This is the group where anyone can post anything related to electrical and plumbing (anything deemed not related to electrical and plumbing will be summarily "electrocuted and/or drowned" and removed:). It is also the place where anyone can ask a question with the likelihood that one of the many "talented" inspectors at ActiveRain will be able to offer some sort of helpful answer or worthwhile disinformation. Any recommendations given should not be construed to be a substitute for the advice of someone that "actually" knows what they are talking about (licensed electrical and plumbing contractors), but instead should be seen as a way for you to get the information necessary to ask the right questions of the right people.
An open blog will be maintained in the Featured Posts where anyone can ask questions----and hopefully get a response.
So sign up and lets help Sparky make some hot water!
Charles Buell
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
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Click on the Rose 
to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group
PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
OH.... This should be a good group for the weekend wallys who need help making repairs around the house. I'm in.
Sean Allen
I do not see many but always find it interesting when you have a company that is both licensed plumbers and electricians. They want it all and so does the Beeman.
Charles, what a cool group to ask questions on electrical and plumbing. I am in.
Sean, welcome aboard----this should be fun!
Steve, welcome-----I think:)
Gary, cool, great to see you here----hopefully we can keep you entertained:)
Talk about addiction! Now you are doing a group! You're going to be spending all your time on activerain. Should I go in there or not?
Barbara, we will be talking about water heaters no doubt----how will you be able to resist?
Charles, I am not new to your blog, but never noticed the smileys - thanks for the clue. Sounds like a good group to have on AR - title is perfect.
Virginia---I like to have some fun with the smileys:)
Charles
I put you on the top here: http://activerain.com/groups/independentthinkinginspectors
Thanks Mike!!:)
Hi all,
I'll start the ball rolling. On the subject of shall we say "less that qualified" homeowners doing repairs:
I answer about 3-5 questions a day on the website "AllExperts.com" in the area of plumbing just to keep my "chops" up. By the questions they ask, I can tell that some of these people hardly know which end of the faucet the water comes out of yet they want detailed instructions on how to make repairs, including what tools and how to use them. Of course, they never give the make, model number or style of the particular fixture they are working on. Sometimes I give it a try is they are not too hopelessly inept. Other times I just tell them "this is beyond the scope of a homeowner repair as it requires special tools, knowledge and techniques that I cannot impart via email" and that they should called a qualified plumber.
I'm truly amazed sometimes at what the average homeowner will try to fix on their own. Of course, as Inspectors, we have all see the results.
Dana sometimes explaining to people how to fix things takes a lot more time than it would for them to call a plumber in the first place and which they will end up having to do anyway. These people never seem to stop to think that our time might be worth something.