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Reader Remarks and Questions

Many of these questions and replies were posted originally at our InspectApedia.com HOME PAGE but for more-helpful replies it's best to try the search box at the top or bottom of this page, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box found at the bottom of any InspectApedia.com article related to your area or topic of interest and we will respond promptly.

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Note to Website Editors

On XXXX DATE by inspectapedia (mod)

Please find your recently-posted question(s) or comments along with our reply now at the Reader Q&A collection found at

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On 2021-08-06 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - where to find water heater manuals & repair advice

@Lionel,

As I'm not sure what kind of water heater information you need, as you never said;

I will suggest two starting points to access our many articles on water heater troubleshooting and repair.

WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water-Heater-Age-Manuals.php

and

as an example:

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER REPAIR GUIDE inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Electric_Water_Heater_Repair.php

You are also welcome to use the on-page search box to search InspectApedia for the specific topic on which you need information or help.

But

Do take care;

We understand that having no hot water can put someone in a nasty mood, but if, after you call a service technician for help, she shows up at your door driving a truck whose color you dislike, and if you greet the service person with a good kick in the shins, topped off by a nasty venomous slap in the face, she might have trouble doing the best job of helping you fix your water heater.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information to the public, without cost or fee.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Website content 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 us both. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

On 2021-08-06 by Lionel - politically angry reader needs water heater repair help

Sounds like a bunch of scare tactic liberal pandering around here. I’m sure your moderators will censor my opinion, but I’m on here looking for water heater info. Not too read cnns latest talking points! Go ahead and change your name to leftist talk.

If you are gonna trash ... [a prior presidenbt], at least hire an editor cause your poor sentence structures and grammar errors don’t help. Enough of COVID and climate scare tactics. Just tell us about appliances if that’s what you claim to do. Sheesh

On 2021-06-05 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Anonymous,

Thank you for your very generous note and comments.

This website is designed to work perfectly well on smartphones as it does on computer. It will adapt to the format in page display to suit the device.

If you have something else in mind that you think an inspectapedia app should be providing do let me know.

On 2021-05-21 by danjoefriedman (mod)

@Ed,

Thanks for helping out.

On 2021-05-19 by Ed

@Ed, btw I’m anonymous I forgot to put my name with the original post that is intended for inspectapedia - Godspeed

@Anonymous, I didn’t mean to reply to you this is meant for inspectapedia. As far as your clog issues it sounds like what the other gentleman said so I would call the city inspector and have them take a look if the manager refuses to help.

On 2021-05-19 by @louisemmm - we have a lot of epistemic trespassers

@louisemmm, Your website is a very needed breath of fresh air. I wish you had an app that I could take with me everywhere. I love how you think, we as a society need these kinds of guidance to ensure we get to a proper understanding of what and how we should be doing things as we navigate through this time of uncertainty.

We have a lot of epistemic trespassers talking big lies to a gullible population who actually just really needs to look things up for themselves instead of listening to the loudest most confident sounding cowards who sound “right”. Please consider an app that helps humanity rather than just strings us along for likes and subs, you can actually be the difference. Thanks for all you do✨Godspeed

On 2017-01-22 by Janet

Do you buy these chambers? I have 25 new - never used and I'd like to sell them

On 2016-09-19 by (mod) - anonymous objects to metric measurements (and women)

Courage? I'd be grateful for a break, too: anonymous comments suggest you're chicken to put your name on your mean-spirit.

Our use of "she" or neutral gender pronouns reflects that we're in the 2020's - women are qualified in and working in pretty much all professions, and in our OPINION ought to be welcomed for their contribution.

Our use of "metric measurements" reflects that we have readers in over fifty countries, most of which use the metric system.

Sorry you don't like our language: we're just on different pages and perhaps in different times. Everyone is welcome to ask for help or suggest content corrections, additions, or improvements, Anon. So thanks for feeling free to express yourself. We will, of course, delete foul or other inappropriate language.

On 2016-09-19 by Anonymous

Behavioral engineering at it's best (worst?)
Your continual use of
S /he ??? - gimme a break ! How about "He" as used generically for centuries before the
on-surge of HUMANISM ?
Also, re-program your web site to get rid of metric measurements. This is stll
America !

 

On 2016-09-10 by Anonymous

I have a common wall that I share with a neighbor, his side of the wall has a planter thats has 8-12 inches of soil against the wall. When he waters the moister leaches down and exits on my side. This is causing the bottom of my side to flake and chip away. He denies any responsibilty, Any ideas or sources would be appreciated

 

On 2016-05-28 by Benji

On summer days when we use the hose (the sprinkler, for instance) the water pump for our well water trips its circuit. I am not sure if this is because of the heat or because of the increased water usage but I am leaning towards a combination of the 2. It seems to be getting a little worse over the years, meaning it takes a while for the reset on the breaker to take. There is a mini-breaker in the basement next to the pump. Is it the rusty old box and perhaps a bad breaker going more bad or the pump overheating (the basement is not all that hot. Today was 90 out when it happened, but the basement was probably 70)? What steps can I take to fix it?

On 2016-03-22 by debbi

I have water overflowing outside from my well holding tank.It has a submersible pump inside and a float switch. water first start seeping out around relief valve on top now it is coming out of closed valve. I do not hear pump running.

On 2016-03-21 by Jerry

I heard a very small sound when it is very quiet. but I couldn't tell where does it come from. it is all over my house. I turned off my electricity and water and the sound is still there. What should I do?

On 2016-03-20 by Delbert

My cistern has a pump and small tank with bladder. I lose pressure so pumps cycles on every 3 minutes. There are no leaks and a new check valve was installed. Do not know where to go from here.

On 2016-02-27 by Ang

I am having a new kitchen installed next week and I am worried about the flooring, it is 6ft wide sheet flooring very similar if not the same as 54192 Peruvian beige. It was laid in the late 1970's, I found an off cut with NAIRN printed in red on the back, it looks like a beige paper kind of backing and is about 1mm-1.5mm thick. Should I have it tested for asbestos?

On 2016-02-11 by Elwin

Hi, In my crawl space, Is it OK to place a second layer of 6 mil plastic sheeting over only the worn areas of the old plastic sheeting? This would save tons of time and garbage.

On 2016-02-09 by Bob

Does antifreeze in a hot water boiler have to be added on a regular repeated basis, in other words boosted every 2 or 3 years?

On 2019-06-20 by (mod) -

Codes typically are concerned that the railing must be graspable, and that it not intrude too far into the walking space. You're worrying about the opposite: a handrail that's too far away from the walking surface.

As long as it is at least graspable at the edge of the walking surface of the stair, the rail can be over or at the outer edge of a stair. The double-run wood handrail shown at Intercam in San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato is not readily graspable by someone walking up or down those stairs - it's a good 18" away from the walking edge of the steps.

In my opinion if that wooden handrail's inner face or perhaps even its outer face were just above the left edge of the walking surface of those steps it'd be readily graspable.

However you'd best be sure to consider the adequacy of your structural connection if you're too close to the edge.

On 2019-06-20 by (mod) -

Joel

Please try the search box on this page and search for

thermostat control for window air conditioner

and you'll find our article dedicated to just the question you posed

On 2019-06-20 by (mod) -

Michael

Thank you for posting the question and photo.

Please see your question and a detailed reply found at ANTIQUE CHAMBER POTS & CLOSE STOOLS https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Antique-Chamber-Pots.php

On 2019-06-20 by Bob

used Rapid set mortar mix and finished with a sponge float and just wasn't sure if I should brush a bonding agent on before applying a smoother coat of rapid set mortar

On 2019-06-20 by Dean

Had defective Aquastat replaced with a Honeywell #L7224U on my cold start Pensotti boiler with a Rielio #40 burner. Since then the furnace will heat for 4 minutes and shut down for 3 minutes and start up again, run for a couple of minutes, shut down again. After 20 to 30 minutes the cycle is repeated. Any ideas?

On 2019-06-20 4 by Charlie

Hi all, my ex-landlord is taking me to court over thermal tracking marks which appeared during my tenancy. He's claiming £5,000 for "fungicidal treatment and re-paint" not believing us that it's not mildew but thermal tracking dust marks. I'm going to court in a few weeks but somehow need to prove this to the judge. Any advice??? Are the any official organisation that recognise thermal tracking and have documentation about it that I could present? Thanks in advance! Charlie

On 2019-06-20 by Anonymous

I used rapid set mortar mix and finished with a sponge float and just wasn't sure if I should brush a bonding agent on before applying a smoother coat of rapid set mortar

On 2019-06-20 by Michael Myers

I'm looking for anything about this toilet , mmyers0013@gmail.com
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-20 by Joel Thompson

My old 3 ton a.c. home unit love the bid an I took it out but left the blower and heat coils on the inside unit with the wall thermostat how can i wire the thermostat to work automatically on and off with a 24000 but window unit

On 2019-06-19 by Annie

I have outdoor vigas, similar to the round beams with the clamps, that are cracking. The openings are sometimes as wide as 3 inches! I'm considering sanding and then oiling/refinishing them all, but should I do anything about the large cracking? I was thinking about maybe drilling some opposing screws into them, maybe to stop them from splitting more. Do you think that's okay?

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Chris: IMAGE LOST by Comments Box Code error - sorry. If you can re-post the image we'll be glad to comment further.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Darrel

Let's start with the diagnostic suggestions at

HVAC NOISE-1 BANG BUZZ VIBRATE - banging, bearings, buzzing, thumping, vibrating sounds

https://inspectapedia.com/noise_diagnosis/HVAC_Noise_Descriptions.php#Bang

On 2019-06-19 by Larry

I have the 1 inch Balsam-Wool 2 sided blanket insulation on my attic floor. It is in excellent condition. The home was built in 1958. Can I just lay new 6 inch fiberglass batts (paper free) right on top of the existing balsam wool insulation? That would give me about a R-21 value.Remember the older balsam wool insulation has 2 sides of a paper backing.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Sorry I don't understand the question.

An electrician would connect hot-to hot (usually black wire) and neutral to neutral (usually white); she'd test the wires as well as trace them from their source to solve any confusion about which wire was used for which purpose.

Watch out: if you're not familiar with proper electrical wiring you could make a mistake that gets you killed or burns down the house.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Steph

It's quite common that sprinkler systems can run so much water that the pump will run continuously.

It's also common for the presence of a 500 gallon water tank - if that's what you mean - to serve as a clue that the actual well flow rate is very poor - perhaps just a gallon a minute or even worse. So if you are running out your water tank the system could run for days trying to re-fill the tank or worse, burn up the pump UNLESS there is a pump protection switch or tailpiece installed.

Before replacing the sprinkler system I'd certainly want a more thorough diagnosis of just what's going on, since we may be confusing two different problems: high water use rate and a low flow water well.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Ron, if we assume the motor isn't overloaded then it sounds as if the motor is overheating, perhaps from a bad bearing. Check first, though, for low voltage.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

With the warning that no one can a sense of smell or odor complete by text, your complaint sounds reasonable to me. You might point out that people who are exposed to an odor constantly become accustomed to it and in fact no longer will notice its strength.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Let's start with a review of the causes listed above on this page. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

If the proper piping materials pressure regulators are installed.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

I don't have enough information about your building and its conditions to be confident about an opinion here. You need an on-site inspection

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

You can fabricate a cage hardware cloth or other fine mesh material but it needs to be quite large so that even ask the muscles stick that sells on to it it will not immediately be blocked

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

A 1% slope over a estimated 5 foot wide entry platform would be so small as to be practically flat.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Darren

At those Dimensions your stairs would not be stairs they would be a ladder.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Sorry MD,

But we don't sell anything. In order to protect your reader trust and confidence and what they find here this website sells no products nor services at all.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Kenneth,

I don't have detail about that point in the history of the company but I will do some research and whatever I can find I will add here. Thanks for the interesting historical detail and question.

On 2019-06-19 by Kenneth Pryde

My Grandfather who was a labourer in the linoleum company, Barrie Osler and Shepherd in Kirkcaldy Scotland took his family to Canada as part of a team who were engaged to set up a new process for the Dominion Oil Cloth Company. This would be in the early 1930s. My mother, one of his daughters, was educated in Canada during this time. They returned to Scotland sometime before 1939. Do you have any information on this collaborative venture?

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Bob,

I am reluctant to make trouble for you by answering without knowing a bit more: country, city (thus climate) and the specific stucco method and product you are using - e.g. is this an EIFS system? Dryvit?

On 2019-06-19 by Bob

Can I apply stucco over a wall that was stuccoed 2 weeks ago without using a bonding agent. The first stucco job is to rough for the homeowner
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-19 by (mod) -

Adam

If those floor tiles are atop a concrete slab that is below outside grade level then we're probably seeing efflorescence - mineral salts - left behind from moisture or even a bit of water entry.

Search InspectApedia.com for efflorescence to see details. That article series also includes dryout suggestions.

I'd like to hear just what your damp proofing course was going to involve.

On 2019-06-19 by AdamH1717

Recent bought a 3 bed semi detached house, circa 1940s. I have been made aware of the tiles in both downstairs living rooms containing chrysotile/asbestos. We were due to have a damp proof course done in these rooms but now I am told this may disturb the tiles. My other concern is the white substance emerging between the tiles. Any idea as to what this is?
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-19 by Md saiful islam

Sight gass glass price bd
full set up

On 2019-06-19 by Darren

Can I get stairs built for a ride of 9ft. And run 6ft

On 2019-06-19 by Anonymous

Can you substitute ppr for ppe for lpg gas line? Thanks

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

RCA: all of our discussion about your procedures for tracking down the causes of dead circuits in a mobile or manufactured home are now collected at MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL WIRING FAQs-7 https://inspectapedia.com/Manufactured_Homes/Mobile-Home-Electrical-System-FAQs7.php

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Yes that looks like asbestos paper duct-wrap. If it's on a supply duct exterior the asbestos hazard, even if the duct is in use, is likely to be beneath detection. Best to leave it alone.

On 2019-06-18 by rcr5035

Hello,

We were hoping to take our one of our old plaster and lathe walls and came across an old non-functioning heating duct which appears to be wrapped in asbestos insulation. Was curious to see if this is the case via visual inspection. Thanks!
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

In the ARTICLE INDEX you'll find an article titled blower fan won't stop that lists all of the causes for that problem. That would be a good place to start. Let me know if you have further questions and we'll take it from there.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Unless you actually hit a pipe when digging a hole to put in your post you should be fine.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Sorry i don't know what a modad us.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Thank you for the suggestion, Robert.

I'll look into that and see what I can add here.

Of course those are such different fuels that they wouldn't normally be burned in the same device or heater in any case.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

No, Tom, it should never be necessary to pump a distribution box. If the d-box is flooding then there's a clog in the outlet lines.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

I don't know need, but a lot depends on exactly where and how the temperature measurements were made. I'm just a general statement it is not possible to diagnose or even conclude that the temperature drop is improper.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Jennifer looks too short to be a serial number. Do you think you could find another data tag on the boiler?

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

That looks to me like transite which is an asbestos cement pipe that may have been used for a gas flue. Yours looks as if it's very deteriorated and in my opinion quite possibly unsafe. The concern would be that it could crumble and or leak harmful or even fatal flue gases into the building

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

That's utter nonsense

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Not in my opinion because they're climbable and therefore a child hazard.

On 2019-06-18 by Mcantera

An inspector recently told us that, by law, a person must be less than 60 years of age to enter a crawl space. Is this true

On 2019-06-18 by Rick

Are horizontal pipes a substitute for vertical balusters? And if so, what size pipe and spacing

On 2019-06-18 by Jim

What is this in my exhaust for my gas furnace, just bought the house, was built in 29. Email jthebaptist66@gmail.com
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-18 by Lisa

I am looking for information on an older tub manufacturer. I am need of some porcelain tub repair. I found the following information on the toilet lid. C. E. CO., JAN 26 1965, and CL 400. I have not found anything on a company called C. E., it appears that the date is the date manufactured, and the color might be CL 400. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-18 by Anonymous

How to determine the age of an Arcoleader Boiler series 4B JA, number A1 3P
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

RE-posting from private email:

Anonymous said:

Inspected a home with Wirsbo aquaPEX 1006 3/4 " piping.

My plumber claims the pipe fails and leaks at weak points and advised me to tell my client that replacement is needed

Was wondering if you have any hard facts and what your opinion is.

Moderator reply: a good place to start reading up on PEX piping failures is above on this page.

On 2019-06-18 by need-to-know

Temperature differential between supply and return is 9 degrees. Tech cant find anything wrong with it. Unit is 19 year old. What could be the cause (aside from an inept tech guy )?

On 2019-06-18 by mike

I need to repair 2x loose shingles, What is the best way to do this? I will attach pics below.
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-17 by (mod) -

AG

Normally vertical splits or checking in a vertical post are not a structural concern. But this post looks different - as if there is actual rot at the post top. You might want to investigate further for signs of leaks above this point andto probe the post top - I suspect the inspector had a good idea. Let us know what you find.

On 2019-06-17 by (mod) -

Thank you Lehi we'll edit the article for clarity. I appreciate that you took time to write.

On 2019-06-17 by Kerrie Judd RICHEY

We have tried finding and can't. Where our oldwater well is located in our yard

On 2019-06-17 by AG

Hi, the home inspector asked this post to be replaced! Not sure if it just checking or actual damage to the post. Other posts have vertical cracks which seem standard checking but this one at the top seems different? Any help will be appreciated.
thanks,
AG
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-17 by Tim

Is there a solution that can be sprayed on grave markers after cleaning to prevent the return of moss, algae, lichens etc. how applications mixed?

On 2019-06-17 by Anonymous

@lehiatt@cox.net,
meant 8tbsp per 4cuft of resin.

On 2019-06-17 by lehiatt@cox.net

In item 4 of the 7 steps to sanitize a softener resin tank, you state to us 1.2 oz of household bleach per cubic ft of resin...or "1+ tablespoons per oz". That disagrees with further down using 2 tbsp for 4 lbs of resin. The second case is correct...2tbsp per oz of bleach to treat 4 cubic ft of resin.

On 2019-06-17 by dennis

I have a slope that is 1.4% to the exit, is this ada compliant or do i need a level landing at the door

On 2019-06-17 by (mod) -

Thanks for the photo and question, Darrell.

Wiring such as shown in the line cord in your photo was widely used in North America as early as the 1940s and continues to the present.

In trying to date a tool it's always helpful to include details such as
- a photo of the tool and of each of the data tags or nameplates whose data is always critical
- the country and city where the tool was found or used
- any records of repairs or modifications to the tool (that can include line cord replacement)

On 2019-06-17 by darrell

I inherited 2 old shop tools from my dad, They are craftsman with capacitor start motors. both units have strangely silver wire. Doubting that my dad had that kind of money back in 1960 or so, they both probably were purchased used. The other indication that these machines are very old is that the outer insulating cover is black, probably rubber based, while the black and white inner insulation is still quite good. Any guess as to the span of years this was used?
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s useful Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-17 by James

No the wires are already easily accessible im just not sure how exactly they recconect because of the red wire arent they isnt it white with wh and black with black wherre does the red one go

On 2019-06-17 by James

How would i go about reconnecting a electrical wire in a mobile home if one side of the damaged wire has a red black and white and copper and the other side just has the black and white with the copper

On 2019-06-17 by robert574

I would have liked to have seen a table of the comparison of BTUs/gallon of the #1 to #6 oils and the winter mix of #1 and #2. Overall I thought this was quite informative. Good job here.

On 2019-06-17 by Mildred

Is a modad required in Jackson co. Ms.near Vancleave, Ms?

On 2019-06-16 by pj

the previous comment was not a comment, but a question can i get an answer?

On 2019-06-16 by pj

if a drain field hasn't been used for about 30 years that one would know of, can another pipe be inserted to hold something up? a new drain field has been installed away from the old, so would the old drain be holding anything inside. Can it be filled with dirt or quik crete to hold a pole?

On 2019-06-16 by Anonymous

@Tom,
The switch is set to auto, the furnace and air are completely separate units not sharing anything but thermostat

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

Edwina you posted this question at

inspectapedia.com/Manufactured_Homes/Mobile_Home_Exteriors.php

A mobile home won't commonly have a ceiling made of plaster on metal lath.

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

Edwina I want to help but don't understand enough of the problem from just reading your question. Perhaps you can attach a photo or two - one per comment.

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

From just text, Denise, I'm not able to make a confident diagnosis of what kind of insulation your crawl space enjoys. If the insulation job was recent - in the last few decades - and if it was blown-in as loose material, the two common products are fiberglass and cellulose. "Pink" argues for chopped fiberglass. Take a look at the insulation type photos above on this page.

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

Linda

The water pressure tank (it's not an expansion tank) smooths the pressure or delivery of water into the building and prevents short-cycling or rapid on-off pump operation. If the water pressure tank becomes water-logged, that is if it loses its air charge, then the pump may cycle on and off very frequently, even every few seconds. That would show up as "constantly and rapidly changing water pressure".

On 2019-06-16 by Linda

My water pressure keeps changing. Is this the expansion tank?

On 2019-06-16 by Denise

Off white & pink piece's, looks like it was blown in.

On 2019-06-16 by Denise

What kind of insulation do I have in crawl space?

On 2019-06-16 by Edwina

I have cathedral ceilings in the front room of my mobile home trailer and the middle it has board that goes clear across the ceiling and half of it is loose. Can I nail it back up? Or use a good at hiza on it.

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

Bonny,

I'll try to find or else we create the drawing. It was actually quite simple. We built a platform and then used to by 3 lumber at hand and trim screws to assemble to the requisite height and width.

On 2019-06-16 by (mod) -

Nevertheless there was a leak. It could have been a leak anywhere in the system or even a valve that was dirty in the valve seat or otherwise left open.

On 2019-06-16 by Bonny

Can you show construction plans for the Throne?

On 2019-06-16 by Edwina

I have a 1981 mobile home trailer it has the the ceilings in the front room and board at the very top of the V is coming loose is there something out there that I can now it to, how should I fix this?

On 2019-06-16 by Jamie

I should have made clear this was the crawl space under the house.

On 2019-06-16 by Jamie

I had a leaking cast iron pipe ( house built in 1948) from the kitchen sink. Some channels of standing water. Restoration company sucked the water and some debris and put down lime and vapor barrier moments before plumbers arrived. Smell went away for a few days only to be replaced with an equally bad smell like sour dirty bar towels. Should the area have been dried out before the plastic barrier was put down? The smell permeates indoors and outside. Thank you!

On 2019-06-16 by Nancy

What can be used to protect a foot valve that's attached to a water pipe in a lake to keep out zebra mussels? I have the foot valve tied on top of a cement block to keep it off the lake bottom. Also, I have a 1/2 hp jet pump. Is it possible to connect some type of filter to the water pipe just before the pump to prevent sand, small debris, etc.from entering the pump?

On 2019-06-15 by (mod) -

Yl

One thing that always is encouraging is to think about the fact that there's probably no problem that you are I will think of it someone has not encountered before and for which there's not already an over-the-counter solution. There are number of devices that can attach to a well pump that will do what you want. Just stop by your local plumbing supplier and ask what they have. There are also types of pumps such as pressure-sensitive water pumps that work without a pressure tank and that include a feature that will shut the pump off after it runs continuously for too long. If you search this website for water pressure booster pumps you'll read about those models.

On 2019-06-15 by (mod) -

Yes

On 2019-06-15 by (mod) -

It doesn't look fixed to me but of course one can't inspect the building by just a brief texting into photo. One of the concerns of said if the ceiling is gypsum board or drywall got wet and was not removed there's probably a mold problem. Insulation above could be damaged or moldy from Lakes as well.

On 2019-06-15 by (mod) -

No you don't want to wire the system backwards it could be unsafe. For example you could accidentally be making a part of the system that's normally not live when the fan is off actually electric Way live. So the black wire from your fan goes to the hot wire through Supply in the white wire from your fan goes to the neutral wire that you are Supply. It sounds as if you're missing a ground wire. If that's the case you may need to add a ground to comply with both safety and the manufacturer's installation instructions.

On 2019-06-15 by (mod) -

I'm not sure I have the correct understanding of your question. But if you are asking where is the Arisen voir of water used by a heat pump in a water best heat pump system there are two approaches that are coming. One is water that's actually pumped out of and back into a well. The other is water that's pumped from a well into a reservoir tank.

On 2019-06-15 by Phil

Where is the amount of water a water based heat pump gets controlled?

On 2019-06-15 by Anonymous

Our brand new air conditioner installed October 2018 never cooled when system was turned on 3 weeks ago and our home was vacant.. Technician said there was no refrigerant at all and he could find no leaks. He filled it with refrigerant.
What could have caused this if no leaks could be found.
Will the fact that it was running for weeks without refrigerant cause damage to the system.

On 2019-06-15 by Phil Amthor

I am using a purchased railing assembly. with a top rail, bottom rail and balusters. Does the railing have to be over aome portion of the edge of the steps or can it run along the very edge of the steps?

On 2019-06-15 by jerrygaildenney

Replacing ceiling fan/light. Upon removal of old unit, I have only 2 wires in ceiling. Both wires are same size and have identical covering on them. My tester shows "open ground". Can I attach either hot or ground wire from my new fan/light to either wire in ceiling and be ok?

On 2019-06-15 by Ron

Can you have a garbage disposal with this system

On 2019-06-14 by yl

I am looking for a device that can sense when my shallow well pump comes on and then starts a timer that will shut the pump off after so many minutes so that my well won't run dry. Recently my toilet didn't shut off after we left for work and when I came back home the pump was still running but I had no water. When I looked in the well, the water level was down to the foot valve. Luckily the pump wasn't hot so I think it had just ran out of water and I caught it in time. Is there such a device and where can I get one?

On 2019-06-14 by Will

Can up to 20psi propane gas pressure be ran through a dwelling residential or commercial and reduced down to 1/2 psi at the appliance

On 2019-06-14 by Harry

The IFM will only come on when the White Rodgers fan limit switch is moved from auto to manual on .doesn't matter what position thermostat switch is in.

On 2019-06-14 by Anonymous

There is an office that I go to for appointments and it smells so toxic and the air is so thick that I couldn't stay in side, my nose started running and it was scratchy. They said it was just the rug but it's been there for over a year. I've always been a little paranoid about fumes but this is justified right?

On 2019-06-14 by (mod) -

They finish on bathtubs is normally an enamel glaze. At least among US products I'm not aware of any use of asbestos in that application. Of course breathing fine silica dust could be a health hazard for anyone.

On 2019-06-14 by (mod) -

I wouldn't assume that the problem is a failed motor. It could certainly be a dirt, ice, defrost cycle problem, or bad control board or relay.

On 2019-06-14 by (mod) -

A brine tank that fills half of its height with water could be normal depending on the water softener settings

On 2019-06-14 by (mod) -

Laura

What I would do in this case is to use the barcode to see if I could get a product date. That will give you a reasonably reliable answer to your question.

On 2019-06-14 by (mod) -

Basically if the line cord on your appliances a three-pronged plug then it wants to be in a grounded receptacle. If the line port on your appliances a two prong plug them it's not looking for a ground and so you're not getting anything up by using it on a knob and tube circuit. Of course that is assuming that the circuit is safe and has not been damaged or is not unsafe for some other reason.

On 2019-06-13 by Joe

Is it still considered acceptable to plug an appliance with a 2 prong cord into an ungrounded 2 prong outlet with knob and tube wiring? If so, where is the line between what is ok and what becomes questionable?

On 2019-06-13 by Laura Dougherty

Remodeling a very small house with very broken up tiles and found this box. Wondering if asbestos is in these tiles.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-13 by Doug

I am getting like a half tank water! I drained and cleaned everyting in tank! It filled back up fine like 8 in orso so i added salt,it cycled over night and i have about a half thing of water

On 2019-06-13 by Steve

This air handler problem occurs even when only the fan is engaged

On 2019-06-13 by Steve

My A/C air handler switches on the shuts off, then switches on again. No pattern. I replaced capacitor...no change. All wires tight. Sometimes it runs for hours NP. Could this be the beginning of the need for a new motor or am I missing something?

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Sorry, Janine, no.

There is no longer any FPE company - and the very very limited class action suit, pertaining only to original owners in New Jersey - also is now a closed matter.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Kayeren

Please se MOBILE HOME BUYERS ADVICE https://inspectapedia.com/Manufactured_Homes/Mobile-Home-Buyers-Advice.php

where I have written a detailed reply to your question. Let me know what you think, ask more questions, and keep me posted.

DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING - read the article I suggested.

On 2019-06-13 by Janine

Can the homeowner get it replaced by the cimpany at no charge

On 2019-06-13 by Kenneth

Does the finish on old bath tub and showers made in the early seventies have asbestos. I started feel sick after sanding on one with just a dust mast on.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

If you are eating the cereal and not flushing it down the drains directly you should be fine.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Well if they have been sitting in the hot sun or exposed to rain then they have violated the manufacturers at the instructions. Result could be reduced roof life.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Yes that is a common cause. See in the ARTICLE INDEX our article on intermittent well pump cycling. There you will find a list of causes.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

That would make sense if we are talking about at the pressure regulator that feeds water to the system.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Thanks for those details. Back wiring is notoriously and unreliable electrical connection. If you look at my article on this website on that topic you'll see you that the connector surface between the spring clip and the wire is just a very small edge of a piece of bent copper. So it's not a reliable connection. It also sounds like a lot of poorly made electrical devices in that house. You probably going to need to replace all of them.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Check for abnormal voltage or high amps draw

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

You might disassemble, free up, lube the motor but its going to fail again

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

We have no info about your particular tub do i can't say mord than "possible",

On 2019-06-13 by Kurt

Tearing out an older used hot tub and was wondering if the material used to insulate the tub has any asbestos in it?

On 2019-06-13 by Ron sands

How do you fix a jammed motor it hasn't been used for about 6 months and now just buzzer when turned on thanks

On 2019-06-13 by Chetanvvnagar

I don't have any inside in system thermostatic expansion valve but i do have refrigerant metering devices with 6 capilari distributor.
Sometimes run at around 70 psig and that time run stays longer and no freezing compressor but most of time running at 55 psig that time freezing compressor in 15 min.
Thanks

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Tony

When a circuit breaker has tripped that usually means there's an overcurrent. Even if you can turn the AC back on by resetting the breaker there is an underlying problem that needs to be found and repaired. It's time to call for service.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

no

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

Musty

To have space for a detailed reply I repeat your question and answer it in the article above on this page.

You may need to clear your browser cache and re-load the page to see the update. You'll see your photo and question and my reply.

Take a look and let me know if you have more questions. Keep me posted on what your service tech tells you.

On 2019-06-13 by mustain2690

what problem suction have ice?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-13 by Kayeren Cannell

I WAS going to purchase a 1969 mobile home in a mobile home park. This mobile was abandoned about 2 years ago. Park owner has the court document that "officially" declares the unit as an abandonment, but did not proceed to get the title. She wants me to do it. The 16 forms I have to fill out (each one with a $25 - $35 processing fee) to get duplicate Title; Registration; Cert of Retail Value; Pepperoni Pizza...etc; Waiver of Fees & back Taxes; put up a Surety Bond...etc., when I'M not the one is delinquent--I haven't bought it yet, nor do I live in it! That's nothing yet & herein lies my question: I got on NADA to get a value at least & when they ask the year of the mobile, you can't enter a year prior to 1980. So then I read on & find out it's not even considered a home before 1976 when HUD initiated Code Compliance Standards. At best, I'm buying an Outhouse on wheels. Am I suppose to put thousands of $$ to bring a cardboard box into compliance, which even their reg's say cannot be done? As I read on, I'm seeing the trouble I could end up in. So far--with fees taxes & putting up a Surety Bond, the amount is triple the asking price & from what I'm finding out, I will never get the Title anyway. I've never done this before & it's not my area of expertise--I've always been a renter; however none of this seems right to me & I could be headed down a path I will regret. Am I correct in my assumption? So far I have not been able to accomplish ANYTHING they're wanting me to do. I do see me paying $30k for a $5k Outhouse I'll never own. I need an expert. This is a rural area & other than a Social Security paralegal there isn't an attorney here I can go to. Anyway, any advice; info (hell, I'll take insults even) you have, I'd certainly appreciate your take on this. I'm suppose to meet with the park owner later today to sign some paperwork.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

There could be water leaking through stucco coating and corroding something behind it such as supporting lath. It'd be diagnostic to know more about the building: age, location - country, city, state or province, type of stucco

Typically I think these stains are algae bleeding down but yours seem to originate in a horizontal row - suggesting construction materials and leaks could be a factor.

In the ARTICLE INDEX above you'll find better diagnostics for your case at STAINS ON STUCCO

On 2019-06-13 by (mod) -

gary said:
I have a nice house built in 1959 and has nicely painted fiber board on the cieling. Looks like they were layed over the beams before the roofing. I cut a corner off one in a clost and it is fiberous but under a magnifying glass the fibers are shorter and more dence looking. Obviously hoping its not asbestos. If it is, is it considered safe if it is neatly painted with several layers over the years with no cracks or issues?


Mod: Gary you can use the Add Image button to post an image here.

On 2019-06-12b4 by Mark Pankratz

What is the green stains on the outside of my fireplace? They start at a point and bleed downward.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-12 by Kelly

Is there specific code of the required distance (or max distance) of the line between the main drain line to the leach lines?

On 2019-06-12 by tony

Im in office building. each unit has own ac unit outside. turned on work for two days no problem. Today stop cooling. fan inside on but no air flow. air unit outside nothing. no sound when turned on. I check panel for trip switches. On left side label A C right side had two single switches together. label a c and heat. look this switch was tripped.
T

On 2019-06-12 by RCA

That would be my first guess too, but this house is a manufactured one; is 17 years old; the electrical hardware is lower grade quality; and I found 3 other switches with similar issues. Two are stuck into the on position (inside the switch housing), you can physically move the switch up or down (on or off) but the hot is always hot on the switched side. The third one is cracked and coming apart in pieces (not as bad as the one I just replaced and caused me to loose electricity to a whole room......mainly because the folks who wired this house used the back push-in connectors, which (I'm guessing if pushed into to much seemed to stress the plastic housing and resulting in cracking it apart in one, two or more pieces). I moved as many outlets and switches to the side screw in terminals to prevent further issues with the existing hardware.

No, all the wiring is copper, thankfully. I was in a house with aluminum wiring and found the fuse/circuit breaker box lighting up at night....loose wire to breaker....which when explored further had to replace the whole kit and kaboodle including some of the wiring....scary stuff Al wiring...melts a lot easier than copper [Al = 1,221°F (660.3°C) versus Cu = 1,984°F (1,085°C)] just over 700 degrees F difference (in coppers favor).

On 2019-06-11 by Tucker

Would you use a backflow preventer on both a hot water and steam heating systems?

On 2019-06-11 by Alan

My pump comes on regularly. I've tried to diagnose it. I've noticed that when I shut the outlet supplies from the pump off but leave the inlet open the pump will still cycle. Does this mean my non-return valve is leaking?

On 2019-06-11 by Carolyn Glenn

My shingles are stacked on top of my house for 5 weeks now, should I ask for new shingles?

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

I'd like to help but I don't understand the terminology that you've been told. I don't know what a roof exhaust edge Vent is. Perhaps they mean some fan operated vent.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

Might want to pull that baseboard off if you think it's moldy. Look on the bottom Edge in the back side for mold growth.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

Although we've had a few reports of some later can tiles that did not contain asbestos, that's not usually the case.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

That sounds like a crackpot idea. You can't take a generic statement like that in as soon as going to work in every building. Furthermore in Europe where you are expert comes from that installation would be illegal. Either you're going to give each tenant control over their level of heat or you're not. And most buildings we nearest one zone and multiple apartments on multiple floors some of the people are going to always be unhappy and are going to complain of either being too hot or too cold. There are other options discussed in this article series such as using thermostatic radiator valves that can make each radiator its own little Zone. The idea of having one zone valve doesn't seem sensible to me in the first place if there's only one zone you wouldn't need a zone valve.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

The safe thing to do would be to turn off the gas supply at the point of entry. You're going to need to have a plumber remove rusted or clogged gas piping or if possible clean some of those sections. It's also possible that a drip leg or dirt line was forgotten and the piping arrangement. I don't know I can only guess because I can't see your installation.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

Air conditioning and heat pump systems will in fact stop periodically to go through a defrost cycle.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

It sounds like the deck nails need to be hammered down and set or perhaps pulled and replaced with deck screws. If you don't like the wide deck board Gap gaps you'd have to remove and reset all of your boards.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

Laura

Sure if you are Artesian well has a sufficient flow rate you could use some of that water for purposes other than in your house. However when the Artesian well. Flowing you know that the water table in the Water Source has fallen and the water available to you has been significantly reduced. So those two topics don't really go together they contradict one another instead.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

A reasonable place to start some guesses about the cause of symptoms you describe would be to go through the list on the page above

Please give that a try and let us know what you think.

On 2019-06-11 by (mod) -

If we are lucky it's simply a matter of unplugging the improper extension cords that your son hooked up and then resetting a circuit breaker or replacing a blown fuse. It sounds as if your extension cord was being used to run too many things and you overloaded the circuit. If we're not lucky then there was a problem with a breaker or fuse and you may actually have a damaged wire or receptacle. So if resetting a circuit breaker or replacing a blown fuse doesn't fix the problem you're going to need help from an on-site electrician.

On 2019-06-10 by (mod) -

Sounds like a bad fan start/run capacitor or possibly bad fan motor.

On 2019-06-10 by (mod) -

Sorry, but we cannot provide the product you asked about.

Keep in mind that asphalt shingles are not actually intended for use as building siding and may not perform well.

We do not sell anything. No products, no services.

InspectAPedia.com provides building and environmental diagnostic and repair information.

In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Website content 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 us both. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

A brief summary about InspectAPedia.com can be read at https://inspectapedia.com/About_Us.htm

On 2019-06-10 by (mod) -

Ken just click the Add Image button and select the photo on your photo or smartphone. The photo will not actually appear until OK'd by the moderator.

On 2019-06-10 by Chris

Heat pump defrost cycle without indoor blower motor wiring diagram

On 2019-06-10 by Anonymous

We had full power in our shop and the outside plug in outlet. Then my son ran extension cords from the outside outlet to have power in his place, then hours later the power went out in our shop. About a week or longer the outside plug in outlet stopped working . Please help what do I need to do to get the power back on in our shop and the outside plug in outlet.

On 2019-06-10 by Jim O'Dell

Notice several times lately when outside my Puron Central AC makes a 1 second false start. Kicks on & immediately back off?

