John Kogel

More likely, the dry areas are 17.5 percent and the damp area is 29.5 percent. Yes 29 is damp for drywall. You should have heat on in that bathroom and the door open. Feel the wall with your hand. It will dry out slowly unless the drywall is super-saturated.

A vacuum relief valve there is a good idea, prevents a siphon effect on your garden hose. That could contaminate your drinking water and lead to an early death from hose water poisoning. [] Nice spigot faucet.

What he said, Volume control for speakers in the ceiling. A non-item in my reports. The new thing is little touchpads in place of knobs that light up and control things.

The wiring coming from the panel is undersized for that load, so it is dead wrong, no matter what. He may have upsized the breaker to prevent nuisance tripping, or set the elements so they are never on together, but that won't prevent the new owner from changing things back.

What Jim said. In a cool maritime climate, you need to heat the house in the winter months. 65 percent humidity is normal for this time of year. My humidity right now is about that and rises to the 70's at night. At your son's place, moisture is condensing on cold items not disturbed for weeks or months at a time, which allows mould to grow. Heat in one end of a room is enough to get air circulating. Opening windows will let in fresh air, but this time of year it is laden with moisture, sometimes 99 percent, so there needs to be heat as well. Run the furnace for a couple of hours a day at least, and pull mattresses and sacks or piles of clothes away from the walls. Coat hangers and dressers were invented for this. [] If the furnace has not been serviced, call the landlord. He will not be impressed with mould growth in his house from negligence. Good thing you've cleaned it up. We see this condition a lot where people are trying to survive the winter without heat. Even cavemen knew better than that. []

That requires adding one 20 amp circuit, right? 30 A, 2 pole. Just like clothes dryers. Marc I just took a look at it, 3000 W elements, max 18.75 amps on a 20 amp circuit. 20 Amp circuit only good for 16 amps (80%) continuous. How'd you get 18.75 anyway? Marc That 18.75 max is on the label, manufacturer's spec. Giant is the brand, made in good old Quebec. [] A 20 amp circuit is typical for electric water heat here in Canada, except for the very large tanks with bigger elements which get bumped up to 30. 18.75 amps is standard for an electric water heater with two 4,500w elements. Maybe that's the maximum rating for the water heater, even if 3,000w elements are installed. On the other hand, maybe you were reading the wattage from the 208v column instead of the 240v column? (A 4,500 watt element would only produce 3,300 watts or so at the lower voltage.) Max amps for 120, 208, or 240 volts - 18.75 amps Max rating - 4500 W So if we need faster hot water, I could replace the 3000 W element(s).

That requires adding one 20 amp circuit, right? 30 A, 2 pole. Just like clothes dryers. Marc I just took a look at it, 3000 W elements, max 18.75 amps on a 20 amp circuit. 20 Amp circuit only good for 16 amps (80%) continuous. How'd you get 18.75 anyway? Marc That 18.75 max is on the label, manufacturer's spec. Giant is the brand, made in good old Quebec. [] A 20 amp circuit is typical for electric water heat here in Canada, except for the very large tanks with bigger elements which get bumped up to 30.

Low-flow shower heads, good idea for everybody.Then I think the big wasters of water are the washers, clothes and dishes. But the times can be staggered for those. Yes, we used to heat water in a bucket on the campfire. That's a possibility too. Big metal tub and a wash board. So in conclusion, now that I have a 48 US gallon tank, since we like the shower head we got, I propose doing nothing at all. []

That requires adding one 20 amp circuit, right? 30 A, 2 pole. Just like clothes dryers. Marc I just took a look at it, 3000 W elements, max 18.75 amps on a 20 amp circuit. And here's the best part. The tank is actually 40 Imperial gallons, 48 US gallons. I should have checked the label closer with a light and a mirror. Some home inspector, sheesh. []

You mean modifying the lower element on the existing tank, right? But only one element comes on at a time. That will be the simplest, cheapest and quickest.

