Lon, I totally agree with you. I live in LA and can’t get up and leave my wife at the moment to go there, but perhaps I can get some mentorship in LA. There is nothing like seeing it in real life and being shown. I have found the InterNACHI course really a step above the ICA School I did. My potential employer has asked I pass InterNACHI before going to work for them. I have a long way to go, but I’m very excited for the journey. I feel humbled to be among all the Master Inspectors here!
Thank you for asking for me!
Hi Brandon, is not supposed to be flexible as Kevin noted?
Can you explain this? The black and red box at the bottom (to the left). I was thinking that was a condensate pump, is that wrong? I know a drip tray is missing, but didn’t know if that pump was in lieu of that? Forgive me what a total novice I am. I’m sure I’m annoying the expert crowd here.
My observations are this.
- Should have a straight 18" flue connector before the first elbow/turn in the flue. (AHJs typically cut a lot of slack for this in confined spaces, but this is not a confined space)
- Missing sediment trap/drip leg on gas line. The gas flex connector looks ok to me and is required in California.
- Foil tape on the flue may hide the quality of the connection and many AHJs do not allow it. No matter what, it cannot be the primary method of connecting the flue pieces
- Open wire splice not allowed and must be in a J-box
- Check with your local AHJ. Most places require the furnace to be hardwired to a disconnect or service switch, but that is not a universal requirement.
We cannot see the source of combustion air.
Galvanized gas pipe is allowed in most areas, so probably not a defect. White pipe dope on the gas pipe connections is probably approved for that use. I see it here all the time.
The red box is the condensate pump for the AC. Condensate from the evaporator on the AC flows into it. A float valve activates the pump and it pumps the water to some disposal point that is not in the photo.
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Wow! This was AMAZING. Thank you so much, Lon!
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Oh, shame on me. One more thing. A vibration collar in the plenum above the evaporator is not visible in the photo. That is also required in California.
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Could you send me a stock image of this? And thanks for this other bit of info!
But wait, there’s more…!!
I was informed many, many moons ago that these shut-off valves are outdated and prone to leaks, and and should be replaced with modern valves!
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Electrical (octopus) adapters are a hazard, especially when used for appliances requiring 20 AMP circuits… which leads to the requirement for Dedicated Outlets for NG WH Power Vent Systems and HVAC units, as well as other household systems!
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There could be more, but not enough info shown in those pics.
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Really good catches, Jeffrey. What would be the replacement shut-off valve upgrade? I was also curious if you thought the gas line pipe had galvanized steel or not? And, octopus outlet aside, shouldn’t they be GFCI protected as well as they are near possible moisture and electrical?
Learning a ton from this.
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Im new as well but just taking a jab at it. Looks like a gas furnace, however Tempstar makes a gas furnace and a dual fuel furnace that can switch from gas to electric. Ive learned when in doubt refer to a pro. As far as the GFCI, I would say yes it needs one being its in a basment because of humidity levels. Im a newbie as well though. What is the actual model# I will look it up.
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These are what I commonly see in the home. 1st style is at each appliance/furnace/etc, and the 2nd is inside the home/basement on the Service line.
Non-issue in my area, We also allow for (coated) Copper line, but those are becoming less and less popular with NG. We do have high LP use here, thus I assume the reason for Copper being allowed.
Not necessarily. Many factors come into play, including Local AHJ’s!
Example: even though Sump Pumps require GFI’s by Code, they almost NEVER have one, as Builders and Plumbers are concerned for nuisance tripping leading to basement flooding. Most AHJ’s agree and don’t enforce the code.
When inspecting, I make note of this situation, and recommend they have a Backup System installed, which they should have anyway as power outages are common in Minnesota!
ALSO keep in mind the scenario of Basement requirements in general… Finished or Unfinished requirements, which also fluctuates with local AHJ parameters!
Your Local should have a copy of all it’s Adoptions available for reference. Recommend you try and locate a copy for your use.
Good luck figuring it all out.
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Duel fuel heat pumps are not something I find every day, but they do exist. Model numbers are your friend and will generally tell you what you have.
I recommend that anyone new to this get accustomed to looking up model numbers and associated installation manuals.
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I agree…ive been a Carpenter for over 25 years but that doesn’t mean Im a furnace guy.
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Thanks so much for this, Jeffrey. Learning a ton here.
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