Hearthman

The Escape uses an IPI ignition system. Contact the mfr. with model and serial # for location of nearest qualified tech. Should not have allowed it to go one past one year. You would have a problem taking the installer to court now. Could be many things from low inlet gas pressure to improper log or ember placement, venting, etc. Gas utility would not be familiar with this unit I doubt.

The ANSI Z21.11.2 standard for unvented room heaters dates back to 1962. The Oxygen Depletion Sensor safety pilot did not come into general use until around 1980. This is probably an early gas appliance designed to burn manufactured gas such as from coal gasification. Regardless, it is wholly unsuited for use now.

http://www.infiltec.com/inf-fave.htm#Infrared Links to IR thermography on Infiltec's site. Some of these go way back. HTH,

There are cheap dryer vent cleaning rods available now at most hardware stores so they can DIY. The charge to sweep a dryer by a pro is usually very affordable though. On condos, they are often contracted out by the HOA. The most important thing first is to inspect it then worry about maintenance. If the homeowner wants to refuse professional service on their appliance that's fine but I think it should be documented that you made this recommendation so it becomes an economic decision on their part. Done. BTW, vacuuming alone is insufficient to clean a dryer vent. You need to use mechanical brushing. The vacuum is more for lint control if you choose to do it that way. Also, a pro can measure the discharge velocity before and after to document the improvement in performance. Some can also calculate the CFM delivered, which to me is more important.

Tom, that is an expensive knock-off of the 3M unit which has been around for years: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... details&Q= Note that its intended use is primarily cleaning copy machines as it is ESD shielded. I have used it for many years for light vacuuming of gas fireplaces. Also, the filters are MUCH cheaper than the one you listed. Vacuuming the lint trap does not remove the lint in the vent, thus alone, it is misleading to think this provides safety from a lint fire. Also, if you inspect inside a dryer compartment, you will sometimes find lint everywhere that this hose will not reach. A proper cleaning includes the entire vent and the inside compartment.

This issues brings several things to mind. First of all, this is an unfair restraint of trade. The technology (art) existed prior to this company and their application cannot be proven to provide some unique utility that no other method, program of certification does not provide. It also would constitute a monopoly. As to other means of putting pressure on them, I would suggest the IR mfrs. consider a few options: 1) they can require operators take their own factory certification before purchasing a camera. 2) they can publish notifications to attorneys representing construction defects cases that where companies using this patented system were involved, they hereby assume absolute liability for the veracity of their findings both for the errors and omissions. 3) contact the E&O insurance providers about the case. When they see how liable they have become, they may choose to rescind any insurance with these franchisees. 4) Contact your Congressmen. Ask them to introduce legislation crafted by a coalition of stakeholders to block this sort of thuggery and invalidate their claim. 5) contact all the utilities, energy raters, and anyone who is involved with 'green' energy, saving the planet, energy efficiency, energy audits, efficiency rebates, energy mortgages, title companies, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs, etc. and tell them they have to cancel ALL their programs and to give back all the money that was allegedly acquired illegally. Then tell them where to sign up to fight this monopoly. If they want it, fine. Dump it all in their laps and swamp them with litigation from all angles. This can put them out of business. If this is true about Nick G. then I think the entire industry would want to know about his treachery at their expense. On the good side, the price of IR cameras may plummet if nobody will buy them, which is good for us but may run the mfrs. out of business, which is bad for us all. I'd prefer thriving businesses all around--except those who resort to extorting the entire country in this manner.

There are multiple things that could account for failed ignition not limited to but including gas supply issues, gas valve failure, poor ground, dirty flame rod from improper/ poor combustion issues, etc. To diagnose this issue may require a bit of time and testing. However, a properly operating appliance ignites within 4 seconds per ANSI. The re-trial is a backup designed to get you through until service can correct the root problem. Soot all over a flame rod is a combustion problem. Sure, they may also have a bad igniter/ rod but that alone does not cause soot on a sensing rod. The sooting could be from problems with makeup air, venting, burner condition, alignment or dirt, orifices, gas manifold pressure, breaches in the cabinet or heat exchanger, etc. Get a tech certified in combustion analysis to test, diagnose and correct the issue.

Taking a few supply temps. tells you nothing about the system's ability to handle the load. What are the superheat/ subcooling, TESP, delta T, fan speed when taken, are ducts sealed, duct blaster test, zone dampers, CFM at each supply and overall, etc, etc, etc,??? Waaaay too many questions without answers but I can assure you that oversizing air conditioning is a sure recipe for inadequate dehumidification, poor overall performance and increased energy consumption. If anything, an air conditioner should be sized on the lower end. As for dropping the temps 1F after 90 minutes, did you check the filter and the condenser to see if they were clogged? AC units can run a very long time with no appreciable loss in efficiency as long as they are maintained properly.

