jon_ran

It would probably largely depend on what the issue was. Traffic felonys range from a class D DWI to hit and run fatalities, felony resisting, etc. Only your state can answer that question.

Look for a wholesale distributor. We have one about 30 miles north of Indianapolis that sales to the general public. As far as the sizing goes, unless your present equipment was not sized correctly you shouldn't go wrong with duplicating what you already have. If you have an old low efficiency, you may be able to downsize slightly if you go with a higher efficiency furnace. As far as the a/c goes, resist the urge to go large thinking that it will cool better. A unit too large will reduce the temperature to satisfy the thermostat fairly quickly and shut off (short cycle). This reduces the amount of moisture laden air that flows across the evaporator coil and will not remove the humidity from the home that is needed to make it feel comfortable. You can step up the evaporator coil one size to further improve the efficiency of the system, but you can not step it down ( a 2 ton coil can be used on a 1-1/2 ton condensor, but a 1-1/2 ton coil can not be used with a 2 ton condensor). Installation is fairly simple provided that you have the equipment and ability to either braze or silver solder (make sure that you keep the valves cool). DO NOT try to use soft solder, you will blow the lines off. The condensing unit comes charged with enough freon for a 25' line set. You can buy a cheap set of guages and rent a vacuum pump.

Looks like something from another world to me. Have you contracted NASA yet? Give me the address and I'll do it for you! Seriously, I think that it was an orange Koosh Ball (the very soft plastic balls with all of the tentacles) that someone threw up there and due to the low slope and the softness of the ball, it never rolled off. Add the heat of the sun against the reasonably dark shingles and you have an orange glob.

You need to remind them that it was they who had the crisis, not you. The buyer and the realtor knew when they made the deal what the contingencies stated, yet they waited until the day befor it was due to find an inspector. They both dropped the ball on this and were lucky that you were willing to help out. You could always add an inconvienence fee. Maybe, just maybe you actually were played. It sounds like you were since the realtor didn't even check her e-mail for this important report before calling you. Remember this next timeyou havedealings with this realtor.

Short Answer... With enough sheet metal, you can physically match the evaporator coil up to any size furnace that you want to. The evaporator coil is what gets installed at the furnace. Long answer... One question is, will you have enough air flow across the coil? A 5 ton unit is really a huge unit and unless you have a HUGE house, it will be too large. It may cool the home down, but not run long enough to turn the air over and remove the humidity. Ducts may be too small, cooler air is more dense and harder to push through the ducts. Correct answer... Have a HVAC contractor set you straight. You will need one anyway unless you are competent with silver solder and (at minimum) MAPP gas torches, electrical systems, thermostat replacement, etc. Not to mention, the unit will need to have the refrigerant recovered prior to removal from your friends and re-charged at your home.

I was busy once on a remodeling project at home and sent my wife to Lowe's for junction boxes, cover plates and cable clamps. She doesn't know one from another so I told her to get the sales associate to help her. Shortly after getting to the store she calls me bacause the person at the stoor did not know what she was talking about. I tried to tell him what I wanted and after about 3 minutes told him that he needed to find someone else who knows electrical items to help her but he said that he was the only one there and assured me that he could get her what I needed. She arrived back home with outlet boxes, junction box cover plates and cable clamps.

Doesn't matter when they were required by code. They should be installed now to improve safety when navigating these steps. What was the height of those risers, they look awfully short. What's up with the vents under the porch slab?

Not only is it unsafe, but it is also UGLY!

Unless you have physically piped the water supply to the bottom of the tanks, I would put the dip tube back in. Make sure that the tpr's are in place and operational. This will help with temperature control in case it gets too hot. Another option would be to place them at a level higher than the heat source and take advantage of thermo siphoning using copper tubing. Google "thermo siphoning" for more info. Place a pan under them, move the assembly to another area of the home if you are worried about looks. In reality, this isn't going to be pretty anyway. BTW, I did this several years ago by placing an old 20gal. electric heater tank (with the element removed) on top of my wood burning furnace. The furnace was heavily jacketed so it was actually like placing it on top of the plenum instead of the burner wall, which protected it from too much heat. It worked great as I would have to use at least 20 gallons of hot water before I would introduce cold water into my gas water heater.

The home has been rewired and the power for that area is coming from somewhere other than that panel.

I am always open to constructive criticism and will change my boiler to reflect that I recommend either replacement of this panel or an in depth evaluation by a licensed electrician who has knowledge and experience with FPE panels. I still can not see demanding replacement if it can be effectively made to perform safely. That is almost like saying that every pit bull needs to be euthanized at birth due to the potential of another pit bull attacking and maiming a child.

