Jim Katen

That's the first AC data plate I've ever seen that doesn't list the minimum circuit ampacity and the maximum fuse or breaker size.

I suspect that the person who took the picture is holding his beer for him.

Sorry for being unclear about my question. Looking for confirmation that this is NOT a heat pump for heating and cooling, and is only for cooling. If so, probably the only one in the county (except at the grocery store).

Aside from a reversing valve, look at the control wiring. If there are only two wires, it can't be anything more than an AC unit. If there are 5 wires or more, then it's a heat pump.

It's a really old air conditioner.

. . I recommended that it be evaluated by a electrician.

. . .

I suggest that you learn enough about these panels so that you can confidently recommend that people have them replaced instead of recommending evaluation by others.

They went up into the attic to clean out their drywall texture gun.

There might be something in the instructions about air space around that transformer.

Other than that the loose box and the fixture wires routed through the wall are all that I can come up with.

I'm actually quite curious about this. Just to annoy Kurt, try it again, but with these parameters:

Use #12 copper NM cable with the jacket still on it.

Produce a knot or kink in it like the kind that you'd get from pulling on a coil of cable without unwinding it. Pull it really hard, but only use your hands - no tools. Try to mimic the stress that might occur if an enthusiastic apprentice were to pull the cable until the kink hit a hole in a top plate or stud.

Then unbend it with reasonable care.

Now, remove the insulation and look at the conductors under a loupe to see if there's any visible damage.

I think that would mimic a real world scenario pretty well and tell us more about the likelihood of damage in these situations.

Bonus points: Try it again with solid aluminum cable.

Now repeat the test 200 hundred times. Then you might have some results that could be evaluated.

Good point.

The outer fibers of the wood (let's say 1/4" to 1/2" deep) expand and contract a lot in your horrible climate. With a large assembly like that, as the wood tried to expand, it doesn't have enough room to move as much as it wants to, so the fibers become crushed. When the humidity drops, and contraction happens, the crushed fibers remain crushed, resulting in gaps. You've seen it where wood flooring gets wet - the wood expands to the point where it crushes. Then when it shrinks there are gaps.

That's good news if you're right.

This epoxy coating Kurt speaks of...I've found epoxy paints that are intended for steel and concrete substrates, but not for wood.

Marc

Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer by Smith & Company is made specifically for wood and make an excellent primer for paint. I've used gallons of it over the years. I believe we've discussed it here before and the mad scientist who makes it even stopped by to discuss it a while back.

What is 'compression set'?

Marc

The outer fibers of the wood (let's say 1/4" to 1/2" deep) expand and contract a lot in your horrible climate. With a large assembly like that, as the wood tried to expand, it doesn't have enough room to move as much as it wants to, so the fibers become crushed. When the humidity drops, and contraction happens, the crushed fibers remain crushed, resulting in gaps. You've seen it where wood flooring gets wet - the wood expands to the point where it crushes. Then when it shrinks there are gaps.

I'm not convinced (from the pictures) that anything is delaminating. It looks more like compression set between the boards at the outer surface. You'd have to drill some small exploratory holes to find out for sure.

I'm actually quite curious about this. Just to annoy Kurt, try it again, but with these parameters:

Use #12 copper NM cable with the jacket still on it.

Produce a knot or kink in it like the kind that you'd get from pulling on a coil of cable without unwinding it. Pull it really hard, but only use your hands - no tools. Try to mimic the stress that might occur if an enthusiastic apprentice were to pull the cable until the kink hit a hole in a top plate or stud.

Then unbend it with reasonable care.

Now, remove the insulation and look at the conductors under a loupe to see if there's any visible damage.

I think that would mimic a real world scenario pretty well and tell us more about the likelihood of damage in these situations.

Bonus points: Try it again with solid aluminum cable.

Just a WAG but it looks like the red is the underlying color with paint/texture splatter over it to me.

Exactly. It looks like a previous layer of red paint.

Thinking about dormers today and attic trusses:

View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model. ... 5691b1c678

2-ply girder trusses on each side of the dormer with ladder framing between. I haven't bothered to show all of the main floor framing geometry (doors, windows, stairs etc...) My question is what would be the best route for the infill framing above the dormers.