On 2019-06-10 by Connie

How are the inside panels of 8800 sliding Custom Window Systems of Ocala, FL made to have the bronze color finish, painted, wrapped, something else? Does that void a warranty?

On 2019-06-10 by Laura

I have an Artesian well there is no pump to it but it constantly runs water 24/7. Currently we're in a drought and water stopped flowing should I be concerned? Also I would like to tap into the pipe and use the running water for a water feature in my yard is that possible?

On 2019-06-10 by Rob

I live upstairs an the deck has nails sticking out an gaps size of pinky u can't sweep cause everything falls down under can't even relax on the deck

On 2019-06-10 by Arturo

Does the Outside condensor fan stop running when thermostat is set to cool

On 2019-06-10 by Anonymous

I have a unit that on a flat slab which has been empty for three week. Before this gas was flowing throw the pipes to my water heater,stove,wall heater @ outlet for washer and dryer. Gas CO informed that they left gas on courteous for the new tenant. However I had my plumber replace the old water heater with a new one due to leaking. Now gas line is plugged.Meter for gas is open. Please help

On 2019-06-09 by Kay

I have been told of a method of putting in only one zone valve in a 3 story, 6 unit apt building with baseboard heaters and an oil-burning boiler. The plumber is originally from Europe and he says all I have to do is set a thermostat on the bottom of the first floor (coldest spot) and set the zone valve to the mandatory 68 degrees. There are technically 3 zones because the heaters on each floor are all connected. But to avoid the expense of installing 3 zone valves, this guy said that if I put the thermostat on the 1st floor, when any apt calls for heat it will open and run through the baseboard heaters of all - up to 68 degrees. Then the valve shuts off and the upper apts rely on the heat rising from the lower floors. Does anyone know about this method, and does it work?

On 2019-06-09 by VICKI

turn the a/c on and the outside fan starts then stop and then a few seconds later starts again and stops. moved everything away from it and i dont see anything in the fans

On 2019-06-09 by laverne

I want to know if my Kentile Quincy Slate grey has asbestos.Purchased late 80!s,1990

On 2019-06-09 by Roy C

@Karen K.,
I need corner loves for a building that has asphalt single siding. Any idea where I can get about 25 pieces?

On 2019-06-09 by kengail3

Trying to add the photo

On 2019-06-09 by Ken

About 3 years ago we had our bathroom redone. Part of the work included new baseboards. They were installed and painted by the contractor. A couple of months ago we noticed some discoloration on a section of the baseboard. Over the last few weeks, it seems to be worse than it was when we first noticed it. I am including a photo of the area. Can you help identify this or advise what we should do next? Thank you for your help.

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

No I generally don't believe in coincidences.

Unfortunately from just the information in your question and not any idea of exactly what the contractors did or where they may have attached things to the building or used scaffolding or even Disturbed siding to attach a brace or bracket, without any of that detail, one really can't make a definitive opinion

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

Thank you for an interesting question. I've been doing some research but still need to find an authoritative source for an answer. I'll post you or what I find.

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

Quite possibly or a bad starter relay or bad electrical connection or low voltage

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

In just about every jurisdiction in North America Europe Asia Australia and New Zealand it's illegal to dump grey water directly onto the surface of the ground in the manner that you described. I'll check with your local building or plumbing department ought to confirm that.

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

Brian

The typical fan limit switch settings are getting on a page above.

please take a look and let me know if you have any questions about that text.

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

Thank you for the interesting question. I don't think we could Venture an answer without having specific Brands and models in view. I don't think there's a generic right answer to the question otherwise.

On 2019-06-09 by (mod) -

Anon

Our best suggestions for diagnosing this problem are given in the article above right on this page. Please take a look and let me know if any questions remain.

On 2019-06-09 by Brian

What should the fan limit switch be set at for the air conditioning and heating running Honeywell switch

On 2019-06-08 by Anonymous

there lots water pump will not build presure

On 2019-06-08 by Runee

What are the main differences between American and Polish manufacture windows?

On 2019-06-08 by (mod) -

Let's start by identifying the brand of your chimney. Then we'll take a look at the installation instructions from that manufacturer.

On 2019-06-08 by (mod) -

I found that sometimes the nest setup via computer doesn't go quite according to their instructions. But if you put the app on your smartphone and then scan the barcode on the back of the camera you'll be able to set it up.

On 2019-06-08 by (mod) -

I'd like to help but I'm confused by the question. Perhaps you could make a drawing or show me a photo of the wiring

On 2019-06-08 by (mod) -

Sounds like a seized compressor motor or Miss wired control

On 2019-06-08 by (mod) -

I don't know, that sounds like what we call a short circuit in the air system. Perhaps you could have had some photos and we can figure it out. One photo per comment.

On 2019-06-07 by Chris Carson

Why would there be a duck from the output of the air handler to the return Plenum With a waited manual damper

On 2019-06-07 by Rich

My HVAC when on fan it works, but as soon as I switch over to AC it blows the 3 amp fuse. Any help would be appreciated.

On 2019-06-07 by Chuck

On a Bryant lv rocker switch I' m getting 24 v on the black and red wire checking it to the common on the switch whether I toggle it to the on or off position. Shouldn't one side go to 0 volts when I toggle? also the relay to turn light on does not engage to close contact on relay. Can you help me out on this one?

On 2019-06-07 by Paula

My nest cam, during installation..
I go through setup.
The setup tells me to take my camera outside and plug it in.
I take the camera outside, plug it in, the light is a steady blue, then a blinking blue, then off.
No green light.
I click next in setup and it just greys out the "next" button and nothing moves forward.
Thoughts?

On 2019-06-07 by Rich

My 3A fuse keeps blowing when turn AC on??

On 2019-06-07 by Stephen

A previous homeowner installed a triple wall 8" flue through the ceiling from a fireplace with no Firestop or ceiling support box, how do I enclose the ceiling whole after the chimney has already been installed?

On 2019-06-07 by (mod) -

Joe,

In the ARTICLE INDEX you'll find a diagnostic and repair article on fan will not start. Most often after checking for a bad connector or wire the service technician will try replacing the starting capacitor.

On 2019-06-07 by (mod) -

The term failing an inspection sounds a little questionable to me. I didn't think that home inspections - if that's what transpired - passed or failed. Maybe someone's just speaking carelessly. There's no plumbing code that I have found that requires insulation on the condensate drain line. Why don't you go back to whoever the expert is who failed the system and ask them to give you an authoritative citation

that would be very helpful and I'd be very grateful to see it.

On 2019-06-07 by AircoTech

Do condensate line need to be insulated by code ?

On 2019-06-07 by Airco Tech

Split system AC residential, Failed inspection for un insulated p-trap...p trap was sweating in attic by air handler.

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

Sorry Diane but I can't say for sure if your floor has asbestos or not. It's generally best to leave a suspect floor alone, in place, and to cover it over. If you have to remove it and can't do so without making a dusty mess then test a sample for asbestos before disturbing the floor.

On 2019-06-06 by Diane

Hi. I’m just wondering if anyone has seen this type of flooring before. It’s in a cabin that was built in the late 70’s. We don’t want to lift it up because it might have asbestos. If you have confirmation of that though - have seen this pattern before - we’ll take your word for it.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-06 by Darrel J. Hebert

outside compressor makes one bang sound when it shuts down. The sound is like someone would hit it once with a steel hammer.

On 2019-06-06 by Ryan

Hello,
I cannot find any information on this specific type of sheetrock made by USG. I am concerned it contains asbestos (I understand i need to have it tested)
It is called Woodgrained Sheetrock - Fireproof Gypsum Wallboard - This would have been installed in 1955.
Please see the photo below. I was hoping someone has seen this product label from 1955 before and let me know if they know more about this product.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-06 by Joe

I have a Carrier unit. At times the condenser fan will not start. After I power cycle the unit the fan will then work correctly for a couple of days then stop. I power cycle the unit again with the same result.

On 2019-06-06 by Fernando Funes

Good morning. In the following floor plan interior condition, and taking into account that both surfaces (render and gypsum) will be paint finish: how to avoid cracks along gypsum/render encounter? Expansion joint tape/paper, caulking, both, other method...?
Thank you in advance.


IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-06-06 11:24:50.829887 by (mod) -

Possibky but the stsrt / run capacitor is the place to start

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

More likely there is a refrigerant leak and low pressure.

Please attach a photo to a comment so i can take a look.

On 2019-06-06 by Anonymous

My sight glass is completely encapsulated in ice. Does this mean it broke?

On 2019-06-06 by Sam

My fan won't turn on, but when I push it with a stick, it will. However, it will stop again a few minutes later. No noticeably colder air is coming through the vents at that time it is running. Do you think it is more than just the capacitor at fault? Thank you.

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

You could nail on expanded metal lath and coat that with a high Portland waterproof cement. However the real problem is water up against the foundation. If you're in a freezing climate you're still risking Frost damage, settlement, or cracking. So you need to get the water away from the building.

On 2019-06-06 by Patty

The concrete on the outside of the garage wall appears to be crumbling. On a shared wall,water sometimes flows in from my neighbor's side. How does one fix or can this be fixed? thank you for yur advice.

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

From what you described I suspect that the motor needs to be replaced

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

Sorry, no I can't make anything out of the photos

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

You may have been hearing of valve it was equalizing pressure between the high and low sides.

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

I would not expect a plumbing inspector to have passed the installation that you described for your AC condensate.

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

I want to add that I don't understand what that meter lock is doing around one of the toggle switches. It certainly isn't effectively locking the breaker in any position but it could make it unsafe by interfering with smooth operation in the event of an overcurrent. If you know who put that on there we are to ask them what they thought they were doing.

On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

Yes, Christian, that's a Zinsco circuit breaker in your photo. One can just see the top of the characteristic slots in the breaker side.

If you can look around and safely take some sharp photos of all of the labels you can find on the panel and Breakers those Sharp Images would be very useful. Take great care not to touch any electrical connector or component because you could be shocked or killed.

On 2019-06-06 by Christian Kohler

I wonder if my main panel for our duplex is a Zinsco panel. I know the sub-panel in my unit is the problematic Zinsco, but I'm not sure about the main. It was constructed in 1979. And does has a Sylvania label on it.

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On 2019-06-06 by (mod) -

If your shingles are curling that usually means they're at or near the end of their life in their quite fragile. Even if you spray them with a sealant they're still fragile. You may be throwing good money after bad.

On 2019-06-05 by (mod) -

Carla, the identification points for GTE-Sylvania panels are given in the article above on this page.

I can't see your circuit breakers.

The panel label in your photo notes Sylvania and GTE but does not mention the word Zinsco.

The identification points for GTE-Sylvania panels are given in the article above on this page.

On 2019-06-05 by carolina varela

I need to know if this panel is one of the problem ones, and if it should be replaced. I may have to replace it anyway because I can't find replacement breakers for it - do you know of any compatible breakers? (I have more pictures of the breaker but this only let me submit one)

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On 2019-06-05 16:48:25.047772 by Jeff Shaffer

LaPolla is offering a water based, acrylic, clear sealer to prevent granule loss and retard metal flashing oxidation. The sealer dries to 5.7 mills and was tested by Dell Labs stating that it will weather 1/10th of a mill a year. This product does not void ant manufactures warranty. OPINION??

On 2019-06-05 by (mod) -

Sue please see the wire sizing help including run length and wire size increases are at

SE CABLE SIZES vs AMPS inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_SEC_Sizes_Amps.php

On 2019-06-05 by Sue

What sz of direct burial wire for 200 amp service, 200' away coming from on the ground transformer?

On 2019-06-05 by Anonymous

Not seeing any frosting and the air inside is cold and the air blowing out of the top of the outside unit is warm/hot

On 2019-06-05 by Agbayaa

Thank you sir. Any thoughts on the photos that look more like rot and/or insect decay?

On 2019-06-05 by charles craig

I had Truro my air handler off and system off briefly and when I did I heard a hissing noise for approximately 5-10 seconds from the air handler, then it stopped. Ac is still cold and blowing fine and there is not any ice on the exterior unit. Is this noise normal?

On 2019-06-05 by Anonymous

I live in apartment complex and the AC drain line is directly above my kitchen sink I was wondering if that is a legal hookup it drains into my sink but misses gets a counter splashes everywhere

On 2019-06-05 by Todd

Hello and thank you for the information. I can't physically turn my motor on my heat pump last year a service tech told me there was some surface rust on the stator he was able to break free I was not there to see him do it. Does this sound like the likeli problem again? I didn't want to put too much pressure on it for fear I might damage or break the motor itself.

On 2019-06-05 by Anonymous

Yes

On 2019-06-05 by Bobbie

Does the product that was commonly called "brick siding" and came in rolls (similar to rolls of roofing) contain asbestos? This product was primarily used to cover a building made of wood where the wood was failing and the product was used to protect the wood from further deterioration. May have been used in the 40's, 50's and 60's.

On 2019-06-04 by Caleb

My condenser fan will run for a few hours and then stop. It runs and starts intermittently. When it stops there is a buzzing noise coming from the unit. The capacitor has been changed. Does this mean the motor is bad?

On 2019-06-04 by Jim G

The local sewer systems was overloaded with calcium salts from our water softeners so they made us change to potassium. My hot water began to smell because of the potassium salt reacting with the sacrificial anode.I removed the anode by cutting the sacrificial rod off the plug. is there an anode material that I can use which will not smell with the potassium salt in my water softener?

On 2019-06-04 by Michaela

so you think its just a very big coincidence? I thought maybe the pounding putting those heavy beams up couldve shifted something, I dont know its just very strange to me.

On 2019-06-04 by jeff jones

Does anyone know about an exterior sheet cladding called 'ecoclad' from kliptech.com .I am looking for a low water absorption sheet style cladding for a rainscreen system.reply to j3rllc@yahoo.com. Thanks

On 2019-06-04 by (mod) -

It would be pretty unusual for a company that's hanging gutters on the house to have any effect whatsoever on the siding. Sometimes there's a defect on the building that we haven't noticed even though it's been there. When we finally noticed that we think it's new. If you have some old photographs of the house perhaps you could check those. Reasons for Buckle siding are given in the article above.

On 2019-06-04 by (mod) -

If I can tear your wall is constructed using drywall or gypsum board and or insulation and wood framing or furring strips you're going to need to remove it to drive a cavity and get rid of moldy material.

On 2019-06-04 by Kathleen Jenkins

During the 2 subzero days this past winter, the water pipe burst between the exterior brick & inside basement wall. Although it is turned off, water is still trickling from bricks (not the spout) & damaging the bricks more.

On 2019-06-04 by Michaela

I had new gutters put up all the way around the house, when they pulled the old gutters off they showed me that the fascia was rotted out on the side of the garage so it had to b replaced, which they did. After they finished the siding was buckled in several different places, the company is taking no responsibility at all.

On 2019-06-04 by (mod) -

If the correct material and connections and support are used a gas line can be run through building cavities such as a wall or floor.

On 2019-06-04 by (mod) -

Sure there are a number of cures for squeaky or creaking floors. Typically they involve attempting to secure the upper layer through the subfloor by sending screws from below. That avoids having to damage the existing finished floor.

On 2019-06-04 by (mod) -

Yes

On 2019-06-04 by (mod) -

Pat
I cannot tell from your question whether the wall you are describing is part of a building structure or simply an exterior retaining or dividing wall. If the wall is part of the structure and if there is movement that hasn't been assessed it could be extremely dangerous risking even a structural collapse that could injure or kill people. The proper person to evaluate structural damage to a masonry wall is a civil engineer or structural engineer in particular who is familiar with the type of masonry construction involved.

On 2019-06-04 by Pat

Our HOA has a perimeter brick wall that has collapsed. Who should we get to inspect the remaining wall for structural integrity.

On 2019-06-03 by Lynn

I have 112-24 federal pacific electrical box, is this dangerous. Should it be replaced?

On 2019-06-03 by (mod) -

Gaston Gosselin said:
I am commenting to let you know what a terrific experience my daughter enjoyed reading through your web page. She noticed a wide variety of pieces, with the inclusion of what it is like to have an awesome helping style to have the rest without hassle grasp some grueling matters.

On 2019-06-03 by (mod) -

It makes sense to treat the floor and adhesive as presumed to contain asbestos.

On 2019-06-03 by Hannah

My husband has pulled up the carpet in a house we've bought, there was carpet, underlay then under that real cork, and under that this black substance over concrete? Trying to understand if it is black mastic adhesive, it's dried out and brittle in places and in others perfectly solid with long seam lines. Appreciate any advice. Can't be sure but the house's interior was in keeping with 50's/60's style but built 1885

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On 2019-06-03 by rmn

Our subfloor was nailed not screwed per contract for our 2 story built in the winter. The floor is making a crackling noise to be heard on the first floor and felt on the second walking. Is there anything we can do? 2yo house, still warrantied.

On 2019-06-03 by Anonymous

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On 2019-06-03 by (mod) -

It sounds as if you're pump lost Prime. It's not uncommon for that to happen if you have a leaky foot valve or other leak sister. But we could have been there for years without you noticing it because you frequently ran water enough to keep the pump Prime.

On 2019-06-03 by (mod) -

With apologies I cannot make a useful comment on the estimate for work that you described. I just have no information about the specific building, or just what effort will be required to remove the floor, contain the dust and clean up.
Everything depends on the quality of the work including dust control and clean up.

If you find someone who's inexpensive but they coat your house with asbestos dust generating a 30 or $40,000 subsequent clean-up you would agree that that was not a great job.

It would be wise to get three estimates, And to test your floor for asbestos.

On 2019-06-03 by Barbara-Ann

Hello, we have green with speckles 9x9 tiles in our basement. We had some water damage and some tiles around perimeter are cracked and all are damp from humidity. We want them gone. Can you advise is $5000 a good price for an area 17x20?? This price is for tile removal only not removal of possible mastic asbestos black adhesive. Thank you so very much. Also, could you advise someone in Northern NJ for the work?

On 2019-06-03 by (mod) -

I don't think you'll find an explicit code Citation for every 19 Arrangement. Instead the way the code writers and I both would duck and weave on this actually interesting question would be to suggest that if you are meeting the installation requirements set by the manufacturer of the equipment that would be the final technical word. So I expect you're fine in what you want to do. It should be easy enough to identify the brand and model of each of the pieces of equipment and to review what they tell you about combustion air.

On 2019-06-02 by (mod) -

Nicole

Answer perfectly understandable question but not one that has any usefulness to answer with no information about it the building. What you should do is have it inspected by a competent inspector is working for you and has no conflicts of interest.

On 2019-06-02 by Nicole Kniffen

We are purchasing a home that was built in 1900. As far as we know, nothing in the attic has been redone. What is the likelihood of asbestos?

On 2019-06-02 by Steve D

I have a utility room with a sealed combustion / power direct vent gas-fired Bryant furnace and a natural draft gas-fired 80 gallon water heater. Combustion air is provided low from the crawl space and high from the attic. The utility room is off the garage and is entered via a door from the garage.

When the water heater is off, lots of warm heat flows from the utility room to the attic in the winter and is a contributor to ice dams. I am considering changing the water heater out for a power direct vent / closed combustion HTP Phoenix unit.

If the utility room has two power direct vent appliances (furnace and water heater) both with direct outdoor combustion air and each with its own exhaust (both with its own concentric inlet/exhaust pipe), can I permanently close and seal off both the floor and ceiling air supplies? Both appliances would no longer require combustion air from the room. I've talked to my local inspector and he said it would be permissible to close off the upper and lower combustion air sources.

Does the code address this anywhere?

On 2019-06-02 by Mori

Thank you Dan

On 2019-06-02 by Jules

We have been on holiday for 2 weeks, returned home and noticed the pump was not running, checked the breaker and it had tripped, reset and the pump started but is noisy and rattling, like it is labouring to push air smoothly into the tank. The red light on the pump box is on which it never has been before in 3yrs since the system was built. Any ideas as Ive lost the manual for it!

Pump still running but worried it is doing damage to it

On 2019-06-02 by (mod) -

The insulation is generally Queen I don't know why you wouldn't just insulate over it. If it's filled with insects or rodents droppings or needs to be removed to find a mode reservoir on the ceiling below with those are the areas worth exploring and possibly cleaning.

On 2019-06-02 by (mod) -

If you can find the brand of your equipment on the data tag that combined with the serial number that you already have will allow you to look up the age decoder in this article series

On 2019-06-02 by (mod) -

I think a service tech might check the high side pressure at the time that the motor is attempting to start.

On 2019-06-02 by (mod) -

Scott

You could perform an interesting experiment by collecting settled dust from a representative surface near the electric fire. Have them analyzed for asbestos. If you search this website for adhesive tape test or dust sampling methods you will see an easy way to do that

On 2019-06-01 by Scott armour

Ive a 1970s electric fire, twin bar in my privately rented apartment, it's beginning to degrade and am worried about it starting to emit fibres, what should I do
I'm also a retired civil engineer

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On 2019-06-01 by (mod) -

Drip marks on the floor are often right under the nails that serve as frost collection points in cold weather.

If there is frost in the attic there may be air leaks from the occupied space - into the attic, that is. In winter that's going to carry moisture into that space where it freezes and collects. In summer moisture may also accumulate in a poorly vented attic.

Spillage of roof runoff around a foundation can wet a basement or crawl space, serving as a moisture source that sends moisture right up through the building into the attic or roof cavity.

On 2019-06-01 by (mod) -

Quite so, though I don't see obvious hand-hewn marks there are a few very faint ones. Also on some boats or ships the level of carpentry was more-skilled than and finished wood surfaces smoother than timbers used in barn and building construction.

On 2019-06-01 by Mori

Dan
What do you suggest to do

On 2019-06-01 by Rob

I have a culligan system in my basement, every Wednesday night the system regenerates, every Thursday when someone tries to get a shower, the tub fills up and drains extremely slow until I plunge it, then it's good for a week. This past Thursday I spent an hour with the plunger nd still can't get the tub to drain properly. Any ideas if it's related to the water softener system or what else it could be?

On 2019-06-01 by Anonymous

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On 2019-06-01 by Anonymous

The plank is 8' x 6" x 3", roughly hewn. It could have lost it's edges over years under or on the water. The spike weights 126 grams. My feeling is that it was submerged in the ocean for a long time but broke free and floated up. Generally timber that has been floating on the water for a long time has been eaten by ship worms and is full of holes. This doesn't have much ship worm activity. This could be that it's a type of wood they don't like.

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On 2019-06-01 by (mod) -

Mori

The blue canister in your photo, if that's the item to which you are referring, is a filter drier, not a refrigerant metering device.

On 2019-06-01 by (mod) -

Sorry, Joe,

But no
Have you checked with your local heating supplier to see what they can get you?


In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias we do not sell any products nor do we have any business or financial relationships that could create such conflicts of interest.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

On 2019-06-01 by Joe Scott

HI,
I need to buy 3 convectors. Do you know who selsl International Environmental Company brand?

I need:

ONE 400 Right Drain Two Pipe Regular 1/2 Coil
ONE 400 Left Drain Two Pipe Regular 1/2 Coil
ONE 300 Right Drain Two Pipe Regular 1/2 Coil


Thanks,

Joe

On 2019-05-31 by Jeff

5 bedroom, perc @approx.7min. Per inch. Chamber system how many do I need. How many trenches??

On 2019-05-31 by Mori

The device for expansion looks like this

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On 2019-05-31 by John

Does anyone know how much the woodruff shingles weigh per 100square feet?

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

Since foam insulation is not hard, it should have enough flex that it can seal tightly around a condensate drain pipe and still handle vibration and thermal expansion/contraction dimensional changes. However let's be sure we're addressing the main problem here. We want the condensate to enter the drain not sit in an overflow or find a leak in a condensate pan.

If the refrigerant piping insulation is intact over its length and not compressed (for example by being squeezed in a hanger strap) you ought not see condensation on that piping run (it's actually condensate - water condenses out of air onto the cooler pipe surface, the pipe isn't really "sweating" as does our skin when it exudes moisture out through its pores).

But In addition to adding a little insulation right at the air handler - your first photo - for which you could simply use a short length of refrigerant piping insulation cut and slipped snugly in place - you ought to take a look inside the air handler to be sure that the condensate drain is working properly and the pan slopes to the drain. We don't want a puddle of condensate to accumulate inside the air handler such that its depth causes the level of condensate to reach and leak out at the air handler opening where the suction line enters the air handler - as shown in your photo.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-31 by Sheila

Age of unit? Model can 36-1 serial 28707197040..Addison..thank you

On 2019-05-31 by Sheila

Wondering she of my unit ? Model qch 36-1 serial 28707197040..thank you

 

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) - diagnose leaky wall siding or flashing

I'm sorry but I would need to have an on-site eye to look at your siding and flashing. We just can't see enough detail in the photos. The parts that are critical are in fact going to be covered by the siding that has already been installed. So besides leak testing one would ir might need to actually remove a little bit of siding to see exactly what was done at the Leaky window. I agree that one does not normally rely on caulking to prevent a leak around the window in a vinyl sided building.

 

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

The compressor may be having trouble starting against head pressure. That would not be a low refrigerant problem. It could be a problem with a expansion valve or cap tube that is sticking or clogged.

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

I think you're on the track of the leak but we're not quite there yet.

Typically a deep snow leak even if it completely covered a roof vent would not itself cause a leak into the building. It might interfere with proper drain venting but that's a separate problem. Instead I suspect that there's an ice dam and water back up somewhere from the combination of snow cover, heat loss, and improper flashing to begin with.

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

Troubling of course,

but we need to find exactly where the leak is occurring.

The leak may have nothing to do with the fact that it's a stress skin panel construction, it could be an ice dam or a roof flashing defect for example.

On 2019-05-31 by Roger Kimmel

Leaking during freezing season

On 2019-05-31 by Mori

Hi
I have a mini chiller system with scroll compressor,it runs and makes cool well but when the compressor wants to start,it starts loudly with vibration for around 5 seconds,when i checked the compressor saw it's sweated,wet and cold under the suction line.System is clean and when i checked the suction pressure it shows a little undercharge and when i want to add gas i see no change in pressure.Do you have any idea?
Thank you.

On 2019-05-31 by chris

the image of the same unit style with new siding, and different style window trim or flashing?

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On 2019-05-31 by chris

Thank you for taking the time to look at my issue. Although it was not news I wanted to hear, the honesty about what to do next and information provided is very appreciated.

Took a few days to try and contact a few siding companies and also look for a company or person who does leak tests/inspections if that even exists(have yet to find one for residential). The two siding installers who did stop by to take a quick look and give estimates, both commented that the top part of the windows flashing? (attached image) should not have been caulked. I finally spoke to the people across the street (same unit style), who also had new windows installed to remedy a leak with wind blown rain. It was still present after the new windows, and then moved onto the siding and trim around the windows.
I got the contact info for the installer they used, as they seemed to be happy with the job and have not had any leaks since, even with strong wind blown rain. I will attach a photo of the siding job if possible could you take a look to see if it looks proper? as we are seriously thinking about using the same installer.

chris

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-31 by Anonymous

I have my air handler in the attic. I went up in the attic last year and noticed a small puddle of water on the plywood. I found a tear in the bottom of the insulation around the pipe and this is causing water (sweating/condensation) to sit in the insulation and drip out. So I put a pan down to catch the water. As you can see by one picture, the copper pipe comes through the handler with no insulation or putty to stop the cold air from coming out into the attic and causing the line to sweat. This also runs down to where the hole is in the insulation. I went back the other night and found water in the pan again and notices a new spot where water was dripping. I also found that where the installers supported the lines that the strapping material was damp to wet.
Note: My attic is foamed so it does not get very hot up there even in the summer.
I plan on replacing most all the foam, putting a barrier where the pipes come out of the handler, putting some cut sections of PVC pipe where the strap supports are to stop the insulation from being crushed.
Questions.
Should the new foam fit snug around the pipe or have room for movement. The current foam is a one size fits most all.
If I get loos or snug foam, seal the ends/joints with a foam tape, close off the handler hole and better support the copper, will this stop my sweating or will it always be there?
The copper pipe and foam run down into the wall and out to the outside unit. That wall is also foamed, do I need to worry about it sweating?
Thanks

On 2019-05-31 by Barry

I have this balsam wool stuff in my attic of a house built in 1945, Can I just blow new insulation over it or should I remove it first?

Thanks

On 2019-05-31 by Dan

Want to install exhaust fan vent with light and night light.inside tub.
How to wire gfic to vent and switch?

Thank you!

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

Thanks for the interesting comment.

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

That generosity would surprise me.

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

It will be interesting to see photos of the Timber itself. Often tool marks can give us some indication of the timber age.

On 2019-05-31 by (mod) -

While the tolerance varies, it wouldn't surprise me for a capacitor to test a bit off from the kabel rating.

Look for a plus / minus specification on your capacitor to tell us what the manufacturer's expected variation was.

Perhaps you can attach photos of the labeling on the capacitor. One per comment.

On 2019-05-30 by Craig

Is it common for a newly purchased capacitor to test below the listed rating right out of the box? Bought a 55 mfd recently and tested at 52.92 out of the box.

On 2019-05-30 by (mod) -

Ella,

My guess is that the tape down the vent opening finding no water could be a useful diagnostic if we were sure that the vet were actually near the end of one of the lines in the drain field. I don't think that just pumping the tank again is going to fix anything, and it's not appropriate if the type of recently pumped anyway. I also don't think digging up the entire drain field is appropriate without more diagnosis.

Er need a plumber on site who has a sewer camera and who can run that through the lines to find the distribution box and through the distribution box the drainfield lines that can then be examined directly.

On 2019-05-30 by (mod) -

Steve

I'm just your text I really can't make a confident guess about the cause of the week that you described. As you probably agree the most common cause of leaks of the plumbing vent is improper flashing. If the problem were being caused by condensation on the interior of the building I would expect that you would have seen that problem previously unless you tell me that you have also seen a change in the insulation in that area or that there is an air leak that wasn't previously present in the area.

On 2019-05-30 by (mod) -

That's a great question Mike. I'd be concerned about causing both find water droplets containing asbestos dust as well as dust particles being made Airborne even using a conventional look back. I think a better approach would be to use wet cleaning methods to remove the majority of the debris and final dry vacuuming using a HEPA vac.

On 2019-05-30 by (mod) -

Well vented.

On 2019-05-30 by (mod) -

Take some sharp photos both close up and we're just didn't to give context and post those here. Use the add image button to post one photo per comment. That might allow us to make more specific suggestions.

But certainly it's the case that there are fungi or molds and algae of a great range of color. Never just black.

On 2019-05-30 by (mod) -

I'm not sure what exactly the conditions are in your building. If you're describing for example a floor drain and you seal it off, you avoid it back up in that location but of course it means that any water spilled on the floor does not drain.

On the other hand if you're describing a sink or tub drain then blocking off next to fix your unusable. In any case all that you're doing is treating the symptom not the problem.
Sounds to me as if the problem is a partly blocked Plumbing drain or inadequate venting.

The risk of those ranges from inconvenience and noise to sewer gas contamination or even explosion in a building to a sewage backup in a building.

So considering that the worst cases could be serious it would be appropriate to get some help from a plumber.

On 2019-05-30 by Sabrina

Hello I have a drain or vent on my floor that when the shower is running and someone use the toilet at the same time or just the shower is running, there is water coming out of this floor drain or vent. 1st. Can I remove or close this drain/vent without creating another problem? Or can this be fix so water will not come out of it?

 

On 2019-05-30 by Jerry Myers

We live on lake huron. We have blue spots all over the siding.
Everything I have read so far has been black spots.
Any ideas?

On 2019-05-30 by Judy

I have a great idea for a new toilet seat.Who can I speak with about this

On 2019-05-29 by Mike K

Vast majority of floor tile (Presumed Asbestos Containing Material) installed in 1958 are loose due to repeated flooding in basement and must be removed. Would it be safe (minimal asbestos particle released) to use water and a conventional wet vacuum to clean up as tile are placed into garbage bags? If dry a HEPA vacuum is required. If a mister is used to keep entire area wet, is cleanup with a non HEPA vacuum acceptable?

On 2019-05-29 by NSInsulator

I work for an insulation company in Nova Scotia and it is not uncommon to find vermiculite insulation in old homes. I find about 70% are usually positive. Unfortunately, at this home, not enough could be collected to really test it. A few large, hard, green flakes can be easily seen, which in my experience can typically indicate positive for asbestos (I keep a tally of my guesses before I send the samples, I am currently 64/83, 77% correct). It also seems like the homeowner has cleaned out it out by themselves, which also makes me suspect that they already know it is positive. At this point, I am assuming it is positive and not touching the attic.

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On 2019-05-29 by Steve

The roofer replaced a flat roof with a metal of a minimal slope. He did not extend the soil stacks through the new roof (about 4 of them) and now, when there is 6" of snow or more, the roof leaks at one of the vents that does stick through (a water heater vent). We are not sure if enough condensation would build up to cause that much leakage. It leaks enough to soak up the insulation and make the ceiling panels get soggy and fall to the floor each time. Could it be the ridge cap that is leaking also? New boots were replaced aroung the 4 vents that stick up.

On 2019-05-29 by Anonymous

HOW OLD IS WATER HEATER MODEL# 40 FFHMEV

On 2019-05-29 by Steph

Need help hopefully in guiding me to what I must do next - We have a 500 gal well with an above ground pump - There is two on/off valves one for to small homes and the other for a sprinkler system that waters about 2 acres - The pressure to both homes is at 72 PSI - Then when turn on the valve for the sprinklers it drops to 30 PSI - I can hear the water running through the large steel pipe like it is trying to fill up the tank - So, I allowed it to run for over an hour yesterday turned it off and walked to locate a super wet area ... No Luck tried again today letting it run for another hour nothing no where - I am at a lost .. Sprinkler company wants to repipe the 2 plus acres for 10 grand I am so frustrated due to this was a rental property for 8 years and this sprinkler system was in great condition and watered with fantastic pressure - So somewhere along the line they turned it off and never ever communicated there was an issue - We are repairing and a bit of Remodeling to sell then this happens ...

On 2019-05-29 by Kim

If a drain field is abandoned, and a new drain field is constructed in ad different area, could you make use of the land where the abandoned drain field is? If so, what precautions should you take? How long should you wait before using the abandoned drain field? Can you use it for purposes of gardening or building a patio on top?

On 2019-05-28 by Darren Watson

Why would my condenser stop and start repeatedly before then running continuously when my air handler is running?

On 2019-05-28 by Anonymous

We have a 2001 SPIRI from Clayton Homes and have lost power to front half of the trailer. Except the master BATHROOM and outlets in kitchen. Really weird had electrician from warranty department come out, but he said he didnt know what it could be. Could see if the whole half of trailer was out but its not. Any advise qould be great

On 2019-05-28 by Sean

I have a lennox air handler in the attic, serial number# 583E 501 29, it has a serious vibration that seems to come from the blower wheel, I took the blower wheel off and it feels like the blade are a little loose were they are tack welded on the frame, also its one unit but 2 seprate thermostats both were set to off because the fan blower/air handler would go off even after an hour so I had to turn off the single pole switch to power down the unit, so I believe I have 2 problems here, any ideas on what they may be, Thanks Sean

On 2019-05-28 by Anonymous

(should have replied to this thread)
Hi,
thank you for the prompt response - appreciate that.
not sure if you got change to see the drip mark on the attic floor? does it still mean high humidity in the attic?
i read the link you gave.
i think i might know where the humidity is coming from - we had high humidity in the basement last year that needed two humidifiers to take care of and i believe i had set the whole house humidifer to high last winter. The reason i know that the humidity setting was high because on the windows there was mold "dots" and i belive it was due to the humidity setting at 40-50% in dead of winter. Also the water from roof was draining close to foundation.

what do i at this point through summer?

one question: is there way to tell, while in the attic, if there is ridge vent installed?

On 2019-05-28 by Anonymous

Hi,
thank you for the prompt response - appreciate that.
not sure if you got change to see the drip mark on the attic floor? does it still mean high humidity in the attic?
i read the link you gave.
i think i might know where the humidity is coming from - we had high humidity in the basement last year that needed two humidifiers to take care of and i believe i had set the whole house humidifer to high last winter. The reason i know that the humidity setting was high because on the windows there was mold "dots" and i belive it was due to the humidity setting at 40-50% in dead of winter. Also the water from roof was draining close to foundation.

what do i at this point through summer?

one question: is there way to tell, while in the attic, if there is ridge vent installed?

On 2019-05-28 by patricia

Can gas lines be run under the floor . If they need to be visible for inspection, can the flooring then be closed after passing inspection.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Jack I've posted your photo for you

I suspect there are multiple of these stains around roofing nails in your attic - typically a sign of condensation or frost forming in the attic - it forms first on the metal tips of nails.


See details at ATTIC MOISTURE or MOLD https://inspectapedia.com/ventilation/Attic_Moisture_Mold.php
It's not a nail defect.

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On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

jack said:
did contractor messed up the roof installation? see pic. ...

1. did he not use a galvanized nails?
2. is the high humidity causing the nail to rust? never had humidity issue up there before.
only difference this year was i insulated the attic door so heat would not escape.

Moderator said:

Please try the Add Image button to post your image.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

That does sound like a wood destroying insect - termites, powder post beetles, or less likely, carpenter ants whose frass is more coarse.

Normally I suggest sellers wait to see what a buyer and their inspectors care about before spending money that otherwise might be wasted. But for an unambiguous condition that's a common issue and that's easily solved it may make more sense to go ahead and deal with this bug question now.

While any home buyer would be expected to have an insect damage inspection - as that's usually required by mortagors - and thus any buyer would be expected to find the same bug evidence as you've already noticed, if you wait until then to address the problem you're introducing anxiety and delay that's avoidable.

You should go ahead right now and have the home inspected by a licensed pest control officer or "exterminator" to identify the presence of a problem - that then gets treated, or to give a clean bill of health. In either event you'll end up with a home for sale that has already addressed what otherwise would become a stumbling block along the way to closing sale.

On 2019-05-28 by Jerry

Ive abandon the slab ducts. Like to have them filled. Any recommendations in the Md area who this job

On 2019-05-28 by Anonymous

Yes, I will confirm sealant options with Behr prior to proceeding with a sealant on top of the epoxy. I will also ask about trying a third coat of the epoxy as a first step - the recommendation is to only put down two coats. I expect this is for a more typical situation to ensure water vapour can permeate from the concrete. Also, good point about the overhead subfloor. This has all been dusted and HEPA vacuumed as part of the remediation, however no effort was made to seal it. I sure hope that wont be necessary. The smell swatch test should provide an indication if it is.

