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Here at InspectApedia.com, we are fortunate to have strong partnerships with and invaluable contributions from a long list of consultants, technical reviewers who are leaders in their fields of expertise.

In this article, we list our affiliate and sister websites as well as the contributors, consultants, and technical reviewers of the information and content found on this website.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

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Affiliates, Contributors & Technical Reviewers of InspectAPedia.com

We are dedicated to making our information as accurate, complete, useful, and unbiased as possible. This is possible, in part, due to the help and contributions of those listed below.

Contributors, even if it's just a small correction, are cited, quoted, and linked-to from the appropriate additional web pages and articles - which benefits everyone. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

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Contributors, Consultants & Technical Reviewers

In addition to individual contributors who are listed on specific articles at InspectAPedia.com, the people listed below are prime contributors of either original article content or technical review of articles found at this website.

Some of these experts have been providing technical review, commentary, or content found at InspectApedia for more than twenty years. A few of them have passed away.

InspectApedia.com Contributing Authors & Consultants

Hot Connectinos, The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire, Aluminum Wiring, and the Myth of the Self-Regulating Industry by Jess Aronstein, Ph.D., P.E. - for sale at Amazon and at other book sellers - cited at InspectApedia.com

  • Dr. Jess Aronstein, protune@aol.com is a research consultant and an electrical engineer in Schenectady, NY. Dr. Aronstein provides forensic engineering services and independent laboratory testing for various agencies. Dr. Aronstein has published widely on and has designed and conducted tests on aluminum wiring failures, Federal Pacific Stab-Lok electrical equipment, and numerous electrical products and hazards.

    Contact: J. AronsteinConsulting Engineer Bme, Msme, Ph.D., NYS. P.E. Lic. No. 39860, 909 Londonderry Ct., Schenectady, NY 12309 USA, Tel: (845) 462-6452 Email: AronsteinJesse@ieee.org

    At this website: electrical safety Information for homeowners, inspectors, and electricians, and industry professionals to which Dr. Aronstein has contributed include

    See ALUMINUM WIRING BIBLIOGRAPHY and HAZARDOUS FPE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND PANELS - 2024 [PDF] independent research article by Jess Aronstein, supercedes older FPE hazard reports by this author.

    FEDERAL PIONEER PANEL SAFETY and FPE HAZARD ARTICLES, STUDIES, and BACK-WIRED ELECTRICAL DEVICES also CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILURE RATES and UBI FPE CIRCUIT BREAKER TEST RESULTS also ZINSCO FAILURE REPORTS.

    Also see HOT CONNECTIONS, The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire, Aluminum Wiring and the Myth of the Self-Regulating Industry [link to books at Amazon], by Jesse Aronstein, Ph.D., P.E., available at Amazon or by a web-search for book "hot connections aluminum wire"

    Introduction excerpt:

    The catastrophic fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky in 1977 resulted in 165 fatalities. More than 2,000 people were there, many to hear John Davidson sing, some just for dinner, and others for a variety of functions including meetings and a wedding reception. This fire ranks high among the major civilian fire losses of the 20th century.

    Six years before the deadly fire, at about the same time that some aluminum wiring was being installed in the club, a Vice President of Southwire, one of the aluminum wire manufacturers, wrote:

    A genuine crisis exists in our industry, of a magnitude that jeopardizes the entire aluminum conductor market and the life and property of consumers.

    This is the story of how that came to be, and how - if at all - it was resolved. The factual foundation is built primarily on information that surfaced in the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire litigation. Therefore, it is appropriate that this book be dedicated to the memory of those who perished and to the thousands whose lives were forever changed by that disaster.


    Also see Aronstein, J., P.E. Ph.D., ELECTRO KINDLING: Easily-Ignited Free-Burning Plastic Materials in Electrical Applications [PDF] (1996)

    Excerpt: The use of highly combustible plastics in the construction of today's electrical products is increasing. This is a major trend backward in fire safety. Minor electrical failures aer more likely to cause serious fires when easily-ignited free-burning plastic materials are close at hand.

    Fire and safety professionals should understand how easily these "electro-kindling" materials ignite and how vigorously they burn.

    This article discusses several examples covering a broad rangee of electrical products. Older samples of most electrical items are made of non-combustible or self-extinguishing materials.

    Today, many electrical products that used to simply "burn out" (become non-functional) on failure will now "burn up" (ignite) on failure because they aer made with electro-kindling.
    - Illustrated below

Electro kindling example: plastic parts of this electric heater ignite and burn vigorously - Aronstein 1996 cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

  • Ralph Arlyck, Timed Exposures, Tivoli, NY. Mr. Arlyck is a documentary film maker and producer/director of Timed Exposures, an independent film production company, Timed Exposures has produced more than a dozen critically-acclaimed documentaries which span a broad spectrum of subjects.

