It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! Yeah.... I somewhat feel caught up with the long work honey-do list of neglected items that had been piling up over the Summer. The workflow has settled down to the "Manageable By One Individual" pace and it feels real nice.
I wish to express thanks to those of you who take the time to respond to the MMM as well as those of you who send along interesting inspection related tidbits. I just received the following from Tony Devine in New Jersey.
I have written much in the past about advertising your businesses. The following is an advertisement from a firm in New Jersey. I personally like much of their approach. It leaves a strong impression. The graphics are good. It is very well laid out. I find it interesting that they say that they have copyrighted the phrase "Don't Buy A Home Without Us!" Does this mean that the rest of us out here cannot use this phrase???..... That's doubtful!
So what are the weaknesses and strengths of this type of advertising???
Please include your name so that proper credit can be given.
Bill Loden is a Home Inspector that currently also works for NASA. Bill lives in Alabama he asked the following question....... I've got a couple of NASA rocket scientists I'm doing an inspection for next Saturday. One is a pyrotechnic expert and the other is a spacecraft project manager. Their biggest concern is the recessed lighting and all the dimmer switches that, to them, seem very hot to the touch. These were installed by a home owner in a remodeling project so they are concerned about ratings and such.
Can you guys make me an expert on these systems by next Saturday? Any thing I can find out that I can throw out that will wow these guys will help? Also anything in particular that I should pay attention to on the recessed lights? I know you don't want combustibles near a hot can but any other specifics will be helpful. Any assistance would be appreciated. Bill Loden
Here was my first response to Bill...... Bill: Are these 110 volt dimmer switches or are they the more advanced low voltage units that operate relays??? By the high temperature at the switches I would guess that they are 110 volt units. The rheostat inside burns off the excess power that is not used for the light when in the dimming mode. This would be the perfect time for you to invest a $100 for an infrared thermometer with the red laser light feature. This will allow you the chance to add the "Wow" feature to your Dog & Pony show..... You probably have access to these at work and you may be able to borrow one. You might want to fire off an e-mail to the tech department at www.leviton.com and ask them what the acceptable surface temperature range is for the modular dimmer switches (when you find out, let us know). As for the recessed lights I would recommend that you remove a couple of the trim rings in different areas of the home. The trim rings have stamped into the back side the watt rating that can be used with the trim rings. I have had clients complain that lights will cut off after a short period of being on. It turns out that the units are equipped with a temperature cut-off that when they overheat they will shut off until they cool sufficiently. The cause of overheating is nearly always the same. The owners install a larger watt bulb that the trim ring is designed for. Looking at the bulbs and trim rings will make you look really smart to your NASA workmates. Hope this helps. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
I then went to www.Leviton.com myself and learned some good information. I then re-responded to Bill with..... Leviton Q&A says...... Is it normal for a wall mounted transmitter to get warm? Yes. The transmitters will constantly draw approximately 2 watts, therefore it is normal to become warm to the touch. And..... Why does dimmed lighting sometimes hum, and how can it be corrected? Because of the way all dimmers deliver power at settings other than full brightness, the filaments inside a light bulb may vibrate when lighting is dimmed. This filament vibration causes the hum. To silence the fixture, a slight change in the brightness setting will usually eliminate bulb noise. The most effective way to quiet the fixture is to replace the light bulb. And.... What wattage dimmer is required to control a light fixture? The wattage of the dimmer required depends on the total wattage of the lighting that the dimmer will control. The wattage rating of the dimmer must be GREATER than the total wattage of the lighting. It can be calculated as follows: You have installed a fixture that holds five 75 watt bulbs (5 x 75 = 375). You would need a dimmer rated 375 Watts or above. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
I then read some information that taught me how much I still need to learn about light dimmers.....So do I have egg on my face or what???..... Reading the first line of this Leviton catalog description of the Dimmer switches dumps me in with the rest of society on how modern dimmer switches actually work.
Dimmers - A common misconception about box-mounted dimmers is that they are simply variable resistors (rheostats) that absorb power to dim the lights. In fact, a rheostat would be too bulky, inefficient and heat producing to ever be practical as a wall-mounted dimmer. In the 1950’s, the advent of solid state technology and a type of semi-conductor called the TRIAC fostered the development of full-range dimmers and fan speed controls that were versatile, efficient and compact enough to fit in a standard wallbox. Leviton has always taken an active role in the development lighting control technologies. Leviton introduced the Trimatron™Rotary Dimmer that was only half as deep as conventional dimmers, allowing easier installation and wiring in a crowded wallbox. Today, Leviton offers innovative all-digital lighting controls that feature scene lighting and multi-location control capabilities for sophisticated residential and commercial installations. Leviton’s complete line of controls for incandescent, low-voltage and fluorescent lighting includes Decora-style and architectural specification grade devices, as well as traditional rotary devices. There is also a wide selection of Fan Speed Controls
And finally I submitted a question to the tech support team at Leviton........ I like your website and the Q&A section. In reference to modular dimmer switches becoming warm. Can you be more specific on what surface temperatures are considered acceptable? I use an infrared thermometer in my Home Inspection business and quite often find Leviton dimmers with 90 to 130 degree surface temperatures. What level is acceptable and what is the cause of the warmth? Do you have any technical information that I can have for my records?