That requires adding one 20 amp circuit, right? I could switch that element back to normal operation when extra heat isn't needed. Sounds about right, thanks, David. Thanks, Jim. I pictured heat loss but you are right, the tank gives off heat into the laundry room. BTW, the French won Quebec only. They have been threatening separation ever since but we need them for a buffer to keep the Yanks out. [] French on cereal boxes is a small price to pay. Just kidding, not politix. []

Really. I don't know as if they'd have any appreciable savings from dinking around with 10 gallon "primer" tanks. Maybe, but I doubt it. If they were short with a 40 gallon tank, and I think they will be, they should just spring for another 40, set it up in series or parallel as one believes, and when house guests arrive, turn on the 2nd water heater. A 10 gallon unit is well on the way to the cost of a new 40 gallon unit, and the installation costs are about the same; why not spend a little extra dough and get a real tank and turn it on and off as necessary? There are space restrictions. A second 40 gallon won't fit in there. Anyway, using a guideline of 12 gallons of hot water per person (HGTV), 40 is adequate for 3 folks but not four, while 60 is good for 5, too much for 4. Price wise, no doubt the standard 40 US gal tank can be had for the best price, and the 10 gal is almost the same price, but will waste less power. So using the 10 in series with the 40, I suggest that the 40 gal could preheat the water to 95 or 100 degrees F and then the 10 could be set to 120. A smaller amount of water is kept stored at the higher temp that way.

Chad, the goal is to heat water just enough but not too much. [] Heating 50 or 60 gallons of water and keeping it hot day and night is a waste of energy, no? So, Marc, are you saying if only a bit of hand washing takes place, only the small upper tank is actively heating? Ice cold water enters there. But we want hot from the downstream tank, not 50 gallons always hot. I like that idea, and the wiring advantage is a big saving in copper. But the water in the downstream 40 gallon tank is going to be cooling off while the system is dormant. The box could be stuffed with insulation.

Let's say they are.

The 40 gallon (US Gals.) Electric water heater is nearly new. House guests are expected for prolonged stays. I suggest a 10 gallon tank could be mounted on a shelf (sturdy shelf) above. For max efficiency, does the small tank serve as a pre-heater? Or does it go in as a downstream super heater, with the larger tank turned down as a pre-heater? Note: these are older folk, no 30 minute showers expected. They want a minimum cost for an average hot water supply for 3-4 people. Click to Enlarge 34.73 KB

Your best bet is to have it serviced if that has not been done. The furnace might be cutting out for reasons other than temperature. Is there any soot around the front where the burners would be, or around the vent?

I agree. They got the bathroom hooked up to the city sewer line but neglected to connect the kitchen sink or the washing machine.

Hey, Marc, the neutral is carrying 10 times the current shown on the hot wires. David, you may have some kind of a backfeed from the other panels finding a path to ground through that neutral you measured. Even so, those readings are not where the power loss is. But that may be a clue to the problem.

Right, roll roofing is good for chickens and rabbits, but your dog deserves at least one layer of mod bit, eh? [] BTW, nice coat on that pooch. The jacket's not bad either. []

Yes, I believe a fall harness might be required along with that rope. []

Can the main drain be used as a vent? Yes it sure can. Can the valve be filled up with sludge? Yep, that too. [] Not correct or even smart but in Denny's no-man's-land, there's no telling what he can or is it may? find. Some funny stuff in those crawlspaces.

Hey Robert, since you are asking, it might be time to call in a favor from a plumber. The valve needs surgery. And don't y'all let Mycroft the literary critic spoil y'our day, either. []

Yes Jim has that effect on people sometimes. []

Right, typical life for roll roofing is maybe 5 years, time for the tar to wash off the nail heads.

Spider crap to Trump in 7 easy steps. Good luck to y'all. [] Spider egg sacks, big Oregon spiders. Click to Enlarge 16.22 KB