Jim Morrison

I disagree. I'm reasonably fit and it sure isn't isn't because of my diet. I eat like a Billy Goat and drink too much red wine, but I also exercise. It's not one or the other. It's much more than that. It's about your whole lifestyle. Congratulations Ezra! You are a brave man for posting your progress for all to see. Good luck!

Fight what? You should tell your client it's wrong and that he should write his buyer a check for a couple hundred bucks and get on with his life. Let the new buyer hire a real plumber to make it right. PS. Whenever I see a trap with no cleanout, I just know there's more trouble nearby.

The connection between the cable and the top of the meter housing has a pretty hefty grommet in these parts. I don't suppose much water gets past it. What is it like down in VA?

Kurt, What's to stop a wind-driven rain from sending water in through the weatherhead? How do you KNOW it's not getting in that way. I know I couldn't determine that during a home inspection. I'd estimate that I see evidence of rainwater entering about 10-15% of the panels I've ever looked at. More often than not, that's how it happens. Jimmy

You can't damage a tank by flushing it, but you can break a drain cock that hasn't ben used in years by opening it. Caveat Drainer!

Chad's just trying to be diplomatic. Fortunately, I am not burdened by such kind instincts. You're out of your league and listening to Chad might save someone's life who is close to you.

I haven't seen a tankless coil set up to do this, either. However, if warrantees are the only downside, I say: Go ahead! Tankless coil warrantees can't possibly be worse than boiler warrantees when adjusted for equipment price. Witness (many inspectors' favorite) Weil McLain's nearly worthless prorated boiler warrantee that excludes labor and failed gaskets.

Stepcracking (cracks shaped like staircases) like that indicates structural movement, not thermal expansion. If I were you, I'd bump it up the food chain to an engineer.

Exactly what is causing the smell is beyond the scope of a home inspection. Mold and dampness is the real problem.

Dan Friedman talks about it on Inspectapedia.com, too.

Well the savings start off with a LOT lower construction/startup dollars, and I don't see how the operating costs couldn't be less than a traditional boiler. The only downside is if the tankless can't keep up, and if it's appropriately sized, it will.

A heating system that is sized properly should run almost continuously on the coldest day of the year. That's especially true with a radiant system that is sending lower temperature water through the system. They have longer cycles with lower temperatures.

Last name [space] city Stored in folders by month and year (e.g. in the 2009 folder, there are twelve folders, one for each month). What is so strange about your system?

Les, I don't think my background in this business is unique at all. As a matter of fact, I think there are a lot of folks out there just like me. I was a (mostly locally, but also nationally) active member of ASHI who (after a dozen or so years) left and found life on the outside just fine. If I could encapsulate my opinion of ASHI, I'd say that it is clearly the finest org out there; it's just not what it used to be, that's all. Also, in licensed states like mine, ASHI membership means less to consumers. That's an established fact.

Unapologetically unaffiliated, & unconcerned, Jimmy

Does 'The Ultimate Schedule Home INspection Form' exist? Regional and personal differences don't lend themselves to a one-size fits all form, if that's what you're after. When was the last time two of us agreed on anything of substance?

Me too.

Tom, The thing is: writing (even typing) reports is a skill that not every inspector has. These systems are a good alternative for people who can't or don't want to do it on their own. I'd buy one tomorrow if it did what I do better than I do it. Jim

I don't think it's stupid at all. I write my reports exactly the same way you do (except I don't include photos). And I'll disagree with Marc's statement that the bottom line is whose package creates the prettiest report. Far from it. We are hired to learn everything we can about a particular home using non-invasive means in just a few hours. Then, we have to package all of the pertinent information in a way that is impossible to misunderstand. No easy task. Longer reports are not better reports. Prettier reports are not better reports. The best reports are succinctly and clearly written with the fewest distractions, and they should look professional. I've never seen a report over 20 pages that could be described that way. I'd say that the same thing goes for checklists.

Ha! This Jowers fellow is a funny guy. Why haven't I heard of him before?

I am happily unaffiliated and unconcerned. ASHI has changed and I guess I have too.

Kevin, Try the Salami and Fontina Ciabatta. It's a mind-blower. Jim

Definitely not old growth, but it does look like fir.

Ditto what Kurt said. Shorts in summer, though.

That makes no sense.