
Billy_Bob
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Everything posted by Billy_Bob
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Let's see... In the top picture, is that black pipe coming toward the camera a "vent" perhaps? Or is it a trap? Hummm... Maybe a vent with a trap?
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As to replacing the vacuum breaker part of the hose bib.... I can imigine myself going to 5 different stores and them all telling me they don't carry the part. Then spending time trying to figure out who the manufacturer is, then trying to find their web site. Then the web site saying they don't sell parts - wholesale to dealers only, etc. Or their listing parts only by model number and there is NO model number on the hose bib. FYI - I once had a faucet which needed a part. I went to the store and found the *same* faucet in the box. There was no part/model number anywhere on the box, faucet, or in the instructions! Arrrggg! Anyway I would not even try finding the part. I would replace the whole thing.... (time/money thing)
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I've seen new additions where all the wiring was new, grounded outlets, etc. But they never ran a ground back to the old fuse box! (So none of the grounds in the new addition worked...)
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I assume that is on a roof and it is draining on the roof? Otherwise I think the trap is a clever idea in these days of high energy costs. An open drain will let cold air flow to the outside. I suppose it is a good idea to keep all the cold air where it belongs!
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The Bryant "Evolution 96" Gas Furnace furnace has a 96.6 AFUE rating... http://www.bryant.com/products/furnaces ... on96.shtml
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Those units work best if cooler air is entering the intake. It looks to me like that fence would keep the hot exhaust air in that area and it would be drawn back into the intakes. This is like a car air conditioner on a very hot day. The air coming out in the car is not as cold as it is on a cooler day. Basically if the hot exhaust air is recirculating, then the units may need to work longer and would use more electricity. If the area has mild summers like in the 80's, then probably not a big deal. If somewhere like Arizona in the 120's, then I would move the fence or install a louvered fence (need all the cooling power you can get there!)
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This is a case where I would look at those supports and say to myself "Do I really want to walk up those stairs?"
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It may or my not be code in that area, but in either case it is a good idea to run the pressure release valve (T&P) drain to a location where the homeowner can see if it is leaking. So by front/back door around here. Or maybe in this case not sealed into the drain, but slightly above the drain with an air gap so you could see if it was dripping?
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Wow! I was thinking "homeowner wiring" of something like a garage door opener would be pretty harmless. But now that I think about those metal doors, I will look at this differently from now on. Anyway that is what codes are for. There is always some tragic reason behind each rule.
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The NEC exists because of accidents which have happened in the past causing loss to life and property. Say you have one of those nightclub fires caused by an electrical problem and many people die. Or a house burns down and children die.. Well there is a big public outcry to "do something" about this to prevent these things from happening in the future. They learn what caused the problem and change the electrical code to hopefully prevent these accidents from happening in the future. With that said, many fires have been caused by extention cords! You have homeowners who know nothing about electricity installing these extention cords, whereas you have trained electricians installing outlets and home wiring. Well modern electrical design attempts to design things so that the use of extention cords will not be necessary. Outlets everywhere needed. That is the basic idea. Keep 'em from using any extention cords as much as possible and this will save lives.
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The panel may be rated for 200 amps, but smaller fuses can be installed. Might want to look at the values printed on the fuses.
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Also you get people like me who design and install their own "gizmos". For example I have two black 50 gallon water tanks next to my woodstove for pre-heating my hot water. This is not anything I purchased. Something I designed and installed myself.
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When a GFCI trips, it activates an electrically powered mechanical switch to turn off the power (with the models I have seen). So some GFCI's could be slightly faster than others and in that case only one would trip. (Once one GFCI has tripped, the "fault" and/or power would have been removed from the line. If the mechanical arm on the other GFCI was in the process of moving to trip, it would no longer have power to continue moving and might not finish its "trip" motion.) Both of your GFCI's were exactly the same speed! (A race!)
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On your car you have a radiator with metal fins. Hot water from the engine flows through the radiator. Then air blows through the fins. The air coming out the other side is hot. Same thing can work with cold water. Get a similar coil with fins, run cold water through it, then it will cool the air blowing through it. I can't tell by the picture where all the pipes go or if there is a "coil with fins" in the unit. But this might go to a supply of cold water. This could circulate swimming pool water, water from a river, etc.
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Looking at the circuit diagrams of a few GFCI's, I can't see where installing a GFCI breaker and then an additional GFCI outlet on the same circuit would keep one of the GFCI's from protecting you. Circuit Diagram... http://www.rhtubs.com/GFCI/gfci_circuit.gif Although there may be other circuit designs out there which might not work when they are mixed or one used with another??? I don't know. GFCI's work by detecting an "imbalance" in the electricity used in both the hot and neutral. If everything is normal, the flow of electricity through the hot equals the same flow in the neutral. If you are being electrocuted, some electricity would be flowing through your body and the GFCI would notice more electricity was flowing through one wire and not coming back through the other. Then this would cause the GFCI to trip. (By creating an electric current in the donut shaped ring in the above diagram.) To me this situation is like having two circuit breakers on the same circuit. Or like a power strip with a breaker plugged into a circuit which has a breaker. Then there is the case of a hair dryer which has its own GFCI in the plug. In that case you would also have two GFCI's - one plugged into the other if the bathroom has a GFCI outlet. More on this... http://home.howstuffworks.com/hair-dryer4.htm I would not install a GFCI breaker then a GFCI outlet on the same circuit just because it would cost more and is not needed. Waste of money! And then I would see an issue of "confusion" in that there are two GFCI's and a homeowner not knowing clearly what to reset should one or the other trip.
