AHI in AR

Looks like a hardboard siding to me. (Masonite-type.) I don't know the brand.

For the record, the main problem with the PB delivery piping was the early generation plastic fittings, not so much the piping itself. The fittings were made of a harder plastic material (If I remember correctly -- Delrin?) to withstand the clamping force that soft PB wouldn't. Unfortunately, they were eaten up fairly quickly by the high free chlorine levels present in SOME municipal water supplies. Later installations used copper and brass crimp fittings; they were fine. PB also had some advantages over copper. No green junk in your water lines to flavor your ice and clog your aerators, and the ability to freeze, swell, and then return to normal size without bursting.

I've never seen one of those things either. But it appears that if it's in a cabinet, you don't need to bother with a line off of the TPR valve![]

Looks like polybutylene to me. It's what they used to call "service blue" around here. I don't know if that's the official name or not. It's subject to failure from damage by rocks, and most of it around here has been replaced...or needs to be. Then again, we have very rocky soil.

I'm thinkin' you're an ass for making me google buprestid larvae. Come on, Bro, Ass? Is that all you've got (snicker). Ex-cop, remember. I've been called things that'd make Hitler feint. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike "Feint"? Don't you mean "faint"? Unless Hitler had a boxing career I am unaware of... I do think that you have to admire Chad's stereotypical Northeastern frugality -- at least as it applies to language. I suspect he has the fewest words-per-post average on TIJ. Compared to some of his posts, this one is positively verbose.

Seems kinda funny that the data tag states "for use only on AC circuits." Ummmm, what else was there after the really early days long before any water heater with a stamped aluminum tag would have been made? For the record, I would also assume 1950's just based on the style of the tag. I think Mike probably nailed it.

Geez, Brandon...As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, you are in the eco-conscious center of the U.S. Surely you recognize that whoever installed the "previously owned" fuse panel was a recycling pioneer who was only trying to avoid clogging the landfills with perfectly usable materials! We'll give him a bye on the FPE panel since word hadn't really gotten around yet at that time...

Yes, you can have too many different types of ventilation that do not work well together. In a well designed system, the natural convection currents formed when warm air escapes out the top near the ridge will pull in cooler air at the soffitt vents. With competing types of ventilation near the ridge, air will tend to be pulled in via the path of least resistance. For example, the power gable vent will pull air in from the turbine or ridge vent rather than at the soffitt line. In effect, you're short-circuiting proper airflow from lower in the attic and you will have some dead air space.

That's a little odd that someone would leave things like that. Sooner or later, the tape will fail. Probably before that time, though, the boot seal will lose its grip and the pipe will fall through the roof. If it's a long enough drop to the ceiling it could knock a hole in the drywall. But if not, it may not be noticed until there's a rainstorm. It wouldn't be very expensive to have the holes patched and the area reroofed. That would be my recommendation.

For anyone considering voice recognition software, CompUSA.com is running a special on Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 preferred. Typically this is a $200 program; Best Buy has it on sale now for $100. Here you can get it for $50 after a $50 rebate. I use it and have found that with the proper training it works extremely well, but I would strongly recommend doing a little research and buying a better quality aftermarket headset. The POS they send you with it markedly undermines accuracy. I bought a USB one that I like for about $40. http://www.compusa.com/applications/sea ... 0-_-dragon

The stuff in John's photo looks both too "white" and too flexible to resemble any ACM I have ever seen. As for duct insulation, in ten years of inspecting homes around here from the late 1880's on, I have only seen asbestos duct wrap on one of them -- a large home from the 1920's with a rare basement. Whatever heat source originally was there had been removed at least 20 years ago. I see a lot of asbestos containing exhaust vents for gas appliances in homes from the 40's and early 50's. But used to insulate ducts? Nope.

Cost (and the fact that you were not required to) would be the only reasons not to run # 12 throughout. But as Chad said, to keep thing simple, and to know in your gut that you exceeded the minimum requirements, using all 12 gauge might not be a bad idea...

At least he got the polarity correct! (Although I'm sure it was just a guess, perhaps best termed a stab in the dark.)

I've heard 'em called sash cords also. I would not advise calling them balances since that would seem (logically, anyway) to be the weights themselves, not the ropes/cords.

you put it on the realtors forehead.... if the red/white wheel spins...? dammit...I was typing and talking on the phone while you posted your answer!

It's a mood tester. The side that is down in the photo is applied to the forehead of the client/seller/agent. If the red side of the disc stops in the up position, they are agitated. If the white side spins around and lands on top, they're calm.

