HOWDY & Welcome to another round of Questions of The Week!
A member of the Awards Committee will post questions, at a random day/time.
Eligible members may make one post per question thread to answer the questions.
Correct answers (as judged by the Awards Committee or Poster of the Questions) wins.
Request your choice by emailing fastreply@nachi.org and submit your Mailing address for shipping
Choose your prize from the following list!:
>$50.00 gift certificate from Inspector Outlet >Case of books “Now That You’ve had A Home Inspection” 11 cases of assorted Candy Cigarettes found in the basement of Jim McKee.
Thank you Jim for your donation!
Noise in a plumbing system is not usually caused by
a) worn valves
b) pipes expanding and rubbing against framing members
c) inadequate support of piping
d) water hammer
e) OJ Simpson
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2) Why prefer/use bare copper wire for grounding?
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3) Inspect this please
If a grounded conductor is attached to the disconnect switch, which type of service disconnect must be used?
a Circuit breakers
b Knife Blade Switch
c Fuse Block
d None of the above
2 Underground bare ground is preferable for greater ground contact. In cables or boxes the controversial idea seems to be that an intrusion or fault may hit a bare conductor faster leading to a breaker trip.
3 Electric tank water heater: Non-professionally installed and not to the building code. Code issues observed include (1) pressure relief valve pipe is too small (2) pressure relief valve pipe does not drain which is only allowed in certain circumstances not present here (3) missing insulation on pipes. (4) for earthquake states flex line is required (4) power cable is unlikely to be listed for this application. Recommend professional work to make safe and to code.
4 B “if properly marked”
5 Terminals show signs of heat stress and rust. Recommend urgent evaluation and repair by a qualified electrical contractor.
1- d
2- heat resistance, high conductivity, and flexibility
3- electric water heater, TPR is downsized and not properly routed, it is possible the flex line outlet may not meet AHJ requirements, unable (from this photo) to determine proper power source and supply. Consult a proper qualified plumber/repair person to make corrections as required by local code.
4- b, but more info in question is needed.
5- SAFETY. The conductors in photo show signs of rust and possible overheating at some point. It is also observed there is contaminate, in the form of paint overspray, in the enclosure. Consult a qualified electrician to make repairs as needed.
EC- John Mayall- I Cant Complain
The red tips are a rare find! As are the ones wrapped in paper with corn starch you can puff out “smoke”. Maybe those were the gum type though. Memories!
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2) Why prefer/use bare copper wire for grounding? In many cases, bare copper wire is the first choice for electrical grounding. This is due to a range of benefits, including very high conductivity, flexibility, and heat resistance.
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3) Inspect this please
Water heater TPRV drain line improperly reduced in size, directed upwards
water heater T&P Relief Valve info
The most common problem is the absence of or an incorrectly installed drain line from the TPR valve.
An improperly installed discharge pipe can sometimes be as dangerous as no pipe at all.
Most installers understand the purpose of the device, but have no comprehension of just how dangerous the discharged water is when it leaves the tank.
To reduce the risk of abnormally high and dangerous pressures in the hot water system and to reduce chances of a dangerous explosion, water heater manufacturers, building codes, and independent standards require that a temperature and pressure relief valve be installed on the water heater - a T&P Relief Valve.
IT IS CRITICAL the Temperature/Pressure relief valve discharge tube must be attached to the T&P Valve’s opening and routed down close to but not touching the floor level:
not terminate more than 6 inches (152 mm) above the floor
discharge in a manner that could not cause scalding.
discharge in a manner that could not cause structural or property damage.
This permits emergency hot water to be discharged without risk of
seriously burning the face and body of a bystander or structural damage.
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4) If a grounded conductor is attached to the disconnect switch, which type of service disconnect must be used?
a) Circuit breakers
b) Knife Blade Switch
c) Fuse Block
d) None of the above a) Circuit breakers
Do these candy cigarettes have the red tips? 