1.) Ladder frame perpendicular to trusses.

2.) Install a ridgeboard hangered between the girder trusses and a lower header and install rafters parallel to the trusses?

Note that the manual creation of the dormers took about an hour whereas the attic truss main roof and dormer roof were created with the plugin and only took about 5-10 minutes. A dormer routine would be useful.

When I designed and built my office, I did something similar except that the dormers were stick framed and vaulted on the inside. I used a ridge board between two sets of girder trusses. It gave me the freedom to vault the interior.

I don't recall anyone ever having been chagrined in here before.

I like to stay on the cutting edge.

Is a furnace with an induction fan considered mechanically vented?

No.

Then what is?

Marc

Well, I'm chagrined to say that it is. At least it's one type, according to the IRC.

MECHANICAL DRAFT SYSTEM. A venting system designed to remove flue or vent gases by mechanical means, that consists of an induced draft portion under nonpositive static pressure or a forced draft portion under positive static pressure.

• Forced-draft venting system. A portion of a venting system using a fan or other mechanical means to cause the removal of flue or vent gases under positive static pressure.
• Induced draft venting system. A portion of a venting system using a fan or other mechanical means to cause the removal of flue or vent gases under non positive static vent pressure.
• Power venting system. A portion of a venting system using a fan or other mechanical means to cause the removal of flue or vent gases under positive static vent pressure.

That said, the exception under 2427.3.3 still doesn't allow the installation in Mike's photo.

Is a furnace with an induction fan considered mechanically vented?

No.

I think you answered your own question.

Also, IRC 2427.6.7 sez: A gas vent extending through an exterior wall shall not terminate adjacent to the wall or below eaves or parapets, except as provided in 2427.2.1(direct vent) & 2427.3.3 (mechanical draft).

Also, is the termination at least 5' above the water heater's draft hood?

You don't have a mold issue, you have a water issue.

Address the water.

Unless it's causing you grief, forget about the mold.

Its not considered a vent untill its higher than the flood level of the highest fixture tied into it.

Don't you have horizontal wet vents in your area?

908.4 Bathroom Wet Venting.

908.4.1 Where permitted. Any combination of

fixtures within one (1) or two (2) bathrooms

located on the same floor level in dwellings and

guest rooms shall be permitted to be vented by a

wet vent. The wet vent shall be considered the

vent for the fixtures and shall extend from the

connection of the dry vent along the direction of

the flow in the drain pipe to the most

downstream fixture drain connection to the

horizontal branch drain. Only the fixtures

within the bathroom(s) shall connect to the wet vented

horizontal branch drain. Any additional fixtures shall discharge downstream of the wet

vent system and be conventionally vented.

908.4.2 Vent Connection. The dry vent

connection to the wet vent shall be an individual

vent or common vent for the lavatory, bidet,

shower, or bathtub.

908.4.3 Size. The wet vent shall be sized based

on the fixture unit discharge into the wet vent.

The wet vent shall be a minimum size of 2 inches

for 4 dfu or less, and 3 inches for more than 4 dfu.

I still want to know how they sealed the ends of the rafters where they die into the sidewall on the uphill side of the roof.

Is there something wrong with the flex gas line?

Marc

Looks trashy/unprofessional.

I think that you'll find most water heaters out west are installed with flexible gas lines. Around here almost no one hard pipes water heaters or furnaces.

And why does it appear to be plumbed for both H & C on an outside fixture ? Nice to have for some outside jobs.

That's not too unusual out west. It's really nice for washing the car or the dog.

If the exterior boards are flat sawn, they're going to go all wonky over time.

How did he seal around the rafters at the high end of the shed roof?

This attorney wants me to meet with him at his office an hour before the trial to go over the some of the stuff we're going to be talking about and then he said that I'll be in court about an hour. He also said that he's not looking for a freebie and wants me to bill him. Does this sound like an expert witness? If so, I haven't had a chance to do any research or re-visit the property. The only thing that I have to go on is my report, which was written 4 years ago.. .

An hour is not enough time. Ask him to send you a summary of the "stuff" he wants to go over so that you can review it in advance.