Jerry Simon

This wire over-heated...wasn't from corrosion. If you look closely at the end of the white wire insulation (may be hard to see well), it turned very brown from the heat, just like you'd see the end of a neutral wire turn brown at a bus bar connection that over-heated from sharing two hots on the same phase. In person, it is very obvious this was from heat. Lightning? Don't know. This was the only thing with damage...nothing in the panelboard like I'd expect from lightning. Again, neighbor said Sparkys have been to the home before 'cause of "problems"...don't know the nature of the "problems"...vacant house, neighbors hearsay. Jim...I posted on ASHI about a year ago about current bleeding from ground to water pipe. I even posted a picture of my ammeter with a record finding of 23 amperes in the pipe! Have also seen current run into gas pipe that was lying on the water pipe. From the ground?...Yes...I disconnect the ground, current in pipe disappears. Some local utility guy said the older utility co. infrastructure is undersized for the tear-downs(very common around CHi-Town) and resulting service size increases in the new, bigger homes...the utility co. older neutral is undersized, and can't handle all (increased) return current...thus, it bleeds to ground & into house water pipe. Would love to hear Dougs thoughts.

I'm the guy who always checks water piping with my clamp ammeter, and find a few amperes of current in the pipe coming from the panel ground wire (those homes with metal muicipal supply pipe). Here's today's pic...this is the water meter ground jumper cable. It literally "fried" right off of the pipe clamp. No current currently in pipe. Any thoughts on why this may have occured. NOte: vacant house, and neighbor volunteered to my Client that prior owners had been having some electrical problems. Thanks! Download Attachment: MVC-005S.JPG 35.87 KB

Brian & Kurt...thanks...my thoughts exactly...I don't know if PVC should be considered combustible (though I know it'll burn)...so I wrote it up as Brian said (by the book)...& I mentioned that toxic gas part. NO signs of overheating...home was 5 years old. Kurt, I think PVC is now allowed in Chicago....wasn't for years...I heard because the thought was if it was burning, it gives off that toxic gas. Wasn't real reason the plumbers union (takes longer to assemble cast)??? Guess someone realized if the plumbings burning, there's other, bigger problems.

Furnace "B" vent was about 1/8" away from a 4" PVC waste pipe....thoughts? Thanks!

"We noted that some of the composition shingle ridge caps are starting to split. In our opinion no repair is needed at this time, but we suggest monitoring them on an ongoing basis. If the shingles or their condition deteriorates repairs may be needed". Dan Bowers, CRI ________________________________________________ "On-Going basis"??? What, about every 10 minutes or so? Any longer, you might miss the time they actually split open. Who should monitor....Client up on the roof?....hire a roofer every so often? I might write this up a tad different ("Replace split shingle tabs."). "Starting to split"???...they're split, or they're not. Reminds me of a Client who called... their expert HVAC guy said their heat exchanger was "starting" to crack (& I musto missed)....he thought they should get a new furnace. I re-inspected...no crack, but told them to call me when it REALLY "started" to crack. Sarcasm...?...a bit, but 3 Crown Royals to the wind. And would still call a split/crack a split/crack.

'Course, the IL State Plumbing Code requires a metal valve extension pipe (someone ought to tell the orange box).

Just got a Sure-Test (after all your eggin-on...thanks!). mytoolstore.com has the basic model for $178...I though that was a good price, esp. when I called inspectortools.com and they honored the price + 10% of the dif...over $30 lower than their price. Just thought I'd share what I thought was a good price.

EXCELLENT point, lady in red! When all else fails, read the directions. [:-banghead]

Thank you for the education, especially Scott & Doug. Jerry

New construction today, master bath circuit is 12 gauge copper with 20 ampere breaker, but the two bath receptacles are 15 ampere receptacles, not 20 amp rated. Sparky replies if only one receptacle is on the circuit, is should be a 20 ampere-rated receptacle...if there's more than one receptacle on this circuit, it's allowed, per NEC, to have only 15 ampere-rated receptacles. True? If so, why? Thanks very much for any insight.

I heartily agree with Terry McCann....about a third of the eletric furnaces I check have melted wiring behind the access door.

Richard...good to hear the inspection went well...and....you're one helluva funny guy!

Was in Beverly (nice south Chicago suburb) last week, ground had sunk about 18" around most of the home. Do you think that the broken clay drain tiles were allowing soil to erode into them, causing the ground to sink (duh!). Realtor said I couldn't comment on what I couldn't see. She made BIG mistake there.