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Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc. |
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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER |
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Message prepared especially for Members of the American Institute of Inspectors® as well as Home Inspectors abroad |
GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.....
It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! The Olympic games have begun. We are so relieved that no major terrorist activities took place during the opening ceremonies. The two weeks leading up to the event found our area trapped in an inversion bowl that made the air completely unbreathable. Wouldn't you know it, the 16 hours before the opening ceremonies began we had a wonderful windy light snow storm that cleared out the valley and left us with beautiful clear and sunny skies that shows off northern Utah in all its glory. The NBC footage that that is going out to the world shows the viewers that Utah is truly a great place to live.
Earlier this week I posted the following via e-mail:....... Have you caught the Olympic fever yet. Attached are two photos of this mornings torch run here in Orem, Utah. The first is of the runner with the torch. The second is of Grandma Carolyn, Jessica, Adam and Haily Leavitt. The flame passed by too quickly in the 16 degrees frosty early morning darkness. Fireworks were sent off skyward and the runner passed by. Before you knew it the torch had passed, but the inner thrill remains. I hope that you have a great day! Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
Talk about excitement. Seeing the Olympic Torch was a highlight that my little ones won't soon forget. Unfortuanately out littlest, Aaron, was much too bright to wake up and get dressed to see the torch. Instead, he laid in bed with Shelly and watched it on television. He did not have to get dressed and he did not have to stand in the sub-freezing air to witness the event live. I mentioned to Aaron later that day that I missed not having him with us to see the torch earlier that day to which he responded "Daddy, I saw the torch on TV!" He was convinced that he had not missed a thing. He was certain that he had the bull by the tail and that he chose the best decision to stay within the warm confines of his mother's bed and watch the torch on TV. Only time will tell, but it is doubtful that he will remember seeing the Olympic Torch runner.
Now my other three children will never forget the experience. Their eyes lit up brightly as the fireworks went off behind the runner and the chants of "Go USA!" came from the crowd. There is something about waking up early and heading out in the 16 degree temperature that leaves an impression on a child. The excitement of it all as the runner quickly passed by. Several thousands of people lined the street in front of the University Mall here in Orem, yet there was still plenty of room for all 3 kids to see the torch. Adam took off running and kept pace with the runner for 3/4 of a block. J
essica clung tight to our newest family addition, Joey the toy poodle. Joey shivered from both the cold and explosions of the fireworks. Haily was the wisest as she stayed close to Grandma Carolyn throughout the event.
It is intersesting how my thinking has changed in the past few years. I am now much more concerned with the memories of my children. Which ones will they remember? Which moments of life will leave the greatest impressions? Will the memories be happy moments? Or will they be the sad moments? It is our family's hope that all of you will catch the fever of these Salt Lake Olympics and that your fire will be lit from within.
GREAT MARKETING TIPLat week we shared Robert Fishbach's great toilet paper marketing tip. Ron Cloyd summed up the readership's feelings with...... "Absolutely fantastic! What an Idea. Thanks for sharing your cleaing ideas with us Robert."
