Jim Katen

How old is it?

Is it a dwelling or what?

How has the existing venting worked so far?

I have a direct vent w/o a fan with a provision for a fan. Stand over the vents and I'd guess convection is pulling a cheap bathroom fan of volume. The hotter the heat exchanger, the more convection because the hotter air is that much more buoyant.

I will hook a fan up and shoot stack temps before and after in the next few weeks.

Good man.

. . . Everything here is a rate (a function of time) so if it transfers heat to the air more quickly with the blower then you get heat in the room at a higher rate and you get heat up the flue at a lower rate. . .

Of course. But even without the blower, there's quite a bit of convection going on. These things are designed to have air enter in the bottom, rise up the back, and flow out the front. The blower just increases the air flow. But does it increase it enough to have a measurable effect on overall heat transfer?

Does anyone here own one of these things with a blower? I'd love to see someone stick a thermometer in the exhaust terminal and compare exhaust temperatures with the blower on and off.

Looks like paint or ink spatter from the process that stamps the grade marks on the wood.

Ah, Jimmy. You got me on semantics!

Not really. I figured that you meant what you said. I'm just wondering if it's really true.

How about I get some 4 mil plastic. Will that work?

Even then, I wouldn't be able to get it done til this eve. In that case, would it be too late for such effort?

In terms of damage from cold weather, it won't make any difference at this point. Between the hot water and the heat of hydration, it'll be fine.

In terms of a gentle cure, it might still help to soak the surface and put some blankets or plastic on it. You don't want the top drying out too fast.

Always wondered: is the term "air cell" a brand name or a generic term for the product?

Air-cell must be a generic trade name. I've seen the term on K&M, JM, Ehret and Gast products and many times in old mechanical engineering books describing the product.

I'm relieved to hear it.

Always wondered: is the term "air cell" a brand name or a generic term for the product?

Hi - which gas furnace is better carrier 58sta070 or Bryant 310aav036070?

Thanks!!

Neither is better. Either one will keep you warm for the next 20 years or so.

. . . Doesn't put out as much heat but that's an optional addition.

Is that really true? Or does it just transfer the heat to the air more quickly with the blower?

If it doesn't put out as much heat, where does the heat go, if not into the room? Out the vent?

Maybe the high humidity from the rain will slow the water evaporation from the mix and aid the curing in these less than optimal air temperatures. I can only hope at this point.

Rent some concrete blankets and cover it up for a few days.

Hello folks. I have some questions for you involving how to safely vent both solid fuel and gas (LP) out of the same chimney.

I know this is not code, but a lot of people still do it and some of them are licensed plumbers with small children (I know two such cases).

What's that got to do with anything? Plumbers? Children? huh?

(1) Can people give me some clarity as to what are the known (as in proven) hazards of doing such a thing and what (if any) precautions one can take to make sure nothing really bad happens from having a duel vent for wood and gas exhaust?

The hazard is that you'll be using the propane appliance when the exhaust gases flow into the house through the fireplace instead of out of the house through the top of the chimney. This would be bad because it could cause you to die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if that didn't happen, it would still be bad because it could make you sick. Even if that didn't happen, it could put a lot of water vapor into the indoor air, causing problems with condensation.

Even small changes in indoor air pressure could cause these gases to flow into the house. Exhaust fans in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the laundry room could do it, as could the clothes dryer. Gas venting relies on buoyancy, which, in turn, relies on remarkably small pressure differences.

The precaution that you would take would be to provide proper venting.

Background: basically we don't plan to use the propane boiler that much (located in basement)... and if we do use it we would make sure there is no fire going in the wood stove (first floor of house). The house is over 3 stories high (basement, 1st floor - 9ft high-, 2nd floor - 9ft high- and vaulted attic - over 12 ft high). I think we will have sufficient draft for either appliance - even without a sleeve (which is in the chimney right now because it's attached to the propane boiler exhaust). We plan to plug in a bunch of carbon monoxide detectors on all floors of the house and keep the chimney totally free of any debris or creosote build up.

Sounds good on paper. Want to bet your family's life on it?

(2) The propane boiler has a built in shut-off system that will stop gas from coming out if the lighting mechanism malfunctions.. this makes me think there would be no unspent gas fumes entering the chimney which would potentially meet with a spark a floor above, am I correct?

That's not really a risk. Propane is very heavy. If there's a leak, it won't rise at all; it'll fall to the floor and collect in the basement until something causes it to ignite. Then, it'll blow up the house.

What are your thoughts on all this - thanks!

Install proper venting.

