ejager

How goes work on this great idea? I suspect it would be a best seller. 😄

Two posts about an 1975 Airco AH-130 furnace in Edmonton - first in Nov 2019 and now Feb 2020. The second sounds like an AI re-write of the first: "Ramona's" other post is another re-write, this time of a Bill Kibbel post in Plumbing.... WHY??

Home was built (completed in 1972) and the furnace has a 1971 manufacturing date stamp, I built the 'filter' hasn't been changed since then!

The humidifier is probably a 1971 installation and as overdue for replacement as the furnace. It's the first of its configuration I have seen. What is the purpose of the upright cylinder?

Thanks for sharing this!

Inspecting just a bit to the south (Calgary), I can tell you that I have seen many many new high efficiency furnaces that have been operating for almost two decades already. Admittedly things have change since the first iteration of furnaces were put on the market, one of the most significant being installers learned they needed to read the new instructions because things were different! There's lots of competent companies out there. Find one that has been in business since before these economic doldrums and has a proven track record. They won't install a garbage unit and they'll do it right. If you don't trust them, get a third party inspection after install before you make payment.

All right, as a Canadian who has only seen systems like this one, I'll bite.Why are the fan location and termination location problematic for you?

Good catch Mark.... Is it safe to paint single wall vent piping?

Is it safe to paint vent piping?

This has been a most enlightening thread! Glad you got it working!

Plastic barbed hose fittings ( I believe they are PVC) rated for around 75C and 75 PSI. Didn't insert the elbow fully. But look at how awesome that pipe coming through the floor looks!

The CDC and other sources recommend tempering the water at the point of use. Here, the tempering valves are typically located in the master bathroom and protect the bathrooms only, with no tempered water at the kitchen. There are always compromises in a home. I think a little money for safety is a good thing.

I'm guessing they wouldn't have to pay interest if the judgement was overturned?

The inflation back then... amazing. 😄😀

So I have to ask about the title of this thread.... Cause I don't get it....

People who have never owned a home are unaware of the costs of upkeep, repair and replacement. But by provincial legislation "The home inspector or the home inspection business is not allowed to give you an estimate of the cost of any repair or improvement identified by the home inspection." (Quote from government "consumer tip sheet"). We, are however, able to provide a comprehensive cost guide. There are good repair cost guides available from our national inspection organiation, provincially, and of couse, from the inter-web. I often share one with clients who desire it. Its important that when I say the shingles need replacement, they understand I'm not talking about $1000, nor am talking about $25,000 (unless the house is big enough, and I AM talking about $25,000).

That sistering work looks good. As Bill alread suggested, glued is my preference. Some of the wood we used 50 yrs ago up here would have been able to withstand that. The stuff that couldn't has of course been replaced; is that maybe why we don't see it, and why there are codes against it?

Brilliant Marc. Simply Brilliant.

Once again I fell for the click-bait - its not 3 photos we should take, its 1300 (or is that 130,000?). I've got to say that taking a picture of everything that is is not wrong (non-defect areas) would be considerably more time consuming than simply just doing a good inspection. Do I have to shoot a picture of all sides of every appliance, every wall, every ceiling, every window (inside and out) every door, hinge, handle? Do I need to back that up with an IR picture, and a picture with a moisture meter beneath every upstairs fixture, or the location of every possible drain pipe connection? Do I have to shoot videos of the toilets, taps and fans to document that they were working properly at time of the inspection, and shut off when I left? Maybe I should measure the layout of walls and posts in case something changes? This all gets pretty ridiculous if we let it. I am not inspecting to document every single thing that is right or wrong within the home. I am helping my clients to better understand the size of the job that they are buying; I am helping them better understand the risks of purchasing that particular home.

This steel house was built here in Calgary in 1992. Full basement with Steel SIPs below grade, both floors above grade and for the cathedral ceiling. All interior surfaces of exterior walls were steel. Most interior walls were also steel (a few were drywalled). Floor joists were also steel with steel panels for the ceilings and OSB sub-floor. Steel siding, steel roof trims etc. Anyone able to send me some information on steel SIPs below grade? Though most of the foundation was covered in preserved wood sheathing and parged, beneath the decks there were areas where the exterior skins of the basement SIPs were steel. No separate ground wires to the panel as each location had a 'local connection' to the steel home. The wires were run within metal chases but there were no boxes for the lights and outlets.

Interesting how things vary from location to location. The metal base kind went out of fashion for plumbing stacks a while ago here in favour of the all rubber, and that more frequently now its the newer thermo-plastic base with minimal rubber around the stack only (https://www.oatey.com/2375038/Product/Oatey-Thermoplastic-No-Calk-Roof-Flashings-Standard-Base_ Still see the metal base with rubber for electrical masts, sometimes more than we should. 😄

I had one the other day; all the flashings were changed when they re-shingled about 5 years ago, so cannot sure where this boot sits in the formulation timeline, but it has that pebbled surface. The other boot on the same job was just fine.

Now that's an interesting avenue of thought, Jim. It was a relatively modest sized (less than 1200 sq ft on main floor + same in basement), 14 yr old, semi detached "villa", with a fully developed walk-out basement. So I was surprised to find two furnaces; there is certainly more than enough heating capacity. Without doing calculations, I typically see larger two story detached homes, with many more sq ft of exterior wall, having less total heating capacity. This home also had two thermostatically controlled gas-fireplaces. The furnace thermostats were appropriately located. I can see where between the sizing and the fireplaces there could be issues with short cycling. The homeowner was diligent about clean filters and what she thought was maintenance (by a duct cleaning company). The furnaces didn't short cycle in the time I was there but off-season tests are not always indicative of everything that can/does go wrong. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply Jim, I am quite surprised to hear that there would be so much condensate on a mid efficiency furnace. I can certainly understand that a high efficiency furnace with secondary heat exchanger might have condensation, and can certainly understand (and have seen) where a plastic flue collection box would work.