On 2019-05-28 by ruth dickey

we have 1904 sq. ft. crawl space, doublewide, , we have custom wood skirting, , we have the original vapor barrier on the ground over the clay dirt floor, the top overhead is all buttoned up nice, , however, we have added numerous passive vents, and we get a lot of rain and humidity, , , there are noi leaks, , and rain water doeds not get in, we have gutters with extenders, to trenches, away from foundation, plus a dith for raian water in the rear, extending around one side of property for , so it does not get under crawl, however, also our hvac does not work, we do not use heat or air, we have wood stove in winter, and fans in summer, so that is not a factor in the moisture of the crawlspace, m,, this wood skirting does not breathe, and the 8x14 inch or so soffit vents, they give you are not really 1 sq. ft. of passive vent air, that's recommended for every 150 sq. ft., , , so we are going to add more passive air vents, and if we have to, , we ll add a new 6 mil plastic floor vapor barrier over the old one, a job that I dread, because the skirting has to stay on the whole time, and , in spots, its less than 15 inches high, with the anchor straps there and everything, we cannot get into a dehumidifier, they are very expensive, and this , vapor barrier under there, has sharp rocks all over under it, , its like Vietnam under there, with full knee and arm pads, ect., , I believr its just not getting enough venting, mainly, down the wide middle part, , and the jerks whpo installed it, blocked off two of the rear vents, , too low to the ground, where the metal frame is blocking them, , plus the wood skirting does not breathe, we chodse wood over other types for , strength, weed eaters ect., and for the cold winter months, , please advise., , will we be better off with steel skirting, and if so even though we cannot afford that for quite a while, what about in the winter?, we have heatape for pipes, but, again these 8x14 or so soffit type vents they give you are only half of the recommended 1 ft to 150 ft of space, thank you for your answers.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

On most water heaters the tapping for hot, cold, dip tube and relief valve are marked by a label or a stamping into the steel. If you don't see that we need to start with the manual which means you need the brand and model

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Have you asked your building department if they have kept records of Prior code requirements?

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Foremost Roofing Products underlayment is absolutely required. Check the installation instructions for your roofing material.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Lynn

Let's start by a careful inspection of every Plumbing connection including those higher on the water heater. Sometimes you can get a leak for example at the temperature and pressure relief valve that leaks behind the jacket and runs down behind insulation.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Jeremy

What you are describing could be very dangerous and present serious health problems for people in your home. I can't see you enough by text to tell you to get out of the building but you certainly at the very least need immediate help from your health department. Do keep me posted.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

So,

My best suggestions for removing indoor pet odors are in the article above. Please take a look and let me know are any questions with which you are left.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Yes you can on some dryer models vent through the side. If your dryer is a model that can be vented through the side instead of the back you will see around knock out on one or both sides that's the same diameter as your dryer exhaust vent. Take a look and let me know what you see. Or post a photo of your dryer. Also check the dryer manual as they will probably discuss the adoption there.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

I'm guessing that you were talking about a dovetail joint.

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Have you checked for a waterlogged pressure tank?

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

You want to find the first electrical receptacle ins-dream of ones that are dead because that's likely to be where you have a broken connector

On 2019-05-28 by (mod) -

Everything you're saying sounds reasonable. I'm assuming that you've tried and ventilation and heat to see if you could speed up and finish off an mvoc off gas problem. Before buying any paint be sure to talk to the manufacturer about the coating that is already on the floor to be sure that it will bond successfully. Also I'm disappointed that a sealant didn't stop off-gassing from the floor which in turn makes me want to repeat the smell patch on maybe wood framing and subflooring overhead or any insulation that may be in the area.

On 2019-05-27 by Anonymous

2 THANK-YOUs:
Follow-up to questions Q1 and Q2. FIRST, thank-you for responding and so promptly to my questions! I'm very impressed. And regarding Q2 a SECOND thank-you as I able to use the smell patch test on your site to narrow down and confirm the source of our problem ( https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Smell_Patch_Test.php ) I assessed various locations in the basement and it clearly identified the concrete floor as the source. This has saved me at least $250.00 for an IAQ inspector I had spoken to come and inspect our house. Per your response, the basement has not had an ozone generator so, the smell must be related to mvocs from prior to the mold remediation that were absorbed into the porous concrete and are now off-gassing. On the advice of another IAQ inspector I had hoped the 1-part Behr epoxy would help seal and prevent odors from the concrete but this theory has been proved wrong. I don't believe I have any option but to put down a clear odor sealing product over the Behr epoxy. Fortunately I don't have a problem with water vapour seaping through the concrete (based on taping saran squares to the floor and checking for condensation under the saran) so sealing the concrete should be ok. Can't wait to get this done and get the smell out of our home. FYI I will look at smoke door sealing products from Fosters, Recon (Fiberlok) and Sentinel etc. to determine what is available locally as well as what is effective and reasonably priced.

On 2019-05-27 by Wilson

Looking for someone who has a dog trained to detect mold in residence......

On 2019-05-27 by (mod) -

Anonymous by private email asked:

Two Mold related questions coming from a northern climate (4 seasons, with cold winters and hot, humid summers).

Q1. Follow-up to your reader (July 2012) who used closed-cell spray foam on a dirt crawl space floor:

SITUATION: I rent a cottage and am helping the owner address a moisture/mold issue in the crawl space. The crawl space has an irregular (not flat) dirt floor with rock jutting up in many places. A local jack-of-all-trades contractor is recommending spray foam for the floor, walls and headers; he states he's previously done this successfully on dirt floors. I haven't found any reference to creating a moisture barrier by spray foaming a dirt floor; other than from your reader from July 2012 (see below). Any updates about this approach? I'm apprehensive if only because it doesn't seem to be a typical approach and I don't want u to be the ginny-pigs. The only mechanicals in the crawl space are a hot water tank and pump for in-take of lake water. There is some water puddling in one corner of the 1500 sq ft basement that will be addressed, the moisture Barrie installed and then remediation of the moldy joists and electrical wiring.


Q2. Post-remediation Mold smell - how to address mvoc off gassing from concrete basement floor:

SITUATION: Over the past 18 months we have addressed a mold issue in ou basem including: fixing wall cracks where moisture was entering, removing smelly drywall and fibre glass insulation, adding a moisture barrier of closed cell spray foam to walls and headers and running two de-humidifiers to keep the moisture level under control. We also used a Zinsser shellac-based odor sealer on the underside of wooden steps, AFM Safecoat on the wooden 2x4 framing and Behr 1 part epoxy on the floor (2,000 sq ft). Smell got progressively better and after all these actions was eventually gone (February/March).

BUT, now it's May, the environmental conditions have changed and the moldy/gassy smell is back. Given the basement is dry (~50% RH) I'm assuming the smell is off gassing from somewhere and I assume it's the floor (since the concrete floor is porous and the 1-part epoxy paint is gas permeable). I'm currently doing your smell test with foil and paper towel taped to the floor to test this assumption.

QUESTION: How can I clean the epoxy acrylic painted floor to purge the concert of mvocs (TSP alternative? ) and/or can I better seal the mvoc off gassing from the floor? The situation is significant as the smell is making the house uninhabitable without having open windows and constant fresh air. I'm not sure where to turn - even knowing what kind of 'expert' to contact isn't clear. NOTE: because the basement is below grade the temperature doesn't allow me to open windows without the RH jumping above 60%. I will try an HEPA air scrubber but don't see that being a cure. Vacuuming with a HEPA vac has been inefffective.


Moderator Reply:

You could spray closed cell foam on a crawl space floor - I think almost nobody does it because it's a pretty expensive alternative to 6-mil poly + cleaning the roof gutters. I'd prefer to spend on

- de-watering the crawl space
- removing any mold contamination
- laying down a properly-placed and sealed plastic moisture barrier (watch out some plastics also smell horrible from offgassing, especially in a confined space - might even be unsafe to breathe
- converting the crawl area to a dry, warmed, conditioned space if at all possible, such as by
- sealing air leaks such as at the rim joist
- insulating at least the perimeter

The floor doesn't have to be level to put down poly but you do need to consider where water might collect - under plastic is ok, on top of it means the installation made a mistdake.

Consider how irritating it'd be if the floor is foamed, now harder than ever to access, and somebody has to get in there to install a sump.

Consider too how irritating it'd be to spray foam the floor, then discover you have to pay someone still more to squeeze over the foam through tighter spaces to do necessary mold remediation on all of those exposed wood surfaces or perhaps remove moldy insulation.

At InspecApedia.com you'll want to read the CRAWLSPACE DRYOUT articles.

About heating costs, most house heat loss is up and out - through air leaks at windows, doors, attics. Heat loss "down" into a crawl area is usually considerably less.
But still, fixing drafts, stopping water entry, converting the crawl area to a closed, conditioned space, is current "Best Practice".

About continued odor off-gassing from concrete, if cleaning, ventilating, and drying out an area over a smelly concrete slab don't fix that problem - as it may not - you may need to seal the slab with an odor-sealant paint such as is used by fire restoration companies. Some mold fungicidal paints can also work.

But before more paint coatings let's ask: did someone run an ozone generator in that space? Over-dosing with ozone can itself oxidize building materials and lead to a troubling chemical odor problem. You can find OZONE WARNINGS in the ARTICLE INDEX along with more mold cleanup and crawlspace dryout articles.

On 2019-05-27 by Rob

I have the old low voltage system. I think it is GE but not 100% sure. Problem is I have 6 120v outlets not working. Lights and light switches do work. I checked each outlet and all the circuit breakers. Found nothing wrong. Not sure what to check or do next. If light works but outlet doesnt where do I go or check next? If relay is bad could the light switch still work but not the outlet?

On 2019-05-27 by Dana .

Pulling my hair out we have a rapid clicking in the pressure switch at the water tank It causes the lights downstairs to blink as well.. we have pulled the well out .. we had to replace the pump not long ago.. we checked all the water lines for leaks tightened all the connections... Troubleshooting without a new pressure switch.. we bought a new valve.. its clicking and the lights blink rapidly..b we have a 2040 switch but it only runs up to 30 before it cuts off.. we have done everything I could read other than replace the tank but it seems the tank is holding pressure.. now we have a pulsating of water throughout house.. as if it is surging... please help I've spent so much money I can't afford a plumber at this point again

On 2019-05-27 by (mod) -

Kristina

From the article above on this page try American Academy of Environmental Medicine, 6505 E. Central Ave., #296, Wichita KS 67206 316-684-5500 - http://www.aaemonline.org/

On 2019-05-27 by Kristina

@Georgi Matusewicz,
Did you ever locate someone tp help you?if so, could you post the name? thank you!!!

On 2019-05-27 by (mod) -

Chad

At the CONTINUE READING links please click on the live link for GHOSTING DARK RECTANGULAR STAINS: CAUSES

and let me know what questions remain.

On 2019-05-27 by (mod) -

Sorry Arthur, you'll have to fight with the shingle manufacturers who design shingles, manufacture them, and give instructions for how they are to be installed.

The fact that you saw some shingles resisting wind damage and others failing to it and that you saw the strips removed or not removed does not, unfortunately, explain wind resistance.

Manufacturers give very specific instructions for selection and installation of shingles in high wind areas, including, where appropriate, use of shingles designed for that application and on occasion additional adhesive.

To diagnose shingle failures correctly you should be considering the shingle installation instructions, including nailing, shingle choice and adhesives.

It is of paramount importance among professional investigators to distinguish between opinion and fact, between one's own ideas and the advice from qualified experts - including the manufacturers of the products being installed, evaluated, and investigated. Otherwise we are at risk of confusing arm-waving with reliable information.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Website content 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 us both. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

On 2019-05-27 by (mod) -

As we said in response to your question by email
unfortunately with no more information than the age of the rock lath or gypsum board that you're removing, if you have to make a Dusty demolition mess then you need to either treat the material as presumed to contain asbestos, or to have representative samples tested.

On 2019-05-27 by Sean Sullivan

Hi, I have a 1940"s house in Denver. I'm about to demo some drywall to widen a closet door. Looks like rock lath, about 3/4 in thick and very crumbly when compromised. Should I be worried about asbestos? Attached are photos of an edge. Have some exposed in back of a bathroom that is button hole, but not sure if this is the same.

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On 2019-05-27 by M.Peterson

The Alarm light keeps going off. We ve had service calls, but the servicemen say everythings fine.
The system is 2 yrs old & the sprinkler goes off @ 2 pm in the afternoon, whereas it used to just go off once around 2am. Hey, I do lawn work in the afternoon.
We monitor the bleach level.
We travel but this is a problem we can t solve.
Thks!
Have you got any info. that may help?

On 2019-05-26 by Chad

Hello. Just appeared on our walls and ceilings. Most are following joists and where walls meet ceiling. Few spots are on top of walls and extend to ceiling. What is it and what is the solution ? Thanks

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On 2019-05-26 by Anonymous

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On 2019-05-26 by Arthur Netteler

I have no idea where the People that wrote this Article are from or their Business. I Worked in the Insurance Claims/Adjusting line of Work for over 30 years. I have seen shingled roofs installed only months apart, that have been side by side during Extreme Weather events. And the difference is AMAZING between Shingles that still have the Packaging Plastic Strips and those with the Strips removed. Many times we will see shedding of LARGE AMOUNTS or ENTIRE ROOF SHINGLES pealed off almost as if paper out of a ream package. On roofs with the Plastic Film ON the Shingles we have inspected. And others WITH the Strips removed have only had a few Perimeter and Ridge Caps Shingles damaged.
Just recently several Motels of one Chain, in South West Texas has wind major damage to their 2-3yo roofs. And on EVERY ONE of those Buildings the Shingle Plastic Strips are still on the Shingles. With Buildings just yards away having little or NO DAMAGE to the same make Shingles with the Plastic Strips REMOVED during installation! Here in a picture of shingles from on of the Motels, WITH the plastic intact. These were found ALL OVER the Property, after only a 75mph Storm. And their older building with not a single shingle damaged just 75 ft away, with the same model Shingles, installed by a different Company. You can not even pull those Shingle up.

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On 2019-05-26 by Katherine Adams

What is the term for a zig-zag shape hidden joint connection that connects one one piece to another as found in some carpentry, woodworking. I've seen my father use them to connect door frame joints

On 2019-05-26 by Bettie

Cane you vent a dryer out of the side of the dryer?

On 2019-05-26 by Sue

How do I remove pet waste smells inside my home

On 2019-05-25 04:26:07.001106 by Lynn

We have an AO Smith 50 gallon electric water heater model EES 51 917 & there seams to be a drizzle
leak from the reset panel door. We removed the door & styrofoam panel and could not locate the source so we put the styrofoam & panel door back on and slow leak remained. Any suggestions as to what this might be.

On 2019-05-24 23:48:40.358290 by Reinette

Dripping noise in outside pipe that goes into drain. Turned water off ... dripping stopped. Can there be a leakage?

On 2019-05-24 23:41:20.784879 by Todd

Thank you. Very informative website and level headed responses to questions.

On 2019-05-24 16:27:40.233589 by (mod) -

Sounds as if the slab was poured on loose fill - could that be?

On 2019-05-24 16:26:36.793537 by (mod) -

Insulation can be a respiratory irritant, I agree, Monica but as it's also normal for house dust to appear as deposits around air supply registers and for it to leave marks as I think I see in your photo, we cannot assume that insulation dust is an issue in your home without more investigation.

On 2019-05-24 15:06:35.836442 by Monica D

I recently moved in to a newly constructed apartment in Florida. My family all seems to be experiencing some degree of irritation ranging from chronic runny noses (inside the house only) to skin lesions and itching. The air quality/mold detection test came back nil and the only other thing I can think of is small chunks of insulation I found in the vents when we moved in? Would this have anything to do with our health?

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On 2019-05-24 08:22:07.110958 by Nitin

When trying to repair inner slab, entire inner slab has fallen down

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On 2019-05-24 04:21:36.642782 by Frank Shader

I want to put a layer of 15 lb under titanium 50 under Cedarlite 600 in so cal is it better or just more exspencive

On 2019-05-23 22:14:59.715596 by Anonymous

What happens if the supply and return water pipes are backwards

On 2019-05-23 19:54:34.998024 by Ron

Small AC capacitor start motor. 1/2 hp. It runs fine for ten minutes, then stops running. Then buzzing trying to start again, but it cant. The start capacitor was burned out when I got it, but I replaced it.

On 2019-05-23 19:11:49.590653 by dave

my new water heater came without a t and p valve. does it get installed on top or side of heater? the side hole is plugged and the top hole is open.

On 2019-05-23 15:03:04.386956 by (mod) -

Thank you for the interesting question, Kevin.

I agree that building along any sea coast or along the shores of lakes like Lake Superior expose homes to driven rain and high wind, making detailing of the building exterior really important during construction.

In my OPINION, once we've selected a drainable housewrap, the concern is not so much which housewrap product is selected but in exactly how it is installed, how we handle details around building openings like windows and doors, how the housewrap is secured to the building (staples?) , how it's overlapped, how much care is taken to be sure all overlaps are in the right direction, how the drainage plane beneath the siding is preserved, and even basic snafus like installing the housewrap with the wrong side "out" (the printed side goes out).

Some coastal builders install double-coverage housewrap on their homes, working up from the bottom, installing runs of housewrap that overlap enough that there are in effect two layers of material.

Typical specification from model building codes: All overlaps in a building wrap must overlap 6 inches where two pieces join vertically, and 2 inches at horizontal seams. The first course should begin around a corner a minimum 12 inches (or to the first stud) and overlap the sill plate 1 to 2 inches.

Housewraps marketed as specifically designed for the extra-demand of coastal building include

NapaWrap Coastal house wrap

HydroGap Drainable House wrap - Benjamin Obdyke

DELTA-VENT SA, which is a self-adhesive, water and air resistant barrier. DELTA-VENT SA has three layers.

Typar HouseWrap

All of these describe their products as specifically suited for coastal building.

Possibly Weathersmart is designed for that application too - you might want to contact Henry Co. directly. I read the company's product description and found myself quickly out of breath and, low on oxygen, confused.

Quoting: https://henry.com/residential-and-light-commercial/weather-resistive-air-barriers/weathersmart
WeatherSmart
WeatherSmart represents a new generation in housewrap technology, offering an intelligent housewrap solution one that delivers the ideal balance between water intrusion protection and moisture vapor breathability; so it can be used in any climate and behind most exterior claddings. The product is a polymeric weather-resistive barrier, utilizing a high-strength nonwoven substrate and a monolithic non-perforated coating of smart polymers. Its unique construction protects against the elements-while being extraordinarily durable and UV stable.

Part of the Fortifiber 1-2-3 moisture control system, WeatherSmart is designed to withstand the rigors of the jobsite and the elements, and is backed by an industry-leading 15-year warranty.

On 2019-05-23 14:50:52.814732 by (mod) -

JImmy

A sewer or drain line sloped in the wrong direction is going to have repeated clogs and in a freezing climate risks freeze-up, breakage, or worse a sewer backup into the building.

The whole sewer line ought to be inspected (perhaps with a sewer camera) and any slope errors should corrected.

On 2019-05-23 14:49:02.183714 by (mod) -

Thank you for the clarification.

I agree that an inspector who looked into the crawl area might be expected to see the mold in your photos - assuming it was present then, which is likely unless much time has passed or conditions have changed significantly.

You want a thorough inspection of the home that attends to factors key in mold contamination: where have there been leaks or moisture traps, where are the most-likely spots that are candidates for a hidden mold reservoir, and where is it justified to conduct further invasive inspection by cutting test openings to actually look.

Though its focus is slightly different, WHEN TO STOP LOOKING FOR MOLD https://inspectapedia.com/Building_Damage/Mold_Inspection_Satisfactory.php can also be helpful

as will

HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Find-Hidden-Mold.php

and

MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Mold_Action_Plan.php

Many home inspectors explicitly exclude environmental hazards from the scope of their inspection, in my OPINION because either they are scared of being blamed for not having X-Ray vision (search InspectApedia.com for that phrase to read more) or because they want to speed up the job.

Nevertheless virtually all home inspector association standards and most state licensing standards require that the inspector report visual evidence of leaks and water damage - under which aegis visible mold falls as evidence.

Try not to be furious - not unless your home inspector was
- not really working for you
- was referred by someone with an innate conflict of interest such as a real estate agent or home seller
- rushed through the job focused on speed and disclaimers rather than on doing the work
- gave a superficial no-content inspection report
- refuses to answer questions about her or his findings

On 2019-05-23 14:38:13.381542 by (mod) -

I've often wished I could pound the hell out of something - or someone, often a political leader - but I don't do it. The result is, unfortunately, either a lumpy mess or jail time.

Typically metal roofers use a metal bending brake or form for larger bends or they might use a small Vise-Grip metal bending tool for small details.

Here's a similar product, a Klutch 6-inch bending seamer sold by metalwork suppliers and by online vendors such as northerntool.com

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On 2019-05-23 13:58:04.942405 by (mod) -

Ag

The photos look a lot like termite damage.

See https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Termite_Damage_Identification.php TERMITE IDENTIFICATION & CONTROL

On 2019-05-23 13:56:22.376650 by (mod) -

John your photo is included in your comment below so it looks as if you found the Add Image button.

About needing a lawyer, if you cannot afford to pay for legal representation, most communities have a Legal Aid society who can provide a lawyer to you at no cost. You need to identify your country and city to pursue that option.

Your photo of a car headliner shows what looks like fungal growth - such wet carpet like material cannot be successfully cleaned and is normally thrown out.

On 2019-05-23 13:53:18.272497 by (mod) -

Craig

A hairline step cracking through a block foundation, if new, can indeed point to footing or foundation settlement.

FOUNDATION DAMAGE SEVERITY at https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Foundation_Damage_Assessment.php

will help you assess the situation

On 2019-05-23 10:43:21.594888 by John Wuethrich

Anyone that I could send a Pic of a car headliner to? 7 years ago I figured my parents house had an issue. 2 ago it came with in my car and made my apt unbearable for me. They were never really effected, if u ask them not at all except when my lease wasn't renewed and I got stuck at their place I saw the red eyes and sniffles intermittently. For me it was frequently bleeding from corners of eyes, pin prick wounds to point I thought I was gonna run out of body/skin for a while. I've read there is a genetic sucpitibility that's like 1 out of every 3 people? Haven't been tested but if I were a betting man... the house was tested 2 months in to me living there and they played ostriage and showed their likely personality disorders trying to bully me into believing it wasn't there. 9 months later I'm locked in a mental ward because the socieopaths found a cop that didn't follow law to letter and I happened to get a psychologist who Hippocratic for hypocrite because he decides mold is unlikely at my old apt and their house.. More blown away bugs were possible at 35 year old slum apt. Tells me I'm paranoid skitzo with delusions of mold and bugs, taking it out on parents.

I had to surrender my phone at check in so I said " sir If I may have my phone I can show you documents for the extermination, pictures of it (I had a camera running) and emails with the mold pro confirming my story"

He responds

"patients arnt allowed phones on the ward" gee wonder why this guy didn't display his last name on his ID badge? Lol

Got out right before drugging probably because I had been using the ward phone to leave law offices voicemail all day, loudly laughing about that joke called hipaa when I overheard others info.. Was 30 with no criminal or mental health record. Right before drug time and inspire of doc telling me (sat) I'd be theere till Tues at earliest.. They come and tell me we mistook the type of hold blah blah, then they wanted to know where to forward my new meds. Took every bit of strength I had not to say give me a steel toe and bend over I'll forward them for u.

I get out and get a picture message from my dad. They literaly had the remediation done while I was locked in the mental ward. 50ftx 9ish (drop ceiling) of basement wall insulation and some studs gone. 1500sq of carpet and pad gone.

I'm now in a new apt but pretty much financially wiped and these a holes give me a car that sat in their garage right in front of door to house and that door is at top of staircase to basement (see where we are going here?) it's mn so come winter u always track moisture into car in form of snow.

I'm about to lose lease if I can't fight the new landlord doing a 180 on garage lease despite knowing from start I was going to stage my stuff. My parents are keeping everything my mom threw in the basement at one point in non humidity controlled garage. A holes kept my 3m 3800 them spectical kit for 4 months of me driving around them feeling like death in empty apt.

I really need a lawyer because most of "my stuff" is electronics test gear. but if someone could give me a guess on what the attached is or place to start I'd be happy for now lol. Also I end up with little smaller than hair extream ly sensitive to air movement hairs on everything and binding nose hairs some (pre respirator avalibility by sadiats) can a one confirm if this is known to be a fungal thing?

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On 2019-05-23 04:10:33.213026 by agbayaa

last one i promise

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On 2019-05-23 04:09:44.487753 by agbayaa

dry rot??

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On 2019-05-23 03:59:02.653060 by agbayaa

one more..

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On 2019-05-23 03:49:01.356809 by agbayaa

here is another photo to help with my issue:

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On 2019-05-23 03:46:21.322421 by agbayaa

I am hoping someone can help me determine what is eating away at the structure of my home. We have had a moisture problem in the past so i am sure that is contributing to it. Is it rot? wood borers? Termites?

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On 2019-05-23 03:16:01.253397 by Craig S.

Little anomalies happening around my house after two Strom drainages got clogged behind my house. Opened a toilet bottle 2 x 4 x 2 hole on the Master Bedroom side of the house. My house sits in front of Gull Lake. Now after the storm the sidewalk had a void and a around street light. Further, had hole open the property same day when moving my car adjacent to where this is happening. So three holes in. Master Bedroom foundation was exposed. Now settling is starting around my house and walls are cracking. I've lived here for 7 years and the house was built in '79. Problems and cracks are showing more now that I'm reaching 60 days

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On 2019-05-23 by (mod) - vinyl siding came off during Hurricane Irma: who inspects, repairs?

Anonymous by private email said

I live in a 55+ manufactured home community in the Orlando, FL area. We were hit by Hurricane Irma on 9/10/2017. Our home, as well as others, had some of the vinyl sidings detach and hang or appear to be okay but was actually loose. We are currently in litigation with the insurance company for moisture damage to our subfloor from the rain entering through the detached & loosened vinyl siding.

I have noticed the vinyl siding warping and buckling on my home and a majority of the homes in my community. This has just started happening in the recent past few months. Could this be caused by the hot Florida sun in combination with moisture trapped behind hurricane loosened/detached vinyl siding? The majority of our residents live on Social Security and can not afford expensive repairs.

Who would we contact to inspect this situation and advise if this is hurricane damage that should be covered by our insurance companies? Also, who could I contact to inspect and confirm the subfloor moisture damage in my home? I also have black mold in the kitchen wall.

Thank you for any recommendations and assistance you can provide. Im sure our community isnt the only one experiencing this damage.


Moderator reply:

Siding that warps or buckles is usually doing so from being nailed too tightly; much less often it's a defective product; in that case I'd expect the condition to show up before the Irma storm.

Please take a look at VINYL SIDING BUCKLED WARPED and let me know if that leaves you with questions. https://inspectapedia.com/exterior/Vinyl_Siding_Buckled.php

On 2019-05-30 by Anonymous

If only one side of a 4 sided house has damaged vinyl siding, should your homeowners insurance pay for 4 new sides to match equally

 

 

 

 

 

On 2019-05-23 01:25:50.180472 by (mod) -

Is there not a run capacitor? That may be bad.

Or there may be a bad centrifugal switch that isn't cutting out the starting cap.

I'd look at the run cap before blaming the winding.

On 2019-05-23 01:24:22.154982 by (mod) -

Re-posting from private email:

Anonymous asked:

would your lab test reveal the age of a 3-tab shingle

Moderator reply:


At TEST LABS - ROOF SHINGLE https://inspectapedia.com/roof/Roof_Shingle_Test_Labs.php you can find roof and shingle test labs that can do what you need

- keep in mind that nobody is going to tell you the absolute chronological age of a shingle unless you have a receipt or manufacturing date; rather one can tell the wear-age.

On 2019-05-23 00:09:58.669480 by Elbass7

My single phase 0.75 switchless motor is made to run on 240 vac. It starts, but doesn't run. After applying power it soins up to about 1000 tpms and then starts slowing down, then the temp protection drops out. I measured the amps at starting with no load and it begins at about 29 amps and drops to 24 just before the protection kicks in. It has a start capacitor that I replaced. Is it the run winding? I measured about 3.4 ohms on the power terminals and 1.2 at the cap connections. Any guidance would be appreciated. Elbass7

On 2019-05-22 20:47:16.382358 by (mod) -

David

I cannot know just how much trouble the HVAC system and duct work are in from just your comment - it depends on where the water or leaks or corrosion (or maybe mold) are, how much, and why - what's the cause.

Effects range from trivial - a tiny leak at a humidifier that corroded the outside of ductwork, to significant - a contaminated or rust damaged air handler or fatal - a rust-damaged leaky furnace heat exchanger.

On 2019-05-22 20:28:28.103214 by (mod) -

Cathy there are two steps an electrician would take to determine which of those wires is hot and which netural:

1. look back along each wire with care to find one that's more obviously colored white (neutral) and black (hot)

2. use a VOM to test for voltage - assuming that there's a convenient ground present

Watch out: if you're not familiar with safe electrical wiring and repair you should leave this alone and ask for help from a trained electrician - making a mistake can burn down the house or kill you.

On 2019-05-22 20:23:15.147180 by (mod) -

Fab

Siemens produces a PHL1 Siemens ITE Pushmatic Handle Lock Kit - shown below.
Part No. 0829079769 and UPC 30783643118554 selling for about $15. U.S.

I’ve seen the Pushmatic breaker lock sold at online vendors and you may also find it through your local electrical supplier. Basicaly it’s a screw-locked clip that prevents the user from pushing the Pushmatic breaker in or “down” without first using a tool (a tiny allen wrench) to remove the guard.

See your question repeated where we answer in more detail at

https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Circuit-Breaker-Locks.php CIRCUIT BREAKER LOCKS

Watch out, hoever: you should reconsider your position that you will not replace the Bulldog Pushmatic panel as there are known performance and safety concerns with those breakers. See details at: inspectapedia.com/electric/Pushmatic.php PUSHMATIC - BULLDOG PANELS

On 2019-05-22 17:40:05.362125 by Cathy

Which is hot and which is neutral?

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On 2019-05-22 17:15:17.621322 by Fab87JCI

Been looking everywhere but to no avail. Maybe someone here could help please...

A picture attached shows an old school pushmatic breaker. Is there an option to add some kind of NFPA approved lock to the breaker for the dedicated fire alarm circuit??
All I'm finding is locks for the standard modern breakers but none for these really old ones. Replacing the breaker panel is not much of an option at this point.

Thanks in advance!

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On 2019-05-22 16:56:01.730993 by (mod) -

Ian I'm not sure either

But the pattern of stains doesn't look organic. At least not mold or algae.

It looks to me as if something splashed-on or wet the surface. It would be helpful to see more photos showing more context - what areas are stained?

And to know the country, city, and age of the home.

When did these stains first appear?

Can the stain be removed by mechanical scrubbing such as with a plastic scrubby sponge?

Is there a pollen source nearby?

?

On 2019-05-22 16:24:22.923141 by Ian

Trying to figure out what is causing these yellow brownish stains on the sides of garage and home. Bleach doesn't seem to remove them

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On 2019-05-21 23:38:39.105570 by David Ruth

The horizontal air handler unit has a rust around the blower outlet and white and greenish stains running down the outside Sheetmetal. I am writing contract on this home is there a problem with this unite?

On 2019-05-21 21:20:09.223521 by Josh

thanks for your reply! My concern is not that there's a mold reservoir deeper in the foam, but rather that there might be one someplace else in the house - perhaps in a wall from previous water damage - whose spores spread here. (I just bought this house and don't know it's history. I'm furious that the licensed home inspector didn't notice this - it's hard to miss!)

On 2019-05-21 20:39:42.690017 by Kevin

What is better for Maine coastal climate typar or weathersmart esr-1027?

On 2019-05-21 20:17:26.981192 by Anonymous

Thanks for your reply. My suspicion is that the zone valve on the hot side is stuck open. Cool water comes in, but mixed with the hot water, it doesn't allow the circulating air to get cool. If I wanted to manually shut off the hot water, would it be done by closing the spigot on the hot line or by closing the lever valve? Or doesn't it matter?

On 2019-05-21 18:04:51.094235 by Suburbangeorge

Why does your beam span table consist of only built up 2" by packages instead of 4" by or 6" by actual beams. I know that in the midwest and east headers in a 2x4 wall consist of two 2" bys with a 1/2" plywood spacer but in the west where the labor to do so costs more it's common to use 4x6 through 4x12 depending on span. I guess either is OK for interior work but I would never package two or three structural elements because of moisture that is trapped between plies. Even pressure treated lumber can rot. Why take that chance? I'll continue to use 4" by beams under any deck.

On 2019-05-21 16:51:16.290818 by Cindy

We replaced the well pump due to constant running, pump burned out. We cannot find the cold pressure tank(mobile home), we looked everywhere inside for the switch and found nothing, how can we locate the pressure tank, it must be buried?

On 2019-05-21 15:49:45.944801 by George Zeller

New Trane a/c Air handler TEM4A0C48S41SA, Condenser 4TTR4048L1000A installed Saturday, May 18. 2019. Unit is loud with running water or gurgling sound. Tech just left he turned off the fan and could no longer hear any sound, but did not test the pressure of the refrigerant. He adjusted the fan motor to run slower. But the unit is still much to loud and we still hear the running water or gurgling sound. We have lived forty years in Florida in four different residence both homes and condo's and never had a loud sounding a/c like this. Would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you, George Zeller

On 2019-05-21 13:22:56.809471 by Barbara Allen

I have tiny holes in various places in two wood floors they were refinished 8 yrs. ago. I found a teepee if sawdust(?) once. I had it inspected and was told there were no termite activity. The holes do not go through the wood. But it leaves a non-stained hole, so I know it’s new. I have seen no bugs. No dust on the window sills. (I was asked that question). I want to sell my home. What do I do or disclose? Thank you.
Barbara Allen

On 2019-05-21 12:56:11.650498 by (mod) -

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Tank_Replacement.php#TankAge is the best place to read water tank age decoding guidance, Bill.

I'll see if I can find anything more detailed about AOS AquaAir tanks to add.

Meanwhile if you can snap a photo of the data tags on your water tank and post them here that would help me help you out.

On 2019-05-21 12:53:27.782168 by (mod) -

Farid

When a compressor motor has trouble starting in the manner you describe I suspect a refrigerant metering device clog - such as a clogged cap tube. If the compressor is facing high head pressure on its outlet side it can have trouble starting.

On 2019-05-21 03:12:45.622553 by Farid

hi sir
i have samsung refrigerator model RS22FLMR that has problem
first the condenser fun (12 volts)not working ,,i replace it still not working , i replaced it with a 220volts fan it works good but the compressor start once when i powerd the refrigerator on than wont start again til i pluge of and on the power cable so he start once again
what should i do plz
is it becose of dc 12 v fan not connected to board so compressor wont start again? or board problem or what u think about that .....

On 2019-05-21 02:05:03.911138 by (mod) -

I think you're saying that you're a smoker. It's certainly the case that people who smoke tend to become desensitized to the smell of the smoke so you can expect others to be more sensitive than you. You may be able to improve matters using fresh air ventilation and an exhaust fan.

On 2019-05-21 02:01:10.258848 by (mod) -

I don't know for sure but it sounds like a bad control board or control head. It sounds as if you're stuck in backwash mode.

On 2019-05-21 01:59:47.096039 by (mod) -

I don't want to try to second-guess your on-site expert, but certainly you wouldn't attempt a mold remediation based on an air test. Someone with eyes needs to find the problem and Define the scope of work needed.

On 2019-05-21 00:00:57.008216 by Todd

Hi,

Got the results below from samples in garage. There is a crawl space connected to garage that we can feel is damp / moist when we open the crawl space door. Looks there is a small puddle of water in there as well (probably from the soil from recent rains). Visible mold not seen, but don't think very corners of crawl space were visible inspected. Mold inspector recommends remediation. Thoughts? Thanks!!!

Outside:
Aspergillus/Penicillium 27 raw 9% 360 spores/m3
Basidiospores 66 raw 21% 880 spores/m3
Chaetomium 1 raw 0% 13 spores/m3
Cladosporium 159 raw 51% 2100 spores/m3
Unidentified Conidia 2 raw 1% 27 spores/m3

Garage SE Corner:
Aspergillus/Penicillium 198 raw 61% 2600 spores/m3
Basidiospores 48 raw 15% 640 spores/m3
Chaetomium 0 raw 0% 0 spores/m3
Cladosporium 69 raw 21% 920 spores/m3
Unidentified Conidia 2 raw 1% 27 spores/m3

Garage N Side at Crawlspace:
Aspergillus/Penicillium 153 raw 40% 2000 spores/m3
Basidiospores 60 raw 16% 800 spores/m3
Chaetomium 1 raw 0% 13 spores/m3
Cladosporium 108 raw 29% 1400 spores/m3
Unidentified Conidia 15 raw 4% 2000 spores/m3

Total Fungal Spores: 4200, 4300, 5000, respectively

On 2019-05-20 23:55:23.242810 by (mod) -

Rather common, and yep, not super-well mixed. Do you have photos confirming that there is re-bar reinforcement inside the piers? Was the depth proper for your location? If so your building code compliance inspector may be ok with the piers.

On 2019-05-20 22:56:13.207409 by Colleen

Also, could the renovations have released smells trapped from when the place was a restaurant back when smoking was allowed? What can I check, clean, seal off in my place to prevent smoke from going upstairs?

On 2019-05-20 22:43:53.115750 by Colleen

I am not a heavy smoker and my apartment does not reek of smoke. The previous tenants moved out in January and the heat was probably off or at minimum. Wondering if that caused an updraft? I have electric baseboard heat so no vents are shared. Recently they did blow in insulation upstairs. What could have changed? My landlord is furious and I am spending money I don't have to eliminate odor in my place. How can upstairs smell that bad? Help!!

On 2019-05-20 22:35:04.011882 by Colleen

I live in an apartment that was a restaurant before being converted into multiple apartments. In the ten yrs living here never had a complaint about cigarette smoke smell going into upstairs apartment. Landlord is now renovating it and claims smoke smell is intolerable. I have used vinegar to clean, washed curtains and got air purifier. Can the renovations have caused this problem? What to check/do to resolve issue?

On 2019-05-20 22:22:03.899500 by Jon

Contractor poured piers for new deck. He used an electric mixer and dumped the concrete straight in without consolidating. When I removed the sonotubes this is what I saw:

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On 2019-05-20 22:01:44.725459 by (mod) -

Mike

For fire-resistant gypsum board from 1935-1955, yes I'd treat it as presumed to contain asbestos (not all of it does) OR if you have to make a dusty demolition, have a sample tested.

