Bill Kibbel

Yup! The American Radiator Company merged with the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company to become American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation. Everyone called it American Standard, so the officially shortened the name in 1948. Nope. My brain is filled with mostly useless stuff about old buildings and their parts. When I see stuff (like that expansion tank pictured above) hundreds of times, I get curious and find a book, manual, advertisement or catalogue that gives me primary documentation about the product and its maker. I have very limited storage capacity, so any time I learn something new, that's interesting to me, but useless, really important information leaks out. Right now, I can't remember my kids names, or which car I was driving. Nope. You only posted that to preclude the usual humorous remark that always implies that you were present for most ancient history. My experience is the same and I've never seen a manual or diagram showing or describing an "open" FHW system. I'm guessing a closed system would be better suited since there is smaller piping and radiators (less water volume) and higher pressure than open systems.

Open systems were on the decline between 1910 and 1920. I think only a very few would have been installed after 1925. Before 1910, closed systems were being described as "having an element of danger" and "far more dangerous than steam boilers" because of the reliance on "safety valves". The tank pictured above was manufactured by the American Radiator Company, at the Bayonne, NJ plant. In the late '20s, the American Radiator Company merged with the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. Eventually, the name of the company officially became what people were already calling it for many years. What is the name of the company? [:-graduat

Maybe 'cause it indicates 3 measurements: temperature, psi & kPa. Some should be called a quadicator: fahrenheit, celsius, psi & kPa.

M2203.5 Vent termination. ... and shall be located sufficiently above the ground to avoid being obstructed by snow and ice.

100% acrylic latex over a Portland cement based building material is probably the least amount of stupid as compared to any other coatings. It's probably working because it has just the right amount of water repelling ability combined with decent vapor permeability. I wouldn't be the one to prescribe it as a guaranteed miracle cure, but it won't cause any harm (to Portland cement products).

I thought that what happens in Springfield stays in Springfield.

Jeez, I'm sorry Jim. Your artistic conception went right over my head. It's just that when I'm looking at a crawlspace, I've never thought about art...or erections.

We're giving you a C for photography this term.

In most buildings I inspect, the first indoor bathroom was installed a generation or two after it was built - often where it doesn't fit. Everyone in this family has the same blister on their left knees.

And I respectfully disagree every time I read it. There's no need to manage anyones expectations if you know you're going to far exceed them. My pre-inspection speech, when the clients get out of their car: "HI....up here. I'm Bill, your inspector. I'll fill ya in when I come down".

How could one report a "visible defect" if one didn't include it as "part of the inspection". www.ashi.org/inspectors/standards/standards12.asp

The very first under-sink garbage disposal was a snaggle-toothed pig, aka pigasaurus. I have primary documentation - The Flintstones, October 1960.

Backwash discharge from a water treatment system? Exhaust tube for after the bong hits?

I should have been clearer and more specific. The current requirement: "Each above-ground portion of a gas piping system that is likely to become energized shall be electrically continuous and bonded to an effective ground-fault current path. Gas piping shall be considered to be bonded where it is connected to appliances that are connected to the equipment grounding conductor of the circuit supplying that appliance". The way I understand it, the above protects against ground-faults, but does not offer complete protection against lightning strikes. The damage to CSST from lightning strikes has been because of the differences in electrical potential between parallel metallic pathways to ground, creating an arc between two imbalanced paths. The manufacturer’s installation instructions now have specific requirements for directly bonding the CSST to the electrical system's grounding system at the service entrance. Jim, please correct or clarify as needed.

Jim K makes a very good point (as he usually does). Let me illustrate. When I first saw CSST installed for distribution, I assumed some of the rules for flexible connectors would also apply to the installation. Before dictating the report, I asked for, received and read a PDF of the installation instructions from the manufacturer. I then retracted some of the on-site comments I made without too much embarrassment. My pc and laptop are both loaded with files and illustrations that I've collected in similar circumstances. PS. It's official - All manufacturers of CSST have updated their instructions, requiring that the gas supply system be bonded directly to the grounding electrode system. It won't be in the NFGC or NEC for several years, so expect arguements from the installers.

In these parts, the separate meter would have a built in timer, so the reduced rate applied to "off peak" use. It looks like there is and in your original post, you stated: "The 200 amp panel has six pull type cartridges. That's disconnect for that one. The 100 amp panel has toggle type main breaker."

"I might be movin' to Montana soon, just to raise me up a crop of Dental Floss. Raisin' it up, waxen' it down. In a little white box that I can sell uptown". -FZ Actually, things are ok for me at this moment. The prices of expensive properties are dropping by hundreds of thousands and generating offers. Also, clients are walking away from many deals, resulting in 2 or more inspections. Randy, Try your hand at writing. If it isn't painful to read, someone just might pay you to publish it. If it has accurate and helpful information, people will be calling you.

The second meter, could at one time, have been for an off-peak service.

John, I've said it here many times and said it to at least 50 guys and gals on ride-a-longs: toss the Code Check and get the real thing - on disk. It should be "...outdoors, underground only". That being said, I feel that exposed-to-the-weather, unprotected, rusting gas piping is something that should not be ignored. I've pointed it out many, many times (often on roofs of commercial buildings) and report it as needing repair. "G2414.8 (403. Protective coating. Where in contact with material or atmosphere exerting a corrosive action, metallic piping and fittings coated with a corrosion-resistant material shall be used". "G2415.8 (404. Protection against corrosion. Metallic pipe or tubing exposed to corrosive action, such as soil condition or moisture, shall be protected in an approved manner... Ferrous metal exposed in exterior locations shall be protected from corrosion in a manner satisfactory to the code official".

If you don't mind me asking, where are those guidelines? I clicked on the link, navigated the website, and didn't find any guidelines for walking on roof tiles. WJid="blue"> It looks like the domain rooftile.org got grabbed by Hitfarm, which uses expired popular websites for selling ad space. (Be sure to renew your domains before they expire - deys vultures circlin'). The domain was probably previously owned by the Tile Roofing Institute, which is now at: www.tileroofing.org/tileroofing/index.aspx. The guidelines for walking concrete tile roofs is probably in the installation manuals. FWIW, I've seen (and read) manufacturers' instructions for walking concrete tile roofs. In 21 years, I've only seen about a half dozen and inspected them by walking the roof, without breaking any tiles. But, at 140 lbs, Homnspector is probably one of the very few HIs lighter than me.

Due to the popularity of a certain report writing program, there are many reports that state the climactic conditions at the time of the inspection.

I don't think that is correct. It seems to me that there's a few folks that might be applying the rules for "mechanical draft venting system" terminations to the vent terminal of a "direct-vent appliance". Use this illustration, not the one from the school:

If any of the WA inspectors work near Seaview, this would be a great little center of operations: www.historichousesales.com/detail.php?f ... &TypeID=44

One also has to wonder how many laid off construction workers will try to become home inspectors.

Kurt has said many times that Chicago has its own unique rules. I'm guessing like interior wiring, SECs are also always in conduit there. We have very, very few masts here. They're only on itty-bitty buildings that aren't tall enough to get the required clearance from grade, street or driveway for the service drop. What you have there in pic 1 & 3 would be acceptable here, except the service head wouldn't be considered rain-tight installed on its side like that. The panel would not be acceptable on its side though, because breakers that are *down* are *on*.