Jim Katen

Interesting question. 

The air conditioner installation instructions that I looked at did not specify dedicated circuits or individual circuits. 

The NEC doesn't specifically say that the AC needs to be on an individual circuit and, in fact, specifically allows the AC and the heating equipment to share a circuit. 422.12 (This assumes that they won't both be operating at the same time.) 

440.34 allows air conditioners to share conductors with "other loads," but it doesn't say how you handle the overcurrent protection. That's the sticking point. If you provide the "maximum" breaker, then there's really no room left for any significant additional load. 

The circular saw and Kirby aren't too surprising. They have messy power. Might be interesting to change the brushes on your saw to see if it makes a difference. The halogen light circuit probably has a shared neutral or a neutral-to-ground connection somewhere. 

Post-2008 AFCIs seem to be doing fine. They seem to be able to differentiate between "good" arcs and "bad" arcs. I'll start worrying about fridges on AFCIs when we start seeing problems with fridges on AFCIs. 

Those are shakes, not shingles. 

They're a mess. It's time to replace them. 

In general, when evaluating a shake roof, focus on the condition of the keyways - the spaces between the shakes. The shake below is thinnest there and will wear away completely, leaving holes. Once this starts, the end is near. 

I agree with Mike's first suggestion. Granule-coated mod bit - either torched down or cold process. It's pretty much bulletproof. 

2 hours ago, Jerry Simon said:

Not that it makes a difference (or does it?), but I erred when I said in-series.  The heaters are piped in-parallel.

If they're in parallel, then someone might have been trying to equalize the pressure between the two tanks so that they'd get equal flow from both. I'm not sure it would work, but that might be what they were trying to do. 

No rule against it. 

Well, if it's newer and you want specificity, the IRC requirements are pretty clearly spelled out. 

R303.6 Stairway illumination. All interior and exterior stairways shall be provided with a means to illuminate the stairs, including the landings and treads. Interior stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source located in the immediate vicinity of each landing of the stairway. For interior stairs the artificial light sources shall be capable of illuminating treads and landings to levels not less than 1 foot-candle (11 lux) measured at the center of treads and landings. Exterior stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source located in the immediate vicinity of the top landing of the stairway. Exterior stairways providing access to a basement from the outside grade level shall be provided with an artificial light source located in the immediate vicinity of the bottom landing of the stairway.

Exception: An artificial light source is not required at the top and bottom landing, provided an artificial light source is located directly over each stairway section.

R303.6.1 Light activation. Where lighting outlets are installed in interior stairways, there shall be a wall switch at each floor level to control the lighting outlet where the stairway has six or more risers. The illumination of exterior stairways shall be controlled from inside the dwelling unit.

Exception: Lights that are continuously illuminated or automatically controlled.

I've seen some that would easily qualify and I've seen some that wouldn't come close. Do they illuminate every tread to a reasonable degree? 

Whatever the light is, it's got to be controlled from both the top and the bottom. You shouldn't have one light controlled from the bottom and another from the top. 

23 hours ago, Trent Tarter said:

 What I have a question about is the jumper wire that's connected to ground lug at top of panel and at bus bar at side of panel. 

 

2

So, if they're using that bar as a neutral terminal - and it looks like they are - then the jumper is required. Otherwise, you'd have neutral current traveling *only* over the enclosure to get back to the neutral and that's not allowed. (200.2(B)) 

Assuming that this is a pre-1996 installation, when 3-wire dryer circuits were still allowed, then my best guess is that the green wire is the neutral and is best terminated on the neutral bar because it carries current and you want to keep that current off the equipment grounding terminal bar. (Of course, it's not supposed to be green - that's probably the error here.) 

FRT plywood costs about 3 times as much as drywall. People don't use it unless they need the fire resistance and the structural properties that come with it. I'd also guess that it's only 1/4" thick. 

You gave your opinion. I see no need for you to change it. 

TPO. 

I wonder where they get their data. The most comprehensive accounting of inspection fees that I know of is the ASHI Business Operations Study. It includes data from ASHI, NAHI, FABI, CREIA, and TAREI. The last copy I have is from 2011 and is probably out of date, but is shows an average price of $350 - $360, which is bad enough. 

