John Kogel

You could replace the 20 amp breaker with a 15, but that would likely be seen as a downgrade. In my part of Canada, for general convenience outlets, we generally use 15 amp circuits and #14 wire with a maximum of 12 duplex outlets or light fixtures per circuit. For a 20 amp circuit, the max goes up to 16. This is in the CEC, so is completely irrelevant to y'all. But is a good design guideline to follow.

What happened to bulbs that last for years? Anyway, I Googled it and at least one opinion is that loose connections can cause minature surges which are bad for the filaments. Sounds like cheap bulbs to me.

I can see a faulty connection, weak contact in the socket, but to actually burn out the bulb suggests a surge, over-current. Also suggests you are buying crappy bulbs, always from the same bad batch. There may be an intermittent wiring fault, but that wouldn't usually burn out the bulb. Nope, i don't have a clue.

Yes, it is, altho any modern building will have a combination panel in the unit, which will have a main disconnect there. The older buildings will sometimes be lacking the main switch in the subpanel, but the main disconnect will always be there beside the meter, wherever that is. Usually those rooms or cabinets are kept locked, but someone in the building has keys. Try to arrange for a tour of the building utility rooms and get a picture of the main disconnect in the meter closet. That is the best way to verify the size of the service.

Seems to me if the meter has the ground, there needs to be a 4 wire connection to the panel, no? Maybe that is the issue here, lack of a bond between meter can and panel. As already mentioned, if the meter is sealed as it is here, the ground connection is not accessible for inspection. So the connection is always made in the disconnect panel here, where it can be inspected and verified by an electrician or HI. Looks like the AHJ in your area feels the same way. My meter can has a bus bar for a grounding conductor, which comes from the disconnect panel. I think that is what he meant by secondary connection, not another rod.

It's the good stuff. The crappy stuff is 30 lb.

Isn't Mod Bit glossy black on the underside? Yes, it is, and that is not. Does anybody that installs roofing automatically become a "roofer"? Seems to be the case, unfortunately.

Right, the best lights have lithium ion batteries. Mine was an i Drill. I say was because I left it on a shelf in a closet. I loved that light (sniff). This light goes all day and recharges in 40 mins. or less. The mirrored head has about 20 LED's, no kidding. Jim, replacing bulbs goes against the grain, like trying to refill a Bic lighter. Forget it. The i Drill light has a flaw, in that it needs a belt hook or wrist strap.

Single residence, the wiring can be inspected regularly and upgraded to copper whenever practical. A late 60's condo building with Al in the walls is a concern for a buyer. You have no control over wiring in the other units, incorrect devices installed, etc. and the associations are slow to do anything about it. So my advice to clients is to steer clear, or become very vocal about electrical inspections and maintenance throughout the building, $$$

Those purlin supports actually put downwards pressure on the ceiling beam, no? The beam seems to be hanging on nails. I would have expected plywood gussets. But who am I to criticize the carpenter at this point?

Hello Joseph, does it have a septic system or is it on sewer? City water or on a well? Finished basement ceiling or unfinished?

Not occupied, no problem then. Tell your inspector and the trustee that somebody may need to move stuff, but you must see pictures taken in the attic.You need to know the insulation depth and type, and not just sampled beside the hatch. He needs to check the back corners of the attic, looking for signs of moisture damage, pests such as rodents, and leaking vent pipes. Sometimes in a 60's house, the kitchen hood fan is belching bacon fat into the attic. Rats chew on wiring and are hard to eradicate, since most of them were born there. By the way, a walkout basement is a good thing usually, lots of slope for good drainage. Concrete block wall cracks need an experienced eye, but if the gaps are less than 3/16ths inches wide, look to see if movement is recent or old cracks. With a pipe scope camera, look to see if perimeter drains are clear. Direct downspouts away several feet from the basement back corners.

