Wayne Gardner

I had one last week where the clients just couldn't figure out why the pocket door had a bunch of holes in it. I'm sure you have already figured out that the pocket door slides into the wall behind the range and of course, the microwave. The resulting poor installation resulted in a damaged pocket door and a microwave unit left swinging from the cabinet over the range. Then there's always the ones with minimal clearance from the cooktop. Can't get enough of those. As for testing, I carry a small plastic cup. I draw some water from the water at the fridge to see if the supply is working, then heat for 60 seconds to see if it warms the water. I have also found 2 or 3 that make all the right noises but don't actually heat anything up. Wayne G

That's what I told them in the report Tom..."Recommend you cover it with dirt." Thanks for keeping it light. I like it. [:-thumbu] Wayne G

Right Jim; service cable. Wrong term used. Sorry for the confusion and thank you for the response. Wayne G

Richard, It's the feeder from the meter to the panel, running through the attic. I appreciate your help. I will recommend an electrician review and properly stow/cover the splice in an appropriate enclosure. Thanks. Plummen - Thank you. Wayne G

In a 31 year old house, I found this SEC splice lying on the garage ceiling, in the attic, right next to the pull down attic access. Click to Enlarge 46.6 KB The IRC says... E3505.3 Spliced Conductors. Service-entrance conductors shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped. Splices shall be made in enclosures or, if directly buried, with listed underground splice kits.... It appears they came up about 6-8 feet short of getting to the panel. Just wondering what the repair choices are? Will they need to have a new SEC installed which makes it all the way to the panel or is there an enclosure which can be installed in the attic (junction box?) to enclose the splice....or, have I got this all wrong. Thanks for your help. Wayne G

Looks like there are a bunch of reviews on this type of lock on Amazon. I checked them out because I'm interested too. Seems like battery life is a problem. Reviews Wayne G

I would note that the extension cord is not meant to be permanent wiring (wet or dry) and that they should have a proper feed/outlets/etc installed. On a side note, to illustrate the potential hazard... My Dad had a cabin/dock like this on the Lake of the Ozarks. In the summertime, these docks are often full of young kids jumping and swimming around the docks. Imagine the possible trajedy. Wayne G

Hey Robert, Don't remember if that's what I actually paid 8 years ago but the price stamped on my copy is $49.95. Wayne G

I would suspect a collection of left over materials led to the questionable location. Assuming I read through my documentation and found nothing directly condemning the installation (I haven't done that), I think I would say, and report, something like this to the home buyer... The location of the home's disconnect is very questionable. You may have difficulty locating the panel in an emergency and someone who is not familiar with the home will most likely not locate the panel in an emergency. Although this location may not be directly addressed by modern building standards, common sense tells me the location is questionable and is a potential hazard. You should have a qualified electrical contractor move the panel to a proper location. If there is some hard documentation condemning the install, then it 'kind of' puts the onus on the seller for repair. Without it, the ball typically ends up in the buyer's court. Just my 2 cents... Wayne G

(It's Douglas Hanson.) Word on the street is that he's working on a new edition. In the meantime, try www.abebooks.com or ebay. - Jim Katen, Oregon Sorry to really muddy the waters....but.... it is actually Hansen...with an 'e'. I noticed there is a used copy on Amazon. Same price as I bought mine for about 8 years ago. At least it hasn't depreciated....[:-thumbu] Wayne G

Thanks...I like your new service panel...[:-party] Wayne G

Even worse, there are electricians on the fence. Thread drift...Tim, are you the same Tim5055 I see on the popuptimes site? If so, small world (waygard33 here)

They are...as usual. That's part of the reason I was thinking an access panel would be nice but there is no really good solution here. I think it was a small miracle they ever got them in there. Getting them out to perform maintenance will never happen. To complicate it even more, the dryer vents to the roof above, where you can't even monitor the exhaust cover for signs of trouble. Wayne G

Thank you Neal. I've read/heard about those. With the leak sensor attached, sounds like the bases are pretty well covered. I will pass the link on to my home owner. Wayne G

I have a homeowner who lives in one of those 3 story townhomes. The laundry is on the 3rd floor. This homeowner has already had 1 nightmare water problem as a result of the water heater, also located on the 3rd floor. We're trying to be proactive regarding the laundry. As is typical, the builder did not install any pan/drain system. The oversized washer/dryer (stacked) fill the small closet completely. You have just enough room to reach your hand in to work the fan switch. Of course, none of the plumbing/electrical/venting components are visible or accessible. Besides the pan/drain, we're looking for ideas. The back side of the laundry closet is adjacent to a bedroom closet. One thought I had was creating an access panel from this closet to provide some access behind the washer/dryer and at least allow the water to be turned off when needed. Looking forward to your feedback. Thank you. Wayne G