crusty

They last until they leak.

Good stuff Kurt, great tip. Weird cat...make sure that you get plenty of ventilation (a power vent makes a lot of sense here) in the little bit of attic space (if any) you have left or in each and every rafter bay. I would definitely recommend a low intake and high exhaust whether by ridge vent or power actuated. It's gonna be hot up there.

I agree that the name FPE as it associates to fuses is not a generally accepted red flag but IMO fuses are. I am of the opinion that unlike wine electrical equipment never gets better with age. I have no knowledge of the reputation that FPE had in the days when it was producing fused panelboards but the few I have run across were the best looking fused panelboards I have ever seen. But, I always recommend that the client consider upgrading to a more modern panelboard. The problems with fused installations has nothing to do with performance of the fuses but with the ability of the system to meet current need (which is probably not the case here.) Overfusing and double lugging are key issues I find with fused panelboards and are indicators of the inadequacy of the system to meet the demand on it. The typical lack of a separate equipment grounding terminal bar is also a problem, unless of course it is the main panelboard. Changing fuses is a lot more hazardous and inconvenient than tripping a breaker. One needs the hands of a surgeon to remove some of those deadfront covers without arcing off a fuse. God I hate it when that happens. This is not a bad installation in my opinion as far as the equipment itself goes, for a fused panelboard. Outside of the obvious problems that you cited the BIG deal in this picture is that air conditioning breaker. That my friend is the thing to be feared. I did not take the time to blow up and edit your pic but that logo and orange tipped breaker makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up before I get out of the truck. That is your enemy. That is the dreaded FPE "Stab Lok" breaker.

You guys are on the IRC aren't you? If so 703.6 governs exterior stucco installation with no industry standards reference. In the standards listing there are references to ASTM standards for gypsum sheathing wire mesh and weep screed. I can find no referenced standards for Portland Cement. The tables in that section of the code are very specific about mixtures, thickness, installation methods and curing times. Boring holes should allow one to determine the thickness and there are probably some pretty sophisticated lab testing methods for determining the mixture used based on hardness, etc. but I doubt that any testing analysis goes beyond a disclaimer citing “improper mixtureâ€

That's nothing. Wait till you get your first Stab lok, now that's scary.

First off stucco is not a water impervious surface. I am sure that there is a lot about forensic stucco investigation that I do not know but driing through the moisture barrier sounds a little suspect to me.

Is there an airgap and is water discharging from it? If it is there and the water is not discharging, the drain line may be clogged in front of the airgap. But the sporadic nature of the problem suggests a malfunctioning pump. At 15 years old I would replace it before I paid a service tech.

www.rooftile.org

Nice thorough comment Jim but in my opinion you are missing any reference to the prime reason that I even pay attention to voltage drop. It can be an indicator of a potential latent fire hazard due to arcing from loose connections or damaged conductors. And like others mentioned during further evaluation the Suretest can determine if this is the case and narrow down the search to one potential connection or run of wire. For me voltage drop is just another clue that I assemble in evaluating a property, just like a stain bleeding through the new paint on the ceiling which may be an indicator of a roof leak and require further evaluation, whether it's me taking a closer look in the attic and on the roof surface or deferring the issue as appropriate. In the case of voltage drop, I rarely go beyond identifying the problem and deferring for further evaluation although I typically check 2-3 outlets per room as standard protocol and sometimes pinpoint the location of the problem by accident so to speak. If it weren't for the fire safety issue I wouldn't even bother to look at the voltage drop, but would still use the Suretest because it is one of the few testers that I am a ware of which will detect false or bootleg grounding. Kurt, I treat Al wiring the same but I generally remove one device to see if it has been retrofit. High voltage drops noted using the Suretest save me the trouble. When you get your prices up to $4K let me know and I will relocate and carry your tool bag for you []

For me the key is to use the hammer judiciously. When I find a drop over 8% I dig a little further. Often I am able to quickly isolate the loose connection in the manner Scott mentioned. Often it's a telltale sign about solid aluminum wiring connectivity. Sometime it's a loose connection at the circuit breaker, a very common occurrance where FPE Stab Lok panels are concerned. All in all a great tool IMO. I believe if we were to dig into the NEC a little we would specifically find that it prohibits the use of dmaged wire as well as loose potentially arcing connections.

