potential legal ramifications of getting embroiled in any kind of copyright infringement suit, so let's make sure we've got permission before we cut and copy from someone else's site. OK? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Les, Actually, Richard said he thought the structure had "racked" not raked. In my opinion, that's an excellent way to describe what happens to structures in a quake.The Nisqually quake was a pretty good shaker. Did a whole lot of damage around here. OT - OF!!! M.

LIft one end of it a little off the floor and cause the water to deepen in the float end. It'll come on...or not. OT-OF!!! M.

Hi, If you're limited, because of the age of the home and the cost to re-engineer and install a central heating system, Go here: http://web2.williamscomfortprod.com/residential I've seen a lot of their products over the past decade, particularly the Forceaire furnaces, and all were little workhorses - even the really old ones. OT - OF!!! M.

For those who do a lot of new construction inspections, Dupont's free 12 page Tyvek Water Resistance Barriers Installation Guide should come in handy. This has been added to TIJ's downloads library, so if you lose the link, just go to TIJ, click on "Resources" and "Downloads" and then scroll down to find the document and get it. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, I think it would be prudent to recommend having the wall between the mechanical room and the closet drywalled. How will the mechanical room get it's combustion air for the water heater? Are there vents into the mechanical room from the interior or from the outside? What area does that mechanical room open to? OT - OF!!! M.

Hi Chris, My position is that, regardless of the rules that allowed something "back then", when it's replaced it should be brought up to current code, and the manufacturer's instructions, when more restrictive, detailed or safer than what the muni guy accepts, always trump code. Works for me. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Release #07-104 Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in cooperation with Zoeller Pump Co., of Louisville, Ky., announced a voluntary recall of approximately 2,300 Zoeller Brand Septic Pumps with a 20-foot black cord with a plug due to a defect that constitutes an electrocution hazard. According to the manufacturer, the plug on the pumps could have a grounding problem that poses an electrical shock hazard to consumers. Zoeller reports that, so far, they haven't had any reports of incidents or injuries associated with these pumps. The pumpbs have a 20-foot black cord with a plug and date codes 0906 and 1006. On models 53, 57, 151, 152 and 153 the date code is printed on the nameplate on the top of the pump. On Model WM48 the date code is printed on the tag near the plug. "Philippines" is stamped on the plug. The pumps were sold through Zoeller distributors nationwide from September 2006 through December 2006 for between $125 and $375. The pumps were manufactured in the United States but the cords and plugs were manufactured in the Phillipines. Those pumps that have already been hard wired during installation (where the plug has been removed) are not included in the recall. Consumers should immediately stop using these pumps and contact Zoeller to schedule an inspection,replacement and return of affected pumps. A listof specific part numbers, model numbers, date codes and UPC codes can be found at www.zoeller.com. . For additional information, contact Zoeller Pump Co.at (800) 928-7867 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, e-mail Zoeller at customercare@zoeller.com, or visit the firm's Web site at www.zoeller.com To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please click here.