Was your old furnace draft hood equipped and the new one fan assisted? If so, you'll need a liner. BTW, you can no longer cement a single walled galvanized steel connector into a chimney. It must be stainless steel or in a sleeve that makes it easily removed for inspection. The fact you had single walled connector last 50 yrs tells me how inefficient your old equipment was! BTW, if your chimney should become blocked, the furnace will continue to fire venting out the water heater draft hood bypassing three safety controls on the furnace. You still need that Level II inspection. The HVAC contractor "looking" at it is nowhere close to a level II. Also, get low level unlisted CO monitors for your home.

First of all, you really should get a Level II inspection of the chimney before attaching the new appliance. Also, the common vent (chimney) will need to be confirmed as the proper size for the two appliances. Between these two items, you will need a listed liner. Next, if the breaching where the connectors attach to the chimney are in unconditioned space then those connectors must be all B-vent. If you are penetrating a combustible wall then you must use B-vent as prescribed in the listing which is only continuous--not just a short length. Hausdok has given you some pretty good answers. Oh, yeah, what is the total lateral offset and vertical height of the chimney? Can you maintain 1/4" per foot slope up to the chimney? Instead of trying to common vent the WH with a furnace, which can be very dangerous, you always have the option of installing a power vented water heater and venting out the sidewall with polymeric pipe. If you must use the chimney, it might be cheaper but will definitely give better venting if you relocate the WH into the CAZ with the furnace and eliminate that long cold lateral offset. BTW, for a long lateral offset, you may have to increase your vent connector larger than the draft hood collar--you WILL have to increase it if your vertical vent rise is less than 3 feet. You will probably also have to increase the manifold (your 'Y) so refer to the sizing charts in the code. Once it is all connected, have a certified pro perform combustion analysis to ensure proper venting. Or you can just breathe deeply. No offense but legally installed water heaters perform poorly enough but going out of your way on the cheap is the Kervorkian option. A draft hood equipped gas water heater is the most dangerous appliance in most homes. So called 'pros' are bad enough installing them but this is one DIY you should defer to a pro. BTW, the clearance on a 4" single walled pipe would be 16"> 6" each side plus the pipe diameter.

That high pressure may already have stressed the water inlet valve on any washing machine or dishwasher so those valves may need to be replaced as may any flexible hoses. Use braided stainless steel jacketed hoses at minimum. You can get FloodSafe hoses that have a high flow shutoff feature. These, however, are made by man and may fail so nothing is 100% bullet proof. The TPR should relieve 150psi or 210degrees F for small residential water heaters. http://media.wattswater.com/F-SF.pdf

You have a condensing boiler with piping to an indirect tank for potable hot water followed by a water softening system behind it. Can't tell much but a few points other than the already noted discharge piping issues: -low voltage wire sharing the same Romex clamp. Should enter at a separate point. -Can't see a backflow preventer. looks like just a fill valve. -can't see but the cold potable water feed must have a check valve downstream of an approved isolation valve on the indirect -thermal expansion tank should have a dedicated isolation valve so it can be tested or replaced as needed. any more pics?

Unless the mfr. has something in the listed instructions there is nothing requiring the gap to be caulked. It is a practical concern that I would call out. Of greater concern though is the apparent lack of the requisite hearth extension insulation board under that slab. This board is usually 1/2" thick plus the thickness of the slab, which usually puts the slab flush or higher than a 3/4" wood floor.

Direct vent simply means it takes 100% of combustion air directly from outside and exhaust 100% of the flue gases and stack loss heat. This may be two co-linear pipes, a co-axial double walled pipe within a pipe or sometimes combinations of both. You can have a CAT IV furnace that exhausts with pvc but draws combustion air from indoors so it would not be "direct vent" in that case. Now, take the same unit and two-pipe it and it becomes "direct vent". Most modern gas fireplaces are now "direct vent" but almost none are condensing units. Some, however, are power vented. HTH,

Ditto plastic pan and where does it drain to or does it have a wet alarm? No sediment trap on gas line Where is this MUA duct? What is the BTU/hr input rating-40K? Any pics of the vent connector attachment to the B-vent at the ceiling? Are there any screws on those connector joints? If residential, not aware of fire rating for the closet as opposed to the separation btw occupancies.

Most mfrs. of factory built fireplaces go with a separation laterally of 16-18" and a vertical separation of about the same for round terminations. Square terminations are of course at the same elevation. When spaced too closely together, you run the risk of smoke/fumes/ heat from the lower exhaust being entrained into the concentric cooling space of the higher unit or being recirculated back into the home if under negative pressure. In the case where one chimney is for a heater, you always want the gas, oil or coal fired appliance's termination higher than any of the others due to the corrosive action of the exhaust as well as possible odors or CO. If the side of the taller chimney is showing signs of corrosion, call for replacing that section but also separate them wider with the heater exhaust higher than a fireplace or woodstove. In the case of a gas direct vent, discharging one heater too close to the termination may result in ghosting, delayed ignition, corrosion of the firebox, sooting, odors, or CO into the home.

