Brian G

Oy! Lots of ideas; thanks gentlemen. Let me see.... I didn't check the amperage, but I can do that tomorrow. I just ohmed the elements while disconnected. We don't have hard water, or much sediment to speak of. Water quality is very good here. I'm not on a well, and I've never flushed out a water heater in my life. When we took out the old unit, about 3 or 4 years ago, it had only some typical calcification on the elements and tank walls. I haven't checked the dip tube, so that could be it. Is there a simple way to check that, or do you have to remove it to see what's what? I'd have to take the whole thing out of a closet to do that. It isn't the seasonal change in ground temps. The kids have been through a few winters in that old house trailer; no problems until now. Incoming water is colder when the outside temps are colder here, but that comes and goes itself. We've had one ot two weeks of mid-60's at a time, but the hot water issue was no better for it. Thanks again for all the input. Lordy, please be an element, not a dip tube. [:-headach Brian G. What Dip Designed the Dip Tube Anyway? [:-irked]

The water heater in our old mo-bile home is having a problem. It doesn't make enough hot water all of a sudden, or at least not as much as it did before (my daughter thinks this is a problem; SHOCK!). I tried checking continuity on both elements (electric), and both seemed fine. Both thermostats also seemed fine; when I turned them up I got the ole' *click* and they read good. That's about as far as my water heater testing knowledge goes, so I'm looking for input. Any suggestions? And no Les, it isn't the custom-made drip pan that's doing it. [:-cyclops Brian G. Whut It Iz? [:-boggled

That's interesting, but that last sentence or two suggests it won't be a big success in the U.S. as is, at least not from the middle class up (not recommended for those wanting more than 500 sq. ft. per person). It could be useful for starter houses or public housing, though I notice they don't mention AC at all. There aren't many places in this country where AC is totally unnecessary. Surely it could added (?). Then again, you would think adding an entire high-efficiency HVAC system to take advantage of the super-insulating and hermetic sealing would still produce an extremely efficient house. Brian G. The Passive-Aggressive House?

Originally posted by Bain I remember Jim K. saying one of his competitors boasted in an advertisement that he could "see through walls." Stuff like that doesn't help when it comes to unrealistic customer expectations. There's a guy around here who uses that exact phrase with realtors; probably with clients too. It's just a matter of time before some pissed-off client with a sharp lawyer makes him eat those words. Brian G. Waiting........ [:-dunce]

Greg, if your area is like mine, roofers who say a roof is shot are lying 9 out of 10 times. They sell roofs. They would much rather replace a roof than repair one. If the guy you trust says it can go much farther with minor repairs, he's probably right, but you may be exposed based on what language you used in the report. Good luck. Brian G. The No-Fun Zone [:-headach

Nah. That's one of those new bidet tubs. [] Brian G. If A Little Water Is Good..... [:-slaphap

I don't recognize that exact style, but for a long time it wasn't unusual for manufactured homes to have metal roofs that weren't fastened to the roof trusses, or were only fastened at very wide intervals. During that time a manufactured home with old tires spaced out down the roof was a fairly common sight out in the country; they kept the metal from banging up and down in the wind (redneck ingenuity strikes again). Brian G. What Happened to Burying Tires Half-Out of the Ground and Painting Them White? [:-slaphap

I just bought the little guy a complete, used Dell system of his own for Christmas (off ebay). 2.8 Intel processor, 120 gig hard drive, 1 gig of ram, 15" LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, XP Pro w/recovery disk, blah, blah, blah. I paid $300, shipping and all. Brian G. Don't Tell Him [] [;-xmas]

I had no Fein or Festo during my carpentry years, but I did have a 2-part philosophy about tools. 1. Good tools make money; crummy tools cost money. 2. Good tools are worth whatever you pay for them, if you use them. Of course, I got things as inexpensively as possible, but I didn't buy cheap junk. I suspect I'll be a carpenter again most of next year (at least), as we ride this economic storm out. I may have to look into those two brands (on ebay). Brian G. Just Like Old Times [:-weepn]

Realtors and slimy appraisers have worked hand-in-glove around here to foster the totally false notion that property always appreciates at fairly brisk pace; it doesn't. This ain't Dallas, and even if it were, this ain't boom-time we're looking at. Reality is making a crash landing, and a lot of poor fools will be mangled in the wreckage. [:-splat] originally posted by SonofSwamp I'll consider sanity to be making a comeback when people stop buying enourmous slabs of shiny rock for their countertops, and go back to perfectly good (and cheap) Formica. Amen to that too. Will this recession/depression/whatever bring back the sensible idea of "plenty good enough" about such things, or will many continue to mindlessly overreach as soon as it passes? Brian G. Realism on the Rebound [8]

Good one Mike. [:-tong2] Brian G. Now About Blowing the Insulation...... []

