Jim Katen

I used to use something similar, but couldn't find them anymore.

Moved to this several years ago and haven't looked back:

http://www.511tactical.com/511-tactical-vest.html

It's the last sentence that irks me the most.

Marc

That irks the heck out of me too. But the rest of it is pretty darn irksome too.

If you break the siding, I'll deny everything.

Probably the same phenomenon as ghosting on the interior with candles, etc. Dust particulates depositing unevenly due to thermal differences showing thermal bridging at studs, etc.

I doubt there is foam board in those areas, but then 1/2 inch is pretty skimpy for much thermal benefit.

I thought the same thing, but it won't scrub off. The vinyl itself actually changes color.

The common box turtle, which wears its house, is said to live for as long as 138 yrs.

I had no idea.

Do you suppose they renew their sacrificial surfaces?

I have one but have never used it. I'm afraid something will F up for sure; crack the vinyl, can't get it back on!

I've used it at least a hundred times, maybe a few hundred, in the last 20 years. There's a knack to getting the last few inches to zip up again but, that aside, I can't remember ever having a problem with it.

Just in case you don't know, you can use a vinyl zip tool to un-zip and re-zip the siding so that you can actually look at the nails if you suspect tight nailing. I always keep one in the car.

Barring floods, earthquakes, landslides, etc, most any house will last as long as someone keeps renewing the sacrificial surfaces.

Heck, the USS Constitution is 220 years old and still afloat and it a freaking ship.

There's a rock you can see from Sedona that the locals call Snoopy. It's more real than the Vortex.

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There's also one that the locals call "Pecker Rock." (Sorry, no picture.) My mother-in-law patiently explained to me that it's called that because it "looks like a big pecker."

She's a plain spoken gal.

I don't know the reason, but I see it fairly often. (OK, maybe only once a year or so.) Perhaps it's the same thing as happens when the nails aren't driven quite far enough, touch the siding, and cause color changes.

Burn pile nearby?

I spent some time in Sedona. The big deal was "vortexes." You can buy tours of the vortexes, maps of the vortexes, books about the vortexes, etc.

An entire industry centered around a misspelled word. Sheesh!

It's a stupid title. The idea seems to be more along the lines of a house that will be easier to fix in the future. But that assumes that we'll have the same (or similar) building materials for the next 500 years and the same (or similar) climate.

I see nothing about that house that will make it any more likely to last 500 years than most other houses. And if a house will last 500 years, why not 1,000?

Many of these furnace models have had their upper filters replaced with a 12" x 16" x 1" standard fibreglass filter that is often available at the smaller hardware stores. The 15x20 filter is not used as the 12x16 provides a complete seal at the top of the furnace. (Just as if it was planned.)

I always hate to see that done because it cuts the filter surface area in half (less than half). If they're using a pleated filter with fine media in it, that reduction in surface area can throw up a high static pressure across the filter and cause the furnace to run hot.

Yes, thank you, the OP said it was an AC unit.

Yeah, but he also said that the AC was "leaking," which means that he's either a really dumb home inspector or a non-inspector who doesn't understand the first thing about air conditioners. Either way, and based on his descriptions so far, we can't rely on a word that he's said. It might be an AC unit, a heat pump, or a crate full of hammers.

Re-read my first post. I said the IRC still allows it. This, however, is a contradiction because the code also says all positive pressure venting must be listed. They can't make their minds up.

These appliance mfrs. say its ok to use this pipe but the pipe mfrs. and other agencies say don't do it. That's all. Fernco says don't use their neoprene couplings for combustion venting but sells them to water heater mfrs. for use on power vented models included with the unit. Go figure.

So the IRC allows it and the furnace manufacturers allow it - heck, they *require* it -- but the pipe manufacturers prohibit it. Yes?

If that's the case, and given that there are millions of these installations out there performing just fine, my decision, as a home inspector, is not to wade into that particular field of weeds.

When you get the manufacturers and the IRC to realize the folly of their ways, let me know and I'll be happy to hop on board.

Where's the main disconnect?

Each had a main disconnect at the panel.

If there is no single main disconnect for the entire service then the electrode grounding conductor should run to the gutter and bond to the neutral conductor within it and nowhere else. Each panel should receive from the gutter an equipment grounding conductor. This EGC should bond the enclosure and EGC bus of the respective panel.

I think.

Marc

Almost, but if you're suggesting separating the neutral and the EGC in each panel then, no, that would be incorrect.

The NEC give three choices when there are multiple service panels: 250.64(D) 1, 2, or 3.

1: You run a common GEC and run taps from it to each panel. The taps have to be connected to the common GEC with exothermic welding, listed grounding and bonding connectors, or a 1/4" x 2" bus bar that's fastened in place and accessible.

2: You can run a separated GEC from each panel to the GES.

3: You can run a GEC from the GES to the neutral service conductor in some enclosure on the supply side of the disconnects (such as the gutter you were suggesting). However in that case, you don't run any grounding wires to the panels.

I just checked some installation instructions;

Trane says you can use:

• PVC F891 (cellular core), D2665 (DWV pipe), D1785 (Sch 40, 80, 120), or D2241 (SDR series).

Carrier says you can use the same things.

Goodman says you can use 1785, D2465, or D2266.

What am I missing?

I have no idea why someone would do that or what purpose it might serve. However, I doubt that it's going to cause any harm. The neutral bars on all three panels should be connected through the grounding electrode system and through their multitude of conduits, as you observed.

That said, it's not a good thing. It's undoubtedly carrying some unintended current and that's not desirable.

Hey guys,

So I was looking at a house that had two visible problems and wanted to see what you guys thought. The first was leaking AC unit that has been leaking for quite some time because the ground around is very soggy and gives in quitr a bit. It's right next to the foundation (crawl space) so wanted to see if this moisture could have damaged the foundation if it's been this way for a while.

The other issue I found is that pretty much all the ground within 1 foo1 of the house is very soft and basically sinks when you stand on it, it gives about an inch when you stand on it. What would cause this and how concerning is this? Thanks again.

Are you a home inspector or a person looking at the house for some other reason?

Maybe you should post it over on The Wall to see if there's some magic method at work here.

As far as I can see, there's only two ways that it can work. Some of the freshly heated water goes right back into the water heater or some of the cool return water goes right back under the floors.

My bet is that installing one more valve would correct the issue and boost the efficiency and the effectiveness of the system. Of course, you'd probably have to rebalance the whole thing afterward.

Is this fed by an on-demand water heater?

What's to stop a short circuit between the supply and the return?

Several of the issue's you appear to raise are non issues.

Your friend needs to get an electrician involved.

There are other issues like an equipotential grid you have not mentioned.

The double lug is a code issue , it does not matter who owns the house or does the work.

Well, yeah, but his whole downstairs is covered by the house obviously... and is concreted only a garage , kinda like the neighbor in the photo but more open.

I mean, you've got to take that into account, right?

It's a phase coupler.

Someone is (or was) using the household wiring to carry signals. Perhaps an X-10 system or something similar.

We've discussed them before here:

https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... IC_ID=9304

Here's a picture of one that I just found:

http://www.ubbcentral.com/store/item/x1 ... 08413.html