SMALL ATTIC HATCHESI inspected a 82 year-old house last week (FHA/Rural Development) that had the attic access hatch in the bathroom. The hatch was 14 3/4" X 14 3/4 ". As it was difficult to get my ladder high enough in such a small room, and the hatch was so small, I just stuck my head up as far as I could, and noted it on my report. I got a fair view of the attic. The only thing that I know of that would cover the size of the hatch would loosely come under "Defective Construction", as there is no stipulation that I know of as to hatch size in the FHA Manual or USDA Rural Development. How do you Guys handle such a situation? I would benefit from your comments as I do a lot of old houses, and run into this occasionally. Ted B. Harris - OR
What did you see in the attic, wiring? plumbing? HVAC?anything that would require a tradesperson to have to access this area? An opening 22" x 30" is generally recommended. I include a statement that at the time of construction this may have been adequate but normal building practices would suggest that the access be enlarged for safety (confined space). John Rebenstorff - Orangevale, CA
Ted: " I was unable to gain full access to the attic because of the extremely small opening to get into the attic. I poked my head inside and found an inadequate amount of attic insulation to satisfy the Rural Development standards for compliance with the Model Energy Code. Modern guidelines recommend an attic opening of not less than 22"x30" to allow safe and easy access. Since the insulation needs to be increased and because I need to be able to evaluate the attic space to ensure that the structure meets the Rural Development requirements it will be necessary to provide an access that meets these opening size requirements. At that time I will need to return and get inside to evaluate the attic. I will be looking at the structure, insulation and also to verify that there is no live knob & tube wiring still in use in the attic. Any live Knob & Tube wiring still in use in the attic will need to be upgraded because the insulation depth cannot be increased to Model Energy standards with knob & tube wiring still in use. Covering knob & tube wiring with insulation is a fire hazard."
Ted, I question your statement that "there is no stipulation that I know of as to hatch size in the FHA Manual or USDA Rural Development." You are the watch dog for the Rural Development program. You get the final say as to what is needed to ensure the integrity of the systems, the integrity of the structure, the health & safety of the home, and that the Model Energy "Code" is followed. You are not restricted in the HUD 4015.2 to make this determination. Instead, it is one more document that helps you make the overall determination.
I also question your statement that "The only thing that I know of that would cover the size of the hatch would loosely come under "Defective Construction"" because it is not "Defective Construction" because it was allowed to be constructed that way 82 years ago. Instead, it is a Health & Safety issue because upgrades and possible repairs are needed in the attic and a normal sized human being cannot safely gain access. This is where modern "Code" guidelines give you the guidance as to the modern standards.
Just One More Thing – I referred a lot to "Codes" and the understanding of "Codes" is beyond the standards of AII when it comes to typical residential inspections. Rural Development inspections are not inspections that adhere to the AII SOP's. Instead, they are compliance inspections and the working knowledge of the "Codes" used in the area are a must. This is why your fees should be higher for the extra knowledge needed to perform the inspection and for the extra forms that are needed to complete. At first glance newer inspectors think that these inspections are not as involved and easier that a normal inspection. The opposite is true and they are a lot more involved if you are doing them right. So make sure that you are being adequately compensated. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
CPSC THERMADOR RANGE RECALLNEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Thermador Recall Hotline: (800) 735-4328
February 4, 2002 Release #02-097
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), BSH Home Appliances Corp., of Huntington Beach, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 2,460 Thermador brand gas ranges. Hot air is vented below the small oven and causes the metal surface on the door of this oven to get too hot, presenting a burn hazard to consumers.
BSH has received one report of high temperatures on the surface of one of the ranges. No injuries have been reported.
The recalled ovens are 48-inch All-Gas Professional Ranges and were sold under the Thermador brand name. The ranges are stainless steel and have small and large side-by-side ovens. Only model numbers PRG484GGUS, PRG486GDUS, and PRG486GLUS and serial number ranges 98020001-98129999, 99010001-99129999, 20010001-20129999 and 81010001- 81119999 are included in the recall. The model and serial number are located on a data plate behind the kick panel at the bottom front of the range.
Appliance and specialty stores nationwide sold the ranges from March 1998 through November 2001 for between $5540 and $6370.
Consumers should stop using the small ovens immediately and contact their local Thermador service center to arrange a free repair. For more information or to locate a local authorized service center, contact Thermador at (800) 735-4328 between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
CPSC BASEBOARD HEATER RECALLNEWS from CPSC - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Heater Recall Hotline: (800) 311-4204
February 7, 2002 Release # 02-098
CPSC, Honeywell Consumer Products Announce Recall of Moveable Baseboard Heaters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Honeywell Consumer Products Inc. (HCP), of Southborough, Mass., is voluntarily recalling about 450,000 moveable baseboard heaters. The heating element in these baseboard heaters can short-circuit and ignite combustible material under the heater, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
CPSC and HCP have received 53 reports of these heaters short-circuiting, including two cases where the floor beneath the heater was damaged due to fire. No injuries have been reported.