Marc, that appears to be the condensate trap for the secondary heat exchanger. Some are mounted inside the cabinet on some units and some external. The installer is supposed to prime it. They can dry out in summer. Nobody puts mineral oil in them but that would prevent them from drying out. The often crack when these units are installed in attics without protection. HTH

Hard to tell the whole story but from what I can see, the flue is not sealed to the smoke chamber or supported on all four sides. The flue must be sized per the code to the fireplace opening. You cannot use the space around a flue liner for venting anything else. Look for a F.I.R.E. Certified Inspector

Well, the official "mensch" opinion (LOL Kurt) would of course be to call it out. Yes, it does not result in unfriendly fires very often. Neither do the other 100 or so inspection points on a fireplace and chimney but you have to ask yourself what is THIS one does. If it does light off after you inspected it, and people get hurt or killed, how would you feel? Forget the litigation aspect but focus on the ethics and humanity. If you call out things in a home you have some frame of reference, whether code, articles, or anecdotal evidence, then you have something to hang your hat on morally, legally (to a point) and ethically. We get too caught up trying to cover for people's choices. It is far better to pass along as much information as reasonably possible and relevant to assist the client in making an informed decision about a property or matter. Your choice to exclude information, whether an observable fact or opinion must be based upon your perception of the relevance of this information to the client's decision making and whether the inclusion of said information would have changed their minds AND that your refusal to inform your client resulted in an undesireable condition that affected the safety, durability, value or peaceful enjoyment of a property. There are guys who will inspect a chimney and use one sentence to comment on its suitability for use. My Level II inspection reports are narrative with separate Findings then Discussion and Recommendations followed by a separate Estimates. My report averages 13 pages so no, I don't make much money on doing inspections. My reports are the most comprehensive I know of. This is where I am comfortable. I don't look down upon another inspector who uses a computerized program as long as they use it to include the relevant issues. I do look down upon those reports scribbled on an invoice form or some one page checklist form they got from an industry supplier. My clients can see and thank me all the time for how thorough and detailed my reports are. Sellers may not like me but they don't have a leg to stand on to recant my reports. A recent case involving wood forms included a chimney mason who said it was ok as long as the owners "limited their fires to 2.5 logs at a time". Seriously.

that is a gas direct vent fireplace. Most mfrs. make a listed cage to protect from impacting the hot termination. They are not fool proof and the cage can get hot but not as hot as the termination itself. In some cases, I've seen where they re-routed the vent vertically but it would have to be done per mfrs. specs. See the listed instructions. Think of this as a spelling tutorial-those kids will be the first in their class to spell "hot"...

The pipe is under negative vent pressure so it would tend to suck room air into the chimney. If the room is more negative than the chimney, shut it down immediately as you have a major problem on your hand. HTH

While Bill is correct, I would caution you on this practice. If you have an EPA certified woodstove, it should be able to handle up to -15Pa of depressurization. However, an old clunker leaky POS non-EPA stove can leak at equilibrium. At the very least, this would probably cause smoke odors throughout the house. IF you're hell bent on doing this, at the very least install low level unlisted CO monitors outside the sleeping rooms and on every floor level.

Flexible vent connectors are much stiffer than aluminum chimney liner or dryer venting you may be comparing it to. They must be stiff enough to maintain their position including the 1" clearance to combustibles. the fittings on each end are listed. Any more pics showing that WH connection?

Most but not all factory chimney listed for solid fuel requires a 2" clearance to combustibles that is a air space. Packing insulation in there is a common cause of unfriendly fires. Note the homemade attic insulation shield. Usually a firestop/ radiation shield with attic insulation shield over that. Probably improper roof penetration, too. More pics? Brand chimney? Where chimney can come in contact with people and vice versa, it should be enclosed with ordinary framing and sheathing while maintaining clearances. This is called "vertical fireblocking" when it forms an 'effective barrier' from attic deck to underside of the roof deck. Recommend Level II inspection.

As I said to this question on another inspector forum, the price can vary considerably which is why I recommended you call around for local prices. Very few jurisdictions have requirements over who is considered qualified to perform a Level II inspection. The F.I.R.E. Service Certified Fireplace Inspector certification is the only legitimate inspector training program specifically for chimneys, vents and combustion appliance venting. NFPA 211 has had the three levels of inspection since 2000. In it, a Level II is triggered among other conditions, upon sale or transfer of property. Now, while 211 may not be a legally adopted code in your area, it has been proven in court many, many times as THE accepted national std. just as NFPA 54 has been deemed the NFGC. BTW, in Delaware, it is the law since the State Fire Marshal adopted 211 in its entirety and it withstood a case in the Superior Court. A home inspector can get certified to conduct level IIs or just do them by the seat of their pants or refer them to someone else or put themselves and clients at risk by not recommending them at all. It is your choice but I can guarantee you if something goes wrong that can be pinned upon something that a level II would have picked up, you'll wish you had listened to me.