Umm.......Les, see the quote below from the original statement above.

I do not provide free re-inspections, nor do I spend money anymore on brochures. They usually end up in the trash. Good looking, professional business cards and thorough inspections will get you more business than brochures, IMO.

You have to remember that there is a failure rate in everything mechanical. Whether it is a FPE panel or a Square D, there is the possibility that the breakers will not trip when overloaded, there is just a much higher occurance in FPE panels. Remember that not all of the FPE breakers are faulty, just the majority of them. If all of the breakers do trip at the stated load (unlikely), they are not an issue. Unless I see signs that that breakers have not tripped (overheated breaker, panel, wires, etc.) I can not tell by looking at them if they will operate as they are supposed to. I have had some electricians state that they are an issue and recommend replacement and others state that they are not a problem. If there is evidence of issues, it is a no-brainer. My statement is not inadequate... I stated that there is a very high failure rate with this type of panel that could cause an electrical fire. My statement is not deceptive... Again, there is a very high failure rate with this type of panel that could cause an electrical fire. My statement does meet a very high standard of care... Again and again, there is a very high failure rate with this type of panel that could cause an electrical fire. I recommend you consult a licensed electrician for an in depth evaluation. If somebody can not read that statement and realize that there are issues with these panels in general that may cause a fire, I can not help ignorance. Remember that we are not the house police. Unless there is an obvious issue, how can you demand that the item be replaced. If the electrician says that the panel is fine, I have performed my duty and made my client aware of the potential hazard and recommend somebody more qualified than I determine whether it is safe or not. The CPSC concluded their last evaluation of FPE panels in 1983 and stated that "failures of these FPE breakers to comply with certain UL calibration requirements do not create a hazard in the household environment. It is Reliance's position that FPE breakers will trip reliably at most overload levels unless the breakers have been operated in a repetitive, abusive manner that should not occur during residential use." www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml83/83008.html 1. If I find aluminum wiring, I notify my client of the potential fire hazard associated with aluminum wiring and recommend that the circuits be evaluated by a licensed electrician to determine if connections were made correctly and repair as necessary. 2. If I find PB or ABS piping with no signs of failure, all that I can do is notify the client of potential issues and recommend evaluation and replacement consideration. 3. If I inspect a 40 year old furnace that is properly installed, puts out heat and has no CO or other issues, I can not demand that it be replaced. I notify my client that it is way beyond it's life expectancy and could need replacement at any time. 4. If I find a 30 year 3 tab roof on a home with all of the shingles in tact and no leaks, I can not demand that it be replaced with a new roof. I notify my client that it is past it's life expectancy and recommend that it be pro-actively replaced in the near future, before leaks develop.id="blue"> Should my client as for any of the above items to be replaced before they will buy the home that is between them and the seller, not me. I can not demand replacement of anything. In conclusion..... Would I want a FPE panel in my home? NO Do I recommend that anyone keep a FPE panel in their home? NO Do I tell my client that their panel and the disconnects inside of it are safe to use? NO Did I present my client with enough information and recommend the appropriate resource to help them make an informed decision about keeping or replacing the panel? YOU BET I DID!

Unless I see signs of overheated wiring/breakers, I would not automatically recommend a replacement of the FPE panel. I do place a statement in the report about the issues surrounding these panels and recommend that the entire panel be evaluated by a licensed electrician to determine what actions should be taken. This notifies the client about potential issues and places the liability on the electrician, should he/she say that it is fine and doesn't need replacement. I do let the client know that if I were buying the home, I would WANT to replace the panel, but unless an issue was found by the electrician, replacement may not be necessary. As far as the light goes, an overheated fixture does not mean that the breaker failed to trip. It could have been connected to a 30 amp disconnect and burned at 20 amps. Below is my standard statement for a FPE panel: ?Monitor, Possible Major Concern: This home has a Federal Pacific electric service panel which, historically, has a possibility that the circuit breakers may not trip even when their amperage rating has been greatly exceeded. In some tests, up to 74% of the breakers failed to trip at 135% of their rated current with several failing to trip at over 200% of their rated current. Should this happen, an electrical fire could likely occur. The only method of testing individual breakers would be to perform load tests. Opinions about this panel vary among licensed electricians, but I recommend you consult a licensed electrician for an in depth evaluation, load testing and correction if necessary.