Originally posted by AHIS It is a 100 amp service and there are 20 slots. They have 3 - 240v breakers and 18 120v breakers - 8 of which are tandum breakers so there are 2 circuits on each slot. I would bet money that violates the maximum number of circuits allowed by the manufacturer of the panel. If I count that correctly you have 32 circuits there, and I've never heard of a 100 or 125 amp panel that allowed more than 24 (most stop at 20). You'd have to check the label on the panel to see exactly what they had in mind. Brian G. Pile 'Em In [:-crazy]

This is also another example of how narrow the knowledge of the general public is these days. They don't know about insulation, air leaks, old appliances, etc. already? I guess not, as hard to fathom as that is for the rest of us. I just did a little 1200 sq. ft. house in town, built in the 1920's or so. It still had no central heating or cooling, so 4 windows had AC units sticking out of them (bottom sash about 3/4 raised). Not a dang one had anything to stop air from flowing right between the sashes. I could only imagine how much air is exchanged on a cold, windy night. Brrrrrrr! Brian G. Energy Is Money [:-bigeyes

The meaning of the age will vary. Around here 15 - 20 years is normal for a water heater, and 25 or more is not unheard of. I know it's far less in other places. But the rusty bottom....he should have seen that. If the plumber could look at it and know it was shot, the inspector should have known it too. Predictions aren't really what we do, outside of limited remaining life; we do "condition as it stands today". Still, it's virtually impossible to keep predictions totally out of it, whether implied or plainly stated. This seems almost as much about how badly worded and plainly stated the prediction was, as it is about how far off the prediction was. Brian G. If He's Smart, He'll Pay the Bill With a Smile and an Apology [:-wiltel][8]

The excellent article by Douglas Hansen, in pdf. http://www.codecheck.com/cc/pdf/electri ... ov2003.pdf Dan Friedman's FPE webpage http://www.inspect-ny.com/fpe/fpepanel.htm Brian G. Load Them Bullets & Fire At Will [:-thumbu]

Originally posted by John Dirks Jr Did you ever notice how many people look? Comparatively speaking, very few engage. There's lessons to be learned in the middle of it all. I agree; the truth is somewhere out in the middle. Sometimes "askers" are much too sensitive. They run away and pout at the first suggestion that they aren't every bit as good as a solid 20 or 30 year veteran; they aren't. Other times "responders" are way too harsh, or even insulting, if a newer guy doesn't already swing it like a solid 20 or 30 year veteran; they can't. But if one wants the free education a site like this has to offer, and it is considerable if you take it for all it's worth, then you gotta develop a tough hide and learn to roll with the punches (and give some back as well). That's just the way it is. Brian G. Post Often, Grow a Pair, Learn a Lot [:-graduat

I have to agree, that looks more like something hot laid on the wires than the wires getting hot themselves. Very odd. Brian G. FPE Sucks [:-yuck]

Originally posted by kurt Doppio Largo That's double wide in Italian.... I gotta tell my best friend that one. We can use it to covertly note a certain type of female.....[] Brian G. Doppio Is Too Largo For Me [:-sour]

Wow. Stupidity abounds. The future is bright (long term). Brian G. One of the Few, Profiting From the Ignorance of Many []

Ah-so. Thanks Bill, Chad, et al. Brian G. Yet Another "Best Practice" Being Universally Ignored [:-dunce]

All chimney caps look like that around here, but damaged flue liners are very rare. Would lack of a bond breaker normally damage the second liner section too? What does a bond breaker typically look like? Got a photo, anybody? John, your lack of over-sensitivity to constructive criticism continues to serve you well (and others). Keep it up. Brian G. Circuit Breaker, Vacuum Breaker, and Now Bond Breaker [:-crazy]

Yep, another one of those common-sense items the code fails to nail down beyond the idiot of a doubt. What can you do? I've seen it a few times, and I tried to explain to my clients that what they would have is really just half a ventilation system; air outlets, but no air inlets. They seemed to get it okay, whether they actually did anything about it or not. Misson accomplished. Brian G. Thousands of Rules & Regulations, But an Idiot Will Find the Holes [:-irked]

Originally posted by Chad Fabry I'm still wondering what point he was trying to make. WARNING! Serious thread drift! In my misspent youth I played a lot of pool, often for a beer or a few bucks. Eventually I got to be pretty good at it. One night some joker I'd never seen before wandered into my favorite place and started playing me for $5 a game. I was really "on" that night. I was lining up shot after shot, winning game after game with only a couple of turns, and he just wouldn't give up. After 8 - 10 games, he was racking again when he said in frustration "You haven't shown me a damn thing, buddy. All you've made are straight-in shots." Beer shot out my nose. Brian G. Gotta Love a Sucker Like That []

I noted that it wasn't the aluminum wiring itself that was a problem But according to the CPSC and others, it is. Pardon my saying so, but it's not a good idea to bless it.id="blue"> I'm sure our moderator will weigh in, but my understanding is that the problems were primarily related to installation issues, like incompatible devices and improper connection methods that couldn't tolerate the greater expansion/contraction typical of AL branch wiring. I can't find anything at CSPS that says different; got any links? Brian G. Not That I Would Bless It Either [:-scared]