Brian G

The sinks are ridiculous; they don't hold any water. Jeeeeeez. Brian G. No Creature Is Sillier Than a Human With Too Much Money [:-boggled

This is one of those things I wish the IRC would speak to directly, in the Heating & Cooling section under "condensate", but they don't. There is a provision in the plumbing vent section that says you can't use a vent pipe for any purpose other than the venting of the plumbing system, but that doesn't help you in this case (lots of attic units tied to plumbing vents around here). I don't see anything in "sanitary drainage" that prohibits hooking up a condensate drain. Don't some (or most) HVAC manufacturers have requirements for traps, etc., as limited as they may be without primers? The intent is obvious. Brian G. Maybe Someday.... [:-indiffe

Good discussion of a real issue we face everyday. If I don't find the kind of obvious, screwed-up stuff that makes hammering easy, I usually go with some variation of "It all looks okay for now, BUT....". I feel have to tell 'em it's outdated, getting older, is more likely to have problems as time goes on, and that someday someone will have to replace all that antique stuff, but I don't think calling for an electrician to come out and do what I just did for another fee is really helping my client in that situation. Brian G. Lots of Grey, Not So Much Black & White [:-magnify

Originally posted by jodil 1. Is that correct about the bonding prior to 2008? (Ive never heard such thing) Until the last cycle the NEC allowed that, but only if the sub panel was located in a separate building and met certain requirements. Now that loophole is pretty much gone. The basic requirements for separating neutrals and equipment grounds in sub panels goes back at least as far as the 1920's in the NEC. I've run into or heard of at least a dozen variations on the "that wasn't required when this house was built" myth regarding sub panels. Bull. 2. Where do yall draw the line when mentioning things that were ok then but not now? I'm sure opinions vary, but for me anything that A. goes to safety issues, or B. could run into serious money later, or C. I just think the clients ought to know gets reported. Brian G. Them That Don't Like It Can Lump It. [^]

That's been going on for a long, long time, all across the country. Maybe a few enormous settlements will dampen the arm twisting a bit. And in a totally unrelated vein..... "Countrywide is in position to force out of the business honest appraisers," said Steve Berman, the lead lawyer in the case...... What a god-awful sentence from an educated person who makes his living with words. [:-yuck] Brian G. I Hope He's Better At Law Than At English []

Well who'd of thunk it, but Vandy finally gets tagged by.....MS State (?). I've only seen a few highlights, but apparently State's defense was suffocating today. Vandy added a few turnovers and 10 penaties, a well known receipe for First Loss Soup. Coach Croom claims the Dawgs have turned the corner; we'll see. Lots of losses at the very top again (shock). Will the new #1 be Bama or Texas? I was very surprised Florida was able to clean LSU's clock the way they did....impressive. Auburn continues to skid, going down to a determined Razorback team. Penn State continues to steamroll everyone they play. I look forward to seeing what happens when they take on Ohio State. Brian G. And the Beat Goes On [:-crazy]

I've used Abatron products several times, with good results. Nonetheless, I've bookmarked Smith's for future reference. Wherever you get it, epoxy is the thing. Brian G. Love Stuff That Works [:-love]

Originally posted by SonOfSwamp Installing CO detectors would protect the occupants better than a tear-down/rebuild of the furnace, and shift any liability to the deep-pockets manufacturer and away from the HI. And that is the final truth. No matter what you can or cannot see, or honestly say about a given gas-burning appliance today, the only meaningful protection for all the many days that follow is a good CO detector. I look at heat exchangers whenever I can, but some styles simply don't allow that without disassembly, and none are fully accessible. I don't do disassembly; just covers. I look at what I can see, I report what I see, and tell them a HVAC pro will be required if they want to know more. I often write some variation of "If you want a more expert opinion regarding the condition of the _______, consult a _________ and ask them to _________." Brian G. Expert Generalist [^]

Vandy looks good, but they have yet to play the big powers in the SEC East. I'm not so sure they can really beat Florida and Georgia. The Top 10 looks like a revolving door, and that will only get worse with the Big 12 and others finally getting into conference play. From here on teams will be knocking each other off left and right, every week, across the conferences. There's no telling who's gonna be up there by season's end. Brian G. Crank Up the Merry-Go-Round [:-boggled

My experience is similar, but in my little market it's more like 3 or 4 per year. I'm happy with that, all things considered. Brian G. Bidness Is Bidness [^]

I can't remember a year when the quality football ran as deep in the conference as it does this year. Teams like Vandy and Ole Miss, often at the bottom of the barrel, look good so far. Tennessee and MS State....not so much. Brian G. That's Life [:-indiffe

