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Nolan Kienitz

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Everything posted by Nolan Kienitz

  1. Attached is the installation sheet from the Apollo PEX website. Does not appear that you have enough space on the sides for adequate connection of the PEX pipe ... Turns are to be "gradual". Location between those studs will end up with "sharp" turns unless you plan on extra connections to put in right angle turns, but then that would increase odds of leaks with many more connections/crimps. Download Attachment: Apollo-PEX-Installation_A9R1CB0.pdf 665.07?KB .
  2. BW - Turns out they use same values here. Plumber did run pressure up to 25+ when he happened across some seepage in a legacy connection from when the house was built in 1982. He started to get a tad worried as he has seen some situations over the years where there had been a mess of leaks in some legacy properties. He segmented the system and then also found the underground failure at the riser/poly connection where it comes up to enter the home (as noted ... our meter is in the alley about 40' distant). City of Plano (AHJ) requires pressure test on situations such as our case where a new line was being installed for an appliance (in our case a cook-top). Actually with any appliance change (water heater, furnace) and adding a line for an appliance the AHJ would have also required the plumber to install sediment traps at the W/H and furnace if they were not present. They also check the appliances for adequate combustion air and proper venting ... if not present you get 'red-tagged' until updated. This is interesting to see and hear about as a few years ago the City of Plano AHJ could have cared less about 'sediment traps'. Interesting how the pendulum swings. .
  3. I wish the leak was on the utilities' side of the meter. Unfortunately it was not. Dunno if this leak would be part of such concerns or not. .
  4. UPDATE: Gas line repairs at my house Poly connection to bottom of riser (at house) is/was leaking. Typical riser with black tape wrap on riser, over coupling and poly. Leak right at poly and coupling. Riser also had small diameter pipe as support from original construction that was a water conduit along and to bottom of black iron riser wrapped in tape that also has rusted. Support pipe was just under roof eave where runoff would almost hit it directly. (Think about it ... how many times do we see that?) New 'weather-sealed' riser with longer horizontal stem is being installed to replace defective. Here's hoping the other end at the meter is still OK. At least it is not under the eave of the roof, but still has the hollow pipe for support of the original riser. One great learning experience, but my checkbook is likely going to hurt when it is all over. Gas leak is at poly to coupling: Click to Enlarge 60.89 KB New riser being installed: Click to Enlarge 66.04 KB Hollow pipe along riser at meter: Click to Enlarge 84.16 KB .
  5. Another HI out of Spring (near Houston) got fined for $2K or so as he did not make note in his report that the attic access was not sufficient to remove/install a furnace/A-C system. Mind you this is a "code specific" item and TREC Legal fined him as part of the new Penalty Matrix that we are working under. TREC Legal did not specifically state the code item, but their verbiage quoted a reference to the TX SOP that has some vague language. He was also cited for not having formally advised TREC of the name of the company he was doing business as an inspector. Can't just have your name ... you also have to formally advise TREC of the name of your company so they can cross-link and associate. The Penalty Matrix also allows TREC to fine you for not advising of your current address and contact information and on and on.
  6. Interesting situation I'm experiencing: Plumber adding gas line for a cooktop being changed from electric to NG. Single-story house built in 1982. Black iron gas distribution. Meter in alley, gas entrance to house about 40-feet run underground. Underground feeder may be poly with iron risers ... will learn for sure today. Extension to cooktop is also black iron. Local AHJ requires a higher pressure test with system changes ... not a bad thing. Pressure test not holding and plumber is finding that some of the old/original connections seeping. Has been segmented (so far) with leaks at underground feeder at in-house distribution. Higher PSI possibly blowing past some old connections. (supposedly) Will be learning more as more testing begins anew today. Any wise thoughts from the massive experience here at TIJ? BTW - Yes, this is my home. .
  7. Not a wise thing to be inspecting in Texas with an expired license. TREC will catch up with you. Below clip was in the list of fines from the November TREC Advisor newsletter that was released yesterday. Click to Enlarge 33.81 KB .
  8. Marc is right ... I'm not in love with the I, NI, NP, D checkboxes ... but trying to get the TREC Commission (all are agents, brokers with NO inspectors) love 'em. The SOP sub-committee tried to eliminate two of the checkboxes over the past two years of work with multiple presentations, but the Commission would not have it. In fact TREC Staff (IE: Legal) wanted to add TWO (YES ... 2 more) checkboxes to the 4 that were there. Thank goodness that didn't fly. Some of the other language that TREC Staff 'suggested' this past summer was absolutely nuts. Thank goodness that didn't also fly. An update on timing from my OP: The Texas Register posting is now only 30-days (instead of the 60-days in time past) ... thus the 12/23/12 date in the posting. The TREC Commission will review the comments at their 02/11/13 meeting and will possibly give final approval. Effective date (if the TREC Commission approves) will likely be in March-2013.
  9. That is what my Grandfather did in NE Montana in the early 1900s. Staked his claim, built a 'sod shanty', filed the claim papers, lived on the claim for a year and built his first home (after the sod shanty). My brother, sister and I still have the original 10 acres that was the basis of the claim.
