inspectorwill

Thanks John. I use both the three light testers and an Ideal Circuit Analyzer just to be sure. Do you know why the GFCI would not trip when the receptacles downstream have a poor ground? A GFCI device itself does not require a ground to function as it monitors the current on the hot and neutral. This has always confused me. Same instance as an older home with no grounded circuits and GFCIs installed in Kitchens and Bathrooms where the receptacles downstream do not trip the GFCI.

I frequently run into situations with GFCI's that I would like to educate myself on. I understand the general workings of a GFCI but run into peculiar situations that I would like to understand. Here they are: -Will a GFCI function when the hot and neutral are reversed? Testers will not trip but generally the receptacle test button will trip the GFCI. -Three garage receptacles on same circuit and one is GFCI type. What has occurred in a circuit when the two non-GFCI garage receptacles do not trip the GFCI when tested with an external tester but when the GFCI is tripped with the test button it cuts power to the non-GFCI receptacles? -What is the more reliable way to test a GFCI (test button or external tester)? I run into instances where testers will not trip the GFCI on a correctly wired and grounded receptacle but the test button will. Thanks

Thanks, my fault for not looking at the full IRC. I referenced my quick code which only cites the 30" height and not the 36" horizontal rule.

I see this frequently and have mixed opinions of it. A patio or walkway surface with a height that would require a guardrail except a shallow planter is installed below. Today's example is a patio with a 5' drop off to yard level but a 40" deep planter is installed 29" below the drop off. The patio has a 18" high wall at the edge which in my opinion is just to ensure you trip. My pics will give a more accurate representation. Building standard calls for a guardrail when the surface is 30" or more above grade. Overal grade or planter grade? This is 1 year old construction and ok'd by AHJ. Click to Enlarge 56.3 KB Click to Enlarge 63.76 KB

Primarily that there are no means of disconnect at the appliances such as the dishwasher and disposal as required by current standards. I understand not much will comply with current standards when it comes to older homes but clients can become unhappy when they make upgrades and are surprised at additional costs that may be incurred.

Looking for opinions and recommendations on older home inspections with BX wired directly to appliances such as garbage disposals, electric ranges, hoods, etc.

I agree that further testing needs to be conducted and am considering going back with the blower door. We don't have history on past propane usage but will attempt to get it through the local provider. The vaulted ceilings are T&G wood. I will have a blower door and training prior to winter and will return for another round of evaluation. Thanks for all the input.

Yup, the unit is rated for 45-75 degree rise and I was getting 45-50 degree rise.

Air temp at the registers was 40-50 degrees higher than return air. Return air when I started the furnace was about 30 degrees. However, I could never get the home more than 20-25 degrees above exterior ambient temp. I've been contemplating purchasing a blower door. Any recommendations on manufacturer / models, training and certification courses? I was feeling the furnace was undersized also. However, it seems to me that even with the undersized furnace, the home should have reached a higher interior temperature even with moderate heat loss after 5-6 hours of furnace operation.

Thanks. I guess I assumed the local building dept. would require a review of the service equipment by the utility company before allowing the installation of the two panels.

The property has two structures with one service cable that appears original (circa 1950s), two meters and two main panels. Both main panels have been upgraded to 100 amp panels with permits. Generally, who determines whether a service cable upgrade is required? This seems absurd to me that a 60 year old undersized service cable is supplying two 100 amp panels. Click to Enlarge 32.71 KB Click to Enlarge 55 KB

Have a client and friend with a 2600-2800 sq ft. home with vaulted ceilings near a California snow ski resort. The home sits vacant most of the year. His propane use has been through the roof so I thought I would check it out. Took the infrared camera to looking for cold air infiltration and insulation coverage. Outside temperature was 18-20 degrees F. Turned on the forced air heater at 6 am trying to get a good temperature differential between outside and inside air for the IR scan. Interestingly, no matter how long I ran the heater, I could never get the home interior more than 20-25 degrees above the exterior ambient. The home appeared well insulated and didn't find any outrageous points of energy loss. I found the usual cold air infiltration around some doors, windows and chimney / sidewall intersections. The heater is a 20 year old 100,000 BTU unit with insulated ductwork to all interior rooms. The unit is rated for a 45-75 degree heat rise and actual heat rise from return to register was 40-50 degrees. The home owner keeps the thermostat set at 45 degrees during the winter and I presume on days colder than 20 degrees (which are many), the furnace runs continuously depleting his propane. Could this be a furnace issue or am I missing something with heat loss? It seems to me that after 5 hours of the heater running, I should have obtained a temperature that was more than 20 degrees above outside ambient temperature without some considerable source of heat loss.