    These films have been broadcast widely in the United States and Europe, and have won top prizes at American and international festivals. Email: ralph@timedexposures.com
  • Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com

    Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

    Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
  • Jon Bolton, an ASHI, FABI, and otherwise certified Florida home inspector is a frequent contributor on HVAC topics
  • Bottini Fuel service manager Ron Thomas, aquastat functions, low limit controls, oil burner short cycling causes, and boiler maintenance, reliability, and service contracts. Bottini service technicians including Bob have discussed contemporary oil and LP gas heating system servicing, maintenance & repair.

    Bottini Fuel is a residential and commercial heating oil distributor and oil heat service company in Wappingers Falls, NY and with offices in other New York locations. Bottini Fuel, 2785 W Main St, Wappingers Falls NY, 12590-1576 (845) 297-5580 more contact information for Bottini Fuel

    Anthony Alaggio can be contacted through Bottini Fuel (Hudson Valley, NY) or directly for HVAC service at 914-489-0632. Email: crackin95vtec@yahoo.com Special thanks to Mr. Alaggio, an HVAC service technician for technical suggestions regarding oil heat troubleshooting 4/12/2013.
  • Alan Bown, Certified IAEI Electrical Inspector, Email: drangd@gmail.com  Mr. Bown contributes electrical inspection and electrical failure commentary from decades of field experience, particularly in electrical plan and permit reviews, commercial electrical system inspections and electrical grounding problems. See his comments at AFCIs ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS  and   CHALLENGER ELECTRIC PANELS and ELECTRICAL PANEL AGE and at ELECTRICAL GROUNDING in OLD HOUSES
  • Scott Bradley is Laboratory Director for Aquacheck Laboratory, Inc. PO Box 87 05151 1-800-263-9596. A more brief version of this article appeared in Aquacheck Laboratory's Water Wisdom Tips and Newsletter, Issue # 6, 2007. www.Aquacheck-VT.com offers other water supply tips in its Water Wisdom section. The laboratory also provides water test kits and offers a free newsletter.
  • Charles Buell, Charles Buell Inspections, Inc., 17123 22nd Ave. NE, Shoreline WA 98155 Email: charles@buellinspections.com Website: www.buellinspections.com Tel: 208-478-7371

    Mr. Buell is a licensed home inspector in Washington State, a licensed structural pest inspector, an ASHI Member, a member of ASHI's technical committee, a member of the WA Home Inspector Advisory Licensing Board, and serves as adjunct faculty at Bellingham Technical College. He has assisted with the content of InspectApedia.com including RELIEF VALVE, TP VALVE TEST.
  • David W. Carrier, electrical engineer, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845-430-7527 davidwcarrier@earthlink.net.

    Mr. Carrier has conducted failures testing on electrical circuit breakers and panel asssemblies, supplementing Dr. Jes Aronstein's research into FPE and other circuit breaker performance of other brands such as GE, ITE, Murray, Siemens, Bulldog Pushmatic, Zinsco.

    See CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILURE RATES
  • Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., Toronto Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional HOME INSPECTION SERVICES,        HOME INSPECTION TRAINING,        Horizon INSPECTION SOFTWARE    &    PUBLICATIONS. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home.


  • Alan Carson is a frequent contributor of technical content and technical review of articles at InspectApedia.com

  • Jennifer Church, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. advises InspectApedia on clarity and coherence of content in both written and illustrated material. She is partner with the website Editor/Publisher, D. Friedman.

Critics & Reviewers of Various InspectApedia Articles in Prior Format

These reviewers were asked to comment on some articles prepared by Daniel Friedman and other contributors to the ASHI Technical Journal - and that later appeared here at InspectApedia.com in updated/expanded format.

  • Sal Alfano - Editor, Journal of Light Construction*
  • Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for technical critique and some of the foundation inspection photographs cited in these articles
  • Terry Carson - ASHI
  • Mark Cramer - ASHI
  • JD Grewell, ASHI
  • Duncan Hannay - ASHI, P.E. *
  • Bob Klewitz, M.S.C.E., P.E. - ASHI
  • Ken Kruger, P.E., AIA - ASHI
  • Aaron Kuertz aaronk@appliedtechnologies.com, with Applied Technologies regarding polyurethane foam sealant as other foundation crack repair product - 05/30/2007
  • Bob Peterson, Magnum Piering - 800-771-7437 - FL*
  • Arlene Puentes, ASHI, October Home Inspections - (845) 216-7833 - Kingston NY
  • Greg Robi, Magnum Piering - 800-822-7437 - National*
  • Dave Rathbun, P.E. - Geotech Engineering - 904-622-2424 FL*
  • Ed Seaquist, P.E., SIE Assoc. - 301-269-1450 - National
  • Dave Wickersheimer, P.E. R.A. - IL, professor, school of structures division, UIUC - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture. Professor Wickersheimer specializes in structural failure investigation and repair for wood and masonry construction. * Mr. Wickersheimer's engineering consulting service can be contacted at HDC Wickersheimer Engineering Services. (3/2010)
  • *Some of these reviewers have not returned comment 6/1995 -> 3/2024

...

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