Once again we attempt to compare apples and oranges Mark. My Suretest has been dipped into well over 50,000 receptacles and I get to read every one of them. Often I will come back and retest a couple of minutes later. Yes I get fluctuations when used with or without the extension. Yes I may get a 10.8% drop one time and an 11.5% drop the next. Yes there will be fluctuations dependent upon what voltage is delivered to the outlet at that time. No, I have never gotten a 10% reading on one pass and a 2% reading on the next pass. The point you are missing is in how the tool makes its test and what the significance of those results are as they relate to potential loose connections and damaged conductors. I have checked outlets day after day and have found the tool to be accurate. Maybe you should enlighten us on what your test yielded Mark.

Ditto what Walker said, but of late I have been trying to make my comments more educational. I've found that helps the client put the issues in perspective. Interesting findings on the overheating, and good information on equipment performance but those issues have always been the least of my concerns. It's the arcing from loose connections or a potentially nicked wire in the wall that scares me and that possibility will always cause me to throw up a flag. Based on the information I read here I think I'll amend my comment to play down the overheating. I consider the other issues serious enough that I don't want the comment to be discredited. Thanks guys, I learned something here today. Kurt, in future postings I'll do away with the figurative stuff and keep it real for ya.

With all due respect Chad we are talking apples and oranges here. The Suretest checks the voltage and records it then it applies a 15 amp (supposed, but I have been told actually about 12 amp) load and checks the voltage under load. It then calculates the percentage drop. It has nothing to do with what the power company is delivering.

FPN No. 4: Conductors for branch circuits as defined in Article 100, sized to prevent a voltage drop exceeding 3 percent at the farthest outlet of power, heating, and lighting loads, or combinations of such loads, and where the maximum total voltage drop on both feeders and branch circuits to the farthest outlet does not exceed 5 percent, will provide reasonable efficiency of operation. See Section 215-2 for voltage drop on feeder conductors. Thanks for your concern Jim. Your reference section in the code is correct. Here is the commentary that accompanies it as well. "Improper voltage due to a voltage drop in supply conductors is a major source of trouble and inefficient operation in electrical equipment. Undervoltage conditions reduce the capability and reliability of motors, lighting sources, heaters, and solid-state equipment. Sample voltage-drop calculations may be found in the commentary following Section 215-2(b), FPN No. 3, and following Table 9 in Chapter 9." As far as enforceability goes as a HI that is not my problem. You must have me confused with a code enforcement official. As far as challenges go I stand on my statement and challenge anyone to disprove it. All of the conditions that I stated as being attributable to excessive voltage drop are latent fire hazards and all defy the intent of the code. As I am sure you are aware the intent of the code always takes precedent over the letter and I stand pat on my interpretation based on these facts: 1) The NEC is first and foremost a safety code. If you doubt this please trace its history back to the reason and need for its creation as the first building related code in this country. 2) I am unaware of any other cause for voltage drops encountered using the Suretest other than those I described and all 3 are documented latent fire hazards. If anyone can provide me other reasons for excessive voltage drops encountered with the Suretest, I would love to learn about them and may change my position as a result, but please familiarize yourself with the testing procedure and how it is performed before commenting. I consider the first and foremost part of my job to be addressing safety issues for my clients. If I err I hope it will always be on the side of caution. Frankly, I don't care if it is enforceable. That kind of nitpicking makes no difference to me. If I can get my clients' attention and alert them to a potential safety hazard through the interpretive fog of the real estate sales agents, I've done my job and will continue to use whatever language ("require" I will consider anything written in safety codes a requirement unless specifically excepted) will get their attention. My job is to identify and describe potential material defects. I then defer the discovered condition for further evaluation. I love the Suretest and consider it a great tool for discovering latent life safety issues that no other inspection technique (other than infrared heat discovery technology) can detect. I typically find that those who generally take exception to the tool are more concerned with pissing off their referral sources than watching out for the safety of their clients. Not a personal observation or attack, I don’t know you yet, just a broad general observation. IMO there are only 2 logical reasons to take exception to Suretest testing methods. The most common being the one I just described or the less common one of doubting the findings and their validity when using the tool. Of course there is a third one….ignorance, but then that isn’t logical. If I couldn't find code corroboration on this safety issue I would still call it based on the facts that I presented in the comment. Oh, BTW, 8% is the drop value adopted by the city of Public Housing Authority in Philadelphia (I am almost sure but it could be another large eastern city)to detect faulty wiring buried under cellulose insulation that had become what they considered to be a major fire hazard. Somewhere between 11% and 14% is my personal freakout level where I go to the car and get out my soapbox and megaphone for the post inspection conversation with the client.

