Jerry Simon

Amazing how often we (I) read stuff and it doesn't sink in unless it's our own question being answered. Reason I say that... Pretty sure this has been asked before...is this receptacle okay, same being located (partially) above the bathtub. Yes, it's a GFCI. Image Insert: 2055.44 KB If not, code reference? Thanks so very much. Promise I'll remember answer.

That's twice now, at least by my count...thanks.

Funny. I don't recall performing a "less than thorough home inspection," and I don't remember you being there to tell me what I shoulda been doing. WJid="blue"> Actually, I was there, secretly, watching Walter. In a nutshell, he was evil. Evil I tell ya.

Noooo...this white one. http://www.urbanrealestate.com/property/2116-W-Barry-St-Unit-1-CHICAGO-IL-60618-T7FF53OFUPV7A.html

2116 W. Barry I did find this...this is who made the unit. http://www.ecosmartfire.com/home.php

New construction city condo. Vent-free fireplace burns denatured ethanol (denatured to avoid fuel surcharge - really). I'm gonna search the internet for info on such, but anybody know anything good or bad about such? Thanks for any insight. (Geez...why not just burn a couple frickin' candles...)

Telephone tile

That's probably true...third time I've heard such. Silly season alright.

Can any of our Wisconsin folk verify that felt is not a requirement in their lovely state? Think I heard this was a newer-something *less-requirement* as of couple/few years ago. If so, seems weird for a state where the most oft-heard last words of the males inhabiting the great north woods are "hold my beer and watch this..."

Found it...thanks...you're right, it was that Kurt nut. Insulation acts in a linear fashion fir heat transfer through the material. In math terms, H=kxT, or heat loss equals the thermal constant (U value) times the thickness of the insulation times the Temperature difference between inside and outside. More simply – if you double the thickness of the insulation, you cut the heat loss in half. This, we pretty much all know intuitively. But it’s only true for flat surfaces. There’s a lot of simplification that goes on to get to that simple formula. When you start insulating cylinders, you can’t ignore the effect of curvature. If the insulation is thin, the effects of curvature are small, and the formula above works fine. But as the insulation gets thick, the surface area of the outside increases with the square of the thickness while the surface area of the inside stays constant. Effectively, the heat has more “pathwaysâ€

Was it here I heard water heater insulation jackets actually decrease the heater's efficiency? Scientific proof of such was available, something about a point of diminishing returns... Anyone know where I can find such proof, assuming such is true?

From the flamed oak trim in your pictures, I'm guessing that this was a high-end house that might have included such a spiffy innovation as a central vac system. Was it? - Jim Katen, Oregon Yeah...high-end at one time. Now a depressed area...historic district of Elgin, IL. Image Insert: 2195.99 KB

I don't think it's electrical, so if not, pardon the post in the Electrical Section. House built 1914. This was in the second floor hallway. Inside, a tube, similar to a central vac tube. What is this (Kibbel)? Image Insert: 2035.03 KB Image Insert: 2087.22 KB

For all you *pipe* people... Is the lack of a bond strap here okay, where the metal pipe is normally bonded to the water supply pipe? Instead of a strap, the ground wire is screwed to the conduit where you would normally attach the bond strap. The ground wire then clamps to the water pipe. Seems okay, but first time I ain't seen a bond strap for bonding the electric pipe to the water pipe. Thanks for any insight. Image Insert: 2053.52 KB

Anyone ever see one of these? Purpose/reason for? Thanks. Image Insert: 116.19 KB

I've done it on about 6,000 houses. Never a complaint.

Acidic bird droppings. Bunch o' droppings in last pict

When I first got the software, about 2.5-3 hours. Now, years later, about an hour.

Probably HI folklore, but I heard once nothing in the NEC requires a panel to be labeled, and if so, such might not be *wrong*. I'm too lazy to check/verify, though.

PS: A pet peeve. Somebody (probably an HI), somewhere, sometime wrote up some gobbledegook about "mold and other contaminates" (sic). Well, "contaminate" is a verb (action word). Radioactive fallout contaminated Hiroshima. "Contaminant" is a noun (person, place or thing). Ratshit is a contaminant that we might find in a crawl space. This is just another case of the words not meaning what they say, but HIs use the words anyway, because some other HIs used them... TY for that. I just checked my original software report form, unaltered, and you're right...such was written by a home inspector...a very well respected one at that. I believe you bought and used his software also. But again, thanks, and I'll correct my templates.

Wow, I never even got to the summary pages. Phillip, compare this report with yours, and how I did the summary. Maybe better? Download Attachment: Sample House Report.pdf 917.55 KB I like to put the picts in the body of the report, then, a numbered summary so one can tell their attorney to address items # so & so. Again, a bit better? I dunno...I'm on my second.

Hi Phillip, I'll let others comment on the inspector-speak (like "we" observed...how many inspectors were there?). How long have you used Cramerware? If it's new, I can understand the differing spacing about the report, the difference in all-caps in one section and other not in similar sections, the difference in the FYI style versus the other styles, the different line-spacing about the report, etc, etc. That was hard on my eyes when I started using Mark's software maybe three years ago, and I spent hours and hours each week the first couple years tweaking such (seeing how I, not Cramer, created such differnces when I customized the report). Ain't a difference anywhere now about my reports, but lordy, it took time. Again, aside from the inspector-speak, nice to see ya using such a fine software product. Also, if it's newer software to you, I can understand some of the boiler-plate you use that you probably know is going to be re-written when you get the time.

Above an ejector pump's purge-line check valve...the thing with the handle...2007 house. Image Insert: 111.34 KB

I also toyed with -- but never implemented -- this abbreviated reporting method: Observation: The attic folding stair is broken. Problem: If a person gets on the stair, the stair could break. Recommendation: Hire a carpenter -- one who can cut and measure -- to replace the stair. WJid="blue"> Well, I'm guessing you never implemented such because you did fine & dandy using Cramerware, and just wrote something like... Safety Concern The attic stair is broken. If you use the stair, it could break and you could be seriously injured (or worse). Have a carpenter fix or replace the stair as needed. At least you never called for "further evaluation"...