The first patent on the edge tape of your National Gypsum Gold Bond wallboard is

Utzman, Clarence W. "Plaster board." U.S. Patent 1,824,245, issued September 22, 1931.
Excerpt: "Among other objects, the invention is in# tended to supply a protected edge for plasterboard which shall be of neat appearance, secure and durable."
originally filed 1922 - that patent disclosure does not include the word "asbestos"

Roos, Carlisle K. "Cementitious material." U.S. Patent 2,017,022, issued October 8, 1935.
is concerned with the composition of the wallboard and also does not include the word "asbestos" though it's cited by some asbestos-bearing drywall patents filed in later years
Excerpt: "This invention relates to building materials and more particularly to a light weight cementitious material of this character and the method for producing the same.

It is an object of this invention to combine with the cementitious material used for the finishing of walls, in the production of plaster wallboard, partition tile, roof tile, poured roof and floor constructions and other structural building units certain materials that will reduce the weight of such articles, will not shrink orfall when cast, and which will not materially reduce thehardness or strength of the material now employed for such purposes-by expanding the cementitious material into cellular form while in the moist or wet state, thereby increasing its volume, and maintaining the same until hardened or set.

Ordinary hydrated gypsum plaster weighs from about 65 to 85 pounds per cubic foot. By the process developed here weights may be obtained in cast articles ranging from those mentioned above down to about 15 pounds per cubic foot. This is brought about by incorporating an aerated foam into the cementitious material, thereby imparting a cellular structure to the mass which forms a product of light weight. "

Roos, Carlisle K. "Cementitious material." U.S. Patent 2,079,338, issued May 4, 1937.
addressed foaming agents to improve fire resistance - again not mentioning "asbestos"
Excerpt" This invention relates to improvements in building material and more particularly to the production of cementitious material of a porous structure which is obtained by the use of confined gas as an aggregate, rather than gas as an expansive force to distend the volume of the cementitious material during the setting process."

Sabine's patent puts your particular wallboard much later -

Sabine, Hale J. "Fireproof acoustical correction panels." U.S. Patent 2,838,806, issued June 17, 1958.
This patent includes **possible** use of asbestos
Excerpt: The essential of sheet 13 is that it shall have porosity to air within definite limits and thus it will be evident that the sheet 13 may be a felt or paper sheet formed of wood, glass, asbestos, rayon, or other synthetic fibers, or of hair, fur, or other fibrous material which may be felted to sheet form.

On 2019-05-20 21:52:16.206719 by (mod) -

Josh

1. I don't know for sure the answers to your question

2. in my OPINION

- the mold on lowest portions of the spray foam may be associated with higher moisture levels on those surfaces: picture where condensed water droplets would reside
[A less-likely but not ruled-out hypothesis is a subtle difference in distribution of chemicals in the foam on the more-sagged spots but IMO that's dubious given how spray foam is normally mixed and distributed]

- if this is a closed cell foam and moisture is coming from below it's not so likely that there is a larger reservoir above those moldy spots - but it would be easy enough to test that hypothesis: go to one of the dark spots and slice if off horizontally: show me a photo of the sliced-off piece and of the condition of the foam that that exposes.

On 2019-05-20 21:44:40.175537 by Mike

I see the National Gypsum Corporations's Gold Bond Wallboard is listed as containing asbestos. I recently came across Gold Bond Fireproof Gypsum Wallboard. Would that be the same thing/ contain asbestos? I posted a picture of the patents I found it to be manufactured under; they were created around the mid-30's and expired early to mid-50's and do not mention asbestos in them. I am not sure if that is telling or not.

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On 2019-05-20 21:23:27.132089 by Sherm

Ran a check on my RainSoft EC4. After pulling and cleaning all the valves, I went back off bypass and the water is constantly draining. Timing motor is rotating, and readout says the system is OK. What would cause this?

On 2019-05-20 20:59:23.655679 by Josh

This foam is in a crawl space that seems to have fairly limited air exchange with the rest of the house, thus little chance of organic dust blowing around. It looks like a rather serious amount of mold, especially considering that spray foam insulation is supposed to be mold-resistant. Is this likely evidence of an even larger mold reservoir? Why is the mold only on the "sticking-out" parts of the foam - that is, on the "hills", but not the "valleys"?

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On 2019-05-20 20:53:05.467366 by Bill

How do I determine the age of an AO Smith Aqua-Air pressure tank?

On 2019-05-20 19:18:16.829769 by (mod) -

I suspect that there is not a measurable asbestos hazard from normal foot traffic on a floor like that in good condition. In fact people are probably walking on a wax coating. However one can reduce the risk and reduce public concern by stripping the wax and applying a sealant. Where we wanted to change the color of such a floor I've applied and Epoxy paint.

In the ARTICLE INDEX you will see articles on reducing the hazard of asbestos flooring by various means

On 2019-05-20 19:15:42.555994 by (mod) -

In the page top links you will find Environmental Consultants

On 2019-05-20 18:54:29.999291 by Kristy

Hello,

My question is in regard to the gym flooring at my son's preschool ( not under the authority of an LEA so therefore not required to adhere to AHERA). His school is at a local church. They gym area was built in 1960 and has a known asbestos floor. The church had an inspection done to determine that it indeed asbestos flooring but the inspection deemed the floor was fine to stay as is. The inspection however was done over 10 years ago. I recently noticed that the floor looks very worn. It isn't cracked or crumbling, but is in a space that is used daily for the preschoolers as well as for several weekly church and community events. In sum, it is a very used space. I have approached the school administrator but I wanted to be sure I'm not being overly paranoid. It is in my opinion that it at the very least needs to be reinspected and I suspect should be covered with new flooring given the amount of use and the vulnerability of the population using the space daily. I have attached a picture of the floor and circled the spots in the picture that demonstrate the type of wear I'm referring to. Is this something that I should be concerned with and indeed would you think it warrants at the least an inspection and possibly should be covered? Thank you!

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On 2019-05-20 18:35:06.824495 by Anonymous

thanks for response...what “expert” would I call? What type of company would be best at identifying problem and suggest solutions.

On 2019-05-20 18:18:38.020752 by (mod) -

Cecil, at WATER HEATER AGE DECODING GUIDES https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water-Heater-Age-Manuals.php
where we list age decoders for just about every water heater made,

you will find the age decoder JETGLAS WATER HEATERS https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water-Heater-Age-Manuals.php#JetGlas

On 2019-05-20 18:03:19.552230 by (mod) -

Don

There are mold-resistant paints and sealants that you can find in the ARTICLE INDEX above - but bottom line is you need to find and fix the moisture or water source.

On 2019-05-20 18:02:28.822543 by (mod) -

I agree that you need an onsite expert, Maria.

To me "jet fuel" is usually about the same as No.2 home heating oil or kerosene - I'd be looking for an oil spill or leak.

I suppose someone may have used an adhesive, sealant, paint, or other product that you might also smell but it'd be odd for that to remain un-dissipated over 20 years.

On 2019-05-20 17:54:01.330640 by (mod) -

Christy

The edge tape identifies your gypsum board as Celotex Wallboard or "drywall" - dating from 1968 it would be prudent to assume that the wallboard and its joint-compound-taped joints contain asbestos, and to avoid making a dusty mess.

Left un-disturbed and in good condition there's not likely to be a detectable asbestos hazard from the walls or ceilings.

Yes drywall is heavy but may indeed have either been made in Tampa by Celotex or produced at a different plant by the same company using the same wallboard identification tape to mark the product's manufacturer's headquarters location.

Celotex had manufacturing locations - Stonebridge Park (1930s) in Suffolk and also Hadleigh and other locations in the U.K.

Celotex had manufacturing facilities in the U.S. at Tampa, Florida, and at more locations given at CELOTEX ASBESTOS PRODUCTS and

also in more detail at CELOTEX HISTORY & PRODUCTS

live links are given at Continue Reading

On 2019-05-20 16:18:52.411138 by cecil lockyer

I have a jet glass h2o heater serial # lf3337645 built at amber pa..
how old is it?

On 2019-05-20 14:40:34.145432 by donohoe

I had some mold on my basement foam insulation. I clean it up but I want to know if there is a paint that I can use on my foam insulation to prevent mold from returning?
I also added a new dehumidifier.

On 2019-05-20 14:06:53.151409 by (mod) -

Yes Kak as long as it's actually continuous - that is, the turn isn't interrupted by space.

Actually a nicer, more-graspable handrail would use a radius curve rather than a 90 degree turn.

Shown below is a nicely-curved-radius handrail that I photographed yesterday at the Whitney Museum in NY City.

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On 2019-05-20 13:51:50.451730 by Maria

Replaced old system in home built in 90’s with new HVAC. When initially using heat, strong “jet fuel” odor...had company in to check, they found nothing but advised condenser coated in “fish oil” to avoid rust and smell should dissipate. Smell lessened over winter but don’t use heat too often. Going in to summer, turned a/c on and smell of burning jet fuel is powerful. Company came back out, sealed ducts inside with mastic and in crawl space sealed all ductwork. Odor slightly less but still present...gives me headache and breathing problems. Company reports there is a clean looking vapor barrier in crawl space but they also smell the strong chemical odor in the crawlspace. Not sure how to proceed...any suggestions?

On 2019-05-20 12:12:35.800095 by Christy

My house was built in 1968. Does the Dryboard have asbestos? It says wallboard Tampa Florida and our house is in Idaho. Seems a long way to have been shipped.

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On 2019-05-19 22:15:00.022523 by Annie

Ok - thx for your thoughts.

On 2019-05-19 22:07:25.067933 by (mod) -

Herman

You ask an interesting question but we need to be rather clear, and perhaps more narrow in our question and answer since even a traditional wood frame house has plenty of other materials involved in its construction besides wood.

The coefficient of expansion for pine is 0.0000028 inches per inch of material per degree F.

You could add up the widths of all of the framing members whose width or narrow dimension is along the same axis as a house exterior wall - but not all of those would change the building width. For example, even if a wall stud shrinks or expands in the middle of a wall, it's not likely to make a measurable change in overall building width - it simply expands and contracts inside its adjoining joist bays.

So you'd look only at framing members whose position is such that their thickness determines the overall wall width or length. That's probably pretty-few: corner posts, intermediate posts not abutting an open joist bay. That might be just three or four 2x4 or 2x6 widths (depending on how the house is framed) -

So take a look at the framing plan for your house, add up the pertinent widths along the long dimension, and then plug those into the table above, probably assuming the wood is pine.

You'll also have to make some assumptions about moisture levels and perhaps tightness of framing and framing connectors.

I suspect that other materials such as siding expand and contract more than the frame - considerably more - which is why installation instructions call for appropriate gaps.

On 2019-05-19 21:59:53.066921 by (mod) -

Sounds rather high to me, though of course we don't know the test conditions nor what a competent onsite post-cleanup remediation clearance inspector found and reported - in writing. Again, relying on air tests alone is not reliable. There are plenty of open questions here.

On 2019-05-19 21:53:20.115235 by Annie

Not anonymous - Annie ! Thx again...

On 2019-05-19 21:52:36.422241 by Anonymous

TY ! I should have been more clear. Massive black mild in the basement . trash room due to proper air ventilation. The result being that the moldy fiberglass insulation was ripped out of all the whalen units / mold abatemenet in the basement. These results are after the remediation.....

On 2019-05-19 21:32:06.518618 by (mod) -

Apologies Annie

But air tests for mold are fundamentally unreliable as a building screen for mold contamination - the results can vary by a factor of 10 to 1000 depending on exactly how a "test" is conducted.

That said, high mold counts, even if inaccurate, probably indicate that there's a mold problem in the building.

If your mold expert did nothing more than conduct an air test for mold and send you the lab report you ought to demand a full refund of whatever you paid.

A useful mold inspection involves a visual inspection of the building, identifying mold reservoirs, identifying areas for more-invasive inspection, occupant interviews, and a definition of the problem - if there is one - and its cause and the scope of cleanup work needed.

On 2019-05-19 19:57:41.885749 by Annie

I live in a large building (55 units ) with a failed HVAC system ( Whalen Units ) Mold and decaying fiberglass insulation was discovered from the basement up. Could you give your opinion on the following mold counts for my unit - as I believe that they are of concern and the HOA is playing this situation down ? Thank you very much ! Aspergillus/Penicillium: Raw count: 16800 / Count/m3 : 367000 / % of Total: 100% ***** Cladosporium: 4 / 90 /0 **** Pithomyces: 1* / 7* / 0 ***** Stachybotrys: 2 / 40 /0 **** Total Fungi: Raw count: 16807 / Count/m3: 367137/ % of Total: 100

On 2019-05-19 19:32:44.775479 by (mod) -

Geez this is a perfectly reasonable question for which I don't have an authoritative answer, Jason.

The difficulty is this:


Like we discussed with Mike in the article above: [at Reader Question: can an IC-rated light fixture touch wood framing members? ]

The LED light runs so cool that heat isn't likely to be a fire issue, but ONLY IF the light design prevents a future owner from screwing-in an incandescent bulb at the same fixture. Otherwise you need to install the fixture meeting clearances that would be safe if someone changes bulbs and installs one that gets hot.

On 2019-05-19 19:22:34.752862 by (mod) -

Mark,

It's possible: some wooden ships used massive beams - as much as 16" square.

If your left-hand nail in the photo - the one against the plain side of the ruler - is round as it looks to me, that's a more-modern spike.

On 2019-05-19 19:20:09.800801 by Mark

I found these 5 1/“ hex-head nails near the coast of central California. For ships?

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On 2019-05-19 18:58:56.297404 by (mod) -

Bob

I think you mean that the sensor well into which the aquastat's temperature probe is inserted is leaking.

Yes you will need to

- cool off the boiler
- drain the boiler pressure and drain water level to below the sensor well
- remove and replace the well, using a suitable sealant - before installing the new sensor well (they're readily available at plumbing suppliers) clean the threads on the boiler. Also for older larger diameter wells with smaller probes you probably need to use thermal-conductive paste or grease in the sensor well.

On 2019-05-19 18:55:13.970858 by (mod) -

Mark

That sounds to me as if there is a leak in the underground piping near the sprinkler heads.

On 2019-05-19 18:54:03.122616 by (mod) -

Brian:

Yes.

On 2019-05-19 18:47:55.578920 by (mod) -

Brenda

I'm not sure "should" is a descriptor I can comment upon. As Mark Cramer says ... it depends.

Lots of treated lumber deck boards vary in exposed grain, splintering, propensity to shell or shed surface, depending on from which part of the tree a specific board was milled.

It's not always possible to predict every problem board during deck installation, though installing the board with the "right" surface "up" can help avoid trouble.

See BARK SIDE UP on DECKS & STEPS at https://inspectapedia.com/decks/Wood_Board_Cupping.php

If you're getting bad splinters from a particular board you might try removing it and flipping it over - assuming the other side of the board is in better shape - else replace it.

On 2019-05-19 18:44:21.265079 by (mod) -

Abdu

Please see details at CLAY TILE ROOF SLOPE, DECK & UNDERLAY
at https://inspectapedia.com/BestPractices/Clay_Tile_Roof_Slope_Deck_Underlayment.php

There you'll see two roof slope ranges for clay tile roofs; the lower slope range requires a different roofing design and a waterproof underlayment over the whole roof.

On 2019-05-19 18:41:56.451502 by (mod) -

Anon

Any household cleaner is fine for removing mold growth on a surface that can be washed and wiped.

If you are seeing moldy dust and crud on the actual finned convector itself then a commercial HVACR coil cleaner (typically foam and possibly a very gentle brushing - avoid fin damage) may be needed.

There are commercial HVAC coil cleaner liquids sold by any heating or air conditioning supplier and at many building supply stores as well as, for small jobs, sprays like this WEB Green White Aerosol Foam Coil Cleaner

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On 2019-05-19 18:38:04.029220 by (mod) -

Re-posting from private email:

Home inspector wrote

On an inspection I noticed there was a PRV installed but no expansion tank in the whole house, which is what I usually see when these are installed to allow for hot water expansion. The plumber that I asked was very non-committal about this.
I was advised by a fellow inspector to check with the AHJ if its required but I would really like to advise the buyer if its recommended or not.
I was told that you are very helpful and I should contact you for what my report should say and for the proper verbiage.

Moderator reply:

Hot water expansion tanks are not required in all installations - though are recommended by manufacturers. In my (limited as I'm just one old guy) experience, at least at oil and gas fired water heaters in the eastern US expansion tanks are rare.

IF you saw evidence of TPR leaks AND system temperatures and operating pressure range were generally not diagnostic of the problem (ok so typing while thinking ...) THEN an expansion tank might solve the problem. I'd point out that a leaky TPR is very dangerous - eventually they stop - and we risk a BLEVE.

If no leaks, no observed issues, probably ok.

So you'd say:

I noticed that no thermal expansion tank is installed on your water heating system.
I did (or did not) see evidence of a history of temperature and pressure relief valve(s) on the water heater.
Such leaks *might* mean that an expansion tank is needed if there is no other more-immediate (and more dangerous) cause.
In sum, if in the future you see leaks at a pressure/temperature relief valve on any water heater (or heating boiler) the system is unsafe and needs prompt attention.

What I'd have explained but most inspectors don't care to include:

If you find leaks at the relief valve on water heating equipment the valve may be doing its job of protecting you but the leak needs to be found and fixed promptly as the risk if left un-attended is a dangerous exploding water heater.

In cases where the leaking TPR valve is traced ONLY to pressure surges caused by thermal expansion in the hot water system then a thermal expansion tank would be needed. But keep in mind that there are other more-common causes of such leaks like abnormally high water pressure, water hammer, abnormally high heater operating temperatures - all of which are unsafe.

On 2019-05-19 18:36:09.467816 by (mod) -

Krone

On a tar and gravel roof upon which the moss is adhered simply to the gravel, sure you can remove the moss; you might need to add back some gravel.

If the moss is bonded to the tarred felt below the gravel you may need to re-seal the repair area with new roofing tar, then more gravel.

Yes adding zinc-enriched gravel ought to help retard moss growth on a traditional BUR. However I have not found such a product for sale. Remember that when we describe gravel ballast used on built-up roofs (BUR) we're not talking about those small mineral granules bonded to asphalt roofing products such as shingles or roll roofing.

However I'd also be alert for any ponding problems and if it's possible to add sun and reduce shade, as we suggest above, that'll help.

On 2019-05-19 18:28:50.106113 by (mod) -

Mike

Typically the service tech will pull the zone valve head so that we can figure out if the problem is in the actuator motor, wiring, or other head problems, or if the problem is a corroded or jammed valve itself.

With the zone valve head removed, if the zone valve stem (exposed when the control head is removed) can be rotated easily with a small pair of pliers then the issue is the control head or wiring or a zone valve controller relay.

If the zone valve will turn then you can manually rotate it to the OPEN position.

And as you'll read in this article series on heating zone valves, some models such as many of the Honeywell zone valves have a manual over-ride lever that can be latched into the OPEN position.

On 2019-05-19 18:16:57.939873 by (mod) -

Marcia

Absence of venting on the drain line can interfere with good drainage, but more-likely, when flushing a toilet, if the vent were blocked the toilet would flush but you'd hear a glub-glub sound at smaller nearby sink, shower, or tub traps.

I'd start by checking the water level in the toilet bowl and the water level in the tank at the end of a toilet tank re-fill cycle after flushing.

More detailed help is at TOILET FLUSHES POORLY https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Repair_Slow_Toilet_Flush.php

On 2019-05-19 17:47:25.640790 by (mod) -

No Ike a heat anticipator ought to be off when there is no call for heat.

On 2019-05-19 17:27:59.467409 by IkeE

How doesanticipater affect air conditioner?

On 2019-05-19 15:49:20.316131 by (mod) -

Continuing:

If your local plumbing supplier does not have all of the materials needed for underground LP gas or propane gas piping installations including as piping materials, transition fittings, connectors, magnetic tape, etc., you can contact underground gas piping suppliers directly

Gastite underground gas piping: Website: https://www.gastite.com Tel: 800-662-0208 Email: gastite@gastite.com

Home-Flex underground gas piping Website: http://homeflex.com Tel: 1-661-257-3923

On 2019-05-19 15:44:23.838154 by (mod) -

David

It's common to run a gas line from the first stage regulator to a more-distant location where second stage regulator manages delivery pressure in that building; still one finds poor performance if the pipe diameter is inadequate and of course if the proper piping material and installation are not used and followed the installation would be unsafe.

Buried or "underground" LP gas piping must be rated for underground use and in many jurisdictions may also be required to be run inside a protective PVC pipe or sleeve.
Below, as an example is 1 in. IPS x 100 ft. DR 11 Underground Yellow Polyethylene Gas Pipe (Medium density polyethylene (MDPE)) from Home-Flex and sold at building suppliers such as Home Depot. The company also provides special waterproof and corrosion resistant pipe fittings and connectors.

Other underground natural gas or propane gas pipe suppliers include

GasTite Website: gastite.com who provide both iron pipe and copper pipe polyethylene coated and rated for underground gas line use.

There are also special transition fittings required to transition from steel pipe to polyethylene pipe below grade.


Watch out: for safety, code compliance with local gas piping regulations (check with your building or plumbing code inspectors), and to permit locating of any buried all-plastic (polytethylene) gas pipes in the future, you will probably be required to use a magnetic tape or wrap to mark the pipe routing and location.




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On 2019-05-19 15:13:52.883475 by (mod) -

Chris I'm sorry but I don't have a clear picture of your situation.

I can say in general that a main building drain on a residential property is very likely to be larger than 2 ID and that it's normal for smaller drain lines such as from sinks, showers, tubs, (often 1 1/2" to 2" in diameter) to join a 4" ID or larger sewer line.

On 2019-05-19 15:04:27.779091 by (mod) -

Thanks for your remark, Anonymous - I used to think what you do about long-term exposure as the source of Asbestosis.

Unfortunately recent events like the collapse of the NY City World Trade Center (September 11, 2001) and the dense asbestos (and other debris clouds) and thick after-deposits of inches of asbestos-laden dust (asbestos fireproofing spray was used on the first through 38th lower floors of the World Trade Center) provided a tragic illustration of the error in that "opinion".

In sum, **acute** exposure to high levels of asbestos dust, occurring even over a very short time - minutes to hours to days - had extremely harmful effects on people who were in the WTC area during and shortly after that terrorist attack.

It's possible for improper work, even on a much smaller jobsite, to create similarly harmful conditions during demolition projects.

However I agree with you regarding other low-risk or no-risk situations, as do other experts such as the US EPA who write that

Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.

We have written throughout this article series, that the probability of a normal occupant or resident suffering asbestosis or similar health injury from the presence of un-disturbed asbestos containing materials such as vinyl or asphalt-based flooring or even pipe insulation (which may be quite friable) - so long as the material is undisturbed and undamaged - is probably below the limits of detection.

In fact my OPINION is that in some cases people's anxiety about such low-risk or even no-risk presences of materials in a building may produce greater health injury (from stress) than the material itself.

Watch out: however. In-expert or amateur DIY "asbestos removal" projects that grind, saw, chop, or otherwise make a messy demolition of asbestos materials, even floor tiles which are not themselves friable, can create both an actual asbestos-health-hazard AND an economic hazard. We have, for example, encountered homes for sale in which an owner, fearsome that buyers would be reluctant to buy their home where asbestos pipe insulation was present, did their own amateur asbestos insulation removal job, creating a dusty mess and even tracking dust throughout the home.

The result of that mistake can be a requirement of an expensive asbestos-dust cleanup job throughout the home: a cost and job that was completely avoidable.

InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information for the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website. We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Website content 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 us both. Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

Research on Asbestos-Related Illnesses in World Trade Center Workers - NOTE THE DATES of some of the early studies

Izbicki, Gabriel, Robert Chavko, Gisela I. Banauch, Michael D. Weiden, Kenneth I. Berger, Thomas K. Aldrich, Charles Hall, Kerry J. Kelly, and David J. Prezant. "World Trade Center “sarcoid-like” granulomatous pulmonary disease in New York City Fire Department rescue workers." Chest 131, no. 5 (2007): 1414-1423.
Background
Previous reports suggest that sarcoidosis occurs with abnormally high frequency in firefighters. We sought to determine whether exposure to World Trade Center (WTC) “dust” during the collapse and rescue/recovery effort increased the incidence of sarcoidosis or “sarcoid-like” granulomatous pulmonary disease (SLGPD).

Methods
During the 5 years after the WTC disaster, enrollees in the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) WTC monitoring and treatment programs who had chest radiograph findings suggestive of sarcoidosis underwent evaluation, including the following: chest CT imaging, pulmonary function, provocative challenge, and biopsy. Annual incidence rates were compared to the 15 years before the WTC disaster.

Results
After WTC dust exposure, pathologic evidence consistent with new-onset sarcoidosis was found in 26 patients: all 26 patients had intrathoracic adenopathy, and 6 patients (23%) had extrathoracic disease. Thirteen patients were identified during the first year after WTC dust exposure (incidence rate, 86/100,000), and 13 patients were identified during the next 4 years (average annual incidence rate, 22/100,000; as compared to 15/100,000 during the 15 years before the WTC disaster). Eighteen of 26 patients (69%) had findings consistent with asthma. Eight of 21 patients (38%) agreeing to challenge testing had airway hyperreactivity (AHR), findings not seen in FDNY sarcoidosis patients before the WTC disaster.

Conclusion
After the WTC disaster, the incidence of sarcoidosis or SLGPD was increased among FDNY rescue workers. This new information about the early onset of WTC-SLGPD and its association with asthma/AHR has important public health consequences for disease prevention, early detection, and treatment following environmental/occupational exposures.


Rom, William N., Michael Weiden, Roberto Garcia, Ting An Yie, Pratan Vathesatogkit, Doris B. Tse, Georgeann McGuinness, Victor Roggli, and David Prezant. "Acute eosinophilic pneumonia in a New York City firefighter exposed to World Trade Center dust." American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 166, no. 6 (2002): 797-800.
Excerpt:
We report a case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia in a New York City firefighter exposed acutely to high levels of WTC dust. Mineralogic analysis demonstrated asbestos fibers with high aspect ratios recovered by BAL from the lower respiratory tract. Such findings emphasize the need for workers at WTC to wear particulate respirators, and to comply with on-site health and safety regulations. Firefighters and rescue workers from the region and around the country were exposed to WTC dust and may be at risk for WTC cough and asbestos exposure.



Wu, Maoxin, Ronald E. Gordon, Robin Herbert, Maria Padilla, Jacqueline Moline, David Mendelson, Virginia Litle, William D. Travis, and Joan Gil. "Case report: Lung disease in World Trade Center responders exposed to dust and smoke: carbon nanotubes found in the lungs of World Trade Center patients and dust samples." Environmental health perspectives 118, no. 4 (2009): 499-504.

Abstract
Context
After the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 11 September 2001, a dense cloud of dust containing high levels of airborne pollutants covered Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, New York. Between 60,000 and 70,000 responders were exposed. Many reported adverse health effects.

Case presentation
In this report we describe clinical, pathologic, and mineralogic findings in seven previously healthy responders who were exposed to WTC dust on either 11 September or 12 September 2001, who developed severe respiratory impairment or unexplained radiologic findings and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical lung biopsy procedures at Mount Sinai Medical Center. WTC dust samples were also examined. We found that three of the seven responders had severe or moderate restrictive disease clinically. Histopathology showed interstitial lung disease consistent with small airways disease, bronchiolocentric parenchymal disease, and nonnecrotizing granulomatous condition. Tissue mineralogic analyses showed variable amounts of sheets of aluminum and magnesium silicates, chrysotile asbestos, calcium phosphate, and calcium sulfate. Small shards of glass containing mostly silica and magnesium were also found. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) of various sizes and lengths were noted. CNT were also identified in four of seven WTC dust samples.

Discussion
These findings confirm the previously reported association between WTC dust

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On 2019-05-19 15:02:24.268989 by (mod) -

Watch out: also anonymous for the possibility that you are not only inviting serious long term health problems for yourself - if you are literally "covered in asbestos" in your work, but also for the possibility that you are bringing enough asbestos-laden dust into your home that you may harm your family or other occupants of the home.

Other independent research has on occasion found asbestsos or asbestos-related-illness in family members of workers who brought home significant levels of asbestos dust.

See

Kilburn, Kaye H., Ruth Lilis, Henry A. Anderson, C. THOMAS Boylen, H. E. Einstein, S. J. Johnson, and Raphael Warshaw. "Asbestos disease in family contacts of shipyard workers." American journal of public health 75, no. 6 (1985): 615-617.

GRANDJEAN, PHILIPPE, and ELSA BACH. "Indirect exposures: the significance of bystanders at work and at home." American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 47, no. 12 (1986): 819-824.

McDiarmid, Melissa A., and Virginia Weaver. "Fouling one's own nest revisited." American journal of industrial medicine 24, no. 1 (1993): 1-9.

Transport of Hazards from the workplace to the home by workers is a previously recognized but poorly addressed public health problem. Particularly disturbing are the childhood intoxications which may result from such paraoccupational exposure. Work clothes and shoes appear to be a common vehicle for hazard transport in recently reported cases as they were in the past, although other “markers” for potential paraoccupational exposure may be derived from case reviews. These include: poor workplace hygiene, occupational intoxications in adult workers, and the “cottage industry” phenomenon. These markers are reviewed in the context of recently reported cases and strategies are suggested to mitigate these easily preventable exposures.

On 2019-05-19 14:34:33.301397 by (mod) -

Additional fiber cement siding patching compounds and products include

Sika's Acrylic Concrete Patch - a trowel-on patching compound.

Other cementious sealer products and brands that can work include

DAP's ElastoPatch (though IMO Platinum Patch is a better choice for fiber cement siding)
Drylok's FastPlug
Quikcrete's Hydraulic Cement
UGL DryLok Masonry Filler (comes in a caulk-gun tube)
Zinsser WaterTite hydraulic cement


Rutland's EZ-Spread fiberglass stove cement adhesive can be used to glue-in a cut-out patch made from a piece of fiber cement siding board though this isn't necessary as most exterior sealants would bond suitably; IMO UGL DryLok Masonry Filler would be a better choice.

Watch out: do not caulk or seal butt joints of siding that's already installed. Not only are you likely to make an ugly mess of the siding but siding expansion under temperature or moisture up-take may result in buckling.

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On 2019-05-19 by (mod) -

Elaine I'd need to see at the least some sharp photos of the damage. You may be able to use a cemetious patch (on fiber cement siding I'd use a thinset mortar) or you may need to replace siding sections - ... - it depends on the extent of damage and its cause and also on the probability that there is leak, rot, or insect damage behind the exterior siding itself.

1. For small gouges and small holes, particularly where the fiber cement siding repair patch will be hidden, I'd use a trowel-on patching compound designed for fiber cement and rated for exterior use.
Clean the damage area, remove loose surface debris, let the area dry, apply the patching compound.

Very small areas of damage can be filled with an exterior caulk or sealant like the DAP product I'll illustrate below.

2. For larger areas of damage up to about 3" in diameter, I use a hole saw to cut out the damage, use a hole saw to prepare a repair plug, orient the plug so that the textured surface matches the surrounding fiber cement board, and glue it in place with a color-matched patching compound like DAP's product (below) or with a gray cement-type mortar-matched exterior sealant. There will be a small ring of sealant that remains visible equal to the exterior diameter of the hole saw bit itself.

3. For still larger areas of damage or where you want to avoid any cosmetic evidence of the repair you may need to remove and replace a section of fiber cement siding and to replace it with a matching new FC siding board segment. If the exterior was painted you may need to repaint the wall - though it's preferable to retain the factory applied colors on siding when possible.

Example: DAP Platinum Patch Exterior Filler can be used.

Dap's description: DAP Platinum Patch Advanced Exterior Filler is formulated with innovative WEATHER MAX Technology for long-lasting, all weather protection.

Platinum Patch provides exceptional weatherproof protection that prevents discoloration, cracking and crumbling. The tough hydrophobic surface provides a waterproof repair that won't swell, soften, blister or breakdown and it is mold, mildew & algae resistant making it perfect for areas with continuous exposure to the elements. It has strong multi-material adhesion to tough porous and non-porous materials making it ideal for exterior applications such as the installation, finishing or repairing of fiber cement siding, PVC trim board, vinyl siding, metal, composite, concrete, brick, wood and more.

Platinum Patch creates a strong, durable bond that won't crack or lose adhesion over time and is also is sandable, paintable, easy water clean-up and low in odor.

Exterior/Interior use.


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On 2019-05-19 14:14:45.555420 by (mod) -

That gray fluffy insulation looks like loose-fill or blown-in cellulose insulation

See CELLULOSE LOOSE FILL INSULATION for details.

https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Cellulose_Insulation.php

On 2019-05-18 22:43:27.146080 by Anonymous

Rockwool? Cellulose?
Mid 1960s attic, Vancouver. Canada.

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On 2019-05-18 21:40:37.437131 by Chris

I have 2" cast iron pipe that splits off , one to my kitchen, and one to my bathroom, laundry. I've tour up the concrete floor to where the Y connection is. Can you tell me the pipe from there that leaves the house, is it 3" , I need to replace the whole kitchen 2" pipe to the Y connection so I thought I would also replace the Y connector with PVC also. Does 3" pipe come into my house and will I find a 3" connector that splits off into 2" pipes? Any help would be appreciated, thanks. Chris

On 2019-05-18 21:39:22.673272 by David

I have a 500 gal propane tank located 200 ft from a new barn I am building. I am planning to install an on-demand hot water heater in the barn, so I will need a substantial propane flow rate at normal operating pressure. I am contemplating running a high pressure line underground from the tank to the barn and reducing the pressure with a separate regulator at the barn. Two questions: (1) is there any reason (code or safety) why this is a bad idea, and (2) if not, what piping is appropriate (3/8 copper? protected by conduit?). I know that pressure is usually stepped down at the tank, and larger diameter underground lines are typically used from tank to house. Alternatively, I could install another tank at the barn, but that would entail significant tank costs for what is going to be a low-usage scenario.

On 2019-05-18 21:32:58.394847 by Anonymous

ive been covered in asbestos, removed it to do repairs, been in places where it’s in a high concentration, even had an open container of asbestos caulking rope in the truck with me, the fear of an incredible product is insane, I should also mention I’ve never worn a respirator when handling it, there’s plenty of far more dangerous chemicals/materials that are not banned and in use to this day that can do far more damage far quicker than asbestos that people don’t even realize, I’d suggest actually researching unbiased sites to gain the information that actually applies to asbestos, if it’s in your home, hard to believe for some, but it won’t kill you, hurt you, your family, your cat... knowledge is power, fear is ridiculous if uninformed

On 2019-05-18 18:56:07.969966 by Elaine

We have a couple of eroded areas on James Hardie cement fibre board siding where deck posts were attached, how do we repair these areas?
Thank You

On 2019-05-18 01:42:39.907771 by (mod) -

It appeared to me that's a larger Breakers in your panel head holes in the toggles at 4 handle ties but I did not see those in the smaller half with Breakers. If there's no Cutler-Hammer product and if the breakers aren't / rated unfortunately the system that you have set up is not going to work safely and reliably. If you're not going to replace entire panel you might install sub panel for handle the additional circuits and to allow, trip ties and to solve the multi wire problem

On 2019-05-18 01:40:34.975529 by (mod) -

It sounds as if you have contaminated groundwater at the site

On 2019-05-18 01:39:29.023345 by (mod) -

Stone veneers need to have a drainage system and the inserts that you talked about her usually good for keeping those openings clear. But that would not be likely to explain the diagonal cracking. I would look closely at the support for the veneer as well as looking carefully at the foundation itself.

On 2019-05-18 01:38:13.119065 by (mod) -

Do you think that replacing the burn to terminal actually corrected the problem that caused the burn up? I can't tell from the text. You might want to go through this with Justin's for short cycling given in the article above on this page.

On 2019-05-18 01:37:00.233523 by (mod) -

Having an estimate of the age of the flooring would make a lot of difference in guessing from a photograph. But in general you would treat suspect flooring as presumed to contain asbestos or if you have to demolish it have a sample tested first

On 2019-05-18 01:03:53.603433 by Michael

Hi, we are wondering if these two types of sheet flooring look typical of flooring that contains asbestos? Construction began 1878... unfortunately the subfloor is uneven and sunken underneath. Thoughts appreciated:)

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On 2019-05-17 20:30:25.134092 by Richard D.

(May 17, 2019) Last year at the end of the summer my AC unit burnt the T-1 wire off the top of the Contactor. I didn't repair it until this year. I replaced the terminal end and started it up and now it's short cycling. I will run about 30-45 seconds then shut off for about 1 or 2 seconds then immediately start again an repeat the symptom. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

On 2019-05-17 17:45:03.928726 by realcounty1

I have a 2 Story Limestone Veneer Brick home located in Texas Hill Country where I retired. The home is around 8-10 years old. Last 2 years I've noticed a diagonal crack and separation from top to bottom of home on South side. Doesn't appear to be a foundation problem since no jammed doors or windows. I noticed though that their are no weep holes. Should they(weep holes) be added before re-tucking and pointing the mortar? Also what is your opinion about weep inserts as to keeping insects/varmits out?

James L Gayhart

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On 2019-05-17 17:17:57.935861 by James L Gayhart

I purchased a 2 story limestone veneer home in the Texas Hill Country in 2015. Home is about 8 - 10 years old. Within last 2-3 years a diagonal crack and separation 1'4 to 1/2 inch has occurred. I don't believe it's a foundation problems since I'm not seeing any weird cracks or having window and door closure problems. I did notice that no weep holes are present? Should I have them installed along with the damaged motar to be tucked and repointed? Should inserts also be considered to prevent insects, etc from getting in?

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On 2019-05-17 16:59:04.313278 by Danny

I have no oil or gas lines running through my property, but I smell crude oil fumes emitting from crawfish holes in my backyard. I also don’t dump, or have any kind of storage tanks buried. Why am I smelling this?

On 2019-05-17 16:50:17.372960 by Charles Morgan

Mr Friedman, thank you for your prompt and thorough response. The thin-width breakers used on my multi-wire branch circuits are Cutler-Hammer CHT's (now obsolete, I believe). The panel itself is over 40 years old.

On 2019-05-17 13:04:46.155660 by (mod) -

Typically at or near the compressor motor

On 2019-05-17 12:21:57.372504 by Anonymous

Where charging connection in refer plant

On 2019-05-17 11:31:31.031214 by (mod) -

Thanks for the note Tom.

