John Dirks Jr

I was inspecting the function of a mini split the other day and had trouble getting the heat function to work but that may have been a misunderstanding of how the controls work. I got the cooling cycle to work but observed something I'm not used to seeing. Although the unit was blowing cold air at the inside evaporator core, the condenser fan on the exterior unit was moving very very slowly. The heat in the condenser core was hot to the touch and you could feel the extremely warm air coming off of it by the fan that was only gradually moving. I mean very very slow. Is it a variable speed fan in the exterior unit that is normal to be moving so slow? Here's the data plate on the exterior unit. Click to Enlarge 41 KB

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Yes, thanks.

I found a switched receptacle that tested as correct when the switch was in the on position and open neutral when the switch is turned off. To me it's obvious that the neutral conductor is connected to the switch instead of the hot conductor. It's wrong for sure but please describe to me a situation where this is a hazard.

Exposure to radiation and associated health affects are related with the time you are exposed and the level of exposure. I spend limited time in my basement and much more time on the first and second floor of my house. If it was my home I would rather have higher levels in the basement and lower levels in the rest of the house (of course lowering the radon in the basement is the best option). Running a fan and equalizing the radon level throughout house below 4.0 pCi/L may actually increase the occupants' average exposure which is typically measured in WLM (Working Level Months). The link between radon and cancer is not a magic black and white switch between 4.0 pCi/L and below. It is a very linear relationship. 4.0 pCi/L was selected as the action level by number crunchers that determined what is considered an acceptable risk. The bottom line is that the more radon exposure over time, the higher the associated risk of lung cancer. I agree with everything you said Steven. Although, a line gets drawn somewhere. In the case of the EPA and radon level, it's 4pCi/L. Below that point there is still risk, I agree. But they say you should consider fixing your home at 4 and above. I bet if you run the fan continually you'll knock the 5.5 down to a 3 and not add significant risk to the upper levels. We are talking parts per million! Is there really any difference between 3 and 5 parts per million? Hardly any at all.

Some people don't go into the basement very often and they close off the HVAC registers. This allows radon to accumulate in the basement. If you have not yet, you can try keeping the basement registers open and allow the HVAC circulation fan to do its job of pulling return air from the basement and distributing return air from the upper levels into the basement. This balances the air quality more evenly and may keep the radon levels below 4pCi/L on all levels of the home. Some people will run the HVAC fan in the continuous on setting to keep the balance between levels as equal as possible. Having said that, mitigation systems will certainly reduce the radon levels which reduces risk. Radon mitigation systems can also control moisture so there is added benefit there. But if you're mainly concerned with the 5.5pCi/L and want to reduce it to below 4pCi/L, give what I described above a try.

One thing I can think of is some AC to DC transformers have the plug portion offset in a way and may be bulky. This might block the other half of the duplex from being available for use. If you can rotate the receptacles, enough clearance can be achieved to still have both available for use.

Yeah, just found the document with diagrams. http://www.jameshardie.com/d2w/installa ... -us-en.pdf

This patio stone is caulked to and covers almost three courses of hardie plank. Looks like trouble to me. I know hardie is tough but could this trap water against the wall and cause damage to the siding or structure? Click to Enlarge 61.4 KB Click to Enlarge 59.77 KB

The trick is to have a small lanyard hanging over the edge of the holster. Flip the lid, grab the lanyard and extract.

Like me, I bet some of you wear out stuff like camera cases. I'm pretty picky about being able to have quick draw action. I found these USA Gear radio holsters to work well for me. Velcro flap, stitched belt loop (not clip) and flexible wet suit type material. I love them. They come in various sizes. Check them out if you need camera holsters. I remove the carabiner. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CTY ... ge_o09_s00 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6O ... ge_o03_s00

I also see it frequently in new construction. I recommend additional ventilation be installed. I also tell the clients to go back and look at the model home. Sometimes, the model home has a fan in both locations. I've had a few clients argue that point and win, resulting in the builder installing another fan for them.

To discourage carpenter bees from continuing their annual re-infestation in wood trim, is PVC based stuff like Azek a good choice? Will they avoid boring holes in the PVC stuff?

Numbers on a data plate say when the unit was manufactured. They don't necessarily say how long its been in service. Surely not usual, but possible these things can sit in a warehouse for extended time before being installed.

The maximum horizontal distance from a fixture drain to a trap is 30". Etched in my brain now, thanks.

I'll give this one a try. I'll also try the Ink subscription plan with HP. They monitor your ink levels and automatically send cartridges as needed. $4.99 per month lets you get up to 100 pages per month. If you go over (I won't) it's $1 per 20 pages. They have other plans too. This printer also does automatic double sided printing which will cut my paper consumption almost in half. All my ink needs for $60 per year sounds better than what I've been paying thusfar.

I know the limit for vertical trap arms is 24" prior to the trap under a sink. How about a shower in a basement? Can the drain pipe do a 90 then travel horizontally farther than 24" before dumping into a trap? I'm used to seeing the trap directly under the shower but recently I saw one do a 90 and off to who knows where.

As much as I hate to do it, its time to get another printer. My HP 4160 has done well over many years but its getting worn out and not reliable. What kind of printers are are you all using? What do you recommend I get? One of my main considerations is cost of replacement ink. I have a dedicated scanner so I don't need an all in one machine but I could go either way. I do not print reports. Just agreements, graph paper for WDIO diagrams and a few other types of business related stuff.

1990 townhome. I think the panel was re-positioned from its original place when the basement was finished.

It's a new one on me anyway! Click to Enlarge 44.82 KB

I wrote it up good, trust me.

There's no ventilation to the outside and no introduction of conditioned air into the space. So, there's really a whole bunch of nothing going on. Someone needs to decide whether its going to be a conditioned or unconditioned space and then finish it correctly either way. This write up will be a fat paragraph by the time I'm done with it.

Agreed totally. There was rigid foam insulation on the foundation walls behind the plastic. But anyway, when it comes to encapsulation done correctly, the floor structure would still be exposed, right?

Have you ever seen a crawlspace completely encapsulated including the floor structure? I have not. It sucked that I could not see any floor structure or anything for that matter. Is this a new idea I don't know about? I'm slightly concerned it's a cover up. Click to Enlarge 41.29 KB Click to Enlarge 52.69 KB Click to Enlarge 29.45 KB

I have not used it in gutters but I did use it to stuff the gap in my pole building ridge vent opening. Worked great! Keeps out small leaves, pine needles, pollen sacs, bugs, etc... HD is the best place to get it. A box of 8 4' pieces. 32 linear ft for $32. http://www.homedepot.com/p/GUTTERSTUFF- ... /205438391