Failed Inspection

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
OK, I got thinking about all this and it made me want to question some of this.

On several occasions I have measured the temp of the floor joists above my stove. They have gone as high as 145 degrees on the IR, and my installation isn't nearly as boxed in as the OP's. Is it possible that this kind of heat added to the already hot lights could add up to a dangerous situation?
 
Brother Bart probably has the most reasonable course of action by visiting or contacting the county and asking to see the code.
Keep a calm cool demeanor and try and be reasonable
THEN I'LL GO BALLISTIC.

You know what Battenkiller, you might have a point.
I will have an IR by tomorrow and will do some tests.

Pics and assessment will follow shortly.

LOL@Fossil
 
Dirtsurgeon said:
You know what Battenkiller, you might have a point.
I will have an IR by tomorrow and will do some tests.

As much fun as it is to trash talk public servants, it's still best to cover all the bases when safety is an issue. I just lost my truck in a fire of unknown origin. Then the other day while I was warming up my morning coffee in the microwave, I saw some flashing lights coming from the back, and a crackling sound like I was using the MIG welder. I shut it off immediately and pulled it out to look at it. The screen for the fan was completrly clogged with dust. Musta overheated the internal wiring and fried it.

Lucky I was right there, that could have started the stack of papers I had beside it and the whole joint could have gone up. After the affidavit they made me sign with the truck fire, I get the feeling I would have had the arson investigators visiting me. Two major fires inside a month? Tough explaing that away.
 
as was stated, ask for the NEC code article that the inspector was refering to. I would have challenged that ruling. You might look into local or state building regs. I cant for the life of me come up with any thing that in the electrical code that would knock you down
 
I knew it didnt sound right when I read it (90 °F) but it did not registor until they posted about it, bottom line is the guy was wrong about the rating.
 
All the fixtures and wiring since the early 1980's is the 194 °F rating (or should be) so if it is too hot for the fixtures its too hot period.
 
Battenkiller said:
As much fun as it is to trash talk public servants, it's still best to cover all the bases when safety is an issue. I just lost my truck in a fire of unknown origin.

Wasn't a Ford Ranger, was it? I got a recall notice from Ford. It warned me not to park the truck in or near anything until I had the recall fixed, because the truck might spontaneously combust, even if it was not running.

Speaking of spontaneous combustion, I was doing work and stopped at a hotel for the night. I was slow getting out of the car. Long day, etc. Just before I got out I heard some noise, looked over, and saw smoke pouring out of the laptop. Good thing I was still in the car!
 
Recommendation from a guy that does some fire inspections . . . take Brother Bart's approach . . . ask for the code reference and be nice . . . if the guy is a jerk then take it to the next level . . .

Just be aware that some inspectors in some places have a local fire code in place that basically contains a line that says the inspector can require something to be done even if it is not in the code if he or she feels it is important for life safety . . . that said . . . most inspectors I know are reluctant to fall back on that and instead typically follow the manufacturer or regular NFPA, BOCA or NEC codes.
 
Not to be contrarian, but I would put a small heat shield on the top rear of that stove to push the heat out of the alcove. They are probably cheap, made in China lights that are only marginally safe at room temperature. Add a spouse or kid who loads up the stove and forgets to shut it down and who knows how hot that area could get.
 
Dirtsurgeon said:
Ha, no doubt Battenkiller. I'm sure the seasoning process won't take nearly as long here in the desert.

Problem is, there are no trees here.

Anyone wanna trade some hot, dry, wind for some hardwood?

Maybe I can drop off a stick or two on our way out west...
 
Danno77 said:
So what's the recourse for a failed inspection. This is so blatantly stupid, that it needs to be brought to the attention of the next level authority. They need to know that this guy is making stuff up because he feels like it. At a minimum he needs to show you the code which you are violating.

Besides, the lights look freakin cool!

Yes. However, it is not the county to contact but the township supervisor. He and the board are the ones who hires the inspector. Or you could also contact someone on the Planning board at the township level.
 
Just from experiance...even when totally aggravated by the inspector, be NICE.

We built an addition to our garage at our old house. At the time, we jumped through a good lot of hoops with the inspector to just get approval to do so, but always remained calm and friendly, despite wanting to jump over the counter and throttle him. When he came out for inspection, he mentioned a few things he "didn't like" and then said..."well, it looks like a garage, here's you approval". This is the same guy that stopped a window install (and yes, the old ones were out when he issued the stop work order) in January while we were in the office for our permit, and made the front page of the paper because so many people were having problems with him. His predessessor was awesome, he "suggested" many little improvements that would help certain projects pass inspection (I guess they aren't allowed to tell you want you have to do to be up to code?? Or so he and the new guy have both said).
 
Not a local inspector but the VA inspector that inspected the first house we had built helped out. Expensive site finished ash paneling and matching cabinets. One piece of the paneling had a hideous grain right in the middle of the rest. Builder wouldn't fix it. The VA inspector looked at in when he was there and asked us "Do you really want that in your new house?". Builder told him that wasn't his concern. VA inspector put a size eleven boot right through the panel and looked at the builder and said "Call me when the house is ready for sign-off.".