It sounds like trouble to me, but you can do the inspection and just avoid using those words in your report. Is the seller your client? The same guy that built without a proper permit? And he's set it up so tractors and trucks can drive in and out? I would certainly call for fire separation and exhaust ventilation. Sometimes here an old building will be sold as have a non-conforming use, that is, not zoned for that use or not built under a permit. But new build, no way, they would be putting a 'Stop Work" order on it until the AHJ is satisfied. BTW, nice grammar.

Jim, as a rare household, you talk funny, and can read and write, too. My apologies.

Bad grammar, Jim, tsk, tsk. Reminds of an enlightened moment I had back in the 90's. We were paying rent of $7/month for a cheap dial telephone. Did it for years, never looked at the charges. They kept the rent low to slip it past the gullible types, and sad to say, we fell for it too.

They will rent to folks that would never think of opening a panel, not qualified to install their own.

We just opened up a vacation rental suite this year and bought all the appliances locally second hand, $100 -125 each. The dishwasher is only a year old and has a stainless steel liner. The range is like new and is spotless under the burners. The reason they were sold for cheap is simple - they are all white. The range has the old style burners, no glass top. Easier to keep clean, no fear of scratches. Brand names are pretty irrelevant, as most are owned by Whirlpool. A 10 year old washer is junk, worn out. Some or the older units are a good buy now, but that's hit or miss. The high-end appliances are more trouble than they are worth, cheap circuit boards and fussy controls. Design a white kitchen with white cabinet doors, modern brushed steel handles, and search local classifieds. Good luck, and welcome to the Inspector's Journal.

Here's a tip for the hard of hearing, including myself. To check to see if the pump runs, with hot water running, just place a hand on the motor.

I notice you haven't said what kind of reports you write, we assume they are not benign, so are they 'Alarmist"? Maybe you've already described your reports elsewhere, but it would help to add that here. Neither benign nor alarmist, but .....

Marc, i think it is a good blog. It says what you want it to say. Now I will pick it apart. Actually have no problem with 'benign report' but I have seen this phrase before in your previous posts, so did not think of the C word and malignancy. Maybe there could be a poll done? Paragraph 3, try another sentence structure for 'As a .... " to start. It Isn't clear right away where that sentence is going. Change 'TV/radio' to 'electronics', as that is a more relevant way to describe your training. pp 4 "Not all inspectors are the same though. Some take pride ... Say that differently, or at least, a comma before 'though'. How about " There are inspectors who take pride ..." pp 5 "The problem .." Not clear because pp4 is about the good inspectors. Sorry if that seems picky, or even picayune. As for the content, if that is what you base your biz model on, all power to you. It can be an uphill battle to beat the status quo, and be advised that realtors that remember you might read your blogs, too. Maybe there are some that truly want a stringent report for their beloved clients? Maybe they will read your blogs and would like to be praised as being above the manipulation to secure a deal? The blog may seem a bit negative to your potential client who has had multiple visits with an agent and has come to trust that person implicitly. Then here you come to tear the bond and separate the client from his agent. He knows the agent, doesn't know you.

The trap arm can't properly get air from that elbow and wye, even if there is a vent there. The guy that did the plumbing was a rank amateur. There will be hidden plumbing issues as well. We are not required to put lighting on AFCI's in Canada, but it is optional, certainly not prohibited. Sometimes it is done to save wire, and that's ok. However, Quebec is kind of like Chicago, as they have rules of their own.

Ditto.

Are you saying they could bell it out, like a 2" bell on that 1 1/2 pipe would make it OK?

Install a water alarm along with a fresh battery. The cheap $15 alarm is a buzzer that sits on the floor near the pit. The $100 model will call your cell phone.

Ok, there's part of the preface to the book you will write. There is the other extreme to consider, where the inspector with no real world building experience writes an alarming report while describing minor issues. Some clients are clueless and gullible, while some have trouble reading. A house I inspected 10 years ago still has a chimney leaning out towards the neighbor's place. The house has changed hands again, but no work was done that I can see. As Brothers Kurt and Les have said, it's a complex issue. BTW, in the business world, "Fair' is a 4 letter word that starts with 'F'.