My next question deals with the dimmer switch rating infomation shared about the five 75 watt bulb fixture needed the 375 watt dimmer. How can you tell the rating of an installed dimmer? If an undersized dimmer switch were installed, what would be the result? Could this also be a cause for an overly warm dimmer switch? My questions are based on the fact that I am inspecting existing structures where well intentioned home owners install these units themselves. I would love to know how to go about looking at a dimmer switch and knowing what it is rated for.
Thanks so much for you help. Michael Leavitt - Peaceofmind@TheHomeInspector.com
Since I started using the 3D reporting system, I haven't signed my home inspection reports, and no one has questioned the lack of a signature. I e-mail nearly all of my reports to both the client and the agent. On my Service Agreements and other inspection reports that I do on a word processor, I have a signature graphic (which I made just by scanning my signature) that I transferred to the signature line on the documents. This makes it very easy to fax or e-mail the document directly from the computer (saves time, paper and ink cartridges). Gary Holzbauer - Junction City, Oregon
Hi Michael, I just wanted to share with everyone the fantastic weekend I had doing something I have always wanted to do. What an experience!
August 25th of this year will long be remembered as one of the most exciting days of my life. My wife, Diane, got me a gift beyond gifts…she gave me a most memorable experience to fly a high performance aircraft, two actually, for a day. I flew out of Boeing Field in Seattle. I would be trained in the tactics of air-to-air combat, or dog fighting, by trained military pilots. The company that runs the experience is Air Combat USA and is based out of Fullerton, CA. The group of planes flies to various places in the US on a regular schedule, but flies year around out of Fullerton.
This is not a simulator; instead I took the stick of a state-of-the-art military trainer aircraft and engaged in aerial dog fighting. I flew the SIAI Marchetti SF260, a current production, Italian-built, fighter aircraft. It has a 260 HP engine. The aircraft was originally designed to transition student pilots to jet fighters. It is maneuvered by the stick grip complete with gun trigger, identical to the F4 Phantom. I sat side-by-side with the instructor pilot with dual controls. This was my morning flight.
The afternoon flight was in a Marchetti Extra 300L. It is a 300 HP, carbon fiber high performance aerobatic aircraft. Aerobatic teams and aerobatic performers in competition currently use it. This is the shown in last weeks MMM. I am the one in the front seat.
I was fitted with a flight suit, helmet and parachute and attended ground school and a prebriefing where we learned the art of aerial combat. After completing the ground school instruction we went out to the aircraft and out to perform the tactics we learned. I was paired up with another pilot in the morning and afternoon. Each student is able to fly about 90% of the time. I missed flight training in the Air Force so I went out and got my private ticket. It is like riding a bicycle…you don’t forget! I only wish I could win the lotto and get back into flying on a regular basis rather than the hit and miss program of flying that I am able to do with friends. This experience got me “a little bit” of what I wanted to do in the Air Force.
Each aircraft is equipped with three video cameras to record the chase, the pilot reactions and the “kill” through a gunsight camera. (The gunsight camera looks just like the gunsight shown in Top Gun and other military films). The video also records the audio so one has to watch the language, too.
The maneuvers covered formation flying and six different dogfight tactics. We flew the maneuvers between 8000 and 10,000 feet and went over, around, upside down and vertical up and down. When you lined up for the kill and got the other aircraft in the gun sight, you squeeze the trigger and hit the other aircraft with a laser that trips a smoke trail to let you know you made the “kill”. You can’t run out of bullets! My opponent pilot lost his lunch on one of the tactics and we all laughed about it later.
In the afternoon, I was treated to additional maneuvers. My instructor was active duty Marines who flew Harriers. We did some rolls and more advanced chases. The aircraft pulled a little over 6 G’s in some of the turns. It is a different feeling to tighten up your body for all it is worth to keep the blood in the head so you don’t get goofy and vision impaired or light headed. What an experience! The amusement parks can never be like this, that is for sure! The highlight for me was flying in a Hammer Head maneuver, which is shown in the photo with the smoke trail. The opponent pilot and I traded digital cameras and he took the picture. In the Hammer Head, the stick is pulled back and you go vertical up in a corkscrew path until the aircraft can’t go vertical any longer. The aircraft pitches over and goes vertical back down and then pull out level. We ended with a roll. What an absolute blast!!
When we returned to Boeing Field we landed in a typical jet aircraft landing pattern where you enter the pattern at about 1000 feet then pitch out to the right doing a rapid descending 360 degree turn to touch down on the runway. We then took the videos and debriefed the flight over refreshments. They use two players to show what each aircraft did and how to improve. The “hanger talk” was enjoyed and provided a great ending to a great day.
Diane and I stayed in Seattle and enjoyed a great steak dinner at the 13 Coins Restaurant on Saturday evening and a long day talking of the flying and enjoying the sun at Alki Beach across from Seattle.
I just wanted to share with everyone a great experience. This sure got me away from thinking of Home Inspections and will be remembered for a lifetime. I hope everyone enjoyed it too.
I look forward to seeing you all at the November Conference in Reno. Have a good day!
Best Regards, Jim Corbin
It could be the electric juice he tried . I would recommend they close the panel opening that allowed him to get in also would recommend that they get an electrician to go over all the aluminum connections as the ones in the panel do not go far enough around the screws also would recommend they use no corrode on all connections and joints . Roy Cooke Sr.
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