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Ten years into it

ICE

MODERATOR
Staff member
Joined
Jun 23, 2011
Messages
13,828
Location
California
I was about a block away when I spotted this. That's an apartment complex boiler. The property manager assured me that it has been there for at least ten years. I believe her. I left a notice for a boiler contractor to obtain a permit.




The pump and motor have no support other than the pipe. The cap is 18" and I am not so sure that this boiler was meant to be outdoors.

10546012176_2d4cde7a15_o.jpg
 
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Rider Rick said:
The stucco looks like it get's hot.
Check out the deck flashing. And how about those windows and a slider. It probably acts as a patio heater....if you can stand the headaches.
 
Yeah............other than the ten years of drying out of the combustible materials.........surprised the plastic chair hasn't melted down...........
 
I have been told to ignore this. I am in trouble for writing a correction to get a permit. The reason is that I found this on my own. Had there been a complaint, it would be a different story. But since there was no complaint I am not supposed to "create trouble". This came from the top.

Then the top realized what was involved and made the middle do the dirty work...gotta keep those hands clean

I heard, "You have enough to do without going around looking for trouble"....."Look at your desk...try clearing some of the problems you already have"....."Concentrate on what's important"

It's not like I don't know the "don't ask don't tell" policy but I thought this was genuinely dangerous. Well live and learn...a mechanical engineer is okay with it so I must be wrong.
 
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It is three days later and I came across this:



I am filling in for another inspector and I was there for a framing and roughs inspection. The job is an addition planted on the back of a house. There is a family living there. The water heater is in use...in the soon to be dining area. The house has been dried in with a roof and lath, windows and doors.

Here we go again. There's not a lot that I can do other than write a correction telling them to not use the water heater. So what's the chances that they will take cold showers until the contractor moves it.

Then there was a knock at the door. It was the Gas Company meter reader. He wanted to know why there was fresh dirt covering the meter. I took him inside and showed him the water heater. I said "The Gas Company has been notified. What's your name" He was on the phone when I left.

Odds are that I will get chewed out on Monday.

I haven't decided what to do about the boiler but whatever I do is sure to create a ruckus.
 
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Stay with it Ice. I had my chewings, and am tough enough now it's like chewing on concrete.

The tragedy is you can't chew back. It's a sweet luxery I enjoy.

Brent.
 
I get complaint-focused enforcement, but it can't be the only method.

When we stumble upon a serious life-safety code violation, one has an ethical responsibility to respond.

It cannot fall upon the public citizens to be code savvy enough to recognize the violation and report it.

I would say that most people who know enough to spot the violation may still not report it, because aren't there people paid to do that already?

Oh yeah, the folks at the building dept, that is their job, right?

Thanks for sharing ICE, have a great weekend.
 
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