19 minutes ago, Marc said:

Ok.  I was assuming that bonding to the neutral took place only within the three main panels which is where the upstream end of the EGCs are, not within the service disconnect. That's how I've done it.

Bonding at multiple locations situated upstream or downstream of each other is what invites neutral currents into the EGC's but these three main panels are not either upstream or downstream of each other.

As I see it, there are no "main panels." There's a safety switch, which is the service disconnect, and there are three sub panels. 

14 hours ago, pm124 said:

It's a big layer of sawdust on top of the water. No dissolution. 

So when you stir it or shake it, the dust doesn't get wet? If so, that sounds like a fungus. Many of them are water repellent. It might be interesting to drop some onto an agar plate to see what happens. 

I'd use a whisk broom to brush off a large section and then watch to see if it returns. 

5 hours ago, Marc said:

Why would there be currents through and between the enclosures when the EGC's and enclosures of each main panel are bonded within the respective panel?

Because the current doesn't take the path of least resistance. It travels on all paths available to it in proportion to their resistance (ok, impedance). It's one of the main reasons why we don't want the neutrals connected to the grounding conductors after the service disconnect. We don't want current finding parallel paths back to the source. 

5 minutes ago, Marc said:

How does efflorescence form on wood?  What is it?

It's the formerly dissolved minerals that are left behind when water evaporates from a surface. In order for it to form on wood, mineral-saturated water would have had to have been present in the wood and evaporated from the surface. I've seen it when wood is in contact with wet masonry or concrete and in industrial settings when liquid chemicals have leaked onto wood platforms. 

40 minutes ago, palmettoinspect said:

I'm kind of confused on this one and looking for some guidance. I've never seen this type of "Square D" disconnect used before. I could not get the cover to open to inspect, but it appears to feed the two 200 amp panels above and the small 60 amp panel above.

You can't open the cover without lowering the arm first. In most cases, that'll cut power to the whole shebang. Occasionally, you can lower the arm *just enough* to get the deadfront open without cutting power, but don't try it in a critical situation. 

50 minutes ago, palmettoinspect said:

My concern is two 200 amp panels are only fed with 3 wire feeders, not 4 wire and the ground and neutral wires are not separated. Given the big Square "D" box is a disconnect, shouldn't the two 200 amp panel be feed with 4 wire feeders and the ground and neutral separated?

Yes. They should. The large switch and the three load centers are each separate, listed items, despite their close proximity. Right now some of the neutral currents are flowing over the nipples, which, by the way, could have been the equipment grounding conductors. 

It looks like you've got some serious workspace issues as well, no? 

3 hours ago, pm124 said:

It is smooth like talc. I'm not brave enough to taste it. My plan is to get a shop vac out there and clean up the boards to see if there is a hole. I did brush a section, and no hole. It was  LOT of sawdust, however. So, I think I will try a shop vac. Thanks again.

Try brushing some into a small beaker of water and stirring. If it completely dissolves you're looking at efflorescence. 

4 hours ago, friscotrees said:

The average home inspection costs around $315, with condos and small homes under 1,000 sq ft. costing as little as $200

Where did you get those numbers? 

They're certainly not true in my area. 

When you rub it between your fingers, is it gritty and coarse, or smooth like talc? 

If you're brave, taste a bit of it. Does it have a salty/sweet/mineral taste, like efflorescence? Or is it bitter and piney, like tree sap? 

In one small section, use a brush and a spray bottle of water to thoroughly clean it. Do you see holes? 

1 hour ago, Jerry Simon said:

And as Sir James alluded to, the groove is the *reglet*.

Exactly. 

It also works well when flashing stuff onto log buildings. 

On 5/29/2017 at 4:07 PM, pm124 said:

Whatever it is, it's very strange. There is a good 2cm of dust on there. It seems to come back after wiping it, and that board has a hollow sound. But jamming a screwdriver in it doesn't break the wood. It's very good wood, that is for certain.

Two cm? No way. Maybe two mm. 

I've seen moisture move through wood and leave mineral salts behind - just like what happens in concrete -- and I suspect that's what's happened here. 

It just seems implausible that a fungus or insect could produce that much product without causing the wood to deteriorate to a noticeable degree. 

Or use reglet flashing, like you would on a roof.