An average day

Three snakes.

 

The job is an electrical service upgrade. We ask for a jumper at the water heater from the cold to hot to gas pipes. This is done to ensure that the hot water pipe and the gas pipe are bonded. Yes I know that the gas pipe can be legitimately bonded by virtue of an electrified gas appliance such as a furnace. As Tommy, the oldest Henderson boy says, "Here's the thing about that". We don't have the time nor inclination to determine what the source of heat may be. It is so much easier to get another three feet of wire and a clamp because they will be placing a jumper from the cold pipe to the hot pipe no matter what.

This is one of two water heaters at this residence. The other water heater has the correct configuration of jumper.



I wrote a correction to place the jumper on this water heater. I suspect that the workmen that installed the service panel may not have known about the existence of the second water heater. If they were aware of the second water heater they must have thought that I would not find it. In any event, the jumper was installed.

There is two clamps on the gas pipe and one clamp on the T&P drain pipe.

 

The job is an electrical service upgrade with PV. I wrote a correction regarding the fitting being too small and the cable sheath not making it 1/4" into the cabinet.



I am not supposed to add corrections that I spot from looking at pictures. Well I didn't see the skinned wire while I was performing the inspection.



Since they will be doing work installing another fitting and moving the cable I guess that I can wait for the followup inspection to write that correction.... that seems inappropriate to me.....but hey now, what do I know about tactics. Is it that I should not write the correction....ever....because I missed it the first time?

 

A licensed contractor has done a lot of work on this house. It might be a flipper. Yesterday was the only time that I have been there. The inspection was for the water heater.



I wanted to see inside the el. service cabinet but, alas and alack, it's been approved already.

 

The job is an electrical service upgrade and PV. It is not unusual that nobody is there to meet me.



I find notes.



If the occupant happens to be home I am sometimes told, "He went to Home Depot. He should be back soon. He left everything open."

Yesterday I made the sixth inspection for a PV only job. I was stood up on the first three trips.

On the fourth inspection I wrote corrections and the occupant was not home so I couldn't get in to verify the smoke and co alarms.

At the fifth inspection, corrections were not done. But as a bonus, the occupant was home so I could get the alarms out of the way....But hold on.....

When I asked the kid that represents the contractor if the owner was there he said yes. Then he said, "Are smoke detectors required in bedrooms? There aren't any in the bedrooms. Most inspectors will pass it anyway if I promise to go to Home Depot and get smoke detectors."

On the sixth inspection I walked down the long driveway. There were several cars with nobody in them, or so I thought. I went to the door and the lady that lives there let me in. She does not speak English but she knew why I was there and led me to the hallway and bedrooms. Alarms were installed....wrong. I wrote a correction explaining how to install the errant alarms and left the way I came.

It is exasperating considering that I gave the worker a sheet of paper with a drawing and explanation of how to install the alarms. We staple that sheet to the permit. I stuck several on the gate whenever I was stood up at the first three inspections. That sheet arrives with the alarms.

Consider the irony....they are entrusted to install PV....service upgrades.....but can't figure out how to install smoke alarms. Did I say exasperating? I think I meant ******* dumbfounded.....Ya that's it.

So now I'm a hundred feet away, walking down that long driveway when I hear, "Hey! I'm here". It was the worker and apparently he was asleep in one of the cars....... He wants to start the inspection.

I average a couple PV inspections per day. There's always at least one and sometimes five. I get stood up a lot. The mistakes are always numerous. Toss in a service upgrade and the mistakes become voluminous.

The truth be told, it's shocking what goes on out there. Few people are aware of just how bad it is and few of them bother to care. That is a sad reality that doesn't need to exist. It is not too difficult to get it done right. If only the jurisdictions had the will to see it through.

 

A lot of work was done in remodeling this house. All of it without permits or inspections. The attic access is 12"x12". I could only get pictures and wouldn't you know it, they used plumber's tape to suspend the HVAC duct.

 

I can ask for a one hour inspection fee. It pretty much assures me that they will complain....I will be labeled rude.....obnoxious and disrespectful. Hardly worth the $110.

 

Twice!!!!! That would be a good day for me. LOL Oh my gosh, he said twice. Seriously, it's in the hundreds for me.

I have been at it for a long time. Take a look at my picture. That screams rude. I don't have to say anything.

A contractor complained that he didn't like the way I walk. 90% of the time it's all about the corrections....they got too many....they never get any....they got corrections that they have never gotten before....they don't understand the corrections. So there they sit all flummoxed....thinking, "I know, we'll say that he was rude and get a different inspector.

The last 10% were such jerks that all I had left in me was rude.

 

This detail is called out on the foundation plan for a kitchen/dining room addition. There is no garage being built. The designer hit the wrong button.




So they formed it with the curb. I tried to convince them that this is not a good idea but contractors are loathe to do work over.

 

They may frame the walls with 2”x6”. That will hide the curb. Baseboard can be glued. Thresholds will need special attention.