And while you're at it, install one of these:

http://shop.iceassault.com/Gas-and-Prop ... ve-GS7.htm

...if it is "decorative" it doesn't have to meet. Could be lots of slack cut by inspect of original, or no inspect at all. Within 60 vertical inches of tub drain should be tempered.

The decorative glazing exception doesn't apply to windows over tubs.

Obscure glass over a tub shouldn't be considered to be decorative anyway. In order to qualify as "decorative" glazing, the panel has to be "decorative" or "artistic" and "not functional." It's also got to be divided into segments.

It might just be the picture, but it looks like those insulators are about to pull away from the wall.

Actually they started getting tricky as they got to the north end of the house and started using the one nail in the butt technique.

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Are you sure they weren't using those nails as spacers, and just failed to remove them all?

Nope, the idea was to "pin" the corners of the two boards in place, just as Rob said. It was common "folk" practice for several years. I see it constantly - and write it up every time. It's a terrible place for a nail.

. . . The last picture you posted, I believe, is called pinning, which is used with blind nailed installs.

Never allowed by the manufacturer.

Thermocouples are cheap and easy to replace. I'd just do that and see what happens.

A furnace of that vintage doesn't have much else to it. I doubt that there was a rollout switch back then, but if there was, you might try replacing that. It'll look like a little silver button just above the burners somewhere.

Of course, it's also possible that the thing is over-firing and the limit switch is just doing its job.

I'm waiting for the casting call for the newest show, 'Inspecting Naked'.

Naming calls.

It's the old furnace draft control.

Subject - 24x36 uninsulated post frame garage with vented soffit and ridge.

I'm looking for a heater I can use to take the edge off the cold when I work inside the garage during winter. I think I like the following heater. Do you think this is enough BTU to serve my purpose? If not, what would you recommend?

MH-70-SS

http://www.masterindustrialproducts.com ... eating.php

It's cheaper and more effective to concentrate on heating you rather than heating the garage. Consider this:

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2331

Jim, do you have one of these? I've got a few of the M12 tools and had my eye on the jacket for awhile.

I don't, but one of my partners does. He loves it. Says it works great.

Subject - 24x36 uninsulated post frame garage with vented soffit and ridge.

I'm looking for a heater I can use to take the edge off the cold when I work inside the garage during winter. I think I like the following heater. Do you think this is enough BTU to serve my purpose? If not, what would you recommend?

MH-70-SS

http://www.masterindustrialproducts.com ... eating.php

It's cheaper and more effective to concentrate on heating you rather than heating the garage. Consider this:

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2331

My advice? Go with a larger-than-you-think-you-need water tank with a longer-than-you-think-you-need warranty. PAN EVERYTHING, even under the air handler. (You'll find leaks more quickly & easily this way.) Go with a larger expansion tank than you need, too.

When sizing the water heater, it's the btu's that matter - much more so than the gallons. The water is just a means of transferring the heat. Having lots of gallons won't do you much good if you don't have enough btus per hour.

Pans are nice if the water heater and the air handler are located in a place where leaks could cause damage but don't go nuts with them. Remember that you've got water pipes running all over your house and you don't put pans under ever joint in every pipe.

There's no point whatsoever in a larger expansion tank. Enough is as good as a feast.

I've read about old construction methods of using hewn timbers for footings when they are to be below the water table and are likely to remain saturated.

I can certainly believe it. But, in most cases, 1911 building footings around here are nowhere near deep enough for that. In our climate, the soil 6-8 feet down goes through wide swings in dampness and soil saturation. Stuff at or slightly below footing level tends to rot pretty readily.

If it's deep enough and wet enough, though, I could see how it would work. I recently worked on a new construction project where the site had been filled in about 100 years ago. During excavation, they discovered all kinds of lumber buried down there - it seemed to be about 20 - 30 feet down. It was all in great shape; solid and hard as a rock. Pics of one chunk are attached.

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It seems like, whatever it was, they were trying to increase surface area to compensate for soil with poor bearing qualities. At first I imagined something like railroad ties run perpendicular to the concrete stem walls. But it makes no sense to support a foundation on timbers that will be placed underground - especially when the other offered alternatives are concrete caissons & spread footings. It's just strange. Wouldn't the timbers just rot?

I was leafing through the 1911 City of Portland Building Code (thanks, Blair Pruitt) and came upon this interesting entry:

Foundation walls are to be laid on solid natural ground wherever practicable. Where solid ground is not obtainable, the foundation walls are to be supported on caissons filled with Portland cement concrete or on piles, spread footings, or ranging timbers.

Any idea what the heck a ranging timber might be?