Is certainly worth asking a local waste recycling or metal recycling company if they'll pick it up.

I'll add your photo to the article above on this page along with a thank-you for the contribution.

On 2019-05-17 11:19:38.649846 by (mod) -

John a search of InspectApedia using the search box just above to look for FAN LIMIT SWITCH UNIVERSAL REPLACEMENT

finds FAN LIMIT SWITCH INSTALLATION & WIRING at https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Fan_Limit_Switch_Installation_Wiring.php

where you will find HONEYWELL L4064B, L4064R UNIVERSAL COMBINATION FAN & LIMIT CONTROLLER INSTALLATION MANUAL [PDF] (2017) [*** A LIVE LINK to this PDF is on the page I cited above ***]
Honeywell 1985 Douglas Drive North Golden Valley, MN 55422-3992 customer.honeywell.com

This L4064B, L4064R limit controller is a universal replacement for older furnace fan limit controllers. Here is the difference between the L4064B and L4064R, excerpting from the document above:

These combination warm air fan and limit controllers are suitable for various types of forced air heating systems. The controllers have 2 switches; one which opens the limit circuit if the plenum temperature exceeds the preset safety limit; it resets automatically. The other switch turns the fan on and off.

The fan is turned on and off according to plenum temperature.

The L4064R has a special high temperature range suitable for gravity heating systems.

All models may be used as limit controllers by wiring only the limit side. Limit contacts are suitable for both line voltage and low voltage. For low voltage applications, the brass jumper must be removed.
...
Follow furnace or burner manufacturer’s instructions, if available.

Maximum element temperature is:

L4064B—350 ºF (177 ºC).

L4064R—250 ºF (121 ºC) above limit setting.

Maximum switch temperature is: L4064B,R—190 ºF (88 ºC).

On 2019-05-17 11:16:09.826367 by (mod) -

Rick

In the article above there are tables of motor size with suggested capacitor values as well as a table of typical capacitor values for some common motor types.

Or

Looking at the data tag on your Century brand AC Compressor motor we see that it's a 230VAC motor that is rated for a maximum of 15Amps.

Watts = Amps x Volts

Watts (of your motor) = 15 x 230 = 3450 Watts

Any online converter of Watts to mechanical horsepower will give us 3450 = 4.6 hp.

OR we can just read the motor data tag where it says the motor is a 3. HP unit. (Which is more conservative in a sense).

AND stop by your electrical supplier for that data to ask the service tech to recommend a different value than what we have below:

THEN we can use either the watts or the HP to choose a "typical" capacitor value from tables given above on this page.

That would suggest a starting value for a run capacitor of 20-25 µF 370VAC

And a starting value (to try) for a start capacitor of 500-580 µF or a bit larger

IF Century were still in business (apparently now Century / Regal Beloit ) you could simply have contacted Century Electric Inc., in St. Louis, give them the part No. of your AC Motor: 8-158630-02 Type CS HP 3.0 SPL, 60 Hz, RPM 3450 Volts 340, Amps 15.0 and ASK them what start / run capacitor(s) they use with that motor.

Century Regal Beloit Website: www.regalbeloit.com/Brands/Century - evidently the company does NOT want to be called (not so consumer friendly, right?) but their website includes a contact page that might work for you.


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On 2019-05-17 01:24:22.729150 by (mod) -

It's not specified but you may need to install protection for the compressor condenser unit if that's what you're talkin about

On 2019-05-17 01:24:00.896706 by Samadhi

We want to kill all the weeds growing over the tank and field and plant grass and clover. Can we lay down black plastic sheet for one season to kill the weeds and seeds in the soil?

On 2019-05-17 01:09:24.453017 by (mod) -

Try the oldor diagnostic procedure given at the continue reading link just above. Let us know how that works for you.

On 2019-05-17 00:54:08.967677 by Tina

How much room between a neighbors concrete driveway and a ac pump

On 2019-05-17 00:35:27.913648 by John H

Have an old furnace that works fine. I'm concerned that the fan relay in the White Rogers control (Type 5A75-46, Style V2PIYZ) might fail. Does anyone know of a replacement?

On 2019-05-17 00:02:51.101504 by lornajbernard

thanks for your reply. We've found nails of every size around here, but this was a first. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

On 2019-05-16 21:16:02.810079 by Rick

Can anyone tell me what capacitor I would need for this air compressor motor? Previous owner took the old one off so I dont have it to get a replacement.

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On 2019-05-16 21:06:25.898824 by Eileen

I can’t figure out what the chemical odor in my house is. I’ve checked furnace mold testing. Plumbing. I really notice it in my nose after I leave home. Help please.

On 2019-05-16 20:47:46.921221 by (mod) -

Thomas

We know that individuals' sense of smell or sensitivity varies widely, but if this odor persists you might need to find some others who will corroborate your complaint.

On 2019-05-16 20:45:45.670652 by (mod) -

Any household cleaner is fine for removing mold.

I like to spray shellac on the previously un-coated hidden surfaces to help retard mold growth in the future - should the area be moist

but Remember that if you are going to paint with a sealant the surfaces have to be dry AND any soapy residue removed.

You can use a pin type moisture meter to check dryness.

See MOISTURE METER CHOICES https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Moisture_Meter_Sources.php

On 2019-05-16 20:38:44.725793 by (mod) -

Anon

Not that I know about - there are no code requirements to use metal covers - but there will be some specific locations where there is a requirement for damage resistance.

IMO plastic cover plates are in general safer where breakage isn't a concern.

On 2019-05-16 20:34:48.478021 by (mod) -

Carol, take a look at

PROGRAMMABLE, DIGITAL THERMOSTATS & How They are Set
at
https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Thermostats.php#Pgm

On 2019-05-16 20:31:52.856704 by (mod) -

Rick this doesn't sound right to me either. The pump could be running but not actually compressing air, or it may be pushing air but have an air line leak or it may have a good air line but be clogged at the outlet in the tank. I'd pull the system, I would not just try pushing high pressure - there's a risk of blowing off a component and losing it in the bottom of the tank or of damaging something.

On 2019-05-16 20:18:36.162072 by (mod) -

What's the heat source: oil, gas, electric? Look for a defective control, low voltage transformer, motor that's not running.

On 2019-05-16 20:13:56.763482 by (mod) -

Hugh

I'm not sure what problem we're solving here. But you may be able to extend the vent exhaust termination past the wall if there's some good reason to do so - just be sure it's tipped down away from the building so as to avoid a condensate back-drain problem and that it's protected as appropriate.

On 2019-05-16 19:52:32.821759 by (mod) -

Anon:

Generally cellulose - wood-based products don't contain asbestos though there were some exceptsions, probably traced to cross-contamination, discussed at SHEATHING, FIBERBOARD ASBESTOS CONTENT https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Fiberboard-Sheathing-Asbestos.php

that could also appear in an interior wall product.

On 2019-05-16 19:44:20.543972 by (mod) -

Dallas

I can't answer from just your question as phrased. Is there a mixing valve? At what temp is that valve set? What is the piping material? What's its length? In what is the tubing routed? What is the temperature difference between indoors and outside - and thus the heat transfer rate.

Generally at the start of the radiant tubing loop the surface temp of the tubing will be close to the setting of the mixing valve.

On 2019-05-16 19:42:31.503964 by (mod) -

Ted

This sounds worrisome - it's a question to take to your attorney who will ask much more specific questions and for more information than are in your note. Else one cannot guess. In general a buyer is normally expected to do their own pre-purchase inspections and due diligence, but NOTHING stops someone from suing you.

On 2019-05-16 19:40:42.972199 by (mod) -

Any plumbing supplier, renovation hardware supplier, architectural design supplier.

Also building suppliers such as Home Depot, Lowes, and at online vendors. Depending on diameter and weight, figure as much as $6.50/ ft.

On 2019-05-16 19:34:28.471879 by (mod) -

Interesting anonymous question

1. Check the VOM on another source or wire in each function and mode to be sure it's not a problem with the meter, batteries, probes, or internals

2. Then look for a loose connection on the water heater circuit or component being tested

3. If you're testing an element the element itself could be corroded and failing but also shorting - watch out don't get killed - be safe or give up

On 2019-05-16 19:25:23.585339 by (mod) -

Juan

At an electrical receptacle there will be less than 1/4" of bare wire back from the wire connector.

Take a look at the back or side or strap on your electrical receptacle or switch that's being wired - the subject of this page - you'll find there a "STRIP GAUGE" that shows just how much insulation should be stripped back from the wire end before the wire is inserted under the screw or pushed into the connector or between connecting plates.

Generally the strip gauge will tell you to remove about 1/2" of insulation on a #14 or #12 copper wire to a light switch or receptacle.

In the electrical panel

There's not a code-specified strip-back difference but there's common sense about safety, touching other components, other wires, etc. Typically I see 1/2" or less. I like to see the insulation up close to the lug but not quite touching it. That lets me know that nobody accidentally left insulation on the wire UNDER the lug - which risks a loose wire (unsafe) or a poor electrical connection (also unsafe).

On 2019-05-16 19:20:23.267144 by Anonymous

Why is myΩ meter going crazy on the waterheater

On 2019-05-16 19:19:03.518870 by (mod) -

I'd take a look at the AC Compressor squealing comments at

https://inspectapedia.com/noise_diagnosis/HVAC_Noise_Descriptions_5.php#Squeal

On 2019-05-16 19:18:12.207281 by (mod) -

Bill

A simple pressure-reducing valve may be about $60. U.S.

An automagic water feeder on a steam boiler is around $200.

On 2019-05-16 19:13:09.931093 by (mod) -

Good going, Mike - I'd like to see a photo of what you saw when you opened the sheet metal.

In general EPA and others advise that the safest as well as least-costly treatment of asbestos materials is to leave them alone, in place, covered-over when possible.

On 2019-05-16 17:53:02.131976 by (mod) -

PS

Here is an example of what I describe as a "spring-loaded" electrical panel cover plate.

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On 2019-05-16 17:46:41.796762 by (mod) -

RE-posting from private email:

Anonymous by email said:

Hello and thank you for your past help.
I understand you did a lot of research on FP panels.
I'm just trying to confirm that NON Stab Lok panels, do NOT have the same issues as the Stab Lok panels. Would this be correct?
I have attached a photo of the panel of my concern.
As I understand or have heard second hand, some insurance companies still avoid insuring PC panel equipped homes even if they are not of the Stab Lok design.
Would you be able to advise me about this?
I am trying to determine if I should mention this non stab lok panel in the home inspection report.
Thank you very much,

Moderator Reply:

If you are asking about FP or FPE electrical panels, there are no models that are not the Stab-lok design except for the company's fuse panels. The panel in your photo is labelled FPE / Federal Pacific. I agree that the words "Stab-Lok" don't appear on the panel label, but this is a Stab-Lok design.

If you are trained to safely remove the panel cover and inspect the panel buses inside you'll doubtless see the characteristic E-shaped or F-shaped openings in the panel bus.

See details at inspectapedia.com/fpe/FPE_Stab_Lok_Identification.php FPE & FP IDENTIFICATION, HOW TO where you'll find a lengthy list of methods to identify this equipment.

If you open the panelI'd like to see a sharp photo of the panel bus and of any other labels that may be inside the box.

Reader Follow-up:

Thank you, I was trained to remove panel covers but we were always told if it’s federal Pacific stab lock, don’t open them up!
So I don’t . They told us that the breakers could pop out at you and get loose.

Moderator Reply:

We might want to discuss this topic with greater care.

1. In general you can assume that if it's a circuit breaker and it's FP, FPE, Federal Electric, etc. it's a Stab-Lok design - as our article series documents and illustrates.
So you do not need to open the panel just to make that determination.

Certainly some high-volume inspection companies and training schools look for every opportunity to simplify and speed the process. In my OPINION that's not always smart - as it risks
exposing an occupant or buyer to a life/safety hazard that is not observed, not reported, not disclosed. A disclaimer won't prevent an injury, fire, death nor stop a lawsuit about such.

2. ASHI, and various state licensing standards expect the inspector to open the electrical panel unless s./he has a specific observation that in her/his judgement makes touching the panel unsafe.

Why? Because in addition to the defective product issue there can be other immediate life safety concerns that might be observed therein such as

- aluminum wiring
- evidence of overheating
- over-fusing
- mis-wiring
- missing ground connections
and a host of other faults that cannot be seen with the panel covered

I certainly don't want you to get shocked or killed by touching an unsafe panel, but on the other hand, JUST because a panel is labelled FPE or FP is NOT justification for declining further inspection.

Also in my OPINION (empahsizing it's an opinion not a research-supported fact) we ought not be ducking the issue by saying "have the panel inspected by a licensed electrician" since too often local electricians are the very folks who installed the panel in the first place; some of those don't know about these hazards. Besides if we refer everything to an additional level of onsite inspection the client with any sense will wonder what the heck they paid their home inspector for in the first place.

So I (mostly) disagree with whomever conducted your training on this point. My experience in standards, ethics, certification exams, licensing, education, as well as home inspection, construction, and electrical wiring all lead me to a different opinion.

Watch out: however I agree that SOME FP circuit breakers do not mount securely in the electrical panel. In a Toronto home, for example, I saw breakers held in place in the panel with Scotch Tape. The tape and the loose breakers were plainly visible *without* having to remove the panel cover, and you and your trainer were dead right that such panels are dangerous.

I have in fact reported on an electrician (in Georgia if I recall right) who was killed when he removed a panel cover - an arc explosion from loose breakers blew out and killed him.

However, that was NOT an FP/FPE electrical panel, and it WAS a panel using a spring-loaded faceplate that, combined with a frame, pushed on the circuit breakers, holding them against the panel bus assembly.

What this means to me is that loose breakers are NOT specifically an FPE Stab-Lok or FP or FP panel issue, they are an issue in ANY electrical panel and something to watch for,

And it means that when you see ANY electrical panel faceplate that uses a spring loader you should be very careful when removing the panel cover to watch for loose, moving breakers. If you're in doubt don't touch the panel at all, explain the concern to your client, and then I agree it's reasonable to have a more-trained electrician check out the panel.

The mistake here was

1. tarring all FP panels with the "loose breaker" brush - that's basically wrong

2. failing to point out how to recognize the spring loading panel faceplate panel hazard

3. failing to point out how to recognize other signs of loose breakers in a non-spring-loaded panel faceplate

Please don't take offense, I'm grateful for your question and want you and your customers to be safe.

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On 2019-05-16 17:25:18.663273 by (mod) -

Charmaine

Gyproc is a Saint Gobain Gyproc product line and name.

www.saint-gobain-gyproc.com

At ASBESTOS PRODUCING COMPANIES https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Producing_Companies.php
You will find a list of St Gobain products that contained asbestos

It would be helpful to know the country and city where your building is located, and the building age as those are key determinants in the asbestos -use question.

On 2019-05-16 17:06:06.048156 by (mod) -

Jane,

Routing plumbing drains to spill into a toilet tank or bowl is not plumbing according to any model plumbing code nor is it a sensible practice. Worse it suggest such an amateur and in my opinion incompetent approach to building plumbing that I worry what other unsanitary or dangerous work has been done at such a property.

It is also a violation to spill sewage or graywater onto the ground.

On 2019-05-16 16:54:15.334354 by Mike

Had 2 separate asbestos contractors come out. Both said the could remove it (first contractor said $3500 the second said $1500). Both agreed that getting a look inside the duct made the most sense. Gently removed a few nails, sprayed soapy water on area and peaked in. It stopped on the joist no evidence that it encroached even a little Into the vent. Contractor said we can encapsulate the piece hanging out so it doesn’t get more disturbed. Also found some visible asbestos tape on the outside of supply vents going from basement into walls throughout the house. Not disturbed or in bad condition so neither contractor felt we needed to worry about it. All in all, worst nightmare averted.

On 2019-05-16 16:35:06.763258 by Jane Stewart

The mobile home that I bought, has a big sewer issue. Is it legal to drain all pipes into the toilet? I have a video of running my washing machine & soap is coming out underneath the trailer where the toilet is. Thank you, stewartjane13@hotmail.com

On 2019-05-16 16:15:56.074283 by Charmaine

We have a product called Murale Gyproc Fire Protective wall board on some interior walls. Do you know if this product contains asbestos?
Thank you

On 2019-05-16 15:42:12.347591 by Karen

I have a heat pump and sometimes when I turn the furnace on, the heat pump fan won't start up and other times it starts right up when, why?

On 2019-05-16 15:13:10.464080 by (mod) -

Lorna

Thank you for the very interesting nail-in-nail example and photo - honestly it's not something I've seen before. It looks as if the smaller nail was being used to affix a hanger-spike to a timber or beam. Or possibly this was a hand-forged spike whose original fabrication attempted to build up the iron spike by combining older materials into one.

I'm doing some research and will post further findings here.

On 2019-05-16 15:09:16.225273 by (mod) -

Charles

To have room for a detailed reply I repeat your question and take a stab at answering it - (what your photo shows is not safe nor code-legal) at CIRCUIT BREAKER HANDLE TIES

https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Circuit-Breaker-Handle-Ties.php

Please take a look at that article. There I include examples of approved breaker handle ties that are widely sold at electrical suppliers and building suppliers for various common breaker brands and models.

Let me know if that helps you out or let me know what questions remain. Also tell me the brand and model of your breakers and if you can safely do so, post a sharp photo of the breaker labels.

On 2019-05-16 14:46:31.921779 by Darrell

How far should warm air be from exhaust fan

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On 2019-05-16 11:30:18.985869 by (mod) -

Re-posting from private email:

Would you have information regarding where I could purchase household dust for use in lab testing?

Sandra Villarreal EMAIL: SAVillar@scj.com

Moderator reply:

For the purpose of studying house dust one would perhaps want to know the characteristics of the building where the dust was collected, country, city, age, leak, mold and other conditions, building materials, occupants, presence or absence of pets or other animals, number of occupants, medical conditions, furnishings, etc.

For purposes of using house dust to calibrate forensic equipment one might want to know the consistency of the dust across a sample of given volume.

Household dust is ubiquitous and free and easily collected by tape samples, sweeping, or vacuuming,.

Therefore I think you'd need to define your lab testing requirements more explicitly for us to suggest a different answer than don't buy house dust, "it's free" and "it's everywhere".

As it will be helpful to other readers, and as its publication may prompt other readers to offer a helpful suggestion about lab-use dust sources, I will include of this discussion in our article at

HOUSE DUST COMPONENTS

near the bottom of that article as a Q&A.

On 2019-05-15 20:42:24.414852 by Bill

How much is a water feeder valve on my furnace

On 2019-05-15 19:20:54.019462 by Charles Morgan

When narrow-width breakers are used in a multi-wire circuit (like 10B and 12A in your example) is there an accepted method of physically tying the breakers together? Right now I'm using tie-wraps.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-15 18:15:57.071776 by Chelsea

Outside AC unit, regular split system. It's been running fine, but not cooling as well as it should. Today, the fan came on on the condenser, but the compressor did not and it began making a high pitched squealing noise . We shut down the unit and the squealing continued for another ten minutes. What is it???

On 2019-05-15 17:58:59.128394 by Juan P Guerrero

How copper can be exposed from a connection to a lug

On 2019-05-15 17:40:45.993488 by Lorna Bernard

I came across this "nail within a nail" on our property, which was the site of a butcher shop and a dry goods store dating back to the 1880s. (We live in a historic California Gold Rush town.) Do you know what it's called, and what it was used for? Thanks in advance.

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On 2019-05-15 12:05:35.770769 by (mod) -

Victor

What has happened since? Has the pump itself failed?

On 2019-05-15 11:58:21.650032 by (mod) -

You should indeed follow the advice of your inspector. Even a smsll change in conditions can produce fatal carbon monoxide.

On 2019-05-15 01:47:46.309494 by Evelyn

My home is 1 year old. Last night I was awakened by the sound of water running/draining coming from the shower in the master suite. What can be causeng this noise?

On 2019-05-15 00:14:31.522931 by ken

My merchantal vent system on my oil boiler looks to be to low. Although I had no problems with it for 20 years an inspector came in and said I need it a
foot high off the ground. Right now it is only a few inches of the ground. Never had any carbin monixide problems. Can you help me ?

On 2019-05-14 22:05:47.908582 by (mod) -

Well forgive me for having to give a more-complicated answer than just yes or no.

First: YES -SORT-OF

IF your pump has lost prime - and thus is at zero water pressure, then yes the motor might run, but if the pump is an above ground unit (not down in the well where it'd be under-water) then the pump motor will run but no water will delivered - and the pump motor, left running, will ultimately be damaged.

Some water pumps include a pump protection switch or even just a simple lever at the pressure control switch that turns the pump OFF if prime is lost - re-prime the pump, turn it on, and figure that you'll probably have to do more work to determine where's the leak that made the system lose prime. But you'll have water.

NO-Sort-Of

On the other hand, IF the problem is that the pressure control switch is clogged or damaged it won't turn the pump on even at zero pressure - the pressure contol is a little fellow, often in a gray box, who turns the pump on and off in response to a drop in water pressure

On 2019-05-14 22:01:29.174366 by (mod) -

Sure Vera

Most-likely if you can find the installation manual for your Samsung stove the instructions there will discuss fuel conversion and should give the proper orifice numbers; but gee surely you can find a local Samsung dealer who can intervene for you, contact the company, and extract the proper change-over parts for your stove.

Is there any chance that the old parts were in fact left, perhaps tied to the back of your stove?

On 2019-05-14 21:59:35.972083 by (mod) -

Shelly

YOu can simply put the water softener back into BYPASS MODE - in the more-reading links above see BYPASS VALVE on WATER SOFTENERS

and then un-plug the control from electrical power.

Watch out: keep in mind that if your water supply is high in minerals you risk costly clogged piping and perhaps water heater clogging if the softener is not used.

On 2019-05-14 21:57:53.117064 by (mod) -

Serial #C07JO57511

quite possibly C = month and 07 = year

where C = March

On 2019-05-14 21:40:51.719650 by (mod) -

Skip,

Thank you for a great question and one that has plagued lots of service technicians.

To have room for a detailed answer I repeat your question and reply at

https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Aquastat-Immersion-Well-Thermal-Grease.php#ProbeStuck

Please take a look, let me know if that helps you out, post photos (one per comment) of your aquastat and probe, and we can take it from there.

On 2019-05-14 18:29:56.216956 by Dianne Hilburn

Trying to find out age of water. Serial #C07JO57511, MODEL #ECT-52-200

On 2019-05-14 17:26:05.919635 by (mod) -

John

I suspect that the problem at your gas stove is more than water on the burner caps themselves - those are rather easy and quick to dry out.

More-likely enough water spilled as to run under the stove top and into the space below where the igniter wires are routed. If those wires and/or connectors or the control module itself have become soaked you'll need to dry them completely before trying to use any electrical features on the stove.

The options are to wait ... which can be a long wait if a lot of water is inside the stovetop ... or to dis-assemble or open or lift the stove top to expose the wiring to inspect, dry, and/or repair if necessary.

Open your stovetop and post some photos (one per comment) and I can comment further.

On 2019-05-14 17:19:06.881729 by (mod) -

No Ric - that is to say ONE WIRE per connector or opening in the AlumiConn.

On 2019-05-14 17:18:05.526580 by (mod) -

Jack you'll find oil tank abandonment described on this page - above and in the ARTICLE INDEX you'll find OIL TANK REGULATIONS - which vary by country and jurisdiction such as state, province, or city.

Generally you test to assure that there has been no leakage, then either fill in place a buried tank (eg with sand) or remove the tank.

If the tank has leaked it must be physically removed and the oil contaminated soil removed.

On 2019-05-14 17:16:18.256291 by (mod) -

Brian

Are you are referring to a forced warm air heating system and the air handler blower fan that moves building air through the heat exchanger and ductrwork - ?

Or

Are you referring to the blower fan inside of an oil burner.

The issues would generally be different, except for tracing wiring to look for a bad wire or connector.

We have different article series for either of those.

This page where you've posted is about forced hot water heat - boilers - and the aquastat that controls the oil burner.

On 2019-05-14 17:12:08.668858 by Brian

My blower motor is erratically starting / stopping when the system calls for heat. After a while, the system will fault out via the controller. If resetting enough, it will continue to run. I have replaced the motor and the primary controller (Carlin model 48245). Could this be an issue with the Aquastat controller and a temperature sensor?

On 2019-05-14 15:08:46.704747 by ricmermar

Are Alumiconn ports approved for more than one conductor ?

On 2019-05-14 13:09:04.916465 by (mod) -

Gee Anon, without information about your country, city, building, or heating system I can't hazard a guess.

Take a look: where does heat "come out" - what gets warm or hot? What does it look like? Where is it found: on the floor, wall, ceiling?

In the article above review the "Types of Heat Distribution Methods in buildings: air, hot water, radiant heating" as when we know that we can guess at what kind of heat your system has.

Then perhaps if you describe the weird noises we can comment usefully on that: hissing, popping, crackling, humming, banging.

OR if you don't feel like bothering with all that description, just click right over to HEATING SYSTEM NOISE DIAGNOSIS https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Heating_Noise_Diagnosis.php

and we can get right into diagnosing what's going on (probably) by what the noise sounds-like.

On 2019-05-14 13:04:56.956493 by (mod) -

Finally, this photo shows how we handled a standing seam metal roof on a low slope installation in New York - designed & installed with Eric Galow. We kept the standing seams at right angles to the draining edge of the roof. As the standing seam panels approached the angled prow or flying gable (at the white arrow) side of the roof we cut graduated panels.

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On 2019-05-14 12:53:53.337506 by (mod) -

Below is a standing seam metal roof that coped with odd overhang shapes in a creative fashion - in Oxford, England (df-2014)

You'll notice that the roofers were not a bit worried about running the metal roof seams down the roof slope, probably because the pitch of this pyramid roof is so very steep.

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On 2019-05-14 12:37:08.930562 by (mod) -

For other readers, a flying gable roof is simply one whose overhang or gables are NOT perpendicular to the eave line nor parallel to the building walls. Picture a roof shaped like the prow of a ship, extending past building walls. The edges of the overhang or gable are not parallel to the wall over which the roof extends but rather extend further away from the wall as the gable line moves up from lowest roof edge to the roof ridge.

I'm not sure what flashing you're asking about Red

On a prow shaped roof or flying gable roofed with a standing seam metal roof, the raised ribs always point down-slope to a roof edge. I don't have a photo of a raised seam metal roofed prow house so please attach a photo of the building you're asking about and we can comment further.

Below is a photo of a metal roof (but corrugated not standing seam) on a prow type or flying gable roof, a more complex one, on the Sanders-Hollabaugh house built in 1903 in Marshall Arkansas - image courtesy of Wikipedia. Fly

Where conventional roof covering such as asphalt shingles are used, the drip edge flashing would still nail onto the roof deck edge; underlayment, such as self-adhesive ice and water shield, would still be bonded to the roof deck and placed along the roof edges.

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On 2019-05-14 12:21:46.100490 by (mod) -

Interesting, thanks for the suggestion.

When I build a guardrail I often use a simple 5-inch spacer. Check that the starting post is plumb (vertical) in both directions. Then hold the space to give the desired gap as each baluster is marked or placed. Check every few balusters to be sure you're keeping them vertical.

On 2019-05-14 12:19:24.664140 by (mod) -

Jeff

Jeff: to check out the operation of the check valve on a sewage pump

Listen for drain-back when the pump stops running. Or open the pump chamber and watch what happens at the end of a pump-on cycle. If, after the pump shuts down you see and hear effluent running back into the chamber then the check valve is stuck open or is not installed.

Please help me out by posting questions just once.

On 2019-05-14 10:22:38.874449 by Ricardo De Leon

I’m hearing drain noise glug glug noise in washer machine drain in 29 story high rise building in the 2 Nd floor washer machine drain. Vent line is plugged. If I clear vent pipe will it solve noise issues.

On 2019-05-14 08:07:44.718343 by Anonymous

What. Kind of heating system is built inside of the ceiling of my apartment, i live on the top floor and it makes weird noises

On 2019-05-14 03:16:04.566952 by Anonymous

How do you put Eve flashing on a flying Gable raised rib metal roofing

On 2019-05-14 03:14:08.385992 by Red

How do you put eave flashing on a flying Gable

On 2019-05-14 01:43:08.427855 by (mod) -

You may need to repair or replace a refrigerant metering device like a thermostatic expansion valve or capillary tube. You should not force the system to run because you're a subverting a safety device. Forcing it to run could be dangerous.

On 2019-05-14 01:41:20.029980 by Nessisso

How can I start HVAC if low pressure switch does not allow it to start?

On 2019-05-14 00:04:32.930217 by John

The gas detector show in the article is poor at best. The sensors give false positives all the time. This sensors register humidity many times versus a true gas detection.

On 2019-05-13 23:38:54.795655 by Skip

How do you get a aquastat out of the thermal grease that is acting like glue??

On 2019-05-13 23:02:39.556766 by Shelly

I have never used my water softener but it is hooked up.
It somehow got turned on water started coming out of a hose and filling the tank.
I had to turn the water to the house off to stop the water in the water softener.
What do I need to do to stop this. It never did this before but it got plugged in somehow.
There was no water or salt in it at the time.

On 2019-05-13 22:49:03.441013 by Vera

We had our Samsung stove (model NX58H5600SS) converted to LP when it was installed. We have moved and now need to convert back. The installer did not leave the original parts, however. I've been trying to find a kit to go from LP back to natural gas and Samsung support has been useless. Any advice?

On 2019-05-13 21:14:49.418591 by John

Spilt water on my stove And wouldn’t light blew fuse tried resetting but blows as soon as I try to reset. Flame around burner knob shoots out for 1sec. As it blows out fuse

On 2019-05-13 19:38:50.387932 by Anonymous

If you get a heavy duty elastic roll and mark it every 3 inches, you can attach it between your posts, stretching enough so you have less than 5 inches or less between two marks. Center the balusters on these marks.

On 2019-05-13 18:57:06.512838 by Candice W

Thank you!

On 2019-05-13 18:51:34.733249 by (mod) -

Sure Candice,

Besides a careful inspection outside for points of water entry, from inside you can use a moisture meter, pin type in drywall or electronic type if the wall is solid masonry - map the moisture levels.

If the water is coming down from higher on the wall you may see high moisture levels higher on the wall; if the water is coming from foundation or slab level you'd see moisture principally close to the floor.

I'm assuming there's no basement nor crawl area to inspect.

On 2019-05-13 18:41:59.856600 by Todd

The site and carport appear to be level. Yes, lots of rain here. The flat roof could pour a great deal of water to this area as it does not have a gutter.

The interior walls are drywall. Here is a pic of the inside. The cracks are to the left and right of this window. Lots of ceiling cracks.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-13 18:35:50.776813 by Todd

The carport and site appear to be level.

Yes, lots of rain here.

The interior walls are drywall. This picture faces the window that has the cracks on each side outside. The walls look good, but the ceiling has quite a few cracks. The roof was replaced in 2014.

I think the flat roof over the carport/porch probably pours a lot of water to the front corner of the house/living area.

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On 2019-05-13 18:20:43.365742 by (mod) -

Looks to me as if the front sidewalk tips to the left -the whole shebang may have built on loosely-compacted soil. I suspect the foundation movement has been going on for a long time.

Gainesville FL gets about four feet of rainfall a year! That's a lot of water coming off those roofs, spilling onto a flatt-ish site with maybe local in-slope grade near the foundation wall.

Are the interior walls paneled? If not you'd see an enormous crack and probably water leakage at the front wall.

On 2019-05-13 18:11:27.753759 by Todd

Thank you for the opinion, keep it coming. This home is in Gainesville, Florida. It appears to be a slab on grade. It was built in 1956. The inside floor is a "engineered wood" floating floor and the concrete slab was not visible.

I do not see any gutters, however the flat roof over the garage could dump its water to the area.


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On 2019-05-13 18:05:09.649365 by (mod) -

Todd

To have room for a detailed reply I repeat your question and give my comments at the end of the article above on this page.

You may need to clear or refresh your browser cache to see the updated article.

Please take a look and let me know what further questions you have, and later, what onsite inspectors or contractors are proposing as that may permit further comment.

On 2019-05-13 18:05:09.619046 by (mod) -

Todd

To have room for a detailed reply I repeat your question and give my comments at the end of the article above on this page.

You may need to clear or refresh your browser cache to see the updated article.

Please take a look and let me know what further questions you have, and later, what onsite inspectors or contractors are proposing as that may permit further comment.

On 2019-05-13 17:18:21.727427 by Todd

I am looking at a house that has some substantial horizontal cracks and movement. They are in red on this picture. I'll add a second comment with the close up pictures.

Have you seen anything like these? There is a large tree stump adjacent to the foundation on the back side of this house. It seems to be possible that the roots have pushed the foundation enough to cause the cracks and wall separation. Have you seen any ways this can be corrected?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-13 17:02:43.891160 by Candice W

We have water coming into our house from the outside in area where water pools. In the adjacent area inside the house, the floor is wet along the wall. Is there any way that we can tell if the water is coming in due to foundation issues or if it is due to a leak in the exterior brick wall?

Thank you

On 2019-05-13 15:27:05.701583 by Marianne

Will a well pump come on if the pressure is on 0

On 2019-05-13 14:46:59.433377 by Jeff

How do I check the check valve

On 2019-05-13 14:43:32.438306 by Jeff

Grinder pump runs in my basement and it pumps the liquid out it comes back through the vent pipe

On 2019-05-13 04:42:41.893418 by victor

want to ask a question which may be someone can help fix the issue, my pump shuts down and i decided to changed the relay, afyer changing it it works back but the problem is i heard a strong noise from relay which isn't normal lile before..... thanks for the help

On 2019-05-13 02:09:50.816396 by (mod) -

Yes

On 2019-05-13 01:53:38.469077 by (mod) -

I would expect your plumber to be looking for a defective first stage or primary gas regulator, or perhaps pressure lines being rerouted too close to a heat source.

On 2019-05-13 01:52:18.649870 by (mod) -

I can't say Rachel. Are there any manufacturers named stamps on the back side of the material?

On 2019-05-12 22:03:52.701258 by Tom

They did make the solar water heaters, above it said this was being investigated. Trying to figure out if there is enough copper inside that a recycler might take it after I figure out how to get it out of the house. See picture.

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On 2019-05-12 21:40:36.515410 by Rachel D.

Trying to find out more on this find under our carpet. Is it a Quaker Rug? Manufacturer? Year? Would it contain asbestos? Thank you.

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On 2019-05-12 20:50:31.187636 by (mod) -

David

Please try the environmental test experts listed in the page top league for experts directory and let me know what you're told as that may help other readers.

On 2019-05-12 15:51:53.708655 by David

I need someone to identify a powerful ongoing varnish smell in my home that will not dissipate over time even with windows open. It is making me ill. I live in Lancaster, CA north of Los Angeles

On 2019-05-12 13:24:09.375153 by Mike

LP delivery company has set first and second stage regulators at the tank. Over several attempts to regulate the pressure for my furnace (spec'ed for 11 - 13.x inH20) I have had failed gas valves. The pressure starts out fine at 11/12 inH20 but over time goes up and up. 20, 25 inH20.

New furnace.
New tanks.
New regulators.
No other appliances using LP / on the line.
Pipe from tanks to furnace is on the same level. Run is < 100ft.
1/2 of the line that wasn't black iron (it was yellow covered thin conduit) has been replaced with black iron.
the entire line has been insulated.

what is going on?>

On 2019-05-12 13:03:03.924034 by gerold

can I use a insulated copper ground wire of the proper size for a panel ground to earth

On 2019-05-12 04:46:10.381615 by Mr Archibong Afia

The condenser fan won't blow when the dryer wire is connected, but when disconnected it will blow. please what is the solution? thanks.

On 2019-05-12 02:13:33.702796 by _

Hi -- good website, thanks! FYI: The DocToPDF links for your PDFs are getting trapped by ISPs and other services (FedEx/Kinkos) as unsafe.

On 2019-05-11 22:13:47.292531 by John Gamble, Gamble Truman-Oaks LLC

Where can I buy 6' of bright brass water pipe for a towel rack?

On 2019-05-11 13:13:06.562890 by (mod) -

Carol

Start by asking your physician who know you for a referral. If that's not forthcoming you can find a directory of doctors who specialize in environmental medicine at our website at MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE https://inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/Mold_Doctors.php

On 2019-05-11 06:56:45.938102 by Ted Williams

Can a home owner be liable for selling a used stair chair lift if some installs it them self and they get hurt or worse or ii it caused a fire Because of faulty installation and not by a certified elevator company.

On 2019-05-11 05:31:33.471377 by Dallas Pottroff

If the temperature going into the system is 124% and the return temp, is 94% what is the approximate surface temp,

On 2019-05-11 04:19:40.361645 by carol.glassman@icloud.com

carol.glassman@icloud.com I have been suffering from a fiberglass allergy for almost 5 years. It happened after storm Sandy and the fiberglass scott went and became airborne. I still haven’t found a doctor anywhere who can help me out with this problem. I have sores in my scalp, my back and my arms and legs. My feet and hands get numb very easily and are very painful. I’ve lost a great deal of hair and my teeth and I am so broken down badly. Please don’t stay in your home like I did. It’s ruined my health and I still can’t find any help!

On 2019-05-11 01:21:47.048866 by anonymous

Does wood paneling 4*8 grooved with a hard surface which resembles wood finish it looks like it is laminated to partilce board year 1968 and is nailed to the interior walls in my hallway in my house do these panels contain asbestos?

On 2019-05-11 00:03:43.879626 by anonymous

Does wood veneer type panels from from year 1968 which is nailed to the interior wall in my hallway contain asbestos?

On 2019-05-10 22:25:46.821011 by kak

If a handrail makes a 90 degree bend along the stair run, is that considered to be continuous

On 2019-05-10 20:52:24.485787 by Armando

Why my a.o smith makes a humming noise.

On 2019-05-10 16:20:06.353411 by (mod) -

Thank you for the follow-up Mike, that will assist other readers. Smart you didn't take my bet.

The objective risk from un-disturbed asbestos paper duct wrap that was used as a "gasket" to seal sheet metal nailed to floor joists to form a return duct could be negligible IF the paper does not actually extend into the return air space formed by the joist sides, floor underside, and sheet metal; but to know that you'd have to inspect the duct run. You could do that by hiring an environmental specialist or just about anyone who has a duct inspection camera.

If there is ragged damaged fuzzy asbestos paper in the actual air path it'd still make sense to either abandon that duct and install separate return ducting using new materials nearby, or you'd have to treat it as an asbestos removal job, involving dust containment, removal, cleanup, testing, and restoration.