I haven't heard of that either, and if true the insurance company doesn't know its butt from a hole in the ground. That stuff is very, very durable unless you whack it. Do they think she's going to be affected by anything the siding is doing outside? [:-dunce] Brian G. Pronouncements From Morons [:-boggled

I'm sure the shingles are nice, but I'm lusting after your solar array. I have a big, steep roof with both southern and western exposures. [] Supposedly solar panels will be dropping by as much as 45% in the next few years. I hope so. [:-thumbu] Brian G. Slow Down the Damned Meter [:-crazy]

Same old story. Advise your client to install the 1/2" GWB for fire safety reasons, regardless of age or grandfathering. Either he gets it or he doesn't; you did your job. Brian G. Dass All We Kin Do [^]

I've yet to see a steel shingle roof. Can you walk on those things without damaging them? Does anyone know how good the "stone" coating really is over time? Brian G. Steel....Nomally Good Stuff [:-thumbu]

Carpentry work (never sell the tools), a cushion from not wasting money during the good times, and a wife with a real job. I'm just now starting to look at doing carpentry jobs again...things are very, very slow here. [:-weepn] Brian G. Wear More Than One Cap [:-graduat

Originally posted by Jim Katen I've heard that they have similar setups in Iceland. Yeah, they have a ton of that type of thing there. It's a strange land, with two continental shelves meeting right across it. Glaciers and lava in the same place. I'd love to go there someday. Brian G. Note To Self: Pack Warm [:-cold]

Originally posted by Jim Morrison Someone should try to capture the heat from the hot air Saints fans blow at the beginning of each season. I bet I could heat my house for a year with just three or four of 'em! Hey I got burned on my own hot air so bad last year, I ain't said squat this year. Besides, Red Sox & Patriot fans are much better sources. [] Brian G. How 'Bout Them Rays?! []

Originally posted by Jim Katen A genuine geothermal heating system would rely on some sort of active underground heat source and wouldn't typically be used for a single family home. Huh? You lost me there. I've been lusting after one of these systems for the the last few years, so I've read whatever I can find on them. They simply use the differential between the outdoor air temperature and the ground temperature at a particular depth (which varies by region). Some use the water temperature in lakes instead of the ground, but those are the exception rather than the rule. What "active" heat source did you mean? Are you thinking of the kind of large, public-owned systems they have in Iceland? And while there are very few around here, all I've seen were on single family homes. These are going to be more and more common on SF houses as energy prices continue to rise (they will), and installations methods evolve (they already are). I can't say I've ever seen anything written about inspecting them. I do have a few links, for what they're worth: http://www.ecrtech.com/home http://www.copper.org/applications/plum ... _main.html http://www.geoenergyusa.com/technology.htm Brian G. Whut 'Chu Talkin' 'Bout Willis?! [?]

Originally posted by ghentjr The chart is great. But what a stoooopid way to identify the date of mfg. Why can't they all just put "mfg 1988" on the label? I couldn't agree more. I think it would be in almost everyone's best interests if all major appliances had a clear, uncoded date of manufacture on the label. [:-magnify Brian G. Sellers Occasionally Excluded []

Either MS State is better than I think they are, or Auburn is way over-rated at #9. If they want to stay in the Top 10 the Tigers better develop some offense before they have to play Bama, LSU, et al. USC wins easy, 35 - 3. There should be no way for Ohio State to be in the championship game this year. No way. Brian G. Get A Clue, BCS Committee [:-dunce]

Originally posted by kurt Not if one is using EMT and/or conduit (if the conduit is the ground path). True enough, but the enclosure gets bonded one way or the other. Personally, I wouldn't trust EMT to be the ground. I ve seen too many runs come apart at the couplings. Rigid or IMC is a whole other thing. Brian G. I Sit Corrected (I'm Tired) []

Originally posted by thekctermite The interior panel is a subpanel in this case, and the neutrals should be floated and there should not be any bonding. Bonding at a subpanel presents a hazard and is never acceptable. I don't know if you wrote that exactly as you meant to, but there is bonding in a sub panel. The enclosure gets bonded to the equipment ground bar. Brian G. Bonding....Electrical Bonding [:-tophat][-crzwom]

Originally posted by kurt ..... a bunch of nuts running around ignoring fundamental aspects of building science and construction technologies and imagining their magic tools can see through walls and find the hidden defects. That's a really, really dangerous approach to this business. I couldn't agree more. There's a relatively new guy here who goes around telling realtors and clients he can "see through the walls" with his IR camera. What a distortion. I await his inevitable professional demise with both amusement and disgust. Brian G. Not If, Only When [:-skull]

Originally posted by Brad Manor "It rubs the lotion on its skin... it does this every time its told to or it gets the hose......" [:-slaphap[:-tong2][][:-clown][}][:-jester] Brian G. Any Sign of "Precious" Down There? [:-doggy]