Steam was coming out of the builder's ears but he kept his mouth shut and got it fixed right.
 
Dirtsurgeon, nice looking stove lots of luck with it...
 
BrotherBart said:
Not a local inspector but the VA inspector that inspected the first house we had built helped out. Expensive site finished ash paneling and matching cabinets. One piece of the paneling had a hideous grain right in the middle of the rest. Builder wouldn't fix it. The VA inspector looked at in when he was there and asked us "Do you really want that in your new house?". Builder told him that wasn't his concern. VA inspector put a size eleven boot right through the panel and looked at the builder and said "Call me when the house is ready for sign-off.".

Steam was coming out of the builder's ears but he kept his mouth shut and got it fixed right.

I love it! Sometimes you really need to use a bigger hammer... or a bigger boot in this case. :p
 
pyper said:
Battenkiller said:
I just lost my truck in a fire of unknown origin.

Wasn't a Ford Ranger, was it? I got a recall notice from Ford. It warned me not to park the truck in or near anything until I had the recall fixed, because the truck might spontaneously combust, even if it was not running.

No, it was an F-150. Still, maybe I should shy away from another Ford. These things seem like they may be happier with flames coming out of them. :lol:
 
Wow, time got away from me and I totally forgot about this post.
A lot has been going on with me since Christmas but the bottom line is
the inspector returned last week and wrote off the install.

I took the advice of others here and went down to the county building
all calm and polite. Told the chief building inspector(not sure of his proper title)
the story and and he asked to see the box and paperwork that came in the box
for the light. I was dumbfounded. Of course I didn't have any of that.
He basically told me he can't override an inspector decision without more information.
I'm sure I could have pursued the issue and proven these idiots wrong but at the time
it wasn't worth the time or effort. The lights are easily removed.

I cut some half-assed drywall plugs and just stuck them in the holes. No mud, paint, nothing.
The inspector showed up and not two words were spoken. I had the inspection card sitting on
the stove (for his convenience). He walked in, looked at the light locations, signed the card and
walked out the door. Totally an arrogant dik. Plus I'm sure he didn't like my visit to his boss which
was fruitless.

At any rate, it's signed off, lights were back in minutes after he left and we're on to bigger battles.

Oh yea, BTW, we loooove this stove. :)

Dirt
 
I just finished posting in your other thread how much I like the lights with the install. Hope you'll put them back in (after checking temps with your I/R thermometer). Good luck!
 
This is why I NEVER invite the building department onto my property. In the current economy (and a rural county which is chronically depressed anyway), the building department has become even harder to deal with. If they approve your plans or installation today, they won't have anything to do tomorrow. Nightmarish stories abound, all in the name of job security.
 
Agreed, sounds like a dickwad inspector. If they are halogen lights, then the wiring and bulb socket should be specced for very high temp with fiberglass/teflon insulation rated ok for >1000F.
 
Fortunately, for me, around here no one inspects wood stove installations. But wait: I was building this place myself and planning on a compost toilet and solar electric. The way it works here, and perhaps it is common, the "main" bldg inspector has several underling inspectors for elec., wastewater, framing, etc., and each of them has to sign off his or her area before the "main" guy will sign off the entire project. Lucky me, the elec. inspector knew nothing about photovoltaic [solar] electric and told me he would "never" ever ever sign off something like that. There is no grid power available within a mile.... Then the wastewater inspector had no clue what a compost toilet was, "it don't flush, it ain't approved, ever." He actually brought in a couple of his employees, to his office, to laugh at me. I told the main building inspector of my dilemma. To his credit, he had taken an interest in my home project from the outset: here is this [then] young fellow gonna build his own place by himself with these interesting aspects. So, he said he could not bypass the sign-offs for elec. and so forth, but that I should contact the two state agencies which would cover these aspects and he gave me the phone numbers and names of the respective state people. After a couple calls, I wrote up detailed letters with spec's and even commercial brochures of the equipment I would be using. I eventually rec'd two certified letters from the state advising they were approving my stuff and that the county could step back and let me go on. They mailed the same letters to the county. The people involved in the county hated my guts and let it be known, but I have been living in my solar-elec. cottage for over two decades and the compost toilet works great.
 
Sounds like an awesome endeavor Steve.
Would love to see pictures of the place.
 
I am an electrician, so I will tell you this...

The 90 degrees is the temp rating of the insulation related to the amperage.

In laymen terms the temp rating is just related to how much amperage the wire can carry, doesn't mean it can't get hotter than 90 degrees, that's just plain silly
 
This reminds me of a new sewer and water line we were excavating last year and the inspector failed the job because he said the plumber used the wrong clue on the sewer. I remind you that we are 8 feet down at the street. The inspector shut job down. The plumber called the town and asked to speak to plumbing inspector top guy and next thing the top guy came racing to job site to see what went wrong. To the head inspectors surprise, he found the inspector that shut job down was his own son and the son was wrong. They got into big fight over the glue on job site pulling state code book and town code book. The plumber was correct and he was also 68 years old compared to the inspectors son of 28
 
Status
Not open for further replies.