On 2019-05-10 15:48:48.984550 by Mike

Turns out it is 15% chrysotile asbestos. Just runs on the joist to seal the return from leaks.

On 2019-05-10 15:48:14.338187 by Rick

My aeration pump is working fine but I see no bubbles in tank can the mixer clog? Looks like solid PVC pipe going from airpump to chamber. Where would the clig be? Can I force pressure air through pipe?

On 2019-05-10 15:45:38.885177 by (mod) -

Glad to discuss - working together makes us smarter. Or at least we'll have someone else to blame.

On 2019-05-10 15:43:43.582407 by David P

good point. Upper deck is sturdy, but will add knee braces at all rim joist/pinned post piers for extra horizontal forces, similar to how my arbor was made. Very helpful second opinion. Thx.


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On 2019-05-10 15:37:25.389019 by (mod) -

Tom

TO give a useful answer we'd need to know a few things

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php should be helpful; please take a look and let me know what you think.

On 2019-05-10 14:38:01.409401 by Tom

Does this contain asbestos?

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On 2019-05-10 14:23:22.983986 by hugh

can i put the vent pipe 4 ft out from the wall if i insulate & support outside conditions ?

On 2019-05-10 06:45:57.854206 by Carol

How does a wall mounted intro digital thermostat work for heating?
It has 4 buttons - power fan temp+ temp-

On 2019-05-10 03:19:23.245215 by Anonymous

Are metal recpticle cover plates required in commercial office space by code

On 2019-05-10 01:55:53.899636 by Thomas

I am a resident at a dorm. The past few days in the indoor courtyard I have smelled a smell very similar to antifreeze. Some areas are stronger than others. Staff doesnt seem to care

On 2019-05-10 01:25:03.390900 by (mod) -

Typically you would take one of two approaches to solve the problem of a flooding holding tank. What is the direct surface runoff away from the area and the other is to make sure that the tank top and any pipe connections into it are sealed.

On 2019-05-10 01:23:57.822035 by (mod) -

I'm sorry Gary but I don't know. The answer would depend on the total heat loss from the hot water piping which would include its length, routing and locations, insulation, and temperature differences between the water in the pipe and the ambient temperature surrounding it. That's a technical way of saying it depends.

On 2019-05-10 01:22:36.410098 by (mod) -

Unless someone made a wiring error, switching the thermostat to cool, when there's no air conditioning system installed and nothing wired to the cool terminals in the thermostat, shouldn't hurt your furnace nor should it do anything at all

On 2019-05-09 by Marcia

I have a lower level half bath where the toilet suddenly will not flush (water just swirls around). There is no blockage. We just had some chimney work done - is there ANY chance that the chimney worker screwed up something with the vent pipe that could be causing this? If so, what are we looking for when we get up on the roof? I am grasping at straws here - I cannot for the life of me see what could suddenly be causing this issue. Thanks in advance for any help!

On 2019-05-09 21:41:21.467338 by Krone69

Can I gently remove the live moss from a tar and gravel roof. I removed some today and very little gravel was on it
Also can I add gravel on bald spots by adding a layer of tar with brush (warm) and then add gravel? Does adding zinc rocks keep moss from growinv

On 2019-05-09 20:45:06.395440 by (mod) -

Sounds smart to me; I like 6x6s even though they exceed the requirement - cheap insurance and they look better too, especially on rather high decks.

I'm not a structural engineer but IMO esp. on a tall deck whose upper stair stringers tie to or (better) rest on an intermediate landing, the landing and connections have to withstand either downwards force (of a stringer and stair whose lower end rests ON the platform top) or horizontal thrust for stringers abutting the rim joist of the platform. IMO this latter is a more demanding structure for which the platform has to not only not rack but also not slide - done by your combination of pinning post bottoms to the piers or pad, the post tops to the landing, and cross bracing in both directions.

When you're enclosing with lattice the x-bracing isn't ugly as it's rather hidden.

On 2019-05-09 19:49:51.916122 by Anonymous

Thanks so much. Do you think Lysol disinfect is as good as any other household cleaning product for the barrister bookcase cleaning process you recommend? Also, how to address concerns about using a web product on unfinished wood and being confident is has adequately dried before sealing it?

On 2019-05-09 16:53:43.661556 by kjmcdonald99

We do not currently have a central ac unit on our furnace. I noticed that the thermostat was turned to cool. Will this hurt my furnace? We usually keep the fan on continuously. Thanks.

On 2019-05-09 16:35:01.162290 by David p

thanks, yes plan on 2x6 - 2ft knee bracing on platform, resting on top of 6x6 posts, metal structural post/joist connectors throughout. Plan to do small flat notch on platform stringer for solid flat resting on 2x8 rim joist hangers, with 2x under notch for extra ledge support. Four 2x12 stringers on 36 inch stairs as using 1 inch composite treads. All posts secured to concrete with bolted 6x6 metal anchor which has a 1 inch metal raised pad to keep post above wetting surface. Always try to exceed code. Railing posts of 6x6 dual bolted to back anchored rim joist with metal ballisters, same as deck. Any other precautions appreciated. Thanks for prompt reply.


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On 2019-05-09 15:46:39.952766 by (mod) -

David,

While the local building inspector is the final legal authority, IMO it would be fine to use structural connectors from stringers to platform, so long as the platform(s) also are themselves adequately supported and secured against movement.

On an external deck-stair like your sketch, I'd expect not only posts secured to piers but also cross-bracing.

On 2019-05-09 15:44:28.287834 by (mod) -

Rachel, you might want to check the easy Q&A given at DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

Or else treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos - meaning simply cover it over with a new layer of resilient sheet flooring.

On 2019-05-09 14:49:15.365490 by David P

For an external deck stairs with a middle platform, do the stringers need to rest on the platform like a landing, or is it permissible to attach the lower stringers to the middle platform rim joist using joist hangers. Platform is for a 90 degree turn and is larger than stair width in all directions. Limited by total run space.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-09 14:44:04.583638 by Mike

In my high-rise condo there are several 45-year-old McQuay/Daikin fan coil heat exchangers each with hot and cold water feed. One unit has stopped blowing cool air. It's unclear to me whether the hot side is stuck open or the cool side stuck closed. Each side has a Honeywell line-voltage zone valve on one side of which is a "spigot"-type water valve and on the other a lever-type valve. We are scheduled to have these HVAC units replaced in the next few years and, based on prior repairs to other of my units, I know this repair will require cutting open my drywall and run about $800. I don't want to do that again knowing how short-term it is. I'd like some advice on how I can manually override the zone valves. I can reach down through the exhaust duct and reach everything. Thanks.

On 2019-05-09 14:00:53.086943 by jpbill

Have 2 holding tanks, 45 years old, that take in groundwater during wet spring conditions. Any suggestions on cause and cure?

On 2019-05-09 11:47:33.539051 by Rachel

We just purchase a new home built in 1977. It has sheet linoleum under 3 other layers of flooring in the kitchen. My neighbor had the same and thinks it has asbestos but I can find a match on the database. Any idea?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-09 11:36:10.182436 by Anonymous

Short buzz sound. AC tech replaced a part but sound is still happening

On 2019-05-09 11:33:07.708222 by Helen

Short buzz sound

On 2019-05-09 11:00:35.080242 by Garyp

How much more propane is used if recirc pump is set on
100%?

On 2019-05-08 18:29:40.575862 by (mod) -

Mary

To have space for a detailed answer to your important safety (and cost) concern about who pays and how do I fix wood left around an ash dump door or ash pit cleanout door, I repeat your question and answer it at the end of the article above on this page.

You may need to clear your browser cache and refresh the page to see the updated article.

Please take a look, then attach a photo (one per comment) of the ash dump door or ash pit door and we'll follow-up.

On 2019-05-08 18:02:29.456190 by Anonymous

We have been noticing mold on inside and outside of convector. What is best way to clean?

On 2019-05-08 15:31:36.855545 by Mary

How do you remove wood framing or forms visible through the ash dump opening in the basement. Found by house inspector and buyers want it removed for safety purposes. A chimney person or a mason? Is this a costly procedure?

On 2019-05-08 08:34:26.724850 by Abdu

What is the best slope of traditional tiled house s

On 2019-05-08 05:33:28.797023 by kevin harris

You should never keep the switch to your boiler always open, you can always switch it on and off in my opinion. It also saves you a lot on the electricity!

On 2019-05-08 04:03:41.371584 by (mod) -

Several companies, including Dur-o-Matic and Marey (shown below) and Steibel Eltron produce point of use electric heaters such as the electric shower heaters shown here.

On 2019-05-08 04:00:55.411721 by (mod) -

Carol

From your description it's possible that there's a clog that needs to be cleared. That's not something we could discuss usefully by telephone you need an on-site plumber to perhaps use a sewer line camera to inspect your lines. If the leach field is in failure or you'll know because you'll see that it's flooded.

On 2019-05-08 03:59:40.090164 by (mod) -

Criss

Strictly a leak could cause a water pump to run continuously if the leak is fast enough. I would think you could just put the water softener in bypass and eliminate that from the equation.

On 2019-05-08 03:57:15.664274 by (mod) -

I don't think you'll find any FPE circuit breaker or breaker panel in residential application that is not a stab Lok design

On 2019-05-08 03:55:30.168948 by (mod) -

Bill,

For any electrical wire to be buried it must be rated for that use. For example it would be marked UF for underground feeder.

On 2019-05-08 03:54:35.621072 by (mod) -

Cory, thank you for an interesting question. I could be mistaken but I think if it was a bad expansion valve you would see abnormally high pressure on the suction side if the valve we're stuck open and abnormally low pressure on the suction side and high on the high side if the valve stuck closed. So I'm afraid I suspect the compressor.

On 2019-05-08 03:53:03.577568 by (mod) -

Bill,

I don't know about your specific water heater as we don't know it's brand and model, but there are some gas fired water heaters approved for installation in a closet or similar small area. Of course you need to provide combustion air. And you don't want a gas water heater that can vent into or consume oxygen from a sleeping area.

On 2019-05-08 03:51:48.747909 by (mod) -

Stevo

Thank you for the comment about your own experience finding instances of plaster that contained asbestos. You probably saw in the page above that we have several articles confirming that finding as well. Any details that you can add would be helpful for other readers.

On 2019-05-08 03:31:53.943071 by Stevo

I have seen asbestos in plaster several times, in fact we have some here now, signed 25 years Accredited Asbestos Inspector.

On 2019-05-08 02:18:28.517693 by Bill

Can our gas water heater be placed in a small closet?

On 2019-05-08 01:15:07.363409 by (mod) -

Marcy

"Can you" is of course a bit broad - of course you can = but we have no information about your historical house including its country, city, (thus regulations), construction, location of the oil tank, and difficulty of access to the site; special care may be needed to avoid damaging the foundation during tank removal.

And there may be additional site access restrictions for a historical site - adding to oil tank removal costs.

But, then, why are we removing the oil tank? If it has leaked it must be removed and the spill cleaned-up.

If the tank has not leaked (prove by testing) then it may make more sense to abandon the tank in place. See OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE in the ARTICLE INDEX above.

On 2019-05-08 00:28:43.863124 by (mod) -

Andrea,

If you are asking about that brown strip of shingles, two courses wide, across your roof, that looks to me as if there was a repair / replacement of two shingle courses with shingles that do not match the rest of the roof in your photo.

That could be a sign of amateur work, or of repair to damage by someone who could not obtain matching shingles.

Are the brown -non-matching shingles - installed in the area of the hinge of a modular home with hinged roof trusses?

Can you inspect this roof from the attic side?

On 2019-05-08 00:23:35.621598 by (mod) -

I'm not sure, Jessica - the photo is a b it blurry, but the darkness right at the edge of the carpet suggests there could be an air leak or air and moisture leak around the room perimeter.

On 2019-05-08 00:00:21.465650 by (mod) -

Anon: I suspect you'll not find it easy to remove all of the mold-stains but basic cleaning, drying, and sealing with a shellac or other suitable coating on the previously un-finished surfaces should suffice.

For mold growth under the existing clear finish on wood furniture removing the stains is more difficult.

For valuable antiques I'd consult a professional museum conservator.

For other household furniture of some value worth the trouble, you may need to sand, clean, then re-finish such surfaces.

I looked over and kept copies of all of your photos - they'll appear on the FAQs page associated with this article.

https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Mold-Cleanup-Guide-FAQs.php

On 2019-05-07 23:22:51.551274 by ms.andrea

What could cause something like this? Two rows of discoloration. Should I be concerned?

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On 2019-05-07 20:28:46.449100 by Cory Calhoun

I have a 3 ton 410a Lennox with correct suction pressure however my high side pressure is way low. Pressures are 120headover 118 suction low side. What would be the cause. Bad txv or tev

On 2019-05-07 18:02:24.071975 by Jessica

Hello, what would be causing this on carpet in a closet/bedroom that is on the second story of a home?

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On 2019-05-07 11:34:44.888575 by Bill

Can stranded aluminum direct buried service wire be spliced?

On 2019-05-07 05:30:20.679847 by H Moore

Is the FPE main service panel type 2B breaker considered a Stab-Lok breaker and if not are these breakers considered to be safe? Is it correct that FPE Stab-Lok branch circuit breakers are the faulty breakers? Thank you.

On 2019-05-07 03:21:04.354789 by Terri

Is it ok to pour juice from green olives, pickles down the kitchen sink?

On 2019-05-07 00:11:13.229688 by Criss

It has a water softer hooked to it and the water runs though the softer could it be the softer the water runs though. It. Like a small leak

On 2019-05-06 23:21:09.416951 by Carol

I having a problem with my leach field not draining properly. I installed a leach field 5 yes ago. Someone said it might be the d box does that sound like it could be that,? I had a backup last year in my waste pipe my tenant poured grease down my kitchen sink and put baby wipes and female products down the toilet. I had the pipe snaked and everything was fine until now
My home is in milton NH.can u call me 941 221 1970 tks carol

On 2019-05-06 21:40:13.978874 by Elvis King

I am trying to source some elements for my Dur o matic system. I am in Barbados and bought this system which works very well I must admit from Puerto Rico a while back but never used it until now. Can you tell me where I can source some elements for a 110/120 V system?!! Thanks in advance!!

On 2019-05-06 21:35:19.314710 by Afternoon sir, I need to get some elements for the Dur o matic 110/120V system. Can you point me as to where I can source some of these elements?!!

On 2019-05-06 05:07:15.447563 by Kim

Ok our family just moved into a rental. It's a newer build 2005 and we don't know the history of the house. We have notice what looks like brown/ black splatter all over the ceilings and even in the garage which is unpainted drywall. In the garage it's also on the windows of the garage door, shelving, etc. The house has a stale smokey smell especially when it's humid. The humidity levels can get up to 90% (we have a gage) what can cause the spotting, and the high humidity?
I have asked our landlords and they don't know. They said we can just paint over it. I'm concerned that there is a bigger problem.
Also, the dryer vent runs up into the attic and out the wall. Could this be a problem??
Thank you for your help!

On 2019-05-06 01:03:11.889610 by Herman

If I had a traditional wood frame house, say 25' x 35' how many inches would it shrink and grow from -10°F to 100° F?

On 2019-05-06 00:56:55.572387 by John

Does this sheet flooring contain asbestos?


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On 2019-05-05 23:30:21.049137 by Matt

Compressor rebuild kit worked! $85 and about half an hour to install it. Running perfectly now.

On 2019-05-05 23:11:47.495691 by Miro

Water is drain from drain pipe nonstop on my ws series softener.What I can do?

On 2019-05-05 18:31:31.318700 by Anonymous

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On 2019-05-05 18:31:06.798990 by Anonymous

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-05 18:05:53.969391 by Allen Zhai

Hi. A contractor built a spiral staircase connecting the ground floor and the mezzanine. This is an interior staircase and not used as an exit. The last tread on the ground floor is very close to a wall (about 40cm). I have to move sideways to squeeze myself out of the space between the handrail and the wall. Is it building code compliant? Thank you.

On 2019-05-05 15:56:59.304755 by bob

aquastat is working but is leaking water may be the well ? is this common? its 150.00 to replace parts non refundable ? also i cant loosen the nut ! but will try a bigger wrench . should i just replace the h.w.h. or do you think the the parts will stop the leak ? the tank is in good shape. do to cost i was going to change it to elec. now is a reverse fired oil. 2700.00. thanks bob

On 2019-05-05 14:55:03.966517 by Brenda

Should my yellow wood by cracking, and about water after 2 months of being installed on my deck?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-05 13:05:24.834139 by Jason

Can the LED slim recessed lighting be installed touching a truss?

On 2019-05-05 07:51:16.821267 by soussan

can we put DG over the leach field?
we live in san diego area.
thank you

On 2019-05-05 03:26:11.558014 by (mod) -

I agree that it sounds as if water is leaking into the tank

On 2019-05-05 00:56:16.076430 by Ellen

Have a 1000 gallon concrete holding tank that we had installed a couple of years ago. We were ready to hook our rv up to it. The tank was full of fairly clean water. The opening does sit in a low spot. Have a 12" plastic riser. Had it pumped out. Dug out around the riser and filled with rock around the opening and riser. After a full week of rain the tank has about a foot of water in it. This water looks muddier than the time before we had it pumped. Could it be that the riser wasn't sealed very good and that we need to add another riser?

On 2019-05-04 23:42:31.163698 by (mod) -

Rod:

What's the mold actually growing on? Exposed OSB - not intended for permanent exposure to the weather - can be cleaned using either simple cleaners, followed by drying and sealing with a suitable coating, or more aggressively with media blasting (not normally justified unless for cosmetic reasons)

But the underlying cause of mold growth is what needs to be addressed: leaks, water, moisture traps, lack of sunlight - of which you'd focus on fixing any leaks and weatheproofing the the exterior.

On 2019-05-04 22:09:57.852112 by (mod) -

Beth

In my view you're on the right track to find the motor noise sound by noticing the time of occurrence and frequency; now what's needed is to look for mechanical equipment or motor that is operating near where you're hearing the noise;

If you think it's an electric motor the super may help by turning off equipment or circuits selectively.

On 2019-05-04 20:53:39.722793 by (mod) -

Revised

Joe

The fan comes on after the plenum is warmed. Not before - on a heating application.

Otherwise the unit would blow cold air on occupants.

Where to start: Watch the fan limit control to see if it's rotating to the FAN ON position.

On 2019-05-04 20:30:27.472529 by (mod) -

Beka

The photos of big blurry I can't quite tell what we're seeing, but in any event if sewage or waste water overflowed onto a carpet there is a bacterial Hazard as well as a mold Hazard. The carpet needs to be removed and disposed of and the exposed floor surfaces cleaned and sanitized.

If water also flowed into the bottom of the wall cavities those need to be opened and inspected and if necessary cleaned and sanitize

On 2019-05-04 19:04:16.620330 by Beth

Every day - from approx 5pm to 8am, a loud motor makes a steady blasting sound for approx 6 minutes; the cycle repeats every 15-20 minutes. My super does not know the source. I can hear the sounds constanty in the stop/start cycle manner. The sound is consistent and steady and LOUD. Even with windows CLOSED i can hear it. Any ideas on how to identify source? Thsnl you!

On 2019-05-04 18:48:29.264355 by (mod) -

Dave

Way to go, and thank you for posting both the diagnostic procedure and the results. That will certainly help other readers.

I've found a range of dip tube problems over the years but not the scale clogging that you reported.

It's interesting that the dip tube was scaled but the bottom of the heater was not - suggesting that maybe the dip tube was also working as a sacrificial anode but collecting scale - was this a metal dip tube?

I've added your helpful comment into the text of the article above at

HOT WATER PRESSURE LOSS CLOGS https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Hot_Water_Lost.php#ClogPoints

and will welcome further critique or suggestions

On 2019-05-04 17:29:06.282934 by (mod) -

RL

Generally you can route A/C condensate outdoors TO A SUITABLE DESTINATION - that means

- NOT where the water would cause a problem such as splashing up on and rotting siding or attracting insects into a building or draining back into the building thriouugh the foundation

- NOT where the condensate runs across a sidewalk or public space

On 2019-05-04 17:25:29.835242 by (mod) -

Efra:

Thanks for the interesting question and bent-lally column photos.

1. First double check that it's the column that's bent and not the 2x4 or 1x4 you're using as a strait edge. Check by flipping the lumber over or moving it around the post - or use a known-strait edge object.

2. Next using a small hammer, TAP on the Lally column. In proper modern construction Lally columns are not hollow, they're filled with concrete - which resists bending under load. If the Lally column rings or sounds hollow I worry that the proper column was not installed.

(In SOME jurisdictions the local building inspector may permit hollow steel or temporary jackposts or screw jacks as permanent columns as long as the screw is welded when construction is complete but those are easy to identify by their holes and cross-bolts).

3. Check with your local building department about allowing hollow steel columns; include the column diameter, height, and description of your building - are there unusual (for residential construction) weights or loads from above?

4. Particularly since you think the bends are increasing I'd take this question seriously - which unfortunately means finding a civil engineer or structural engineer who is familiar with residential construction (not a generic engineer who may be licensed but lack the specific residential construction expertise) - and ask the engineer to take a look.

Keep me posted and we may be able to offer more comments as may other readers.

On 2019-05-04 17:08:53.868455 by (mod) -

Laura please see

ELECTRICAL ODOR SOURCES at https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Odor-Diagnosis-Cure.php#ElectricalOdor

where I repeat your question and am working on a longer answer - you may need to clear or refresh your browser page to see the updated version.

Keep me posted on what you are observing and I may be able to comment further - and because that will help other readers tracking down weird "burning electrical" component odors or prompt additional reader suggestions.

On 2019-05-04 16:56:24.724124 by rlozano9@gmail.com

Can I route the primary condensate line driectly outside?

On 2019-05-04 16:27:02.036744 by Efra

Hi, duplicate post. I didn't realize I could only upload one image.

To recap: im in a new construction. when i moved in i noticed one of the Lally columns was really bent (first pic, top left). the builder assured me this was nothing structural, and that most likely the column had been hit prior to its install. one year later, i'm prepping to file the one year warranty claim with the builder, and noticed another column is noticeably bent (second lally column pic, top right). no cracking on the basement floor or anything.

is this normal? is there any way to know if there's something going on structurally that i should be worried about or be asking they fix (if possible)?

i also noticed the carrying beams ( i think that's what they're called) separate slightly from each other as they extend from Lally column to Lally column (bottom pic). not sure its super clear in the pic but i wonder if this too is normal.

Thanks everyone and I apologize to the moderator for the duplicity.

Efra

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-04 16:13:18.801733 by Efra

We're in a new construction home and we're one year in. When we first moved in, I noticed a significant bend on one of the Lally columns. I was told that the column had been likely hit or bent prior to its installation and that it had no bearing on structural integrity. One year later, the column is still bent but I noticed slight bends in one of the other columns.

I attach images here in the hopes that someone can help me ascertain whether this is a problem or potentially a problem so I can be informed when filing me one year warranty claim with the builder.

Thanks everyone!
Efra

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On 2019-05-04 14:30:43.576752 by (mod) -

I'm not sure, Lisa.
Can you ask someone to look under your home to see if the noise is coming from a plumbing, mechanical, electrical or other component and then let me know?

On 2019-05-04 14:21:29.148579 by (mod) -

Thank you for this troubling report, RHS.

The insurance company's position in the case you describe is, if we stick to the facts, completely indefensible.
The manufacturer's own literature makes clear that HardieBoard is NOT waterproof - by its instructions that
- it must be protected from the weather before installation
- that it must not be installed if "too damp or wet"

What is unfortunate is that non the FC siding companies will give specific, quantitative guidance to "what level of moisture in FC siding constitutes "to wet""

The reasons for that position are not given but one can infer from the product history and performance that
- sometimes siding arrives in its factory sealed wrap - but wet - an issue that a company would like to avoid
- quantitative, accurate field assessment risks product liability issues
- there are technical difficulties in measuring moisture if the wrong instrument is used, if the instrument is not used properly, and if measurements are not made in locations that represent the full field of the material.

The best the reset of us can do in this matter is to document as accurately and fairly as possible what field conditions are encountered, what is their effect, and their cost - let the sun shine on information.

On 2019-05-04 13:17:13.800962 by RHS Builders

Good report and highlighted an insurance claim issue we had with a customers home after a flood from a busted water pipe. As builders, we have used Hardie Bard type products for many years without ever thinking about it's wetness. We used the common method of if it looks and feels dry, then its OK. When installing it on rainy or very damp days, we have always compensated as far as possible for shrinkage and warping. The problem we had recently involved an assessment carried out on a home after flooding from a burst internal pipe. The assessor required the normal items to be replaced such as the Timber flooring, Kick boards, skirtings ans so on, and the use of condensation/moister removers until the timber framing and cement sub floor had dried to acceptable levels. However, several ground level rooms had their inner wall constructed from Hardie Board (not uncommon in Australia) such as the Kitchen, WC, Games room, and inner lining of the attached Garage. The assessor had stipulated the removal of the Hardie Board in these rooms due to water damage to them !. We have never ever replaced them in this situation due to there being no information regarding any safe or unsafe levels of moister in this product. We did as told as the quote was accepted by the assessors insurance company ( more work for us keeping the bills paid so why complain ?). Upon completion of the job and invoicing the insurance, we revived a greatly reduced cheque (nearly 50% less) and an accompanying letter explaining that the work we had done involving the removal and replacement of the internal Hardie board was "unnecessary" as there are no details available for this product and after they had consulted the manufacturing company direct, they where directed to read the product literature available to anyone, particularly the statement where it say " Hardie board and Cement board are Water Proof". Therefore, how can it be water damaged !!! We to tried to get further detail on the maximum and minimum safe moister content for the same reason as yourselves being that we all know this product Does absorb an amount of water, but ended up going in circles. The end result after a lot of legal to and fro, left us with a huge loss on this job and finding out that an excepted "go ahead" from insurance companies is not legal and binding and they have the right to adjust the final amount paid without notice should further evidence such as this, come to light after the job has started or even finished.

On 2019-05-04 08:55:59.658777 by (mod) -

Sounds like a blocked drain line or bad check valve

On 2019-05-04 08:51:54.647300 by (mod) -

Is yours a heating system question or a building water system question?

On 2019-05-04 07:52:03.855191 by Larry Brooks

my pump cut off when zone change.

On 2019-05-04 02:55:13.298705 by (mod) -

Take a look in the ARTICLE INDEX for the diagnosis and repair of Airbound heating systems

On 2019-05-04 02:54:00.376886 by (mod) -

First, stop vacuuming if there's a possibility that you're simply aerating mold or asbestos particles. Unless you're using a HEPA rated vacuum that's the problem that would be caused.

Second in the condition that you describe it sounds as if you need a professional to clean up the floor. You may want to do some settled dust testing of other areas of the house to be sure that you don't need additional cleaning there.

On 2019-05-04 02:52:11.080276 by (mod) -

Before planning a repair you need to understand whether it's structural concern or just cosmetic. The concern is only cosmetic, that is if your wall is not structural, you may be able to purge it with a combination of metal lath for reinforcements and concrete stucco.

On 2019-05-04 02:50:30.937047 by (mod) -

People store things in basements in New York City. However be sure to provide plenty of access room to meters not just for reading but for service and repair and be sure to leave plenty of space for moving about so that you don't create a fire hazard or trap.

If it were my Brownstone I would look for a history of water entry to be sure it's dry before storing things there.

On 2019-05-04 00:47:01.443014 by NEW OWNER

We just bought a NYC condo in a brownstone. The cellar utility room has gas meters and electrical meters. Can this room also be used for personal storage? Are there fire codes and minimum distances of clearance from each meter? I read that there must be 18 inches of clearance from the ceiling, but I am not sure about walkways and stuff near meters. It is a small and narrow room. We need storage space so this is our only option. Thank you in advance for your advice.

On 2019-05-03 22:30:58.908394 by (mod) -

Yeah that's a bear. IF there is not working space either the rooftop unit has to be lifted - which is horrible as it'll be expensive and require removing and replacing refrigerant (unless the installer left flexible line slack) -

Or you'd install a suitable membrane under the unit and flash the upper end and sides at the roof

On 2019-05-03 22:29:12.419943 by (mod) -

Try posting a photo - one per comment -

On 2019-05-03 22:28:46.380175 by (mod) -

Sure, Gayle if it's un-damaged.

But the more critical question is the condition of the drainfield.

On 2019-05-03 22:26:41.482831 by (mod) -

Ron

How's the air movement both outside and inside?

Are you seeing frosting past the cooling coil?

On 2019-05-03 20:38:59.272686 by Dawn

My outside entry way has black stains on the concrete. At first it was a small circular spot, maybe 2-3 inches in diameter. The latest stain looks like the imprint of an animal (cat?) with a bushy tail that was relaxing in my entryway. I have no idea what it could be but the stains aren't going away.

On 2019-05-03 18:48:43.635942 by RICHARD

how to re-roof under air-conditioning units which are on top of roof

On 2019-05-03 16:48:06.370301 by Ron Mc

Have a Mitsi Electric split, ran in test cooling was getting 13c off coil and these are pressures no sign of leak but unit is cooling very poorly reckon evap and cond needs a good cleaning but could there be anything im overlooking ie blocked line filter/TEV etc?

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On 2019-05-03 16:34:50.081829 by Lee Morgans

My wife has hit my drive way block wall which now has a lot of cracks in it. Please can somebody recommend a material to fix it?

On 2019-05-03 15:27:11.547971 by Kathie

We are cleaning out my mother's house to sell (built 1956) and the majority of the tile flooring was damaged in flooding from last year. The cause of the flooding has been identified and a dehumidifier installed in the area to keep it dry from any further moisture. We are at a loss of what to do and a bit concerned about working in the area after reading this site. The tiles were significantly damaged and they are cracked and broken throughout the main area when anyone walks in the area which is needed to clean it out. I'm almost 100% certain they contain asbstetos and now worried about the release of asbestos after walking on the cracked tiles. They basically just shatter. What should we do? We did buy some mold eradication product but not after reading your site, I'm not sure that is a good option. My husband vacuumed the walls and I was going to wash them down with vinegar but unsure what to do with the floors. It will be sold "as is" but I hate having the residual smell of mold in the area. Need advice! Thanks.

On 2019-05-03 14:28:48.052238 by Jerlam

I can’t seem to get the house above 65degrees. The boiler will start and run normally, but then I hear what sounds like steam being released and the boiler stops. I have a 3 zone baseboard hot water system. One circulator pump and zone valves.

On 2019-05-03 12:42:44.074053 by Jennifer

My ejector pump is spraying water out of the cover and flooding my laundry room when I turn the utility sink on!! We have had a LOT of rain this past week. How can we fix this? Do we need to call a plumber out?

On 2019-05-03 03:57:16.947463 by Lisa R.

I am suddenly hearing what sounds like a drilling noise under my double wide mobile home that comes and goes. Never heard this before. Can't figure out what it is. It happens for a few seconds and stops then will happen again. We just had a heavy rainstorm here in Florida, don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.

On 2019-05-03 01:32:53.857375 by Laura

Three evenings ago, my husband noticed a strong smell coming from our ground-floor coat closet; it smells for all the world like a burnt-out or exploded capacitor. I've worked on computers and hobby circuitry and the smell of popped capacitor is fairly recognizable: very metallic, almost like burning magnesium, but with a sweet undertone like burnt resin. Our smell is probably not plastic, and it's probably not burning wiring; I've accidentally burned enough of the two to kind of know the difference. It's really quite magnesium-smelling. I'd almost stake money on the exploded cap answer.

We live in a three-story townhouse with one neighbor, and the closet/wall from which the smell is coming faces outside, not toward the common wall. The house is largely empty; we have it staged for sale, and there's nothing in that closet at all. There's no odor detectable in either of the two nearby closets, nor in any of the other rooms (unless you open the coat closet and air it out, and then the smell spreads throughout...it's quite strong.) There is a basic home networking panel in that closet that we've never used; we thought that was the source of the problem, but there's no sign at all of any damage, and when I smell all the components individually, nothing stinks. I unwired and removed it to be sure and closed the closet back up; the next morning, the smell was stronger than ever.

These townhouses are well-built and newer (2010) and we just had a formal inspection that was not only clean but very complimentary, if you can believe it. The irony, of course, is that four days later this smell appears...! I can't find anything visually wrong when I peer into the wall from the hole left by the networking box; everything looks pristine in there.

Have you ever heard of something like this before? We've been airing it out with fans and open windows for three days, and while it gets better while there's air flow, it just comes right back. Thanks for your help!

On 2019-05-03 00:10:59.904715 by Dave

Encountered this problem today. Customer lost hot water volume thruout the house overnight. Cold water pressure was unchanged. At the gas hot water tank we unhooked supply line and connected it to hot line with a piece of hose and a couple clamps. Turned the water back on, volume was fine at every fixture throughout the home. This isolated the problem to within the tank. 3 yr old tank. Hot water present at the relief valve, drained the tank, virtually no sediment in the bottom.

Next I pulled the dip tube and found a 4”-6” section clogged down to a pin hole with scaling. Replaced dip tube after we determined cleaning it out was going to damage it anyway.

Issue resolved.

On 2019-05-02 20:04:41.640086 by Rod

How to eliminate mold from exterior osb walls that have closed cell spray foam as insulation on the inside

On 2019-05-02 18:35:56.870463 by (mod) -

Your plan sounds reasonable to me.

On 2019-05-02 18:31:02.694806 by (mod) -

Matt.

Please try tne search box just above fo find our article on CAPACITOR WIRING

there you'll also find CAPACITORS SELECTION

On 2019-05-02 16:49:40.578343 by Matt

My condensor fan went out it has 4 wires i bought a new fan and it came with a new single phase capicitor my unit has a dual capicitor ...and colors of wires are different but new fan has plug ins for capicitor ..can i get some help please

On 2019-05-02 15:37:38.469180 by Lee

My mistake, I guess you would call it three risers because they are just over 7" each. Here's a photo of the existing structure. We are in design phase of renovating and considering options for handling the transition between levels. There will be a wall in the center-left of this photo, running from the back of the fireplace to the right up to the higher level, through the existing stair. One thought is to run the three-riser stair all the way to the extreme right of the photo (to the wall to far right, out of the photo) and have no guard rail. Your points are well taken on color cues and traffic patterns. The dining room shown center rear photo will remain, as will the kitchen shown right rear photo and breakfast table area visible to the right. I think we will probably have to go with short widths of stair at the extreme ends of the level transition, with guard rail continuous in the center. Thanks for the input! We have a couple other interesting conundrums with this renovation and I have found some very helpful information on your other pages.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-02 15:34:25.029786 by Lee

My mistake, I guess you would call it three risers because they are just over 7" each. Here's a photo of the existing structure. We are in design phase of renovating and considering options for handling the transition between levels. There will be a wall in the center-left of this photo, running from the back of the fireplace to the right up to the higher level, through the existing stair. One thought is to run the three-riser stair all the way to the extreme right of the photo (to the wall to far right, out of the photo) and have no guard rail. Your points are well taken on color cues and traffic patterns. The dining room shown center rear photo will remain, as will the kitchen shown right rear photo and breakfast table area visible to the right. I think we will probably have to go with short widths of stair at the extreme ends of the level transition, with guard rail continuous in the center.

Thanks for the input! We have a couple other interesting conundrums with this renovation and I have found some very helpful information on your other pages.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-02 14:39:24.381154 by (mod) -

a 22-inch rise ascended by just 2 risers would give us two 11-inch tall steps - TOO TALL and a trip/fall hazard that local officials ought to find non-compliant with code.

I'd expect the code official to require handrails at either side of the open floor and depending on traffic patterns and occupant needs one or more intermediate rails may also be appropriate.

On a floor plan as you describe it's also critical that there are color cues to the presence of the steps and changes in elevation.

Perhaps you can attach some photos.

See HANDRAILS at WIDE STAIRWAYS https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Handrails.php#Center_Handrail in this article

On 2019-05-02 14:34:42.522214 by (mod) -

Check the thermocouple connection at the gas valve

Watch out: also check for lack of combustion air - your heater may include an oxygen sensor that shuts down the system if there is insufficient combustion air - as that risks fatal CO poisoning or poisoning from lack of oxygen in the room.

On 2019-05-02 14:34:34.544755 by Lee

Great site! I didn't see information regarding this: Assume a split level residence with an open floor plan with only a 22" height difference between the two levels for about 27' of length with a wall at each end. If two stair risers were installed for the entire 27' length wall to wall between the two levels, what handrails do you think would be required generally under U.S. codes?

On 2019-05-02 09:42:47.841691 by Rebeck

Public sewer locations

On 2019-05-02 04:00:29.647639 by (mod) -

Thank you for the follow-up
do keep me posted

On 2019-05-02 03:59:24.602845 by (mod) -

I'm sure there are other more expert suggestions but I have simply used the combination of conventional spray household cleaners and furniture polish that was suitable for the particular finish on the wood. However it is important to pay close attention to the furniture surfaces that were never coated with a varnish or shellac. Those raw wood surfaces, often hidden, can host a mold Colony that you don't notice until you pull out a drawer and look on its Underside -- for example.

On 2019-05-02 03:56:21.492322 by (mod) -

It may help to diagnose this problem to discover where the smell is strongest. If the smell is strongest in your business then you may have a dead animal in a wall ceiling or floor cavity

On 2019-05-02 02:02:12.227269 by (mod) -

You can leave it exposed or you can bury it under 14 nches or so of soil in order to be able to have your grass grow in that spot

On 2019-05-02 02:00:50.163616 by (mod) -

Since the entire plastic part needs to be removed anyway I don't feel bad about gouging it up in order to create a slotted which I can insert a screwdriver or other tool to try turning it. Sometimes you can also tap the plastic carefully with a small screwdriver to cause it to turn in a counterclockwise Direction

On 2019-05-02 00:24:44.428662 by Mike

Woodford RK-17 anti-siphon valve was leading. I removed the cap and tried to loosen the clear plastic body of the anti-siphon piece. The top of the valve broke off and I can't remove the threaded part of the valve. Any ideas how to loosen it?

On 2019-05-01 19:11:59.112199 by Anonymous

Don't worry. We'd need to take it apart in order to clean it, so not a problem. But thank you for caring about that. Waiting for the first window of time and reasonably dry weather to take it outside to do. Hopefully by this week-end. Meanwhile, I wanted to know what you suggest for old wooden furniture that has a musty smell inside but no obvious visual signs of mold. We have a lot of antiques and now that we live in a climate that has high humidity in the summer months, a lot of our antiques seem to smell musty in a way I never noticed when we lived somewhere else that had lower humidity year-round.

