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Inspection History Details
Inspection Status: Approved
Inspection History: INSP - INITIAL CODE ENFORCMENT
Case Number - T05DV00642
Inspection Description - INSP - INITIAL CODE ENFORCMENT
Inspection Status - Approved
| Date | Description | Inspector | Results | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/29/2005 | INSP - INITIAL CODE ENFORCMENT | Approved | MET WITH INSPECTOR R. VIDAL ON SITE TO GO OVER THE ELECTRICAL HAZARDS THAT HE HAD OBSERVED THE DAY BEFORE. I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THE ELECTRICAL VIOLATIONS THAT INSPECTOR VIDAL HAD WRITTEN-UP ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL VIOLATIONS. THE AREA WITH THE MOST EXTREME HAZARDS WERE AT THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE AREA AND THE ELECTRICAL SUB-PANEL, WHICH IS LOCATED REMOTE OF THE MAIN SERVICE, BUT WITHIN THE CONTIGUOUS STRUCTURE. THE OVERHEAD SERVICE CONSISTS OF FOUR ELECTRIC METERS WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE DISCONNECTS. THE DISCONNECTS VARIED IN AMPACITY RATINGS FROM THIRTY, TO ONE HUNDRED AMPS. THE METERS WERE ALL FED FROM A SINGLE GUTTER, WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE IN A DILAPIDATED CONDITION, RUSTED OUT AND NOT OF RAINTIGHT CONSTRUCTION, FURTHERMORE THIS GUTTER HAS WIRING THAT CONTAINS BOTH UTILITY CONDUCTORS AS WELL AS CUSTOMER OR PREMISES WIRING, WHICH IS CONTRARY TO THE TECHNICAL CODES. THERE ARE VARIOUS RISERS EMERGING FROM THE GUTTER AND IN PARTICULAR ONE OF THE RISERS WAS FEEDING AN AREA LOCATED DIRECTLY SOUTH APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED FEET WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR AN R.V. UNIT. AS INSPECTOR VIDAL POINTED OUT, TWO OF THE METERS WERE NOT IN USE, (DISCONNECTED) AND THE OTHER TWO WERE ON. ONE METER WAS FEEDING A NEWER CIRCUIT BREAKER TYPE OF DISCONNECT SWITCH RATED AT SEVENTY AMPS MAXIMUM WITH OVERCURRENT PROTECTION AT TWENTY AMPS. THIS TWENTY AMP SERVICE DISCONNECT WAS USED TO SUPPLY ONE SIDE OF THE MAIN HOUSE THAT WAS ITS' OWN APARTMENT AT ONE TIME, BUT SOMEONE CUT A HOLE THROUGH THE CMU WALL. THE APARTMENT WAS NOT USED AS A RESIDENCE, BUT WAS METERED SEPERATELY BECAUSE THIS WAS BEING USED AS A MUSIC AND RECORDING STUDIO IN WHICH THE ELECTRIC USAGE WAS METERED SEPARATE AND PAID FOR BY THE BAND OR GROUP MEMBERS. THE MAIN SERVICE TO THE HOUSE IS RATED AT ONE HUNDRED AMPS AND THIS IN TURN FEEDS THE SUB PANEL FOR THE MAIN HOUSE WHICH IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET AWAY AND ON THE EXTERIOR. THE FEEDER CABLE IS A LISTED TYPE S.E., WHICH IS WEATHERED AND EXPOSING THE CONCENTRIC STRANDING OF THE "GROUNDED" CONDUCTOR, EXPOSING THE DELICATE ALUMINUM STRANDS SUBJECTING THE WIRE TO BREAKING OFF. THE CONCENTRIC LAY OF THIS TYPE OF CABLE IS HELICALLY WOUND AT THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE AND IF THE CABLE IS NOT PHYSICALLY PROTECTED THEN THERE IS A DANGER OF LOOSING THE NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR AND CREATING ABNORMALLY HIGH OR LOW VOLTAGES WHICH BURN UP EQUIPMENT, INJURE PERSONELL OR CAUSE OTHER HAZARDS. THE SERVICE EQUIPMENT WAS ALSO IMPROPERLY GROUNDED, WITH THE GROUNDING ELECTRODE CONDUCTOR LOOSELY ATTACHED TO A WATER LINE AND LEFT HANGING IN FREE AIR. THE PLYWOOD USED AS A BACKING FOR THE SERVICE WAS WEATHERED AND LOOSE. THE MAIN SERVICE FOR THE HOUSE WAS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS. THE ONE HUNDRED AMP SERVICE DISCONNECT WAS SO DETERIORATED THAT THE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS WERE WORN OUT AND NOT USEABLE WHICH CREATED AN UNSAFE SITUATION OF ANYONE NOT BEING ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE POWER IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND PERHAPS WORST YET, IF SOMEONE WOULD TRY TO RE-ENERGIZE THE HOUSE, THERE WOULD CERTAINLY BE A LARGE FLASH CREATED BY AN ARC AND WILL CAUSE SEVERE BURNS OR OTHER SERIOUS INJURY. