ozofprev

Recursive certification. Interesting.

So, the Romans invented pizza. Cool!

Mark, I had a similar situation a couple of months ago and I thought the same as you. But Hansen and Abernathy reminded me that the purpose for the ground is primarily to protect from lightning. The panels are bonded through the neutral, and that's fine. They also mentioned that requirements are different in lightning intense areas. (I hope I got that right - I've learned so much from them, I don't want them to curse the student.)

Hey! My first pick was the beer foam, but I didn't want to encroach on cgmuffin. He claimed it first. If I really wanted to scare you, I'd put up an actual photo! Or maybe Kurt's photo - close up, not one at a distance cruising the water. I kinda miss that really mean looking dude with the cigar in his mouth - I don't remember who had that one.

Thanks Captain, I gotta ask... Is the Professional Certification Institute (PCI) certified?

Kurt, Well put. In that vein, I have found three things that make my life easier. Knowlege is at the top of the list. Second and third are; show confidence, and have an open friendliness about you. I've been around the construction industry long enough to know the vernacular, but I learn every day. When this client called me, he felt he was calling a caring friend. He was. I was proactive regarding his concerns. I hooked him up directly with a qualified local lab and told him how much it will cost (cheap). I gave him alternatives and provided useful information for applying drywall over plaster. I told him to always feel free to call with any questions. He is very appreciative, feels like he has a friend, and wants me to come over this summer to see how he and his wife have fixed the place up. That's how it always seems to go. I get a call. I imagine a lawyer nipping at my ba**s. I do all I can to help. Finally, I realize the client never thought once about litigation. But I know I'll always be paranoid because that's the kind of weirdo I am. [:-eyebrow

Above the top of the weir of the trap.[:-magnify There's a wart on the frog on the log....

Kurt, That's what I write in my reports (almost verbatim!). That's why I'm a little surprised someone is asking me if they should worry about tearing down a wall. Got to be adult about these things.

Steve, That used to be true, but NYS does in fact now allow AAVs. It's possible that a local municipality is fighting against them, but NYS allows AAV's. They must be accessible, and must be 4-6 inches above the trap.

Steve and Chad, thanks for your responses. I don't think there's much doubt that asbestos is a great material when not friable. But as the tunnel rats in D.C. discovered, it can devastate one's health. It is also likely that cracked plaster was parged for papering as Chad said, but that parge might easily contain asbestos - and the couple has 3 young kids in the house. I'm going to contact an approved asbestos lab to ask what their experience is locally. Kurt, you must see this quite a bit, no????

Got a call tonight from a past client. He stripped wallpaper and discovered a cementitious material underneath. He wants to know if he should worry about asbestos. The home was built in 1900. Asbestos was used in some of these materials (hell, it was used everywhere back then). I'm curious about what some of you say/do in these situations.

Hi Richard, I'm not Mike, but I do know that ALUMINUM in conduits must always be insulated. If the neutral through conduit is copper, then it is allowed.

Couldn't help but notice the seller is from Rochester. Hmmmm...

Oh Chad, ovular was fine. If you want to get picky, the term is ovoid. Egg-shaped is cool too.

So, Jan, What type of water heater is it? We want to know.

Absolutely! Didn't you see my cheek being poked out by my tongue? That, I didn't know. I've looked at many old homes in Buffalo, but haven't seen anything like that yet. Thanks for the info. Buffalo too. We might have the best climate around in a couple of hundred years. Can't wait.

Pretty cool, Darren. I would worry about the connections to those tanks & leaking. Perhaps they thought the 30 yds of concrete would cover that problem up.

Hey Chad, you fellow balding skeptic. How do you know it wasn't built loose? I hope people 100 years from now don't think that about today's structures. Just looking at the layout, I am guessing that the drip edges are perpendicular to the direction that would cause splaying of these particular walls. (Need more information) BTW, wouldn't you like to have a little global warming? My Easter eggs were all frozen and covered with snow.

Doesn't seem possible. Heat -> expansion -> big bang. TPR is required and is a serious concern if missing.

Darren, That's a good publication. I never thought about a duct's bouyancy actually lifting the structure. That would be one hell of a submarine. People in New York are often amused when I tell them that swimming pools in New Orleans must contain water year round. Take the water out, and the pool can pop out of the wet ground like a boat. New York also has a very good educational program and website. They just don't know how to license HI's so that it means anything.

Perhaps it looks worse in person, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. I can't tell from the picture, but am (pretty safely) ASSuming the joists continue through their support beams. I wouldn't call anything out here other than the water stain.

What size is the overcurrent protection at the house?

Don't expect ya do.[] Is there another one that is targeted to the HI? Hansen's taught me a lot, but I can always learn more. (Of course I also have to open my eyes and see all the busses in the panel[:-banghea)

I wish I didn't understand that.

I like the spring scale approach. You could also gather, say 20-25 lawyers to stand on the deck. Just a thought.