No problem, the gunite will hold the house up[:-bonc01]

Good solid advice.

Use it in good health. Feel free to modify it as you see fit.

I love my Suretest, have nearly worn one out and am getting ready to buy the new one with arc fault testing capabilities. One of the great advantages in addition to identifying voltage drops that are indicitive of potential fire hazards is in being able to detect bootleg or false grounding. My own boilerplate comment follows. I think it speaks to the issues you mentioned. I look for patterns when I find troublesome drops. Things like solid aluminum wiring, sporadic problems or problems associated with one obvious circuit. I usually don't mention it if there are only 1 or 2 outlets in a house under 7%. Only a representative number of the electrical outlets were randomly tested during this inspection. When a 15 amp load was applied, voltage drops between 7.6 % and 9.3% were noted at the wall outlets ___________. Electrical safety standards require that voltage drops not exceed 5%. Drops over 8% are generally considered to be very hazardous. Excessive voltage drop indicates damaged conductors, poor connections/splices, overlong circuits and/or undersized wires. All of these conditions present potential latent fire hazards due to potential arcing or overheating. In most cases the cause is a poor or loose connection at the device or switch due to the use of inferior push in type connections rather than the screw down type and replacement of the outlet or switch will correct the problem in many cases. This test is very specialized and is beyond the scope of what is required or typically performed in a home inspection, building inspection by local inspectors or by electricians at the time of construction. It is performed solely as a courtesy for buyer clients in the interest of life safety. Again, not all, but only a representative number of outlets (1-3 per room) have been tested. A full evaluation of the system is required to determine if this condition exists at other untested locations and is recommended. More comprehensive testing or follow up testing can be performed upon request. After repair, re-testing under load is advised. I offer this service. Please call if interested. RECOMMENDATION : Further evaluation and correction by a qualified state licensed electrician and follow up testing.

Sorry, but looking at the photos I cannot possibly believe it is rusting fasteners. I see plenty of that and this doesn't look like a nailing pattern even a child would employ.

Is there a steel mill nearby?

It will take more research than I have time to do but the key seems to lie in the application of different ANSI standards to gas burning appliances. The standards vary with sizing and affect venting, combustion air requirements, etc. An inquiry directly to a manufacturer should yield fruitful results.

Stakeholders, shmakeholders. A property inspector's responsibility begins and ends with his client. Period.

The NEC is very specific on the call. No drip loop (or am I seeing it wrong), lack of adequate clearance (18") from the roof , and damage SEC. (see the newest electrical code check)

An electrical panelboard is a listed tested piece of equipment. IMO, any alteration should always be reported whether one thinks it could cause a problem or not. That is unless you enjoy having your behind hanging out there as a target for somebody's lwayer. They sell the house 2 years from now and I do a listing inspection for them you may be buying a new electrical panel.

One thing is for sure. Wiring insulation does not get better with age. K&T needs free air space in which to disipate the heat created or the insulation will deteriorate, unlike more modern NMS. FEMA facts: In a typical year there are over 90,000 fires caused by electrical problems. 700 deaths and $700,000,000 in property damage. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like consumers to know that there are simple steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from electrical fires. THE PROBLEM During a typical year, home electrical problems account for 90,000 fires, over 700 deaths, and $700 million in property losses. Home electrical wiring causes twice as many fires as electrical appliances. THE FACTS December is the most dangerous month for electrical fires. Fire deaths are highest in winter months which call for more indoor activities and increase in lighting, heating, and appliance use. Most electrical wiring fires start in the bedroom. THE CAUSE Electrical Wiring • Most electrical fires result from problems with “fixed wiringâ€