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE WITH VIOLATIONS SUCH AS OPEN AND EXPOSED WIRES AND SPLICES, HANGING UNPROTECTED ROMEX WIRES, LIGHTING FIXTURES INSTALLED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED JUNCTION BOXES. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, IMPROPER GAS CONNECTIONS, STUCK WINDOWS, LACK OF SMOKE DETECTORS ALONG WITH OTHER ITEMS AS MENTIONED BY INSPECTOR VIDAL. I ISSUED A NOTICE OF VIOLATION WITH ZERO DAYS FOR COMPLIANCE PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE POWER THAT HAD TO BE SHUT OFF AND OTHER CONDITIONS LIKE THE GAS THAT WAS SHUT OFF BECAUSE OF S.W. GAS DETECTING A LEAK. THE OWNER WAS THERE TO ACCEPT AND SIGN THE NOTICE. INSPECTOR VIDAL WAS TAKING CARE OF THE BOARD UP AND ALL OF THE OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS HOUSING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE TENANTS AND EXPLAINING HOW AND WHEN THEY COULD ENTER TO REMOVE THEIR PERSONAL ITEMS. MR. VIDAL DID CALL TRAVELER'S AID TO SET UP TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR THE TENANTS, BUT WHEN THE TENANTS ARRIVED FOR THIS SERVICE IT WAS DECLINED BECAUSE OF CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED UPON THE WOULD-BE TENANTS THAT WAS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THEIR LIFESTYLE. |
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| 09/28/2005 | INSP - INITIAL CODE ENFORCMENT | Correction Required | WENT TO SITE AND FOUND CRACKS TO BE NORMAL FOR AGE OF HOUSE AND TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION - ADOBE WITH STUCCO, MASONRY AND TRUSSED ON TOP FOR ROOF. DID LOOK INSIDE AND FOUND ELECTRICAL IN BACK ROOM BY WASHER MACHINE ADDED AND NOT TO CODE OR PROTECTED. WATER HEATER MISSING KNOBS AT REGULATOR VALVE AND TPR VALVE NOT DRAINED PROPERLY OR FLEX LINE FOR GAS TO LONG AND LAYING ON THE FLOOR. WALL FURNACE IN LIVING ROOM NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND HAS 2-FLEX LINES FOR GAS CONNEDCTED TOGETHER AND LAYING ON THE FLOOR. WALL FURNACE IS DIRTY. CHECKED THE ELECTRICAL ON INTERIOR AND FOUND LOOSE OUTLETS AND SWITCHES THRU-OUT THE HOUSE, MISSING COVER PLATES, CLOSET LIGHT ON EAST SIDE BEDROOM MISSING WITH EXPOSED WIRES AND NOT CAPPED, GFCI IN BATHROOM LOOSE IN BOX AND MISSING COVER PLATE, WALLS HAVE BEEN LAMINATED WITH DRYWALL OVER EXISTING PLASTER WALLS AND ELECTRICAL BOXES ARE ALL MISSING EXTENSION PLATES OR PLASTER RINGS AT ALL BOXES. NO SMOKE DETECTORS, WINDOWS- SOME ARE UNABLE TO OPEN DUE TO PAINTED SHUT OR SWOLLEN, FRONT DOOR, SIDE DOOR OR REAR DOOR NOT SEALED WITH WEATHER-STRIPPING OR THESHOLDS. DID ASK FOR THE MAIN ELECTRICAL SERVICE AND WENT TO THE REAR YARD ON SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND HAS 4-MAIN DISCONNECTS WHICH 2 WERE OFF AND 2 WERE STILL BEING USED ON THE MAIN HOUSE. CHECKED THE MAIN SERVICE AND INTERIOR OF THE BOX IS ALL RUSTED AND SOME PARTS ARE BROKEN. DUE TO HAVING AN ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR ON STAFF, TOLD THE TENANT THAT I WAS COMING BACK TOMORROW TO HAVE THE ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR CHECK THE BOX. I DID STOP MY INSPECTION AT THIS TIME TO CALL THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. I DID ASK THE TENANT IF THEY HAD SOME WHERE ELSE TO STAY AND HE SAID NO. I DID ADVISE THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE SHUTTING THE HOUSE DOWN DUE TO NO ELECTRICAL. I LEFT THE SITE AND CALLED THE OWNER TO CHECK IF HE HAD ANOTHER UNIT FOR THE TENANTS TO STAY IN AND HE SAID NO. ASKED IF HE HAD AN ELECTRICIAN TO CHECK IF THEY COULD MAKE THE CORRECTION ON MAIN SERVICE AND HE SAID NO. I ASKED IF HE WANTED TO BE PRESENT THERE FOR THE INSPECTION TOMORROW AND HE SAID NO. I CALLED JERRY ORTA FOR THE INSPECTION TOMORROW AT 10:00 AT SITE AND SAID OK. CALLED THE TENANT TO SEE IF TIME WAS OK AND HE SAID OK. WILL FINISH INSPECTION TOMORROW WITH JERRY ORTA ON ELECTRICAL INSPECTION. |