Eric B

A brand new roof was put on. Not likely that they would have put on an old roof.

"Had he said "some" and not "most" I'd agree with you, but this seems like no more than self promotion through unfounded negative generalization to me." Richard, I agree. To broadly cast a shadow on a majority of inspectors is a disservice to our industry and a slap in the face to many of us. While it may cause people to be more cautious of who they hire, it also can create a need for damage control for many good inspectors.

I agree that it's wrong, though I seldom see a problem as a result. Some might call it an "acceptable deficiency." Depending on my mood of the moment, I may or may not make report comments on it. Either way I would not make much of an issue with it.

One thought. I think that it would be prudent to have the wiring to the new fan checked out. If it was damaged by heat/fire it's likely that it has been derated and is a safety concern.

And the seller thinks no one will notice? [:-dunce]

Mark, The only thing that I can think of is excessive condensation that would not otherwise be present at the warmer temps. And stop reading the manuals. You'll only make the heating bubba look worse. [:-graduat

Phillip, As you said, no visible weep holes or flashing. Plus efflorescence in base courses and grading in contact with brick. Have qualified mason blah blah blah. Factual, short and sweet.

I frequently see missing flashing between siding transitions. I also often see flashing caulked up. I report both since it is not best practice and makes no sense to ignore any opportunity to reduce water infiltration and allow water drainage. The contractors are the same here with their brainless reasoning. In the attached from last Friday the flashing had poor overlap and allowed water entry underneath. People seem to forget about what a good wind driven rain can do. Image Insert: 77.89 KB

I spent a great deal of time working on a company name. I also used a graphics designer to help present a professional image. All my printed materials, truck lettering, shirts and website revolve around specific fonts, colors and logo. Even my report folder is embossed with the logo image. It's a bit of an investment but it ties everything together and I have had many compliments. Despite this, I will agree with others, people don't remember the company name, they remember the inspector.

"of course the seller is peeved at me for not indicating the tank was low" That's funny! I don't come across many conditions anymore that I haven't already seen. But when it comes to dealing with people there's always something new. Makes for an interesting job.

Jodi, I tell clients that my job is to tell them what the industry standards are and that I don't expect that every single thing that I point out will be corrected. It's like making a complete stop at a stop sign - it's a law that most of us fudge on. If the electrician wants to fudge on the double taps that's fine with me. But I don't have the authority to say that they're ok. I suspect that if the electrician had to write a report that he had to put his signature to, like you and I do, he'd be more cautious about what he'd ignore. A few years ago an "electrician" said that having a few amps on the home's water lines was acceptable. I asked if he'd be willing to put that on company letterhead and sign it. He said he would. As far as I was concerned I was done with that situation. I had "qualified" people write statements that separated trusses, holes on heat exchangers etc were acceptable conditions. If the client wants to go along with such stuff it's their decision. I've learned to not waste energy over letting it frost me (at least most of the time).

Michael, Go here: http://www.hydromatic.com/effluent/spd50.html Instead of a float, you will see a black chamber next to the pump. On the bottom of this chamber is a rubber diaphragm. As the water in the sump rises it creates pressure on the diaphragm and activates the pump. From the chamber is a tube that runs up the power cord to the plug. In the attached picture is a hydro-matic plug with the white vent tube. If you suck on the tube you will cause the diaphragm to pull up much as it would from water pressure. This will close the switch and activate the pump. Now, when you suck on the tube you must then place a finger over the tube to prevent air from re-entering and filling the partial chamber vacuum that you created by sucking air out. Plug the plug into the outlet with finger on vent tube and pump will run until you remove the finger, then pump shuts off. By plugging in the secondary plug you bypass the pump switch and only confirm that the pump runs - this will not confirm the switch's function which sometimes has failed. Image Insert: 134.1 KB

The ones that can catch me are the Hyro-Matic pumps with vent tubes. I've had a couple of occasions where I sucked water back up through the vent. I think this is where the term "every action causes a reaction" came from.

Brandon, You're on to something. Sits low, has less air resistance, is presentable and make an impression. Guaranteed the client and agent will remember you. Not sure how the girl fits in. Seems to be some sort of option! Image Insert: 29.12 KB

Jodi, Don't rely on your tester for testing GFCIs. It's sensitivity will likely be different than that of the GFCI device - which is not necessarily a bad thing. Plus, the manufacturer of the GFCI device will only recognized the test button on the device, not your tester. And your question was a good one.

"She didn't look so well when we were done, unfortunately. " Actually that's probably a good thing. That foundation alone is more than she may want to deal with. I always dread having clients want to continue with purchasing a home with such problems. A buyer who moves in and then begins to realize the mess that they've gotten into is never good.

Matthew, Now that you have the picture up, that connector is not what I was thinking of. I've got to retract my previous statement.

Tim, If it's a true ventless unit, there will not be a damper. If someone is saying that a damper firebox can be used at ventless it's wrong. Ventless appliances use specific burners that would not be used in vented applications. All manufactured fireplaces should be used only as they were designed and tested for - no modifications. Does this help?

I know of no problem with these connectors.

You mentioned "emergency heat" which means heat pump. Is it possible that it's too cold outside for the heat pump to maintain the 72 degrees. If so, put the thermostat in emergency heat mode and just run your secondary system. Scott will be familiar with your current outside temps. As a general rule, once the outside temp gets down to 30 degrees or so the heat pump begins to have trouble keeping up with the heating requirements thereby causing the secondary (emergency) heat to come on. The secondary system will bring the room temp up to a certain point then shut down and let the heat pump finish the last degree or two of heating - if it can. Sorry if I told you something that you already knew.

Mike, As your quote states, the shut off valve should have free access. However, when the valve at the fireplace is installed in the adjacent wall and turned on by key, I doubt you could say that the valve is truly accessible. A second valve, usually underneath in the basement, would be accessible - though not in the same room. I can't find song and verse on this but around here the second valve is always installed and most people know of it's purpose. I have yet to encounter resistance when I point out the second valve's absence or inaccessibility. Kurt, you've got the People's Energy handbook (I lost mine), nothing in it about this?

Ok guys, bad topic. Last Friday I wore a snowmobile suit for my job. Today we had 15 degrees for the high and tonight they're talking about -4. Even with last weekend's 45 degrees and rain we still have about 6 inches of snow. I'm hearing about minus 30s in the Dakotas. Just because you aren't sharing any warmth with us doesn't mean we won't share any cold with you. Better be nice!

A damper that is not fully opened will accelerate creosote accumulation - a practice I use to be guilty of.

This seller had no idea either. People like these help assure a need for H.I.s. Image Insert: 69.94 KB

Mike, you raise a real concern. I recently had the BBB contact me regarding a complaint which in part stated that I did not go into the attic. The report mentions mold, leakage, open soil stack as conditions found in the attic, all photographed. In fact the husband was in the attic with me. The other statements were of equal nature. Had the BBB not contacted me I would have never known that such statements had been made. I have no idea if the client made any postings on any online sites. I bust butt for my clients and when something like this happens it really lets the wind out of my sails. It's beyond me how some people can be so vicious.