Rob Amaral

Heads up.. that looks like a condition well-known in a certain part of CT.. I'll try to google-search it for you.. Something to do with bad aggregate reacting and expanding and such.. 'standby for more'..

Name on Mailbox: Michael Charles Escher?

Was the shower valve not in use for a long period? I find problems with anti-scald valves in bathrooms where the house is either vacant a long time or in bathrooms not used much..

It's amazing how vulnerable to failure so many elements of an electrical system installation are to failure.. from the utility down to the lowly light-socket...

hah.. Actually worse.. picture an actual gap at all openings... A classic WT_ is up? situation.. Right up there with the time I found a toilet 'in the hall' of a house .. .permanently set up...

Reminds me of the time I inspected an 1890's farmhouse colonial.. wood clapboards and shinges... etc. Owner had 'built' a brick-veneer "OUTSIDE" the entire sides of the house.. with a space of about 6" between veneer and original house... I had to pull the buyer aside and say "..this house is on a main drag sir... are you sure you want to be laughed-at by every contractor in town for the next many years.. "?

Nasty... probably a manufacturing/paint defect as mentioned above.. Almost looks like the compressor was 'sitting' in a flooded area...

Anybody following this mess??? The story is getting screwed up royally...

Salt from snow-melt on cars/tires inevitably gets on/in/through these systems and works on the re-bar..

That thing little extension magnetic pick-up stick works great.. fits in that little slot in your tool belt.. for picking up dropped panel screws in weird places..

I carry spare screws for panels but use them rarely. SQ-D type..

After now over 20 yrs, I believe taking the cover off a panel is probably the most dangerous thing we do (besides some roof-mount work).. I've had one screw on a brand-new house vaporize right in front of me because it bit into the insulated jacket of a circuit completely as I backed it out. It's really a good idea to wear goggles when taking the cover off. I've seen some pretty bad ''almosts" ..

I use a Tramex.. have the Delmhorst in the van.. never need it... Having said that, I would have bought a Protimeter if I was starting out again...

It never ends... the idiocy...

Isn't that "Krapp-Stohn"?

A beautiful mess... ...

"Crumby" (or I should say "crumbly")... easy to cure/important to do so

Bingo and bingo... bad idea...

If you want a good mitigator in Boston area, Eagle Environmental and Chapin Environmental are the guys to contact. I would try sealing that up and doing a re-test.... these open pit things can indeed dump a lot of radon in the house.. Also, you might have some 'stack-effect' issues exacerbating this.. heat loss into the attic space or out the upper story of the house??? If you can work on both things, you might actually knock this down.. As for water in the soil and radon levels... the answer really is 'possibly'...the problem is, it depends on the soil, the footings, house, etc, etc and you can never really really pin that down in the field.. You'd have to go across the river to have MIT live with you for a year to figure that one out.. and I believe .. they are not interested..

Its not a boiler... It's a BOILAH.. geezz... And yes, it does not boil water...

Local roofer here started making that stuff a long long time ago... There still are a few houses and commercial bldgs, barns, sheds and such with it still on it... .. Bird and Son.. East Walpole, Mass...

former knob and tube wiring system with some remnants still present (dead)... Click to Enlarge 18.99 KB

Terrible ...a very special man.. Sorry to hear of this...

"it never ends.. .."

Timely.. my camera pouch is fallin apart.. nice leather stuff...