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Bill Kibbel

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Everything posted by Bill Kibbel

  1. Bill Kibbel
    I can read "...... Alarm Co., Inc. Summit, NJ". I'm quite sure it is Falcon Alarm Co., 'cuz they were located in Summit, NJ. It contains Freon, if it hasn't leaked out. That's what the sight glass on the side is for.
  2. Bill Kibbel
    I can't tell from the picture, but it looks like the type made by Falcon Alarm Co. If it is, it's an alarm that sounds when detecting high temps. There is no fire suppressant. The cylinder is filled with Freon. When heated it expands and the valve releases. I think the one's for living areas release at 135 degrees and the units for attics and boiler rooms release at 175 degrees.
  3. Bill Kibbel
    If it is in fact, lined with a B-vent, and has a listed B-vent termination, it no longer has any potential for burning solid fuel.
  4. Bill Kibbel
    NFPA 31 requires 2 disconnects*. One is a "service disconnect switch" that is within easy reach of the service tech. The other is a labelled switch near the entrance to the room where the burner is located. An unfinished basement is the "room", so near the entrance at the top of the stairs is the required location. *The remote disconnect does not have to be an electrical switch, if there is a way to manually stop the flow of oil to the burner, located at a safe distance from the burner.
  5. Bill Kibbel
    Yes, and it's very common for in-slab ducts.Click to Enlarge 43.14 KB
  6. Bill Kibbel
    Most transite was made with asbestos until the early-mid 1980s.
  7. Bill Kibbel
    The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) has launched the Building Technology Heritage Library. This is a collection of pre-1964 architectural trade catalogs, house plan books and technical building guides, digitized for viewing on the web. The collection is an excellent primary source of past building designs, building products and construction practices. The collection is searchable or you can browse by subject and keywords.
  8. Bill Kibbel
    Radon mitigation contractors are not licensed or regulated in Michigan. That means there is no standards and no government agency enforcement. I think the contractor's only obligation is to satisfy what was written in the accepted proposal. There better have been something in the proposal that states they would reduce the radon level to below the EPA's action level of 4 pCi/L. A "clearance test" is required to make that determination. Here is the USEPA's radon mitigation standards: http://www.radon.com/pubs/mitstds.html#systemsdesign
  9. Bill Kibbel

    HVAC dudes

    Bill Kibbel replied to Bain's topic in HVAC Forum

    "...I saw the draft hood in this photo." Horizontal vent termination. A draft hood is something completely different.
  10. Bill Kibbel
    If it's just the flue for oil heat, install an insulated stainless steel liner. Like Kurt, I dislike the inflate-a-form liners for additional reasons. If there's a need for a cast-in-place liner (I don't think the one in the picture needs it) I much prefer this method: http://www.ahrenschimney.com/residential2.html id="left">
  11. Bill Kibbel
    You're advising that on units less than 20 years old? Vermiculite mined/distributed after 1990 does NOT contain asbestos.
  12. Bill Kibbel
    I've posted references here several times that states the method of sampling is severely flawed and lab results, using current methods, are incredibly inaccurate. How many samples were taken from how many locations? Was it over 60? What percentage of the samples were taken from the top of the joist cavities? The Middle? The bottom? Did you explain lab test results that show "no asbestos contenet at all" does not mean there is no asbestos in the vermiculite in that house?
  13. Bill Kibbel
    That was dissed and ignored in the other thread too.
  14. Bill Kibbel
    Is it an open system? If so, it needs to close and a relief valve added. You'll need flow control valves to prevent gravity flow. In multi-level buildings, orifice plates were often installed to balance gravity flow between floors. They probably need to be eliminated. Many contractors install circulator pumps that are way to big when converting, just because the old pipes are big. You'll need an air separator and a compression tank.
  15. Bill Kibbel
    For a "modern" steam boiler install, the most common reason for adding a collection tank on the condensate return is that the condensate is too slow in returning to the boiler. It's considered fixing a symptom but not the problem. I'm guessing this is a replacement boiler on an old piping system.
  16. Bill Kibbel
    We don't inspect them. I don't call anything I can't see a septic system, because that implies that there is a system that uses an approved, recognized technology for on-site sewage treatment and disposal. It's great to learn from other's mistakes.
  17. Bill Kibbel
    PS. I've never seen a WDI diagram done without a straight edge.
  18. Bill Kibbel
    Mr. Anonymous, Ask Mr. Katen if you could review maybe a dozen of his narrative reports. If he agrees, study them and try to do something similar. https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... Sample.pdf I wish it was a requirement for every inspector prior to practicing. I learned very bad habits at the beginning. 25 years later and I'm still improving.
  19. Bill Kibbel
    What qualifications do your "air quality" tester guys have? What might be their affiliation with duct cleaning scam companies. Get some advice from real air quality scientists. Look up the impartial studies that have concluded that duct cleaning is only necessary after a severe "event", and not needed when prescribed by someone who received 12 hours of air quality "training" to sell air testing or other products and services.
  20. Bill Kibbel
    Duct cleaning should be the very last item on your list.
  21. Bill Kibbel
    How do you handle the real world?
  22. Bill Kibbel
    Simpson clearly marks the heads, so it's easy to identify if they're correct for the application. I can't read what's on the heads in the OP's pics.
  23. Bill Kibbel
    Forced air heat dries me out (and screws up my acoustic guitars). In the winter, I have to keep my home above 50% humidity to eliminate some symptoms similar to yours.
  24. Bill Kibbel
    Do you have gas or oil-fired, forced air heat? Did you have forced air heat at your previous residence?
  25. Bill Kibbel
    If it's a scroll compressor, I wouldn't be concerned. If it's piston, I would not operate it unless above 6o degrees or at/above the manufacturers warning. Some manufacturers state 65 degrees.
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