I'll take some things from the first couple of pages, and please don't take my comments as an attempt to be harsh. For the record, I think it takes pretty large cajones for anyone to subject their report to this sort of scrutiny, even if done anonymously. (Any comments that are in parentheses are mine) Page1 states: The driveway is in adequate condition. We saw typical minor cracks. Investigate Further - There are large cracks in the drive way, This would be caused by movement of the hillside some time in the past. Unknown if the hill side is still moving. First of all, is it "we" or "I" doing the observing? Secondly, the first statement leads a reader to conclude that there are "typical minor cracks," but then goes on to say "Investigate Further - There are large cracks in the drive way, This would be caused by movement of the hillside some time in the past. (It is) Unknown if the hill side is still moving. (The comma after "drive way" is incorrect. A semicolon is needed here since the phrases on either side of it could stand alone as complete sentences. Also, the word "This" should not be capitalized unless you replace the comma with a period.) If I'm the buyer, I'm probably confused now. Are conditions normal, or is there a problem? Also, I recommend sticking to a consistent form of writing/spelling. In other words, don't bounce between hill side and hillside or drive way and driveway. Let's not forget keeping subjects and verbs in agreement. The report reads as follows: (remember that comments/letters in parentheses are mine) There is (are) moisture stains at the base of the support post(s) of the porch/patio roof cover. Repair - There are cracks/opening(s) in the post (posts) of (on) the porch. These opening(s) need to be sealed to keep water from getting in. Under# 7-Fences & Gates The report states: The fencing and gates are in adequate condition. Repair - The gate should be adjusted so it will open and close properly. Post need to be repaired Again, there is a statement that the item is in adequate condition, but a subsequent comment says otherwise. And the statement: "Post need to be repaired" is poorly worded, and is missing a period. How about "The post needs to be repaired." As others have said, I suspect that a lot of what I see is the result of pre-written boilerplate that isn't customized for each job. Like it or not, and whether it's reasonable or not, some folks will judge your competence as an inspector by the way you express yourself in the written form.

In newer construction, at least around here, that's called a lookout, and one is provided every few feet. However, based on the fact that I see 1 X roof decking, I am assuming that this is an older home from the 20s or 30s. In that case, what you really have is a gable bracket, sometimes called a corbel. (For the record, I'm not saying that's right.) In any case, gables framed with this type of bracket typically have a fairly large span between them. Unfortunately, it's missing the lower segments which provide the support. That's why it's sagging...

That's it exactly. Thanks.

Near as I can tell from the faded tag, it's NCAFB47AB01 and then: 867.817160

Hey guys-- Here's a chance to show off your knowledge. I am trying to find the age of a Heil unit with a serial # of H529 70097. All the age charts I could find are apparently too new as it obviously was not built in 1952; it apparently predates Heil's acquisition by International Comfort Products since that's what their date coding would indicate. It's a particularly lovely shade of olive green, so my guess is that it's over 20 years old. Anybody know for sure? Thanks.

I have V. 10 Preferred -- I got it on sale. Just be sure to allow another $50 or so for a good headset.

If you are talking about single pole breakers being greater than 20 amps each, then I'd say yeah, you have a problem. Generally speaking, single pole breakers of 20 amp rating or less on any circuit with a 12gauge copper wire are perfectly fine. Typical branch circuit wiring is not greater than 12 gauge copper which is rated for a 20 amp load. And if you have 10 gauge wiring (really, REALLY unusual) on your branch circuits, then any device plugged into that circuit may not be properly protected since it would normally draw far less current than that. In other words, you basically have fused the wire, not the devices used on that circuit. The breaker might not trip in response to an overcurrent condition at the device, because the breaker was not seeing a problem as it would if it were properly sized for a standard branch circuit designed for devices that draw well less than 20 amps. Clear? Of course, I'm not an electrical guru. Others will probably weigh in with better answers.

The name of the product is Dragon Naturally Speaking. Specifically, the version I have is version 10 preferred. I don't generally get excited about software, but I do like anything that saves me time. Right now, I am really diggin' this. It's possible that many of you out there are already using this, but I just recently installed it and have been playing around with it. For those of us who write primarily narrative style reports, this could be a real time saver. I researched the product before I bought it, and realized that for it to be the most accurate would likely require the purchase of an aftermarket headset with a better microphone. That certainly turned out to be true. The crappy and uncomfortable headset included with the program should be junked. I bought a Logitech headset for less than $50 which works beautifully. It uses a USB connection which is an important distinction. The benefit to this particular set is that it also has headphones, so I can listen to music quietly while I work. (That is absolutely necessary for me, since I have two boys still living at home. When they get to arguing, it's hard for me to focus.)The microphone has noise canceling features so it is not distracted by random external noises that it may pick up. It doesn't hear anything from the headphones either. The headphones are not audiophile quality by any means, but for very soft background listening they are fine. Other units are available if ultimate sound quality is more important to you. Anyway, if you're not familiar with this software, what it does is take the spoken word and translate it into text. It can work in many different programs including about any Word-based programs or e-mail, and when it is set up properly, it will write about as quickly as you can speak. I've only messed with it for about a week, and the accuracy rate is amazing. (With a good microphone and the proper training which you do with the program) It does require some time to train it, but it isn't overly odious, and it really is amazing how much time it has already saved me. If you work it properly, it gets more accurate over time. On sale, it generally runs about 100 bucks around here.

Looks like Scott spends time in more than one kind of closet during a typical day...