Messages like this make me glad I live in a less absolutely-capitalist society. Here in Australia we have a Housing Guarantee Fund, which is essentially 7-year building insurance cover which is mandatory for all works over (IIRC) $5K total value, and applies whether or not the original builder can be traced or made to fix the work. Like a statutory warrantee on all building work... it's effective.
We have that, too. But it's administered under the rules of the Registrar of Contractors... any crack in a sidewalk under 3/16" wide is OK :-(
In our absolute (sort of) capitalist society, I sued his ass and made him bust up and replace concrete.
The best part was seeing him beg to be able to pay me in installments. I didn't want to, but my lawyer advised not to rub it in too deeply. ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Remember: Once you go over the hill, you pick up speed
ing
=A0 =A0 =A0...Jim Thompson
Yes, we have that too. But no insurance can cover this stupid plannings/actions. My house sits on top of a previous creek. Flooding in several houses forced the builder into bankruptcy and the builder's insurance to dig a 2 million dollars ditch in our backyard. The insurance policy was max. out. This overshadowed our little plumbing problems.
Our neighbours still have flooding problems, but we are protected by the underground ditch. Whom should they go after? The city planning department for approving the original building plans? The insurance company for wasting the money building the ditch to redirect the problem? The engineering company for advising the insurance company? Or the same engineering company who advised the original builder?
The proper solution should have been tearing down my house to restore the creek.
Out in Borrego, where I almost built, they had a similiar problem. Homes had been there for decades, no flooding problems, then one year, there are major flooding problems. Traced the problem to one builder who had bulit up two lots in what used to be the flood channel, redirecting all the water into the street where it went it merry way until the first bend in the road...
His homes had received all necessary instpections and permits, so he did do a thing. The others started putting in walls in front of their homes, so the problems would work its way down the street...
Charlie
How about a sonic, subsonic or ultrasonic device to prevent calcium/lime buildup which clogs water heaters and forces them to need replacement?
Drain opening bladders do this, but they're more in the 40 to 200 Hz range. You put it on a hose, snake it down the pipe, then turn the water on. It expands sideways to form a seal, stretches, then buzzes violently as it releases water out the front. They work miracles on roofing and landscaping drains too.
-- I will not see posts from Google or e-mails from Yahoo because I must filter them as spam
I would have thought that Californica would be as exemplary as Arizona with "flood plain" designations (no building or obstructions allowed).
Plus development of parks that serve as flood drainage during heavy rain.
When I first moved to Arizona nearly 50 years ago, anyone who had too many beers could block all east-west routes in Scottsdale. Take a look at a Scottsdale terrain map sometime.
Now street flooding is the exception... except for two water main breaks this past week ;-) ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Remember: Once you go over the hill, you pick up speed
How about flushing them out once a year, or a water softener to eliminate the calcium before it gets to the water heater?
-- You can't fix stupid. You can't even put a Band-Aid? on it, because it's Teflon coated.
ona.
t lory
ng
Yes, I don't know how this got passed the thick skulls of city planners and civil engineers. Our development is under a hill owned by the city, with a water storage facility on the top. The community is around 300 homes in 3 rows. The land (or rain water collection facility) between the tank and our community is around 100 acres. All these waters are supposed to flow through the two upstream lots and my lot.
I would have screamed HELL when they approved building on these three lots 15 years ago. The builders would probably lose a few hundred thousands dollars in profit. With several inches of water in the house every rainy season, my previous home owner and HOA sued the builder. 10 years ago, the builder filed for bankrupcy. His insurance settled for several million dollars. They could have fixed the problem for less than one million, by buying out and tearing down the 3 houses including mine. However, the civil engineer spent 2 millions in digging a ditch across, instead of digging along the creek (or flood control channel). They did everything possible to block, divert and hold the water. Essentially, they built a 2 million dollars underground water storage tank. I would have screamed BLOOD HELL..
There are ground movements and damages all over the community. Last I heard, the same civil engineer was paid another 50K to claim that there are no dangers. CRAZY BLOOD HELL.. We are all waiting for the next big one (quake). Timing will be critical. If after major rain storm, ground LIQUIFRACTION is very possible. Damages could be in the hundred millions.
Our story could be a classic study of WHAT NOT TO BUILD.
We had a "liquifaction" event about a mile south of here. A MAJOR builder built on what turned out to be fill. The soil testing company had fudged the data. When sued they filed bankruptcy. Back-fired, the principals were arrested for fraud. In combination, the state and the builder bought back everything plus provided moving expenses.
As "lawed-up" as Californica is I'm really surprised they don't have similar consumer protections. ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Remember: Once you go over the hill, you pick up speed
It wouldn't make any sense, since the crap that clogs water heaters precipitates loose, and simply piles up on the bottom or the tank.
Hope This Helps! Rich
I flush the tank about twice a year and check the anode about once a year still precipitates are found in the pipes.
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Well, Borrego is literally out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded on all four sides by a huge state park. It is hard to get the county government to even acknowledge its existence, much less actually do anything for it. The drainage plan for the area has been in development for something like 20 years, but keeps being put on the back burner due to lack of interest in the county commission's budget. A few hundred people out in the sticks don't have much political clout!
Funny thing is, they have the same problem here in Desert Hot Springs. Flood control and drainage plans have been on the drawing board for 10 years, with a first draft due next year... for the past five years!
8-) The city can't do theirs until the county finishes, because we don't know where they will direct the water...Charlie
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