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So far as codes go, there is the "letter of the law" and then there is the "intention" behind a rule. With the NEC it is safety and fire prevention basically. Codes aside, I can't imagine any potential safety or fire danger with the way these panels are wired. Part of my thinking here is that the two panels are mechanically and electrically attached to each other as well as to the wall. This is a different situation than say if you had a sub panel some distance away. In that case you have central point of ground issues and potential problems with loss a conductor in the cable if someone drilled through it or whatever.
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Perhaps a solution to this would be to look for "clues". For example I bought a house which had all sorts of hack work electrical wiring. Outlets added without a box and lamp cord used. Splices into romex with lamp cord and hidden in ceiling, etc. Most of this stuff was hidden and I only found it when I tore out walls, etc. Anyway there were two visible clues that work in this house was done which was not to code. One was a cardboard cover over an electrical junction box (instead of metal). Another was a hack work main panel without a ground. So maybe a few spot instections of removing outlet covers and peeking with a flashlight, but if "not to code" hacks found elsewhere, then maybe inspect everything with a fine tooth comb? The idea being that if some work was not done to code, then maybe there are other areas of the house where work was not done to code. Or like mommie dearest, a spot inspection for wire hangers in the closet, then if one found, tear that closet apart looking for more![^]
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That little jumper to ground can be quite dangerous! A common electrical problem is a loose connection at wiring connections. Another outlet "upstream" could have a lose wire nut connection on the white wire feeding that outlet for example. Wires "pushed" into the holes in the back of outlets rather than wrapped around the screws frequently come lose. If you lose the white wire (neutral connection) to that outlet, then the metal case of an appliance plugged into that outlet (direct connection to ground wire on outlet) would become energized! Zapppp! Basically the metal case on the appliance would have a direct connection to the black "hot" wire via the plugged in appliance.
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Some people (like myself) have size 13 men's feet. I know a guy who has size 16! Anyway what does that 2nd step-tread to the porch measure? (Looks pretty shallow.) Looks to me I would need to step on it sideways!
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Hot water pre-heater tanks next to wood stove?
Billy_Bob replied to Billy_Bob's topic in Plumbing Forum
I do have the tanks painted flat black as I read that this would absorb the heat better. Also I have a pressure gauge on the tanks and it reads the same transitioning from cold to warm. So there is no check valve in my water piping from the city. Water expands back out into the city pipes. BTW I looked through the Oregon codes and did not see anywhere that flexible lines are required for water heaters??? Codes aside, I want a safe and durable installation. Is it better to have flexible lines installed to a water heater for an earthquake? Is it possible that with galvanized lines connected to a water heater that these could break and flood the house? And that with flexible lines, these would have a bit of give and not break? (I will also install earthquake strapping per code.) Or is it just that flexible lines are intended for easier installation? -
Hot water pre-heater tanks next to wood stove?
Billy_Bob replied to Billy_Bob's topic in Plumbing Forum
Yes. These are very expensive, so not an option for me. Also people have designed pipes which go directly into a woodstove or pipes which wrap around the chimney. In both cases I have read of problems with overheating (steam), and with the chimney heat exchanger idea, this cools the chimney and they have trouble with draft/creosote buildup. I want to stay away from steam since I've read just enough about this to know how dangerous it can be! (Boilers blowing up and launching through the roof and into a neighbor's house, etc.) -
I've been reading these forums for a few days and thought what a great place to ask certain tricky code questions BEFORE construction! Is this ok? (I'm not a home inspector) Anyway I want to install two 50 gallon water heater tanks next to my woodstove to pre-heat the water before it goes to my electric hot water heater. The chlorinated city water entering my home is 40 degrees F. and the area next to my wood stove is typically around 110 degrees F. when I am burning wood. Note: Water boils at 212 degrees F., so no danger of steam being created with this setup. I've set up temporary tanks to see if this works, and it works so good, I don't even need to have my electric hot water heater on! The water is hot enough for a shower. Anyway now I want to install these two 50 gallon water tanks "to code". But is there a code for something like this? (This is in Oregon BTW) I'm thinking that installing them like a water heater would do the trick? (Drip pans with drain, T&P valve, and earthquake straps to hold tanks in place.) However this is in the living room, so it is visible by occupants daily. Any leaks would be seen right away. So I don't know if a drip pan would be necessary in this situation? I prefer to use galvanized piping for the connections to these tanks as I need all sorts of valves to fill and drain them (Need ridged pipes to support these "ball valves"). So there are no flexible connections as would be with a regular water heater. I don't know if it is a requirement to have flexible lines connected to a water heater? Or to these tanks? Also these tanks are from old water heaters (insulation, heating elements, and dip tubes removed). The cold goes in the bottom and warm out the top. I suppose a check valve would be required where the cold goes in the bottom so water would not flow back into the city water system if there was a loss of pressure. Anyway what codes would apply for something like this? If you were inspecting a home with tanks like these, what would you want to see? What would be OK?