  10. The SOP Sub-Committee has completed their work after two years. The TREC Commissioners have given initial approval and the new SOP and 7-3 Report Template and related rules have been posted at the Texas Register as of 11/23/12. This is the public posting of the SOP, Rules & Report Template. Once the posting time has passed and the comments reviewed and changes made the SOP and template will become effective. According to documents in the public posting the earliest possible adoption date is: 12/23/12. The link to the State of Texas - Texas Register is below. It is not the easiest reading. TREC SOP posting at Texas Register For easier reading I've attached the documents submitted by the SOP Sub-Committee. Rules for Template Download Attachment: 112312_TREC-Section535.222-535.223_FormRule.pdf 232.18?KB 7-3 Template Download Attachment: 112312_TREC_7-3_Rprt-Template.pdf 126.47?KB New SOP Download Attachment: 112312_TREC_SoP_535.227-535.233.pdf 324.98?KB Below is a link to the TREC website where one can also pull down the PDF files for the relative documents. There is also an e-mail address at this page where comments can be sent concerning the proposed SOP and 7-3 template. TREC site with PDF files for proposed SOP & 7-3 Form
  11. Being an amateur radio operator (KI5IO) the link to his amateur series of pictures is nice as well.
  12. Brandon, I believe that is incorrect as the Texas State Legislature handles such every other year and two years ago (if I recall correctly) they adopted the 2006 for the "state". I'll dig into that and see if I can refresh my gray matter. Of course each AHJ does their own thing and most are at the 2006 or 2009 version. Follow-up ... An update to the more current IRC was proposed at the Texas Legislature two years ago, but it got lost in the shuffle as it was stuffed in another piece of legislation that was scuttled. Thus ... the ICC has it correct in that the "State of Texas" is at the 2000 IRC. As I noted ... each AHJ has adopted more current versions. Maybe it will be on the docket for the 2013 legislative session, but I have no way of knowing that at this time.
  13. Brandon, I believe that is incorrect as the Texas State Legislature handles such every other year and two years ago (if I recall correctly) they adopted the 2006 for the "state". I'll dig into that and see if I can refresh my gray matter. Of course each AHJ does their own thing and most are at the 2006 or 2009 version.
  14. Brandon, Try this URL ... www.iccsafe.org/gr/pages/adoptions.aspx The link seems to go "high & dry" from inside this post (at least on my 'puter) ... dunno why. Just copy/paste into a new browser tab. If you right click on the URL just click on 'open in a new tab' and you should be good to go.
  15. Ditto what has been said by Jimmy, Marc & Phillip and more to add after me.
  16. I've not dug into what I've "heard", but ex-husband was saying it might be due to a problem with the furnace.
  17. JD, Now that comment alone could lead me down a path of finding an image for a joke, but I would likely get my fingers slapped by Mike O. [:-slaphap
  18. We have some property over in East Texas that had a very old and dangerous home that needed to be burned down. I spent six months working with various county and city municipalities (IE: fire departments) and they would not touch it. Reason being due to EPA, insurance and Lord knows how many more regulatory agencies being involved. I was told to have someone backhoe it and haul it off. But FIRST !!! ... I would have to get EPA approval and would have to have the property reviewed for asbestos and other potential harmful items and if found it would have to be contained and removed first before they could chop it down. Thank you large government ... even in a very, very, very small East Texas community where the nearest 'town' is 13 miles away. Well ... I got in touch with a fellow who had a demo business and had some spare time a backhoe and a couple of trucks. Ended up that the the old wood house was down in a couple of hours and complete haul off completed by noon on a Saturday when the job started around 10AM on on Friday. The demo guy had a friend who had a farm nearby with a big gully that held the debris and was burned the following Sunday. BTW - the demo guy even had to be careful where he drove the trucks as the local minders and constabulary had eyes open for such events and more than willing to write tickets and assess fines. I can assure you that it is not as easy as it used to be in many circumstances.
  19. I could not resist Mike ... you set it up so very well !!! [] Click to Enlarge 15.53 KB
  20. Hell Marc, I have found that as I get older, I often don't understand what I'm saying live. [:-propell My wife tells me that almost all the time .....[:-slaphap
  21. Linked In is just a social networking item that seemed to be more professional/business oriented ... as compared to Facebook. Now they keep hounding me to upgrade to their PRO status ... just another attempt to reach into my wallet. NOPE!!! I happen to have both, but tend to keep a very low profile on both. I really don't like "any" of the social networking sites. I think it is just my 'maturing' age factor as well. At least on Facebook I've come across some former classmates and I can ditto BK's number of alive/passed on. I was digging around on FB today and ran across some old images that a former classmate had posted of my grandparents and my mom and her two sisters back on the farm in Montana ... many long years ago. Nice picture to see.
  22. I was in Houston after Hurricane Ike doing Insurance Adjusting. One time was plenty for me. I had local police looking over my should to help protect me due to thugs out doing what they do and it didn't matter which neighborhood. Got paid well, but worked my butt off and the insurance desk jockeys were unrelenting in their demands at all hours and didn't seem to even care about the headaches an adjuster encounters when conditions are like a '3rd world country". I would often get calls at 8:00AM from the insurance desk jockey asking me what I was doing? By that time of day I was on my 2nd or 3rd roof of the morning. They would start off demanding updated reports from the prior day and I would advise them to look at their 'inbox' for the e-mail and they would find all they were looking for. They would reply with they hadn't had time to look there yet. DUH!! I got paid well, but that was a once and done for me.
  23. Ditto what Mike L. wrote. During booking of the inspection if it is "reasonably" determined that the utilities are not on, but 'will be' ... I send my client a PDF file I prepared that goes into inspecting vacant properties with utilities turned off. That document clarifies the definition of "ON" as the definition that my insurance company and I use is often far different than the one that the 'zoids' use. []
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