On 2019-05-01 18:51:28.163375 by Jackie

I work in a business that is next door to two other businesses one cooked food or grocery! There is a dead animal smell in my business I have pull everything out & called wssc they found nothing they say! Both neighbors are unresponsive
Should I call health department? How can I get smell out?

On 2019-05-01 17:05:57.116390 by Matt

Turns out the compressor is not working. Needs a rebuild kit. I have a Hiblow HP80-018. The safety screw inside it broke, which means the diaphragm/s have ruptured. Ordered the rebuild kit for it. Hopefully that is the only remaining issue.

On 2019-05-01 14:02:03.842189 by (mod) -

Gabrielle

What kind of floor are you showing: concrete with embedded stone chips (asbestos not likely), ceramic tile (see the article above on this page), or a vinyl sheet flooring (possible);

For some easy questions that actually answer the question better than a wild guess, see DOES THIS FLOOR CONTAIN ASBESTOS? https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

On 2019-05-01 02:51:29.443680 by gabrielleines25

We are planning on redoing kitchen floor can you tell me what type it is how likely it may have abesitos?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-05-01 01:38:52.890335 by (mod) -

Apologies Tim but I don't quite understand the question

On 2019-05-01 01:37:49.587042 by (mod) -

Perhaps you could ask your technician to check and eliminate any possibility of a problem with the thermostat wires themselves

On 2019-05-01 01:34:40.867284 by (mod) -

Thank you for your opinion Laura.

Keep in mind that fiberglass insulation has been used successfully in many applications around the world and millions of instances.

Furthermore, if you have a leak or condensation in the building, even if you used an insulation that was moisture resistant, or mold resistant, you still have a moisture and leak problem that can cause other mold growth on other surfaces, invite rot or wood destroying insects, and generally cause damage that needs to be addressed.

So if your building has a moisture problem instead of "solving" the problem by using the insulation that you like we should solve the moisture problem by finding and correcting the moisture source.

On 2019-05-01 01:31:11.271259 by (mod) -

Ask your mom to check the last repair Bill if she can find it to see if there was a charge for refrigerant added to the system. It may be that there's a leak and that they Tech found it easier to add refrigerant then to find and fix the leak.

On 2019-04-30 22:30:43.052238 by Tim Bowling

insurance wants topay for one ply of roll roofing for $80.00 per square?

On 2019-04-30 22:05:23.657131 by Mike

How far must bath vent be from roof attic vent?

On 2019-04-30 21:31:33.007655 by Alice

I meant to say it wouldn’t go off without us turning it off at the breaker.

On 2019-04-30 21:29:58.560806 by Alice

Hi. Neither the inside nor the outside unit will come on. We’ve changed out the thermostat. Any idea what else we can do? Our repairman had it running and then it stopped. When he came out, the outside unit wouldn’t go off with us turning it off at the breaker. He replaced a part to help with that. Now this new problem. Oh and the thermostat will go blank without batteries. It had stopped doing that too.

On 2019-04-30 21:01:17.963350 by Laura Blau

Why in the world would you suggest Fiberglass insulation - a great host for mold rather than mineral wool insulation?
Do It Right! Use a Hydrophobic material that can dry out and is NOT a host for mold.

On 2019-04-30 20:19:10.573631 by Wayne P.

My mom's evaporator coil in the attic keeps freezing up! The blower motor in the attic handler and the condenser unit outside are both still running when this happens. The air filter is brand new and I can't find any other restrictions of air flow. After the coil defrosted, I looked at the evaporater and it looked pretty clean with no gunky build-up. We reset the system and it worked fine for about a day before icing-up again around the coil. The frost was visable on the suction/vapor line going into the evap coil and outside going to the condenser unit. We've repeated this process 3 times and every time it freezes after a day. My mom said the exact same thing happened last year and a tech came out & fixed it but I'm not sure what he did. Any idea what's happening? I'm currently in HVAC class but I haven't bought any manifold gauges yet to see if the refrigerant is low. If it is low, doesn't that mean it's probably a leak somewhere? (Especially since a tech fixed this same issue last year) Or could there be switch/control problem on the circuit board somewhere? Any advice will help! I just don't want my mom to get taken advantage of! THANX!

On 2019-04-30 20:07:39.321691 by (mod) -

I'll bet a beer it's asbestos paper;

Do let me know what your test finds.

You can find asbestos test labs at the page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY

On 2019-04-30 19:56:16.101017 by (mod) -

Take a look at your thermostat and see if it includes an adjustable heat anticipator such as we discuss above on this page. OR post photos of the thermostat front cover and interior and we can comment further.

On 2019-04-30 19:26:19.639693 by Anonymous

Return duct is in use. I have no way to see inside to know if it’s in there too. I’m having it tested to be sure. I would obviously prefer to not have to rip down the current return If the product is not inside the duct and just have the frayed ends encapsulated.

On 2019-04-30 18:40:44.877101 by (mod) -

Generally the onsite inspector will measure from the gas meter closest edge to the building HVAC intake closest corner.

On 2019-04-30 18:23:25.000875 by (mod) -

At the furnace or air conditioner air handler or blower unit: the fan limit switch may include a switch that manually keeps the fan running.

On 2019-04-30 18:03:12.742283 by Anonymous

Thanks for the input. I will check the power to the pump and the switch today when I get home, and go from there.

On 2019-04-30 17:36:41.102918 by (mod) -

Helena,

The article above you will see this standard

Step riser specifications riser height (<= 7.75" or in some codes <= 7.0" or in canada <=8.25") maximum and 4 inches (102 mm) minimum.

the concern is that if you make the step rise less than 4 in you're more likely creating a tow catching trip hazard.

for seniors or anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs it's very important to attend all of the safety features such as lighting, handrails, and where appropriate color keys showing the edges of steps>

On 2019-04-30 17:33:58.929511 by (mod) -

I'm not sure what a foam roof would be, but I suspect you're talking about foam insulation under some kind of roof covering. The lichens of course will be on the roof exterior. You can use several of the products that we described in this article series to either kill off or at least retard the growth of the Lycans. What you should not do is attempt to mechanically or physically remove the growth that is already there since on an asphalt shingle or many other roofing material surfaces you will end up damaging the roof. Perhaps you could post some photos

On 2019-04-30 17:32:28.736581 by (mod) -

I think we discussed this on another page. Certainly you can call your health department and before identifying yourself asking the question that you're asking me. I would think your health department would be quite concerned and would cooperate. After all they certainly can investigate for themselves.

On 2019-04-30 17:31:23.474506 by (mod) -

Matt

Well you certainly get my Applause for thinking for yourself and not just throwing money at this problem based on what you suggest was a superficial and careless diagnosis by someone who was themselves perhaps being a bit hasty.

Now with all of that griping aside, you found at least the symptom of a problem in the burned connector.

Typically when a connector chars or Burns it's from an overcurrent which in turn could be caused by a short in the wiring or by a seized pump motor. I would inspect the wiring or tested, and if the wiring is intact then check the pump control switch and then pursue the pump motor..

On 2019-04-30 17:23:53.372682 by (mod) -

Anonymous,

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by

unique to indoor mold

but that cannot be correct.

There is no fungus or mold that is unique to building Interiors.

All of the mold genera and species we find in buildings have been around for much longer than modern construction and and all have some outdoor origin.

If you're referring to penicillium or aspergillus, those are large mold families that grow all over the world on many materials Outdoors.

You can use this comment as an indicator about the level of expertise of whoever told you that penicillium and aspergillus are only found indoors.

On 2019-04-30 17:17:50.359321 by (mod) -

I wish I could be of more help Rebecca that from just your text I can't really make a useful guess. What's the age of the carpets, what's the age of the home, and is it possible that they were previous spills, or leaks from above or below?

On 2019-04-30 17:05:53.935504 by Rebecca

We’re getting weird spots all over the caret, but mostly in the living room. We’ve been in the house about a year and they started appearing about 4 months aha. At first we thought they were pet stains but cleaning doesn’t help. They are roundish, maybe 2-3 inches across and the area feels stiff. It’s a mobile home

On 2019-04-30 16:56:04.651326 by (mod) -

Lake

We use electrical boxes of varying sizes or capacity (in cubic inches) because the number of electrical wires, connectors, devices varies as well. More devices require more cubic inches, as per tables of electrical box size given in this article series.

Good luck on your test.

On 2019-04-30 16:06:04.263852 by (mod) -

Actually a second look at your photo - I see that I was mistaken when I looked at it just on my phone - on the computer screen at larger magnification - and after a night's sleep - and after realizing that the photo was probably rotated counterclockwise 90 degrees by the Comments-Box software, I see

- asbestos-type insulating paper nailed to what looks like a underside of a joist, probably intending to reduce air leaks along the return duct passage
- sheet metal apparently nailed across the span between what is probably two basement ceiling joists

I suspect that this is a heating air return duct using the combination of subfloor overhead, floor joists, and sheet metal to form a duct from a floor or low-wall return air register over to a forced warm air furnace, probably built by an old-school mechanic who'd been doing return ducts this way since the 1940s.

The potential concern, though it's probably low, is the release of a bit of asbestos from the paper edges that continue under the sheet metal and into the air space and air path in the return duct.

If the return duct is not in use you'd simply cover over the asbestos-suspect paper; if it's in use you might consider changing the ductwork.

On 2019-04-30 15:49:52.209134 by Anonymous

@Mike,

Any chance it is just on the joist as opposed to inside the duct?

On 2019-04-30 15:26:04.266026 by lakelyn

Why are there different sizes of outlet boxes in a commercial construction

On 2019-04-30 03:52:58.294697 by Anonymous

The calculation is given in the article above on this page. Please take a look. Let us know if any of that is unclear.

On 2019-04-30 01:46:30.617705 by (mod) -

RE-posting from private email:

Anonymous said:

I might not be emailing the right spot but I need help figuring out a problem, it is on my 2007 Dodge Ram truck. The AC in this truck is blowing cool but not as cold as it should be. I borrowed some gauges and got readings on the high side of 125 psi and the low pressure went up as high as 95 after 15-20 minutes. I shut the truck off then. I also noticed the high pressure line icing up from the firewall to about halfway forward upon which it was cool and sweaty there. Can you tell me what my problem might be? I just bought this truck in January so I don't know anything about the history as far as AC work.

Moderator's brief reply:

typically there's either low refrigerant or a bad refrigerant metering device. The high pressure line is usually hot not cold and icy.

On 2019-04-30 00:59:00.281654 by (mod) -

Anonymous asked by private email:

Your photo on your website shows an open metal valley fastened with clips or cleats.
Where do I find the clips or Cleats used to fasten a metal open valley?

My roof is off and the roofer can't find the supplies locally.

Moderator reply:

Anon:

It is easiest is to fabricate the clips from the same flashing metal as is being used in the valley.

For metal roofing the roofing clips are sold by the same manufacturer who supplied the metal roofing - an important detail since those clips will match the exact bends or seams on the metal roof sections being nailed to the roof deck.

On 2019-04-29 23:01:54.883355 by rluhn@aol.com

I've got a foam roof..."infected" by lichen. How can I safely remove this plague on my roof?

On 2019-04-29 22:55:55.385290 by Helena

What is minimum stair riser height for outside stairs ( such as for making it easier for elderly people to climb)?
To meet building codes requirements.

On 2019-04-29 22:32:43.248715 by Anonymous

Oops. Just realized the low asp/pen number was from two of the air samples, not the tape samples. If that changes your perspective, please let me know.

On 2019-04-29 22:18:42.730486 by Anonymous

OK. Thanks. I figured it was ok, but since that mold is unique to indoor mold I just wanted to make sure. Your help is very much appreciated.

On 2019-04-29 19:27:04.243756 by Mike

Wondering what this white material is between the sheet metal and joist that makes my return vent in my 1951 home?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-29 19:20:45.215379 by Rob Wilkinson

The mechanical code apparently requires 10 ft horizontally from HVAC intakes. The table above references 10 ft in any direction. Mine is at 7.5 ft horizontal, 12 ft radially.
Mobile County AL is requesting I move the meter on my new home(nearly completed).
Any clarification on this requirement would be appreciated.
Thanks

On 2019-04-29 19:12:36.764579 by Krystal

My door was left open for about 7 hours during the night and my heat was set at 68 degrees. It was at least 50 degrees during the night so my question is if my furnace was constantly running due to the fact it never got 68 degrees in my house, approximately how many gallons would have been used in a 7 hour time period?

On 2019-04-29 17:05:30.616941 by James

hvac blower will not stop running. Disc. thermostat, change ckt board and transformer, ck wiring, still runs.

On 2019-04-29 13:54:38.241266 by (mod) -

Tim

Thank you for taking the time to review, comment, fool around with the fan limit, and give feedback - that's very helpful to me and to other readers.

Something to check further: when the blower fan isn't able to cool down the plenum sufficiently to avoid overheating up to the FAN-OFF LIMIT temperature during a normal call for heat,

remember to check with great care the cleanliness of the blower fan itself (as well as checking for inadequate return air or a dirty air filter). Anything that reduces the air flow through the heat exchanger can cause plenum overheating even with all other settings correct.

I have found by direct measurement of air flow CFM and plenum temperatures that even a visually modest amount of dust and dirt on those cupped squirrel cage blower fan blades is sufficient to cut the air flow out of the blower by as much as 40%!

You're right that there's plenty of work to sort through understanding, writing clearly, and giving correct information - on the other hand if we don't keep trying to get it right, what's the point of doing the work at all? Sometimes I've worked so long on the material that my own eyes glaze over and I miss mistakes.

Working together makes us smarter.

I have posted a condensed version of your comment at

CASE 2: the furnace BLOWER FAN cycles ON-OFF while BURNER remains ON - blower short-cycling

at https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Furnace_Fan_Cycles_During_Heat.php#Case2

Daniel

On 2019-04-29 by (mod) -

Often when there's icing it's due to low refrigerant; second most common cause: improperly-functioning refrigerant metering device.

On 2019-04-29 by Tim

Hi Dan. I apologize for the lateness of my reply. I solved my problem that night and, well, basically didn't need you anymore so forgot all about you, lol. sorry buddy, tough gig you got goin' here;) You have corrected a lot, it read much better, and your last comments here, my gosh I feel like I created so much tedious work for you. And yes I was starting to go cross eyed and made my own confusing observations.

The page you were unsure of which I was referring to was this one. Opening 2 paragraphs, first says this page is for 'before call for heat satisfied, and the second paragraph says this page is for 'after'... I thought that was worth an 'lol';)

So, my fix... Actually, it was run of the mill and I had already been addressing the correct component, which was the settings on the fan limit switch. I started pretty much exactly at the values you have listed. 200, 135, 85. So, as you say, logic is it needs more heat before the blower kicks in.

So up to 140,nope 150, nope. "oh, maybe turn the 'OFF' tab down. That's the same logic as the 'on' tab going up right, create distance between the two".

So move the low end to 75. As you know that was also a nope. It's going back past the 'ON' switch that is shutting it down. Try top end 160 now, and loosen belt.... nope, lol In fact it got worse, but in direct proportion to my adjustments, so I thought, hmmm could it be?

SO I went completely opposite against what 2 pro contractors and several YouTube videos were telling me, I turned it down, way down to 120-125, and took out the shim so belt was loose again…. Turns out, yes, it could be. haha. And then the true logic became more clear.

If you let it get too hot before blower comes on, then the burner cannot MAINTAIN that temperature when it does engage. At 125, the blower comes on but the oven is still getting hotter, because we know that flame size gets the oven to at least 170- 180.

so the blower can't cool it down fast enough, until the flame goes off.

I actually tightened the belt and got it to where I'm comfortable, left the 'off' at 75 and she is running perfect, smoother and quieter than ever! I like the 75 better on the low end because that is the room temp which means the blower is going to empty the vents of all the warm air before it goes off.

Thanks again Dan. The work you do is a godsend to low income ppl like me. I very much appreciate it. I hope I helped to get her running a little smoother anyway. Watch them flock, ;) take care.

Peace

On 2019-04-29 10:45:21.249440 by Tommy Bolden

I invented an toilet have an Patent but need a prototype and manufacturing of the toilet also have Technical Engineering drawing

On 2019-04-29 04:20:05.347766 by Henry

I have an '07 Dodge Ram. The ac is cooling but not as cold as it should be. I have a low pressure reading of 70-75psi and a high pressure reading of 80-90 psi and the high pressure line is icing f up from the firewall to about halfway to the front of the truck. What might be the problem? My email address is henryr79@att.net.

On 2019-04-29 02:40:50.402029 by (mod) -

Let's try the Diagnostics found at

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Pressure_Table_3.php

And let me know the results

On 2019-04-29 02:38:40.419787 by (mod) -

I'm not sure I understand the question but it would be normal to have two 120-volt legs entering a residential electric meter.

Be careful if you're not trained in safe electrical testing practices you could be shocked or killed.

On 2019-04-29 02:18:06.126193 by james cooley

meter saidigot120v

On 2019-04-29 00:42:39.415330 by Robin

My water runs for one minute great...then slows to a trickle....help please!

On 2019-04-28 23:16:37.001098 by (mod) -

Tracy

I would take the following steps:

1. get the operation manual for your water softener so you know how to use and care for it

2. Either ask for an inspection and cleaning and sanitizing of the softener by your nearest Culligan dealer

OR read WATER SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING at https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Softener_Cleaning.php to see how to clean and sanitize yours

3. Have your water tested for hardness and for contaminants

4. Clean the dishwasher thoroughly, run it through a cycle with no dishes, clean its drain strainer, and then don't use excessive dishwasher detergent

Let me know how those steps work for you and we'll take it from there.

On 2019-04-28 20:34:45.000068 by (mod) -

JG

The good news, if there is such, is that electric water heaters are pretty simple without many parts to diagnose and replace.

When there is an intermittent TOO HOT problem I certainly suspect a bad thermostat at the water heater; keep in mind that when you replace some thermostats you're also replacing the temperature sensor integral with the control, but as I explained below for David, others use a physically separate temperature probe.

If your heater uses a separate probe that device could be defective.

IF not then I'd be looking for a loose wire.
'
Watch out: making a mistake in inspecting or fooling with electric wiring can shock or kill you.

On 2019-04-28 20:06:29.659485 by (mod) -

No, it's sensible IF you can access the area safely.

Watch out: I did the very same thing in a horribly tight crawl space in a 1920's Poughkeepsie home, crawling into the space, unfolding and smoothing out 6-mil clear polyethylene sheeting as I went ahead - making the crawl easier.

I pushed the poly everywhere I could reach, made it flat, ran it a foot or so up walls, and made sure there would be no areas that would puddle if water got into the space.

I figured I was reducing the rate of moisture movement into the space and thus reducing moisture movement up into the home from the crawl - possible mold issues - even though there were some spots I couldn't even reach using a long stick to push poly ahead.

But

Watch out: I was sickened by fumes off-gassing from the polyethylene sheeting itself.

After that nauseating job I made sure to smell the poly before buying it and also to air it out outside in sunlight.

I don't know if I was breathing respiratory irritants or carcinogens or other toxins. In 2013 Mülhaupt (2013) pointed out that there was actually rather little research on the respiratory hazards of offgassing from such material. But the very next year just such hazards were cited by another researcher (Meng 2014).

Research on Toxic or Hazardous Offgassing from Polythylene Sheeting

Lithner, Delilah, Åke Larsson, and Göran Dave. "Environmental and health hazard ranking and assessment of plastic polymers based on chemical composition." Science of the Total Environment 409, no. 18 (2011): 3309-3324.

Mülhaupt, Rolf. "Green polymer chemistry and bio‐based plastics: dreams and reality." Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 214, no. 2 (2013): 159-174.

Meng, Tingzhu Teresa. "Volatile organic compounds of polyethylene vinyl acetate plastic are toxic to living organisms." The Journal of toxicological sciences 39, no. 5 (2014): 795-802.
Abstract:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic products readily evaporate; as a result, hazardous gases enter the ecosystem, and cause cancer in humans and other animals. Polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) plastic has recently become a popular alternative to PVC since it is chlorine-free. In order to determine whether PEVA is harmful to humans, this research employed the freshwater oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus as a model to compare their oxygen intakes while they were exposed to the original stock solutions of PEVA, PVC or distilled water at a different length of time for one day, four days or eight days. During the exposure periods, the oxygen intakes in both PEVA and PVC groups were much higher than in the distilled water group, indicating that VOCs in both PEVA and PVC were toxins that stressed L. variegatus. Furthermore, none of the worms fully recovered during the24-hr recovery period. Additionally, the L. variegatus did not clump together tightly after four or eight days’ exposure to either of the two types of plastic solutions, which meant that both PEVA and PVC negatively affected the social behaviors of these blackworms. The LD50 tests also supported the observations above. For the first time, our results have shown that PEVA plastic has adverse effects on living organisms, and therefore it is not a safe alternative to PVC. Further studies should identify specific compounds causing the adverse effects, and determine whether toxic effect occurs in more complex organisms, especially humans.

On 2019-04-28 18:56:05.771413 by (mod) -

Continuing:

Here is the back-surface of the Armstrong sheet flooring shown below.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-28 18:55:29.965548 by (mod) -

Re-posting from private email:

Anonymous asked:

Trying to find out if anyone has inquired about Armstrong sheet flooring in our kitchen shown in the attached photo. Pattern shows what appears to be pumpkins and corn. We found extra unused sheeting in the attic, shows Armstrong on the backing, with no other identification. House was built in 1959, but do not know if this is original to the house. No info as to any remodeling 8n the kitchen since Backing is greyish colored. Just trying to see if anyone has identified this pattern as containing asbestos. Thanks for any info whatsoever!

Moderator reply: I don't know that exact pattern of sheet flooring but will be glad to post & research it a bit. IT would be most helpful to also have a photo of the imprint or markings on the back of the material.

The flooring backer looks to me newer than 1958 - see ARMSTRONG SHEET FLOORING 1940 - 1980 at https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Sheet_Flooring_Identification.php#Armstrong_Sheet

But I would treat any white-backed sheet flooring of unknown age and that may be older than the mid 1970s as presumed to contain asbestos. (PACM)

That doesn't mean its a severe asbestos release hazard: if the flooring can simply be rolled up and is not ground, chopped, made into a dusty mess, the asbestos release from it is usually below detection. If it's glued-down then it's best to leave it alone, in place, and to cover it over.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-28 18:42:34.028472 by Jgamilgho@yahoo.com

Hi, i have an electric AO Smith water heater that is 6 years old - recently the water started getting too hot and then the water turns cold - i reset the upper thermostat and it kept happening again - i bought/installed a new upper thermostat and it kept again - water gets super hot then the thermostat has to be reset - any idea what is going on? Thanks a lot

On 2019-04-28 14:15:48.895930 by Chris

Thanks Dan. A full encapsulation seems likely to be expensive (especially if it’ll need repair after we eventually fix the skirting around the house), but I can reach most of the crawl space easily.

Would it be foolish to spend a few hundred dollars on materials to DIY “most” of the dirt covering rather than thousands on a complete fix?

We haven’t seen evidence of bulk water or mold problems; the house just gets humid and the clay soil stays damp for a long time after it rains.

On 2019-04-28 06:24:41.197969 by (mod) -

See ELECTRIC WATER HEATER ELEMENT REPLACEMENT wiring at

https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Electric_Water_Heater_Element_Replacement.php

On 2019-04-28 06:20:29.661378 by (mod) -

If in fact its not dry in your home, and you dont want it running,
Then
Lets start by turning off power to the humidifier

Then youd check flr shorted control wire or a bad cotrol board or relay.

On 2019-04-28 05:25:26.525631 by Anonymous

how to wire a water heater element with dual wattage

On 2019-04-28 03:40:10.328894 by Alicia

My a/c has been off all winter. While still off all of a sudden the handler started running with air coming through vents.
How did this happen? What do I do?

On 2019-04-28 02:23:42.007015 by (mod) -

You could be permitted to do that but you need to check with your local electrical inspector as she is the final legal Authority.

On 2019-04-28 02:23:00.709037 by (mod) -

Jeff

A 4x6 is at most 5 1/2 " = a total rise in 3 steps of 16 1/2"

It seems to me that your total rise is not going to make it.

On 2019-04-28 02:19:40.679522 by (mod) -

I think you just need to measure the pipe diameter, identify the pipe material, and pick up an appropriate length of extension and a union or coupling at your plumbing supplier

On 2019-04-28 02:18:54.945949 by (mod) -

Anon

Beyond what we have already said on this point, I really think you need someone onsite whose opinion you trust.

On 2019-04-28 00:56:22.342466 by Anonymous

The block wall is stopped end butting into another wall like an expansion joint, but now the wall is leaning out 15 mm

On 2019-04-27 22:48:44.568137 by Jeff

I have a 20 foot long entry area that has a 24 in rise. I am using 3 -4 x6 posts as kick boards. how deep will each landing be.

On 2019-04-27 22:08:01.543205 by Jeff

In California, is it not by code to run a ground wire from the panel to each individual receptacles. Or does the ground wire have to be in the jacket with ungrounded wires?

On 2019-04-27 19:16:23.261989 by AStrawcutter

I want to extend a plumbing vent pipe. Right now the pipe rises only 10 inches or so. I need a pipe that fits (locks in? maybe) the existing pipe and adds another 6 feet of total height.

 

On 2019-04-27 17:53:53.927643 by (mod) -

Diane if you are getting back venting of heating oil or gas fuel exhaust fumes into the home the system is not operating safely and needs service or repair. Call your service company for help.

On 2019-04-27 17:52:50.005554 by (mod) -

Wind could disturb a loose or poor service entry wire connection causing partial loss of power - e.g. on one side of the panel or half of your electrical circuits.

Watch out: if you see disturbed overhead service entry wires (between the utility power lines in the street and your house) OR in the street itself that is a VERY DANGEROUS condition risking death by electrocution of someone touches those downed electrical wires or even if they go near them or touch something the wires touch.

In that case stay away and call your electric utility and emergency services for help.

On 2019-04-27 17:50:36.520597 by (mod) -

Glad to assist - keep in mind that nobody can "inspect" conditions just by text; so there's likely to be more to be observed and understood on-site.

Keep me posted, post photos if you can.

On 2019-04-27 17:29:41.229296 by (mod) -

Bruce

Please find your question and a detailed reply now found in

CHIMNEY CAP / CROWN CONSTRUCTION https://inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Chimney-Weather-Cap-Construction.php

On 2019-04-27 16:51:15.719838 by Concerned Neighbor

The distribution box seems to lack a bottom. A long pole inserted goes way down below drainfield. System is located very close to Hood Canal, so effluent may be draining into Canal.

On 2019-04-27 16:37:32.628742 by Cristina

My county says the seepage pit can only be installed on slopes of 30% or less. Could you please explain how is the slope measured (what distance and direction from the pit)

On 2019-04-27 15:48:14.472825 by Diane

I turn The thermostat down to 60 at night. In morning put up to 68 -70. have sulfur smell with heater turning on. It then goes away and does not come back until the next morning when I raise the temperature of the thermostat again.

On 2019-04-27 11:21:32.990155 by Chuck

Thank you for the feedback. Looks like I have my work cut out for me with regard to addressing these issues AND issues with my builder. Your feedback has proved invaluable if simply by guiding me to look into it further.

Thanks, Chuck

On 2019-04-27 05:33:49.908280 by Dawn

Our lights flickered a couple times and then we loss power to two sections of our house. There is a lot of wind tonight.

On 2019-04-27 00:18:36.640578 by Bruce

Thanks.
What about the material that is used to wrap around the flue? See the attached photo. This is not my photo, but just an example. In the photo it looks like some type of insulation. I found some sill gasket foam, but not sure if that can be used.
Thanks again.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-26 23:45:14.311608 by (mod) -

Carol

Construction and roofing costs vary considerably by country and city within country.

Generally in the U.S. you'd figure $5 to $10. per square foot to build a new simple gable roof above an existing flat roof.

If your 1800 square foot house is meant to say 1800 feet on one level - i.e the footprint of the house, and if the existing house is a simple rectangle so that the roof structure itself is a single, simple gable roof, figure $9,000 to $18,000. depending on where you live.

That cost may increase for the costs of

- disposal of debris - fire codes require removal of old roofing materials though the original wood structure can normally remain
- roof ventilation
- provision of an attic-access from inside the structure
- insulation improvements

On 2019-04-26 23:25:32.541181 by (mod) -

It sounds to me as if the motor was designed to increase its output torque under load. That's something that you would expect a motor for a treadmill to do. Have you tried an independent speed controller?

On 2019-04-26 23:22:29.085524 by (mod) -

Jim

Indeed there are steel brackets that are sold for securing metal chimneys and vent pipes to building walls. If you need to hang from overhead you may find the length of perforated steel strapping will also be adequate.

Remember also check your fire clearance distances.

On 2019-04-26 23:21:15.520413 by (mod) -

Foaming is usually caused by detergent and water but it can be caused by other contaminants as well.

You might look in the ARTICLE INDEX and find out article on water softener sanitizing and try that procedure.

On 2019-04-26 23:19:47.620442 by (mod) -

With the apology that of course there could be something else going on,

the most likely or common explanation of having to set the pressure regulator quite High just to get an acceptable flow rate

is that there is either of valve partly closed or there are pipes that are clogged in the system.

The clogged pipes would be a more suspect explanation if the hot water pressure was noticeably worse than cold because usually those hot water pipes clog first.

On 2019-04-26 22:23:49.358178 by (mod) -

Nick

Thank you for your helpful comments - you'll find all the comments now in the bottom of the article above.

You may need to clear your browser cache and re-load the page to see the updates.

On 2019-04-26 19:55:08.258364 by (mod) -

Gerry

Our photo near the top of this page shows a concrete floor radiant heat system installed in Minneapolis MN in 2009.

The builder cast 2" solid foam panels into the outer perimeter of the slab exactly because of the concern you raise - there are studies showing significant heat loss at radiant heat floor slab perimeters if that's omitted.

Watch out: be sure to review another floating slab radiant heated floor that was a disaster. RADIANT HEAT MISTAKES inspectapedia.com/heat/Radiant-Slab-Heat-Mistakes.php

The photo below shows the cast-in radiant slab insulation that was used at that same Minnesota installation. Details are at SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR https://inspectapedia.com/Energy/Slab_Insulation.php

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-26 18:59:08.979104 by (mod) -

Dale:

First let's measure or estimate the thickness of your home's wall cavities and ceiling space.

We can inspect through an opening to confirm the insulation material probably used (such as fiberglass) - often one can drill a small hole - in an unobtrusive place like a closet wall and ceiling, taking care to stay away from wiring and ductwork, and where an ugly patch won't offend anyone.

Older mobile homes were often built with 2x2 or 2x3 walls, giving about a 2" wall cavity.

To compare insulating material R-values of fiberglass in various forms as well as other insulating materials, see

our TABLE OF PROPERTIES OF INSULATING MATERIALS inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php

Now let's pretend we have X-ray vision and can see your actual home (in some country and city and by some manufacturer) and that we see the walls of your home are built as follow - I AM MAKING THIS UP

Typical Mobile Home Wall R-Value

1/2" fiberboard insulating board sheathing on the wall exterior - about R 1.3 - FIBERBOARD at inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Fiberboard

1 1/2" wall cavities filled with fiberglass - about R 4.5 - FIBERGLASS at inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Fiberglass

1/2" drywall on the wall interiors - about R 0.5 - DRYWALL at inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Drywall

Wood paneling - not worth considering

Typical older mobile home ceiling or roof insulation R-value = (1.3 + 4.5 + 0.5) or about R-6.3

Older mobile home roofs were often made up to include

Metal rooftop construction & insulation

1/2" foam roof underlayment - about R 2 - FOAM INSULATION at inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Values-Table.php#Styrene

1" of fiberglass insulation in roof cavity - about R 3

3/8" or 1/2" ceiling drywall - about R 0.5

for an older mobile home total roof R-value of about ( 2+ 3 + 0.5) = R 5.5

Watch out: The R-values don't mean diddly if the home is leaky - air leaks will overwhelm the insulation no matter how thick it is. So your best bang for the buck in saving heating costs is to feel around for air leaks - often at windows and doors, and to seal those from the outside or inside with sealant or caulk.


What is the Currently-Required Insulation or R-Value for Manufactured Homes?

Take a look at the U/O Value Zone Map giving insulation requirements (to comply with current manufactured housing codes) for the U.S. for Manufactured Housing.

Unfortunately the insulation or heat loss values are given in U-values while normal people think about R-values.

The relationship between R-value and U-value and the math of converting one to the other are given at HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION inspectapedia.com/insulation/Heat_Loss_Calculation.php

It's rather easy - U-value is a reciprocal or 1/R-value

So if your home is in North Dakota in Zone 3 the required U-value is 0.079 and if we take the reciprocal of that to get R-value we get

1 / 0.179 = R 12.6 - that's the current required R-Value.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-26 18:43:14.632094 by Gerry

I plan on building a 16 X 24' garage on a monolithic floating pad (no footing walls). I want to install radiant floor heating tubing but am unsure about how to insulate the perimiter of the slab,as there is no footing wall to insulate. If I can't insulate the perimiter, how much will that affect the efficiency of the system

On 2019-04-26 17:58:45.266758 by (mod) -

Very low Pen/Asp on tape wouldn't scare me if everything else looked good; consider that we are not going to get airborne mold nor moldy dust down to zero.

On 2019-04-26 17:57:22.854338 by (mod) -

Nicole

The article above explains how to choose the right replacement capacitor - please take a look and let me know if that information is unclear.

You'll also see that there is a bit of latitude, so you don't have to get exactly 45uF.

You'll read there that

as a general rule of thumb, electric motor start capacitors can be replaced with a micro-farad or µF or mfd rating equal to or up to 20% higher µF than the original capacitor serving the motor. On the replacement capacitor the voltage rating must be equal to or greater than the original.

So don't buy a cap that is rated LOWER than 45uF but you can go up to (1.20 x 45 = 54 uF)

Or contact Bryant directly to ask for an OEM replacement and to confirm the cap they recommend.

Bryant A/C customer support: 1-800-428-4326 for assistance in locating a dealer in your area.
Or submit a non-emergency question to Bryant at https://www.bryant.com/bryant/en/us/contact-us/

On 2019-04-26 by (mod) -

Chuck

I'm with you on this. You already have water coming in and backfill is in place. If the contractor expects to fix this problem from the inside that's a poor approach and one not without drawbacks - "let the water in and then get rid of it" is never as effective as preventing water entry in the first place.

IMO there is no alternative that's a good one except to remove the backfill and install proper foundation drainage; houses are not normally built to be boats.

I am worried about this builder. This is an early sign of trouble. Get your tolerance and policies and payment schedules clear now or expect worse trouble later on.

To be fair the ONLY case in which water entry doesn't worry me in new construction is water entry before dry-in - before the roof and walls are weather tight and water enters through those openings in rainy weather, and on occasion when roof spillage around the foundation sends water into a basement or crawl space BEFORE foundation drainage is in place and of course before there are gutters and downspouts.

But once the backfill is in place the home is already demonstrating that roof spillage is or surface runoff are going to be a problem.

Use the Add Image button to post some photos - 1 per comment - of the outside and inside of the home and we may be able to add more-useful observations.

On 2019-04-26 16:34:35.802102 by Chuck

We are having a new home built and three sides of the basement cinder block walls have water coming through and salt stains from water coming through previously. The house is not completely built yet. The framing a roof are in place and the contractor has pushed dirt up against the cinder block foundation on these three sides (fourth side is a daylight basement) to just below the level of the black sealant and 1/2 - 1 inch covering material (looks like a fiber or insulation board of some kind and goes all the way to the bottom of the foundation. Although the final landscaping is not complete, I expressed my concern to the contractor that there is water showing through the cinderblock walls and also salt stain from previous water coming through. His response was "Don't worry; they (the company who sealed it) guarantee their work". If there's a problem, I'd rather recognize and repair it now rather than later when I'd have to have the dirt and landscaping dug away from the cinder blocks. Should I be concerned now or is this a common occurrence with new construction?

On 2019-04-26 16:22:11.062569 by (mod) -

Corinne, those tiles resemble Armstrong asphalt asbestos floor tiles from the 1940s - If they are in good shape then the best procedure is to leave them alone and cover them over.

If you must demolish the floor or create a dusty mess you should either treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos (articles on how-to are in this article series at this website) or have a sample tested. If you decide to test let me know the results as that will assist other UK readers.

On 2019-04-26 15:23:12.183170 by (mod) -

Mike,

Since it is *possible* that U.S. drywall from 1976 (or joint compound such as visible in your photo at a drywall joint) can contain asbestos, I cannot bet your life or your worry on a mere e-text other than to say sure - let's do something easy: paint over the exposed edges or even better, paint the exposed drywall edges, then enclose the area in neat wood trim.

Paint alone will do a good job at avoiding simple dust shedding (though un-disturbed not much dust would shed in any case, perhaps not even a detectable amount), but adding wood trim will avoid damage in the future, improving the installation.

On 2019-04-26 14:33:47.846285 by (mod) -

Anon

It is indeed possible to convert a line voltage thermostat-controlled heater to use a low voltage room thermostat.

The basic approach is to buy a switching relay that is operated by the low-voltage thermostat and that in turn turns on the 120VAC or 240VAC heaters.

You replace the line voltage thermostat with the switching relay, then add low voltage wire from a transformer to power the Nest or other low-voltage thermostat. Wires from the low voltage thermostat simply run to and turn on or off the switching relay.

The article above on this very page adds details to that procedure, provides wiring diagrams for a Nest (a PDF file) and gives examples of the products you'll need.

Please review that information and then don't hesitate to ask if you have further questions.

On 2019-04-26 13:59:59.227053 by (mod) -

Terrol

Most often that problem is traced to a pressure control switch sensor Port that is debris clogged. I would replace the switch and clear or replace the tube that conducts water pressure to it.

On 2019-04-26 13:34:41.212761 by Anonymous

hi I have a Honeywell t6373a1108 thermostat on a high voltage circuit with five wires connected to it, I would to know how I can convert it to low voltage so i can put a Nest thermostat, I will attach an image of the thermostat with the wiring exposed, help would me much appreciated

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-26 08:04:46.453914 by Coran D Oberlin

What would cause a water regulator hooked to Municipal Supply to require a very high setting such a 70 PSI just to get a relatively moderate flow rate?

