Jerry Simon

Yo

1960 era Chicago high-rise condo unit electrical baseboard heater. . . Click to Enlarge 32.72 KB (Guess what kinda main electrical panelboard was installed.)

I scoured the internet 'bout this, and heat probably does play a part. The nail heads may be too close to the siding, and the sun heats up the heads and affects the siding in some weird way (multiple theories on the internet as to exactly how the siding is affected). I tend to side with this, as the discoloration was most pronounced on the south and west sides of the houses in the hood. It ain't dirt according to the internet folk who've tried to clean the siding (or at least "washable" dirt), but I think you're right about heat being the culprit.

Seems like we talked about this before, but for the life of me. . . It appears each and every nail head for the sheathing behind the vinyl siding is telegraphing through the siding, and readily visible outside; you can see white, round spots on the siding, same apparently coming from the sheathing nail heads behind the siding. Attached pict shows such. What's causing this? Each neighboring house had the same thing. (No, I didn't pop any siding to see behind.) Click to Enlarge 54.24 KB

That's why I suggested the Alpha Track. Cheap piece of mind. I know of a home inspector's website that states he offers piece of mind. He's local; I should probably tell him (not).

I did find this; CPSC label requirement. . . http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/1993/Safety-Commission-Publishes-Final-Rules-For-Automatic-Garage-Door-Openers/

On average, 10-15 only, all for report. I *like* to write and describe. Pictures only for odd-ball stuff, and stuff where client isn't with me (up on roof, in attic, in crawl. . .).

The label posted by the opener's button, warning about *big door, little kids* and such. Someone once told me that posting the label was a "Federal requirement", one that came into being after some guvment big-wig's kid was tragically crushed under an overhead door. Any truth to any of this? Click to Enlarge 57.07 KB

Hey groovy guys, groovy gals, a thingy from the '60's. Downtown Chicago 1965 mid-rise, metal single-hung windows, single-strength glass, and outside, either side of each window, was a metal bracket. It looks like it's for securing a shade/blind line, but on the outside? Anyone know the purpose of such brackets? Click to Enlarge 52.46 KB

Thanks, Jim. Looked odd, though.

A lower branch circuit in a sub-panel exits the sub-panel and enters the adjacent main panel through the pipe that connects the panels, same pipe containing the feeders for the sub-panel. Something tells me this isn't correct??? Click to Enlarge 20.47 KB

Weird post. You seem to know much more than the average bear, and even have a moisture meter. On the other hand, your questions seem so very out-of-place with your apparent knowledge (would expect such from a squeamish 13-year-old girl). Weirdness I say.

[:-thumbu] Okay, Tom & "Jerry", right???

Can't exactly recall. I think it was about $1,250.00 Yer right though, the hour & half on-site didn't include all the other crap you mentioned.

Maybe. But I doubt it. There is the couple hour visit to the site to figure out what the customer is talking about, another couple hours in phone calls and logistics, payroll and payroll related expense, the usual stuff that always goes wrong (plywood stuck in concrete comes to mind), the break down, clean up, and final, etc., etc., etc. There is no such thing as an easy job that takes a couple hours. You know this. This is a full day (or more) pain in the butt that no one in their right mind would even begin to involve themselves in because there's lots of good paying work available. We'd give them a "go away" bid; if they're nuts enough to pay us several thousand, cool, we're in....if not, go away. So, "impossible" is overstated; nothing is impossible. Ridiculously chaotic sounds closer to reality. We're stuck reporting this stuff because we should. Few will ever fix it. Uhm, no. I personally watched Mike Galasinski (& two laborers) of Arrow Masonry remove a form in about an hour & a half. Like you said, though, toughest part was prying off the form. Other half hour we shot the shit. Mike L. - use a mirror and a flashlight to check hearth undesides.

Approx. 7 out of 10 around here are actually quite easy; we use cement block to wall-off the ash-dump chute, chute sides and back being formed when concrete foundation is poured. Removing a course or two of upper block down in the basement lets one easily pry off the forms. Replace block. Couple/three hour job at most.

I can cite NFPA code ref if anyone is interested; temporary wood forms should not remain under the hearth, or the hearth extension. (Sect 801.3, 803.1, or some such; would have to look up.) I've seen it problematic twice. Once, the charred form under the hearth worked its way into the wood under the hearth extension, the part visible in the basement ceiling; it was one continuous piece of plywood, and a charred, scary-looking piece at that. Just a month or so ago, the wood was so charred right under the firebox it could have ignited at the next fire; ash-dump chute was 98.36% full, and a fire waiting to happen; again, the form under the hearth and the hearth extension was one continuous piece of ply. (Easily seen with a mirror into/under the ash-dump doorway in that case.) Older fireplaces have continuous wood planks running from under the visible hearth extension to under the hearth itself; argument that if the wood under the hearth ignites won't be a problem since it's *contained* is bogus; can easily spread to the exposed wood under the extension and burn the house down. Over time, the wood forms suffer pyrolysis from the fire's heat, and the wood can turn into virtual flash paper. Just 'cause "it's been fine for forty years" (or whatever) don't mean squat; the longer the wood has been there, the more the risk. And, concrete hearths can crack, and an ember falling through such a crack can ignite the form. Reason the wood can't remain under the hearth extension as well is the gap that can form where the hearth extension, under its own weight, tends to often rotate down and away from the hearth surface; again, an ember falling through the resulting gap here can ignite the wood below. A "fire" guy at a continuing ed class about 20 years ago in St. Louis asked a roomful of us inspector type folk how many of us checked this. One guy raised his hand (liar). After the fire guy took us on-site to see a recent house burn-down 'cause of this, I suspect most of the other guys in that class now flag this as a hazard.

As I understand it, a furance can be located in a bedroom closet if sole source of combustion air is from exterior. If that isn't the case, what *bad* things could happen? I always though if there was a CO problem with the furnace, a sleeping chap might not be able to react to the first signs of CO poisoning; they may simply never wake up. This would seem to be the case even if outside air is the sole source for furnace combustion.

'Cept me. ???

Do UV lights on furnaces do much good in killing germs, bacteria, etc. ?

Jamie Dunsing

Whirlpool tub motor (sorry, in subject line).

Use of a toggle-switch for such is a no-no, ain't it? Shouldn't it be a timer-type?

When I accidentally jostle my eyes when walking by/into 'em, if they're even the slightest bit out of alignment, the door won't close. That's whats throwing me off here.

The eye on the left side of the picture is about 6" above the garage floor. The eye on the right side is about 3' above the floor. The door opens and closes just fine, and when I interrupt either eye, the door reverses. The eyes are not slanted and pointing at each other. What am I missing here? Click to Enlarge 51.02 KB