John Dirks Jr

I say stand up and defend yourself. If they take you to court, gather your personal fortitude and your documentation and defend yourself there. There is a chance the judge would decide in your favor. If he does not, file an appeal and get a lawyer. What do you have to loose? Start now by researching the methods for filing an appeal.

Anyone who wants to be in business for a long time does not want to be associated with anyone who would expect them to lie.

Returning the inspection fee could be viewed as admiting guilt an lead the way to a law suit. I wouldnt turn over a dime based on a phone conversation alone? I would stand by my work intill there was at least a serious written threat. Then I would think hard about how to handle it. If the insurance does not require you to report complaints, I would keep them out of it. One thing for sure, never disclose your limits of liability in terms of dollar amount. Sometimes even having insurance is an invatation for a law suit.

How many times can two professionals disagree? It happens all the time. So just because someone disagrees with you does not mean you are wrong. In this case the other inspector did not disagree anyway. Way to stick to your guns Steven. This is a classic example of my earlier point. Its what the HI thinks that matters the most. I stick by that statement.

OK great. Now I am very inquisitive so I will continue. I am comfortable being told it has to be, but I usually want to know why. In the main panel the neutral bus should be bonded to the case, correct? If so then in the main panel there is not separation of grounds and neutrals, correct? The reason I ask is this; The main and sub panels are bonded together via metal conduit. The main neutral bus is grounded to the main case. Given these facts, no matter how you hook it up, how can you have separation of neutrals and grounds in the sub? Dont the sub connections wind up bonding in the main via the metal conduit anyway?

This sentence could also be added: I recommend that the next time any repairs or maintenance are done to this roof that this area be built up to eliminate this low spot.

How about, Stains in this area indicate a low spot where water will pool. Light pooling of water is not uncommon in flat roofs and these areas will require additional maintenance over time. The evidence is clear that at least one repair was already made in this area. I recommend keeping a close watch on the interior area underneath this location to watch for any signs of leaks and repair if needed.

I suppose the reason the AC ground wire loops out and back in again was to give it a second point for grounding to the box. Its clamped between the knockout connector. So, I should; 1. Replace the dryer feed circuit to a 4 wire with ground. 2. Replace the breaker for the dryer for proper orientation. 3. Remove the wire that grounds the neutral bus to the case to keep grounds and neutrals separate. 4. Add a ground bus to the panel to provide proper connection point for grounds. Can a ground bus be added to this panel or does the entire panel have to be replaced?

Take a look at the picture at the link. It is a 240v sub panel that runs a clothes dryer and an AC unit. http://home.comcast.net/~mailmanusa/240sub.JPG The white sheathed cable runs to the AC unit and the cloth sheathed cable to the dryer. If you look closely you will see these things; The common for the AC is grounded to the case. The common for the dryer is connected to the bus bar. The bus bar is grounded to the case. Now there is more than one way to skin a cat for sure but is everything ok in this box? Everything is working fine.

If it is fed exclusively by gravity, then wouldn't the available pressure be subject to the homes elevation in relation to the resivoir? For example, the further down hill, the higher the pressure.

That's interesting. Around here, our water is supplied from reservoirs that are at fixed heights. Pressure from the street doesn't fluctuate at all unless there's a very large draw somewhere (a fire hydrant is open or something equally dramatic). I've measured pressure at houses that I'd inspected years before and the pressure is always consistent within a pound or two. As far as I can see, pressure to an individual house is consistent 24/7/365. (Superbowl commercials notwithstanding.) - Jim Katen, Oregon Perhaps the municipalities install pressure regulators at the meters and that could be why the pressures are so consistant. They maintain a higher pressure in the main and reduce it at the meters for each residence.

Good tip on checking the hydrant caps for color. I wonder if they're that way in my area? I'll check next time I'm out ridin around.[:-magnify

Heres an interesting link about water pressure. With municipal delivery they talk about the pressure difference in relation to your elevation to the water tower. If your house is located up hill from the tower your pressure would be lower, and down hill it would be higher. http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water- ... essure.htm

I agree with ridge and soffit but I will get even more specific. Full length ridge vents and continuous soffit vents when possible.

Thanks Jim..will do.

An inspector can collect data before he or she gets to the property. How about soil conditions data? Are there any sources of mapping or whatnot that could show different soil types in specific areas? If you could get this info in advance and it revealed expansive soil types in the area of the job it would help raise your attention to the possibility of related foundation problems. I searched around on google a bit but my search terms fell short of finding anything yet.

I'd like to hear the proper way to measure water pressure too. I will say that 100psi does seem quite high. Also, when you turn on another faucet it shouldnt loose 1/2 the pressure at the testing location. It doesnt sound right. Sure the volume capability is effected when other faucets are turned on but the pressure available at the test location should'nt drop that much. A little maybe. I tested my pressure at the laundry basin at 55psi. I turned on the bathroom faucet full blast and the pressure at the basin only dropped 5psi. Maybe one of our gauges is on the fritz? Is it mine or yours?

Here's photo slideshow with audio. It's in support of our armed forces and their efforts. Outstanding and very moving. http://www.usaforever.org/flash/WeSupportU.htm

About two months ago is when I first began to contemplate entering the HI world. On the second day I found the Nachi exam and took it. It took me the entire 120 mins and I got all but maybe 2 questions answered. A score of 80 is needed to pass and I got a 73. I'm not an expert of anything but I know a some stuff about most aspects of homes and their systems. I feel ok with a 73 cold turkey. Since then I have been hip deep in training materials and the mound is growing. As my head swells with more knowledge and data I will eventually return and take the test again. I expect to pass it the second time around. I needed the most help in plumbing and structure. My strong point was electrical.

Clips like that fill me with pride and cause goosebumps all over my body. It's causes such great feeling in me that sometimes my eyes well up and tears roll down my face. Tears of pride, no kidding. To all of the veterans and current active or inactive duty members of our armed forces; Thanks you for your service to our country.

In the second photo, it almost looks like the lap between the two rows is wrong. It looks like the lap is facing the uphill side and would catch the water rather than divert it over and down. I dont know for sure because it's hard to tell from the picture.

I dont know for sure but shouldnt there be an o-ring to stop water from leaking out around the shaft of the switch? Then you have the switch plate. Caulk or a seal underneath it should prevent leaks. We're not talking about water under pressure here. I think if it leaks its either a poor design or poor instalation.

Jim, so what does an inspector look for when using a clamp tester on heat pumps, elec furnaces, or ac compressors? Would it be, check for amp draw and compare it to manufacturers tag for load rating? What is good/not good to find?

That's what I thought. I just wanted to point out that it may appear as though the door opener could get interupted simply because its power source is a box which contains a GFCI outlet. The fact is it could be intentially wired to allow the door opener to remain operable even in the event of the GFCI trip.

Ok got it. Now to expand. Suppose there is a GFCI receptacle on the garage wall. This GFCI receptacle feeds a non-GFCI on the ceiling that is used to plug in the door opener. Isn't it possible to wire it up so that even when the GFCI is tripped the power still gets fed to the ceiling receptacle powering the door opener? If I'm correct my point would be this. As far as how its wired, it may not always be a matter right or wrong. It may be a matter of preference.