On 2019-04-26 05:29:07.317759 by Mike

My closet has some exposed drywall that has not been painted over. The exposed part is on the 1/2 inch side of the drywall. Sometimes the drywall crumbles into pieces of dust. The home was built in 1967 in New York. Should I be worried about asbestos exposure? If so, would taping over the area or perhaps painting over it with primer be sufficient to encapsulate it? Thank you.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-26 02:29:22.714774 by kay fowler

Why do I have foam in my dishwasher after it runs a full cycle? It is not soap.

On 2019-04-26 01:04:15.863734 by Jim Bunton

how do I support the double walled vent pipe? do they make some type of bracket? Thank you for the article, very helpful

On 2019-04-25 22:06:34.222515 by Dave N.

I have taken a properly operating treadmill apart to repurpose the motor ,circuit board, sliding speed controller to operate a pottery wheel, the project is successful except as I'm putting a drag on the spinning wheel while shaping the pottery the motor seems to try and compensate for the reduction of rpm , and as I ease pressure on the pottery ie reduce drag the wheel speeds up much faster than the speed controller is set at , then slows to original set speed, this doesn't work for pottery as it slings the clay everywhere, I hope you have an answer for me, thx

On 2019-04-25 21:42:55.625731 by Carole

What is the approximate cost to covert a flat roof to a pitched roof with the minimum pitch for about a 1800 Sq. Foot house?

On 2019-04-25 19:35:47.250814 by Dale

anyone have an idea of what the r-value probably is in a 1986 mobile home?
Thanks

On 2019-04-25 18:26:20.009719 by Corinne

I've just pulled up the lino in the kitchen of my 1940s terrace and found these tiles. I think they might be armstrong asbestos tiles but I'm not sure. Are you able to confirm for me? They are very hard and cold to the touch. Ones cream the other brown, both with flecks if red and white.

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-25 17:44:48.354536 by Anonymous

Just finished remediation. Mold inspector conducted careful supervision of the process and thorough visual inspections. Waited 24 hrs for air scrubbers to be off before taking air and tape lift samples. Just got the lab results back and things look good except two locations still show asp/pen, albeit very low numbers (10 and 4, respectively). It’s my impression that asp/pen is an indoor kind of mold and if all mold reservoirs were identified and remediation was complete, there should be no asp/pen showing up on a lab report. Can you please comment on this? (Just posted this on a different page, but think this page is the more appropriate topic.)

On 2019-04-25 17:44:35.072836 by nicole wallace

Hello, I have a Bryant AC unit model # 698BNX036000ABAA and I saw the compressor capacitor is bulging and I want to replace it. The current capacitor is 45 uF, 370VAC, 50/60 Hz but I cannot find out online if this is the correct specs for the capacitor or if someone installed the wrong capacitor for this unit and that is why it has gone bad.

On 2019-04-25 17:42:35.479251 by Anonymous

Just finished remediation. Mold inspector conducted careful supervision of the process and thorough visual inspections. Waited 24 hrs for air scrubbers to be off before taking air and tape lift samples. Just got the lab results back and things look good except two locations still show asp/pen, albeit very low numbers (10 and 4, respectively). It’s my impression that asp/pen is an indoor kind of mold and if all mold reservoirs were identified and remediation was complete, there should be no asp/pen showing up on a lab report. Can you please comment on this?

On 2019-04-25 17:35:11.902236 by Phyllis

Who can I contact to Engineer an alternative system?

On 2019-04-25 17:27:03.724361 by Terrol Rood

my pump drops 10 pounds then cuts in.set at 60 cuts in at 50 set at 50 cuts in at 40

On 2019-04-25 15:45:15.088391 by (mod) -

Please see

SHEATHING, FIBERBOARD ASBESTOS CONTENT https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Fiberboard-Sheathing-Asbestos.php

also because your insulating board looks gray in colour

see CANEBOARD PANELS https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Caneboard-Panels.php

and let me know if that leaves you with further questions

On 2019-04-25 15:16:16.331417 by (mod) -

Dave,

It Seems likely - looks like an asphalt asbestos floor tile BUT it would be far easier if on questions like this we had a bit of information like the country, city, and age of the building.

For a quick check and five easy questions that can help tell you if an unknown floor covering contains asbestos, try

DOES THIS FLOORING CONTAIN ASBESTOS? https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/DIY-Asbestos-Floor-Test.php

On 2019-04-25 15:14:57.796073 by (mod) -

Seems likely - looks like an asphalt asbestos floor tile BUT it would be far easier if on questions like this we had a bit of information like the country, city, and age of the building.

On 2019-04-25 14:18:36.885454 by (mod) -

M.G. by email asked

where can I find information about an owa product by the manufacturing number?

Moderator reply:
MS. EVA BOHLENDER I EXPORT SALES
Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH
63916 Amorbach | Germany

tel: +49 93 73.201-478
fax: +49 93 73.201-240
mail: eva.bohlender(at)owa(dot)de
https://www.owa.de/us/environment/our-products/
Amorbach. This town in Odenwald produces mineral wool based ceiling systems, which have made us one of the leading companies in our sector in Germany and Europe.

On 2019-04-25 08:14:21.191610 by Dave

Any advise on this flooring maybe contain asbestos . Very loose and easy to come away from the floor

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-25 02:53:27.864717 by Vern

danjoefriedman, also the paint on the ceiling pic is coming down and it's old . I don't know if there's asbestos in it . That paint was a old car port that they through a ceiling in it and closed it in . That being said with the constant heat any paint would peal like that after a while wouldn't it ? Thanks for your help

On 2019-04-25 02:41:01.079942 by Vern

danjoefriedman, Do you think it has asbestos in it?

On 2019-04-25 02:31:49.901740 by (mod) -

Seems that you want some advice from your health department

On 2019-04-25 02:30:49.561788 by (mod) -

In this index

https://inspectapedia.com/ventilation/Index-Building-Ventilation.php

You'll see articles on using a Whole House Fan to ventilate the building and you can compare those designs to what you did. I think the first concern would be for safe electrical wiring so it's not to set the house on fire.

You don't say how the air was exhausting out of the attic.

And just so that we're on the same page I think what you're describing is drawing fresh air from a hot humid climate into the house through various open things and then blowing it up and out through the roof. That are movement might have made you more comfortable. It wouldn't dehumidify the building.

On 2019-04-25 02:27:11.414951 by (mod) -

Perhaps if the brine float is jamming

On 2019-04-25 01:44:15.683073 by tom

I have a crack in the brine well. Would that account for the excess water after regeneration in the brine tank?

On 2019-04-25 00:31:18.524947 by (mod) -

It looks like a fiberboard insulation product

On 2019-04-25 00:17:38.220661 by Vern

Here is another one it's 3/4 inch thick

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2019-04-24 21:34:46.676837 by Stefanie

We were trying to save as we were planing to move. We lived in West Palm Beach FL; it can get hot. I built a box to hold a box fan and put it in the attic door in the sealing so the fan was blowing up into the attic. We opened the windows and left the box fan on low. The attic never got hot so the house stayed cool. I have NO training and was wandering if there is a hazard I am over looking? It worked great; we stayed cool but....

On 2019-04-24 21:14:45.957459 by Judy

Here is a picture

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On 2019-04-24 13:30:15.764039 by (mod) -

Thank you for commenting, Jim. We very much welcome comments and questions that help other readers.

As an experienced home inspector you have plenty to contribute.

I am careful about relying on reports like "I've never found X in ZZ years" since one individual's experience is never a scientifically sound basis for a sweeping conclusion. Therefore in my view your comment was spot on.

At ASBESTOS in PLASTER https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-in-Plaster.php

we discuss this question in detail and we list Companies whose plaster products contained asbestos.

So yes it's possible that Annie's plaster contains asbestos.

Nevertheless the health harm from panic may be greater than the potential exposure from a small one-incident exposure to a small amount of plaster dust. I'd want the dust cleaned up with damp wiping.

On 2019-04-24 13:22:59.315954 by (mod) -

Joe

Please take a look at GURGLING DRAINS https://inspectapedia.com/noise_diagnosis/Plumbing_Drain_Noise_Diagnosis.php#Sewer

where we describe the causes of and cures for gurgling sounds heard at sinks or other drains.

Then let me know what you think and we can perhaps make more specific and useful comment.

On 2019-04-24 13:21:14.369980 by (mod) -

Chanda

I'm uncertain what's wrong with your AC as there could be many causes of hesitated or hard-starting, ranging from a corroded or bad contactor or loose electrical connection to a hard-starting, failing compressor motor.

To avoid further damage or even a risk of electrical fire I would turn the system OFF at the electrical panel and call for repair.

Let me know what the service technician tells you as that may permit us to make further more-useful comments and as it will help other readers.

On 2019-04-24 13:18:50.733422 by (mod) -

Perhaps with some photos of the stains and some information about the building country, city (*thus climate), age, type of construction (wood frame, insulated wall cavities0 etc. one can make a useful diagnosis.

Kitchen stains are also often related to deposits of soot or grease or smoke or even just the effects of moisture from cooking. As in the article above, such deposits can mark stud locations.

Watch out: some indoor soot sources can indicate dangerous conditions, such as soot produced from improperly adjusted or vented gas burners.

At THERMAL TRACKING BRIDGING GHOSTING - home https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Thermal_Tracking.php

you will read more explanation of how and why thermal tracking type stains appear on walls. Please take a look there and let me know what questions remain.

On 2019-04-24 13:10:28.123999 by (mod) -

Anon asked:

Hi, in my kitchen above Evey plug socket and switch there is a dark line in the paint going right up to the ceiling.

Please can you tell me why?

Moderator reply:

Please see your question and our reply where you also posted it at

https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Thermal_Tracking_Lines.php#FAQ

On 2019-04-24 13:10:19.566488 by (mod) -

Perhaps with some photos of the stains and some information about the building country, city (*thus climate), age, type of construction (wood frame, insulated wall cavities0 etc. one can make a useful diagnosis.

Kitchen stains are also often related to deposits of soot or grease or smoke or even just the effects of moisture from cooking. As in the article above, such deposits can mark stud locations.

On 2019-04-24 10:25:05.040435 by Jon Robertshaw

I have dark lines coming from above every plug socket and switch in the kitchen. They go up to the ceiling?

On 2019-04-24 09:57:20.994610 by Joe Boca

I live on 2nd floor of a three story condo building. When the 3rd floor runs their washing machine, which is in the kitchen where dishwasher used to be, I hear a gurgling sound in my kitchen sink when apparently the wash machine drains. There is no sound when they just use the water in the sink.

On 2019-04-24 06:17:57.720296 by Chanda

The hot season is fast approaching so I am finally using the AC. I have a nest thermostat and I turned the dial to 76 and it almost sounds like the ac is struggling to keep itself on. I can hear the sound, directly above the air filter, it’s like a clicking sound. Any help?

On 2019-04-24 03:14:29.410820 by (mod) -

See

https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Tankless_Water_Heater_Life.php

On 2019-04-24 03:12:43.091393 by (mod) -

I would go with the installers advice

On 2019-04-24 03:11:41.389581 by (mod) -

4-6" is typicsl, varying by climate and construction details

On 2019-04-24 03:06:50.580884 by Anonymous

Stewart

What did you think about the discussion of the asbestos question in fiberboard shesthing as presented in the article above?

On 2019-04-23 23:51:29.580426 by Anonymous

the crack areas are along the ceiling where the walls that have cinderblock that separates each apartment on bathe sides. They are sporadic throughout each room and not just around the corners. Like the ceiling is cracking some areas the paint looks so thick and heavy. It doesn’t look like settling in my opinion. Some reason my apartment has the most of that black thick looking stuff. My neighbor 2 doors down has ceiling cracks very defined however, hers is in middle of kitchen living room area like if it adjusts too much, it just might break through.
This is one picture I took in the water heater closet between kitchen wall and my bedroom closet wall.

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On 2019-04-23 22:38:57.433888 by CJ Noelani

Same lit’l black things on shelving over my water heater which is inside a closet behind remodeled kitchen sink wall

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On 2019-04-23 22:37:05.035919 by Anonymous

I’ve tried to get things looked at all with red tape, runarounds, even after lease renewal inspection recently. Maintenance person keeps stating *what issues are* that clearly makes no logical sense & completely untrue. Which is extremely frustrating and goes nowhere now for over a year. He fixed kitchen double sink due to leaks & now water from other side of garbage disposal is spitting up at me if I’m running water down the disposal side, he fixed peeling paint in bathroom where the wall and tub meet, it’s peeling even more, the stuff he used is drying with water marks and crumbled powder substance on the floor,
During management inspection not health dept since they haven’t been here I’m told for more than 5 years, that these cracks along the interior walls at the ceiling/wall edge is nothing, yet the cracks are getting more defined with black pebbles on top of the kitchen upper cabinets where that black stuff is. Accused me of putting food in kitchen disposal even tho I do not, maybe rarely does a lit’l bit of food goes down but I run water, turn on disposal
I use baking soda mostly for cleaning in which he told me baking soda will eat the plastic piping indicating that I’m the one causing the issue by doing that and any plumber would tell me that. That I should only be using *hot water* to clean, nothing else. That doesn’t fully make sense to me. I once used blue food coloring to see where the water is going on the counter tops since they’re not sealed, after first time he disputed me and it showed the leak in bathroom sink
Whoever remodeled in 2010, made new walls I discovered as i was doing fueng shui to place a mirror. So the tub was replaced, smaller in size, don’t know if the tile was removed or not since the wall that goes with the tub now covers but I don’t think they sealed the 2 or if you’re supposed to or not since I get same black pebbles coming out the space between them. Only a few here and there. There’s many times I can smell foul rotten eggs, musty that hurts my nose causing headaches
I can’t afford a whole bunch of testing since I’m a single mom on disability dealing with health concerns of my 5 year old even more so since we moved in. So I’m trying to narrow down so I can test least expensive but effective way. The maintenance person is not helping by turning it back at me.
Sorry so long. This site has been very informative and helpful in many ways. Mahalos �
I’m adding another pic of stated roof/wall over my kitchen cabinets

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On 2019-04-23 18:49:56.620951 by (mod) -

Charles

Often when all power drops in the home at once

AND there are no local power outages (check with your neighbours)

THEN the problem is at the service entry wiring or at the electric meter or at the main breaker in the electrical panel - such as a loose, corroded, or burned connection.

Watch out: there are fire and life-safety worries in this situation. You need onsite help from a competent, trained, licensed electrician.

On 2019-04-23 18:47:54.765898 by (mod) -

Deborah

just above where you see

Continue reading at MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE - directory, or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Click on that live link and you'll find directories of doctors specializing in mold and other environmental-related illness.

Find a doctor you trust, then listen to your doctor. If you are not confident in your doctor diagnosing COPD then you could also start by asking that doc for a local referral.

I agree with you that if dogs are dying in a home that's suspected of or is known to be mold-contaminated, a doctor who does not consider that a health concern either doesn't believe she's getting accurate information or is perhaps missing something important.

On 2019-04-23 18:21:40.537035 by Deborah

Please help me my friend is very sick from mold 3 dogs over 100lbs each are now dead doctors keep saying he has copd when in fact it is mold poisoning nothing they do has helped my friend he is going to die can’t find doctor for mold poisoning that will take insurance my friend is elderly and lives in sourthern californua please help my email is twosoxgoodboy@gmail.com

On 2019-04-23 17:34:08.972630 by Charles

What may be the problem?

On 2019-04-23 17:31:26.184509 by Charles

All my outlets go out at once and sometimes it like a power drop. What's funny is you can turn stove on power to outlets come on and sometimes vice versa

On 2019-04-23 16:38:54.595025 by Dale

I have a Tri State Jet aerobic system. We at first thought we had a propane leak, because of the rotten egg odor indoors, but after turning off the propane and bleeding off the remaining gas the smell persists. So I just used a gas detector to check my propane connections and no alarm. Just by chance I decided to use the detector on our sinks and bathtub drains. The detector alarm went crazy. The smell is so bad we have to keep the windows and doors open, except for the screen door of course which we just open the window on it. Is my guess that methane is coming up the drain pipes possible? I've contacted the local Tri State Jet company and am awaiting a call back. And of course when I initially called and told what we are smelling they try to tell me I have a propane leak. Hopefully they will get back to me soon because this can't be safe or healthy. Any thoughts on what else I can do?

On 2019-04-23 12:30:11.142852 by Melo

How many inches does lead flashing need to be on a wall under the siding where an outside wall meets the roof

On 2019-04-23 12:01:54.345072 by Stewart

I have an old tobacco curing barn that I converted to a storage building and it has a fiber board insulation on the underside of the metal roofing. It is brown colored and all falling to pieces, and I'm concerned about it being asbestos. I imagine the barn is about 50 years old, maybe more. Just the ceiling is insulated with this insulation. I don't see any product name on the material.

On 2019-04-23 11:38:22.066976 by (mod) -

Dale

Please try all of the suggestions found at GAS COOKTOP IGNITER REPAIR https://inspectapedia.com/Appliances/Gas_Stove_Igniter_Repair.php and then let me know how those worked or tell me what happened.

On 2019-04-23 10:55:39.331081 by Marie

I've ordered a Pool Heat Pump to be installed behind my house (Neptune Beach, FL). The pool filter is in the garage, the plumbing from the filter comes thru the wall to the outside of the house where we want the Heat Pump to be placed. There's a window in the garage(that we never open) right where the Heat Pump would be placed. What is the minimum clearance needed to place the Heat Pump in front of the window? The installer says 4'. Is the window even an issue? Everything I've read about clearance only discusses distance from building and other items, nothing about windows.

On 2019-04-23 08:23:15.179053 by How long should intertherm water heaters last

How long should intertherm water heaters last

On 2019-04-23 04:13:41.334223 by Jim Vaughn

@annie.simpson,
Hi Annie - can't definitely say there's no asbestos there - you'd have to get the material tested to make sure. The asbestos removal company I've worked with for about 30 years (I'm a home inspector) tells me they have never found asbestos in plaster.

On 2019-04-23 00:51:11.893454 by Dale

I have a Wolf gas range. The two heavily used front burners spark and ignite normally. Both lightly used back burners spark irregularly and usually do not ignite the burner. All four burner controls effectively start the sparking and control the gas to the appropriate burner. I first replaced the igniter and wires and cleaned up the connections to the poorest performing rear burner to no effect. Next I replaced the igniter module and the new one behaves exactly the same as the old one. Finally I cleaned and polished the ground path which also made no difference. I have talked to others and this does not seem to be a rare problem. What is the solution? Thanks. Dale

On 2019-04-23 00:50:01.563675 by (mod) -

Brian

You might want to try to put more specifics into your message so that readers as well as the company understand the issue.

On 2019-04-23 00:48:37.696568 by (mod) -

I guess if a thorough review of all of the connectors does not find a loose or corroded connection and we are looking at a bad control board or relay

On 2019-04-22 23:55:40.146805 by (mod) -

Gordie

If it were my house I would replace the panel. Independent tests confirm the Canadian FPE Breakers have the same failure rate is the American ones. That's an extremely much worse performance than most alternatives. The risk of a breaker that doesn't trip is shock or fire

On 2019-04-22 23:53:46.446324 by (mod) -

Susan

Thank you for an interesting and important question but regrettably it's not something that one can diagnose and advised by text message. You need an expert onsite to evaluate the condition of your home. The retrofit that you're referring to is probably earthquake damage resistance. Looking for even considering that we need to know whether there's a repair needed.

On 2019-04-22 23:52:02.340464 by (mod) -

Dan

Normally the water will be at the bottom of the tank in the oil on top and typically the installer keeps the oil pickup line several inches off the bottom in order to avoid picking up water.

You still may want the water removed. I don't think an additive is going to be very effective at removing as much water as you report. but it also doesn't quite add up in my thinking.

That is, how much rain actually could fall into an oil tank simply through a fill pipe. Only if the pipe or below ground and surface water ran in the hole with that be likely.

So maybe you could give me some more details.

On 2019-04-22 23:47:26.076012 by (mod) -

I can only speculate and I have to emphasize that diagnosing foundation cracks by a picture in a few words is always going to be incomplete, but with that apology, I can point out that it is common to see a crack like the one in your photo where garagej slab abuts the foundation wall. That can happen because the fill under the slab was not adequately compacted and perhaps al
A look so the slab was also not pinned to the wall.

You know those conditions that you wait of the slab combined with the weight perhaps of a vehicle parked on it can cause some settlement which then can push outward on the garage foundation wall.

Check to see how much the foundation wall leans outward ( ir kess common, obwards) and let me know.

Also look inside to see if the slab has settled uniformly or ir topoed or cracked. Take a look at the point at which the slab abuts the foundation wall to see if the original concrete pour Mark shows that they slab has actually settled here.

On 2019-04-22 23:36:21.488260 by (mod) -

Charlie,

Typically a dug well is abandoned by filling the hole with clean rubble and soil.

On 2019-04-22 23:35:03.928759 by (mod) -

Ben

I wanted to add that there are toilet seats available with a sliding adjustable hinge that will fit just about any toilet bowl. That's what you should look for.

On 2019-04-22 23:02:01.735735 by (mod) -

Gail

I wish I could be more useful on this question but truth be told you need to review the legal and contractual question with your attorney. It's possible you'll simply have to file an affadavit.

On 2019-04-22 22:39:36.776329 by (mod) -

That's a pretty decent draw-down cycle.

The singing shower head - if I understand that you're citing a noise issue and not a compliment about the wonderful shower and not about what you do therein - may be due to water velocity - try slightly closing the main water valve or just changing valves right at the shower,

Now I'm unclear what problem remains.

On 2019-04-22 21:14:22.645360 by Jan

Thank s for your reply. I timed the water gauge and it's at about 1 min 20 sec to make one full cycle. Is this quite common?
The water pressure fluctuates between high to medium, sometime really high. The shower sings. there is a underground buried tank. The new pump is a Grundfos ( a two wire pump) not using control box. Right after the pump was put it. The water pressure issues happened. The previous pump is a 3 wire pump. What could cause this problem. Thanks!

On 2019-04-22 15:47:51.086861 by (mod) -

John,

It was common in older homes to use fiberboard as a plaster base - as we discuss in the article above on this page.

If your walls are insulated then the added "R" value of the 1/2" or less thick fiberboard would not be expected to contribute much insulating value, and greater energy savings will be from avoiding air leaks in the building's walls and ceilings.

You could use SOME modern fiberboard products as a plaster base by following the traditional plastering instructions given here but I don't recommend that approach as it's complex and unnecessary. Other modern fiberboard products are coated with or impregnated by waxes or asphalt and won't work well as a plaster base - it won't adhere.

So you can use cement board or tile board or green board (rated for bathroom use) as a plaster base when repairing those walls.

Or you could go to a modern EIFS type stucco-plaster method.

See PLASTER TYPES & METHODS in BUILDINGS https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Plaster_Systems_in_Buildings.php

where you'll find a series of articles and links to instruction guides for modern plastering methods.

On 2019-04-22 15:46:21.274227 by (mod) -

John,

It was common in older homes to use fiberboard as a plaster base - as we discuss in the article above on this page.

If your walls are insulated then the added "R" value of the 1/2" or less thick fiberboard would not be expected to contribute much insulating value, and greater energy savings will be from avoiding air leaks in the building's walls and ceilings.

You could use SOME modern fiberboard products as a plaster base by following the traditional plastering instructions given here but I don't recommend that approach as it's complex and unnecessary. Other modern fiberboard products are coated with or impregnated by waxes or asphalt and won't work well as a plaster base - it won't adhere.

So you can use cement board or tile board or green board (rated for bathroom use) as a plaster base when repairing those walls.

On 2019-04-22 15:42:10.135800 by (mod) -

Kim

If you have access to the thermostat that controls your heat, simply set the thermostat dial (or digital display) to a temperature 5-10 degrees BELOW the actual room temperature (as read on the thermostat) and the heat should turn off and stay off. You don't need to do anything else.

On 2019-04-22 15:40:16.429566 by (mod) -

CJ

Those look to me like ceiling-wall cracking at a bad tape joint. Can you clarify where these cracks occur?

The "black stuff" may be dust deposition from air leaks; if you see signs of water leakage then mold would be more suspect. One needs a closer look.

IF the particles you are "cleaning" are a respiratory irritant
AND
IF you are "cleaning" by using a home vacuum cleaner that is not HEPA-rated,
THEN
it is likely that you are actually increasing the level of airborne dust, thus making for more respiratory distress;

If that's the case and if you must clean by vacuuming it may be worth investing in a top quality HEPA vacuum cleaner.

But it would make sense to have a more-expert on-site look at these cracks and at the building for leaks, structural damage, IAQ issues, etc.

On 2019-04-22 15:23:53.856733 by (mod) -

CJ

Those look to me like ceiling-wall cracking at a bad tape joint. Can you clarify where these cracks occur?

The "black stuff" may be dust deposition from air leaks; if you see signs of water leakage then mold would be more suspect. One needs a closer look.

On 2019-04-22 14:11:25.417901 by Kim

Heat on and off switch. What happens inside single stand stove when put on off

On 2019-04-22 14:05:54.528524 by Anonymous

Edit: sorry, theres no gypsum board layer. On the perimeter walls Its just fibreboard that is plastered over. (The fibreboard is replaced with gypsum/rocklath on the non perimeter walls inside the home).

On 2019-04-22 14:05:48.792153 by Kim

How to stop heat with out turning off gas fully. Floor unit don't use for anything but winter heat . Stand alone stove heater

On 2019-04-22 13:43:09.684217 by Lucy O'Bryon

which is the best system for beach

On 2016-10-11 0 by senthil

I am doing my project based on Rehabiration (detection and rectification of cracks by image processing and by passing radio waves )so that I am in NEED OF DATABASE IMAGES OF CRACKS IN BUILDINGS

Moderator reply:

Senthil, radio waves do not cause cracks in buildings.

On 2016-09-11 by Tommie Watt

I lived in an apartment that had mold I got sick could not breath was hospitalized pulmonary physician did a bronchoscopy to clean out my Lungs I had taken pictures of this mold had to move the apartment was ordered to do mold test they had sprayed white kilt over the ares while I was in the hospital I showed these pictures turns to the hospital staff they sent the apartment Manger a letter stating mold was a danger to my health that's when they came in a different sprayed this white substance before the mold test was done which I dictated no visible mold seen however the report showed levels and also stated what the mold could cause my culture stated the same problems I have ever pictures a copy of the mold test as well as my medical all records. I want to presure

On 2016-09-10 by Anonymous

I have a common wall that I share with a neighbor, his side of the wall has a planter thats has 8-12 inches of soil against the wall. When he waters the moister leaches down and exits on my side. This is causing the bottom of my side to flake and chip away. He denies any responsibilty, Any ideas or sources would be appreciated

Moderator reply:

Anon you need an onsite home inspector to confirm the leak source and also the extent of water damage as well as a possible hidden mold contamination issue; that documentation will be enough to make clear who needs to make what repair.

On 2016-06-19 by Karole

Hi. I found your site looking for information on cosmetic black mold. Thanks for the information. I found info on pressure-treated lumber that came with cosmetic mold from the lumber yard, but my builder dropped floor joists on the ground before they could pour the slab, and they sat on wet ground through seven weeks of rain. There is mold on several of them, and I have no way of knowing if it was there when the joists were delivered, or if it developed from the wet ground conditions. The house will eventually be sheet rocked. Of course, he is assuring me that it's cosmetic. I'm not so sure. Thanks for your help.

On 2016-06-01 15:57:58.709189 by Nadia

Good morning,
my name is Nadia and I am writing from Italy.
I am searching for documentation about "mail bags" made by asbestos cloth.
Thanking you so much for your interest I send you best regards.
Nadia

Moderator reply:

Nadia search Inspectapedia.com for ASBESTOS MAIL BAGS and you'll find our article on that topic

On 2016-05-28 by Benji

On summer days when we use the hose (the sprinkler, for instance) the water pump for our well water trips its circuit. I am not sure if this is because of the heat or because of the increased water usage but I am leaning towards a combination of the 2. It seems to be getting a little worse over the years, meaning it takes a while for the reset on the breaker to take. There is a mini-breaker in the basement next to the pump. Is it the rusty old box and perhaps a bad breaker going more bad or the pump overheating (the basement is not all that hot. Today was 90 out when it happened, but the basement was probably 70)? What steps can I take to fix it?

Moderator reply:

Benji it sounds to me as if either your well is running out of water or you have a failing pump motor that's overheating. Ask your plumber to check the well level and flow rate and if that's unchanged and adequate, have the pump motor tested.

On 2016-03-21 18:09:57.690059 by Jerry

I heard a very small sound when it is very quiet. but I couldn't tell where does it come from. it is all over my house. I turned off my electricity and water and the sound is still there. What should I do?

On 2016-03-20 16:58:35.764584 by Delbert

My cistern has a pump and small tank with bladder. I lose pressure so pumps cycles on every 3 minutes. There are no leaks and a new check valve was installed. Do not know where to go from here.

On 2016-03-18 20:28:57.408843 by Hopeful?

I hope someone here might be able to help. A moving and storage company stored all of things for over a year in supposedly climate controlled storage - including 5,000+ books - and when the moving company delivered our belongings a lot of the furniture had extensive mold growth on it. Green mold, black and white. Other items had rust and boxes had water lines. We don't know how to handle a mold situation like this. How would you deal with this? What about the moldy smell from an entire household being stored like this? Any advice on what to do next would be invaluable. Thank you in advance for any kind of help at all.

On 2016-02-27 by Ang

I am having a new kitchen installed next week and I am worried about the flooring, it is 6ft wide sheet flooring very similar if not the same as 54192 Peruvian beige. It was laid in the late 1970's, I found an off cut with NAIRN printed in red on the back, it looks like a beige paper kind of backing and is about 1mm-1.5mm thick. Should I have it tested for asbestos?

Moderator reply:

Some Congoleum Nairn flooring contained asbestos; either treat the floor as presumed to contain asbestos or have a sample tested.

On 2016-02-26 by Anonymous

The phone # for Oregon mold Dr. is closed down. Any other suggestions?

On 2016-02-11 22:22:16.342983 by Elwin

Hi, In my crawl space, Is it OK to place a second layer of 6 mil plastic sheeting over only the worn areas of the old plastic sheeting? This would save tons of time and garbage.

On 2016-02-07 15:04:54.454277 by Pam

My parents live in Flint, Mi, and from reading your articles, I know filters won't remove the lead from their water. Although their water was never discolored, I want to purchase filters (specifically for the shower) that will ar least reduce the lead. What would you recommend?

On 2016-02-07 13:49:01.470922 by Ruth

change in taste in our water. Well water system is 20 years old. Water is still clear but the taste is not OK anymore.

On 2016-01-15 16:20:05.618217 by Pat

I have water flowing from the relief valve.

On 2015-12-23 02:15:20.852134 by Jane

I sprayed pesticide in my room in February. Demon Maxx (Cypermethrin) The odor of Pesticide took over the home. I have taken various measures to rid chemical odor I removed carpet in the room and after cleaning the wood framed bed, applied shellac/sealant. I had to ultimately throw away the bedset because the wood absorbed the odor and continued to emit the fumes. Moved in with my fiancé for a few months, but now back in the home since August, I have been not feeling well for several months. Headaches, dizziness. everyday Called poison control, health department, department of epidemiology, entomology, pesticide companies and even company that manufactures and no answers/help. I also called Servpro and Service Masters and they don't feel they have the products that are effective in cleaning. The odor is still strong, and I no longer sleep in the bedroom. Sleeping in the room downstairs below my bedroom, but the smell has penetrated there as well. Now I have moved to yet another room. I feel helpless and don't feel that I can effectively rid this problem. The home is only 7 years old, I am purchasing it, but can't see how I can continue to live here much longer. I am afraid that the odor has penetrated to areas behind the dry wall etc. and will be difficult to fully relieve the home of the odor. Please advise.

On 2015-12-18 00:46:40.838634 by barbara

Hello; I am an architectural historian and frequently encounter early and midcentury Modern houses which have some form of fibreboard. How do I tell the difference between Homosote and Celotex? Many thanks, barbara lamprecht

-----

On 2015-08-25 22:40:52.099499 by John

Got new bladder now running out of water every few minutes

On 2015-08-20 18:21:32.543332 by Angie

Pump motor runs no water earlier in week had milky water and tiny bubbles in it

On 2015-07-20 13:31:26.181432 by Anonymous

Sounds like a well running out of water or an ovreheating motor

On 2015-07-20 13:17:27.560777 by Sanjay

My electric motor does pull water after 10 minutes when other opens their motor or it pulls water only 10 minutes are left for supply to go

On 2015-07-11 22:54:25.602950 by Robert

I have a yard valve teed into the supply line running to the house. There is a check valve on the well side of supply line just before the pressure tank and pressure switch.
My problem is when I need water from my yard valve I must turn on water in the house to drop pressure low enough to turn on the well pump. I was told by a well repair company all was installed correctly. What can I do to correct the issue?

On 2015-07-10 20:07:50.341120 by (mod) -

Tim I added a link to WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE at the end of the article above

On 2015-07-10 19:57:36.193190 by Tim

How do u reprime a well pump

On 2015-07-10 19:26:59.480790 by (mod) -

Check and re prime the pump

On 2015-07-10 15:07:25.551620 by Anonymous

I had a pipe break on the feed line.I repaired that but still have no water have fifteen PDS.in pressure tank but not showing any by pressure switch switch has no reset lever need help

On 2015-06-21 19:04:55.649640 by (mod) -

Anon, what you describe sounds unsafe as there could be shock or electrocution hazards. I'd leave power off until the system has been checked by a licensed electrician.

On 2015-06-21 14:32:55.188300 by Anonymous

No water, crawl Flooded replaced fuse still no water

On 2015-06-20 17:00:57.067760 by Anonymous

Water pump runs but no wate

On 2015-06-14 20:22:23.735010 by (mod) -

Tim,
you are describing what sounds to me like a well that is running low on water or a pump is pumping rate exceeds the flow rate of the well. Another possibility is a damaged pump impeller or low pump voltage or leak and well piping. Do not force the pump to continue to run or you may damage it.

On 2015-06-14 00:35:49.755200 by tim

I have a jet pump with 2 line coming from the well. It will not build more the 30psi. And now if the pressure drops below 20psi it won't stay running to build pressure unless I hold the switch in the override position. I replaced the pressure switch and pressure valve so I am at a total lost as to what to do now.

On 2015-06-13 15:03:14.494190 by (mod) -

of course there are other causes for low water pressure delivered from a pump such as a leak in well piping and possibly low voltage.

On 2015-06-13 15:02:18.146670 by (mod) -

anonymous

when a water pump cannot deliver pressure above some low value such as your 18 psi, two common causes are low water flow or low water in the well, or a damaged pump or pump impeller.

On 2015-06-13 14:59:34.437530 by (mod) -

Prajwal,

if water flows through the building piping system when the pump is running but water does not enter the water but then I suspect that a then between pump and tank is closed or there is a similar blockage. If water runs in the If water when the pump is not running I imagine that is being delivered by an outlet from your water tank.

On 2015-06-13 03:33:27.729600 by Prajwal

My water pump is not pumping water to the tank. Water will flow in the pipes but water is not falling to the tank which is on the roof of a house. Please help me

On 2015-06-12 19:37:21.852720 by Anonymous

pump will pump up to18lbs and no more open value pressurerize lines it holds at 18runs won't cut off it will not pump up higher l replaced pressure switch and guage.

On 2015-06-07 03:36:02.974600 by Branden

Got a new pump and no more pressure also replaced switch.I have a nice flow from hose that I didn't have prior but no water to house I replumbed the house to hook water hose to still worse than before. Plz help

-----

On 2017-02-11 13:57:41.227103 by Hoang

We are looking at a Triplex built in 1900 ish, with a Stone facade
The joints between the stones have mostly turn to 'dust',
and a long screwdriver 5" goes all the way in.
Here is the concern: the wall bows out about 3" in the middle of the wall for about 8' and more
Our inspector mentioned that a Wall is declared 'Fail' if it inches out 1/3 or more of the stone thickness
Please comment

On 2017-02-08 14:48:42.193107 by M. Liota

What is the best insulation and vapor barrier for a brick veneer wood framed house that has Blackboard behind the brick?
Thank you

On 2017-02-04 10:33:02.132531 by Gail

Why is my insulation turning black and melting! Is this normal in a brand new home we are building

On 2017-02-03 16:12:29.258964 by John

my dad said the closed the heater is in gets too hot even though it has doors that vent the heat which he insists leaving open all the time blocking the hallway. Also he has cut a hole in the floor down to under the crawl space under the house. Is it safe to cut a hole in the floor next to your forced air heater, exposing the air under your house to the inside of your house, and using the air under your house to circulate through out your house, by sending it through your heating system?

On 2017-02-01 21:28:39.824831 by Leon Rickards

This past summer I replaced my blower fan on my 1979 York/Borg Warner HVAC system... This winter, when the furnace was started, the furnace only worked in continuous mode and not the auto mode. I replaced the Honeywell Fan Limit switch and observerd a huge spark at the relay and its failure....

I replaced the relay and oberved a circuit breaker trip... reset the circuit breaker and observed a spark at then new fan limit switch and fan shut down....

I switched the thermostat to manual and am allowing a continuous fan to blow.... Though the auto setting worked for the air conditioning last summer, could the blower be improperly wired for the furnace but properly wired for the A/C? And could this trip the circuit breaker and blow the limit switch and or the relay?

On 2017-01-2 by Donna

we have a crawl space under our house. with a sump pump and it discharges outside this year we had very cold weather and our pipe froze. Should we try heat tapes?

On 2017-01-27 by Tim McNeal

we are a church and we are tearing up some Armstrong Imperial 12"X12" floor tiles. we have some photos of the box, pattern number, lot number and we were trying to figure out if it contained Asbestos. The date on the box is August 27,2004. is there any way you can help. 360-471-9593 is my phone number

On 2017-01-22 by Janet

Do you buy these chambers? I have 25 new - never used and I'd like to sell them

On 2017-01-21 by Sue

Is it normal for the manual water feeder on a gas furnace to go below the line every few days? my furnace level seems to go below the line and shut off and I have to fill it about every 3 days

On 2017-01-10 by New Buyer

How do I find dampers in my ductwork that were put in before I purchased the house?

On 2017-01-09 by Anonymous

Can I turn my electric water heater off for 2 months?

On 2017-01-07 by (mod) -

If there are no air leaks, no water leaks, your window should be ok

On 2017-01-06 by Nuno

I just had slider windows installed. After I lock the window I move the window in a closing motion and the whole window unit moves in that direction. when I put my hand on the other side/window and push in that closing direction the window unit then moves in that same direction. Moves probably 1/4 to 1/2 inch or so. I can not see the space due to the encasement. Is this normal? My old 1970's windows did not do this.

...

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