Thanks Jim & Rob. Yes I did mean the grounding electrode conductor and the conductor did not exit the home. The scenario you described Jim is exactly what I expected. Wanted to double check since the ufer was added to the NEC in the late 60s but I'm not sure when and if it was required here.

Just to clarify, I speculated the PVC / CPVC plumbing lines were not original. I do not have definitive information but have never seen PVC on original tract construction and the installation was not uniform as I would expect to see if designed with PVC. Although the PVC main is obviously newer.

1978 home with a 100 amp service panel. There is only one grounding electrode in the panel at the neutral bus. There are no visible ground rods and all the plumbing was replaced with PVC and CPVC including the main water service line. My concern is that I commonly see the electrical system grounded to the water service line when only one grounding conductor is in the panel. I may be wrong but, if this was a Ufer, I would expect to see an additional bond wire provided for the original metal plumbing. If it is not a ufer, then there is no system ground as the main water service and all piping is now plastic. Any thoughts?

Thanks Richard, You are right the spacing is 3' apart. I agree with the MB opinion but what threw me off is the surface is completely smooth. What looks like seams the length of the roof and lines around the flashings are not actually seams. They are completely smooth like an outline from a removed material. Where the paint was peeling, I probed the material and it was tar like about an 1/8" thick. Not like MB that is usually resistant to probing and has differential at the seams. Also, all the MB I know of is coated with granules. Thanks again for your input.

At first glance from a distance, this roof appeared to be a really aged thermoplastic type material. Upon closer look, it appeared to be more like a troweled tar that had been painted. The patterns around the plumbing and furnace vent along with the seams approximately 4' apart are the confused me. Thousands of roof inspections and never seen anything like it. Please check out the pics and any information is always appreciated. Click to Enlarge 56.98 KB Click to Enlarge 73.91 KB Click to Enlarge 66.54 KB

Discoloration and modeling visible at the laminated glass. Anyone know the cause and if there is terminology to describe it to my client? Thanks Click to Enlarge 53.16 KB Click to Enlarge 40.25 KB

This was a multilevel condo with no access to the roof where the vent pipe and a/c condenser were located. Still attempting to gain access through HOA. Until then I can't answer, sorry.

Have to admit I am confused by this particular installation. It is a York high efficiency unit installed in an interior closet with no combustion air openings. The unit is equipped with an ABS vent pipe that splits as it exits the top of the cabinet. The burners are located at the top of the unit but the confusing part is a second port atop the burners that is open to the closet interior. I can hear and feel air drawn into the port atop the burners when the unit is operated. However, with the door closed, this would diminish the amount of air through the port if necessary for combustion. Additionally, the ABS vent connection at the top of the unit feels loose and when I hold my mirror up to it, condensation immediately develops. This is not the typical installation I see with high efficiency furnaces. See attached pics. Thanks. Click to Enlarge 54.99 KB Click to Enlarge 53.15 KB

Anyone know when shut off valves were required at fixtures in mobile homes? This home manufactured in early 70's has no shut off at the bathroom or kitchen sinks.

Thanks guys. Just seems odd there would not be a requirement considering the all metal electric unit connected to metal plumbing that extends to metal fixtures in the shower area.

Can't find a specific reference anywhere for whether a steam shower is required to be connected to a GFCI circuit. Manufacturer instructions also do not mention GFCI protection. The unit is 230 volt / 30 amp and plumbed with copper pipe. Any help pointing me in the right direction is much appreciated.

It's been over week since the last rain and this 3 year old membrane roof system still has 1" of standing water. This is a replacement roof system. Roofer was on site and told me the reason for going with the membrane roof was the original pitch was bad so they went with a material that is watertight and has a long warranty period. There are only 6 or so manufacturers of membrane roofing (TPO & PVC) and I read through the installation guidelines for several that I retrieved from the web. None provided information regarding roof pitch or whether standing water on the roof system will result in any sort of damage or void any warranties. Why bother installing the scuppers in the parapet wall if the water must get to a depth of 2-3" to drain? Keep it closed and it can double as a pool. I understood slope should be 1/4" per foot on all flat roof systems including membrane. Does anyone have any documentation showing that standing water for extending periods is detrimental or contradictory to general installation standards. Click to Enlarge 63.5 KB Click to Enlarge 63.61 KB

Thanks for the all the responses. Glad I'm not losing it just yet.