The recalled HZ-514 HCP baseboard heaters are about 40 inches long, 8 inches tall, and 4 inches wide at their widest point. The white baseboard heaters have the name "Honeywell" printed on the front of the unit. The recalled heaters have: a six-digit date code beginning with "97" on a sticker on the back or the bottom of the unit, or a date code beginning with the digit "8" or "9" stamped on the flat metal prong of the electrical cord’s plug, or a date code beginning with the digits "00" stamped on the flat metal prong of the electrical cord’s plug and "TYPE I" or nothing stamped on the bottom of the unit.
Department stores and home centers nationwide sold these baseboard heaters from October 1997 through January 2001 for between $30 and $50.
Consumers should stop using these heaters immediately, unplug them, and contact HCP at (800) 311-4204 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Sunday or log on to the company’s website at www.honeywell.com to determine whether their heater is part of the recall.
Consumers with recalled units will be given instructions on how to mail them back to HCP in order to receive a free replacement heater.
Baseboard heaters with "01" stamped on the metal prong of the electrical plug or "TYPE II" stamped on the bottom of the unit are not included in this recall.
PHOTO CHALLENGE #90 FEEDBACK
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The clip is a breaker 'lock out' or 'tag out'. They are used on 110 appliance circuits that are hard wired. ie: dishwasher. Turn the breaker to off position, flip the clip and it holds the breaker off. There is a small hole in the clip that a little padlock will fit through. It's a safety lock for the technician thats working on the unit. Mark Daughtry - Redmond, WA
Michael, Don't have a comment about the extra clip added to the breaker. But I do have a comment about the design of the panel box. WOW, too COOL!!!. On each side of the breakers, aligned with the individual service disconnects are the wiring connections. Energized above to the breaker, grounded conductor (or neutral) to the verticle bus bar directly to it's side and the ground wire in the same lug. No confusion here on how things were wired up. I have never seen this particular model of panel, but think the design should be the standard of the industry. Ken Ives - Sacramento, CA
I have absolutely no business trying to answer this question; but, that has never stopped me before. The dishwasher is hardwired, right? I would think it's for a service person to lock the breaker in the "off" position while working on the dishwasher. I don't think it's required. It's just an example of an electrician going a little above the "code".
I've had a couple of these fall off when I open the panel cover. I've learned to at least take a quick look before I remove the cover. :-)
But I could definitely be wrong. Bob Waite - VA
Great tip Bob! I have never looked for these clips when removing a panel cover and I have yet to ever see one of these clips installed. This is one more reason to open the cover and look at the breakers before removing the panel cover. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
The lockout device you showed is a means of locking out the dishwasher breaker so the appliance can be safely serviced. An in-sight or lockable disconnecting means is required for all appliances >1/8hp or >300VA. If the dishwasher is hard-wired, and no disconnecting means is in sight, the breaker must be individually lockable. There are lockout devices that go entirely on the outside of the deadfront, but some AHJ's don't approve of them. Redwood Kardon and I disagree here - he doesn't like them and I do - he would require the kind that you saw, where I think it is unnecessary, since the one in the photo below works just as well.
The lockout device in your picture can also be used for another purpose. With the lever in the position in your photo, it can be locked into place with the handle in the "on" position. It could be used to prevent someone from turning off the security lighting or alarm circuit on a commercial building. Preventing the handle from being turned off does not prevent the breaker from tripping under an overload or short circuit. Douglas Hansen - Palo Alto, CA
PHOTO CHALLENGE #91Bob Peek shared this photo with me about Virginian Harvey Homeowners. Pretty creative, isn't it?
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QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Humidifiers are tepid pools of filth." Bob Peek |
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