[OT]: How to tell if your house is in danger of burning down?

Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. Here a little more info ...<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> The fans are Hunter fans
<LI> The smell comes NOT when the fan is running but when the lights are on for a period of time.
<LI> There is a dimmer switch on all of them (just as a side note, we have a 'upgraded' fan/light in the master bedroom and even though it has a dimmer switch, there is no smell in that room -- so I suspect that the dimmer switches are not the problem but what do I know?).
<LI> The label on the fan says 60watts max and that's what I have in there -- I'll try putting 40's in tonight in one of the rooms and see what happens.</UL>
 
FUD

One like all the others said get an electrician out there now and have them check it out. Save the receipt so that later on you can have the builder reimberse you for the charges. Send the letter cert. or regisitered once again keep all the receipts.

Next keep a log on all times you have called him how many times you have to call to get an answer and who you talk to and who comes out. This can be good when and if you have to go to court. If it's small claims then it's a so-so ploy but if the house does burn down then you can get all those people subpoeaned.

Lastly and the best one if you aren't getting anywhere with this yahoo drop a line to the better business bureau if he's a member and he's not upholding their standards then he's in trouble. Also maybe contact the D.A to see if there's any type of fraud. If he sold the house with a warranty and he's not holding up his end then at the very least it sounds like breach of contract. That's a very big ouch on a businessman.

If all that fails and he says T.S. then either move or keep a lot of extinguishers handy. Most of all talk with an attny. that does civil lit. involving businesses. That's it I'm tapped for info on this one.

Take a kid shooting and rediscover it yourself. Poacher
 
Here's a scary hypothesis: that FUD is no less fortunate than anyone else. That, instead, he's unusually observant and analytical. Therefore he sees the risks and threats that surround everyone, even though most people are unaware of them. Yipe! :eek:

Speaking of home fire hazards: beware of dryer lint. I'm serious. My dryer vent goes straight up to the roof. I read in the local newspaper about the fire hazard of accumulated dryer lint, checked out the vent, and found that it was choked with enough lint to kindle a forest fire. Maybe I should add this to the FUD files! ;)
 
I'm a building inspector...so I recommend that you get a certified electrician...tell him that you believe you have a short circuit and could he check it out. It's well worth his fee if he finds a condition where you have a possibility for a fire.
How long have you been in this house?
Another test that you might do is turn on your lights and in about 15 minutes, put your hand about 8 inches above the light switches. If the area is hotter on the wall above the switches than any other area around the light switches than you might have an overload and have a good potential of a fire hazard.
A possibility is that there is insulation in the attic space over the light fixture and the insulation could be causing the boxes to overheat. Another potential fire hazard.
Or it could be simply the dust on the light bulb might be baking off.
In any case, I would get a qualified electrician to inspect the lights. If he finds something, take pictures, then you decide if the contractor needs to come back and fix it, have the electrician fix it then you bill the contractor, or you document all of these conditions then talk to a good lawyer.
Good Luck...stay safe!
 
Fud,

Hunters are very good fans, so I suspect the problem is not in the motor per se. Question: have the fans been making any noise when operating? The reason I ask is the Hunters we have -- unlike most other fans -- require lubrication. About annually I use plain, old 3-in-1 oil in the fill port on top of the fan's housing.

Keep us posted.

Regards.
 
As an old fire type I think you should listen to all the good advice you have gotten. But there are a couple of other things you might want to consider:
Talk to the County Fire Marshall and the County Building Inspectors Office. They chould be able to confirm that the wiring and the fixtures meet the present code in your area and if there are any reported complaints against your contractor.
Many of the Fire Marshall offices will also conduct an inspection for you.
 
FUD;
I forgot to mention that I am a Master Electrician. I will make a service call to the Flordia Swamps, but I would have to charge extra. Maybe when you sell "Tales of FUD" we can work something out?

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You have to be there when it's all over. Otherwise you can't say "I told you so."

Better days to be,

Ed
 
RWK, the fan/motor work fine -- it's only when I have the lights are that I notice the smell -- I can leave the fan running all day with the lights off and there is no smell.

I've got an Electrician coming to the house to look at stuff mid-week -- due to the holiday week-end, they were booked up and that is the earliest that anyone can come out. I'll just leave those lights off until then.

Thanks to everyone for your concern & suggestions.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jimmy: ... FUD is no less fortunate than anyone else. That, instead, he's unusually observant and analytical. Therefore he sees the risks and threats that surround everyone, even though most people are unaware of them. ...[/quote]Jimmy, thanks for your excellent observantion -- if it's alright with you, I think I'll use that as a sign off.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FUD:
RWK, the fan/motor work fine -- it's only when I have the lights are that I notice the smell -- I can leave the fan running all day with the lights off and there is no smell.[/quote]

Before the electrician shows up, try this. Are the light bulbs exposed, or are they covered by globes? If they have globes, try taking them off and cleaning them thoroughly, letting them dry, and then replacing them. Accumulated dust gives a wonderful burning smell when it gets heated, and can even give off a little smoke if it's heated hot enough.

If that doesn't do it, then let the electrician do his thing. Also:

1) Keep a written log of your contacts with the builder and his flunkies. A date/time/short summary of what was said and done should be sufficient.

2) Keep communication with the builder to written, certified, return-receipt-requested mail.

3) Talk to the home inspector who you hired before you bought the home (you *did* hire a home inspector, didn't you?). Tell him you have a serious fire concern and get details of what he did when he inspected the rooms in question.

4) Several people have mentioned the local fire department. Good idea--if they'll look for a fire hazard for you without charging too much (or at all), then it's well worth the time and effort.

5) Once someone finds something wrong, start calling government agencies (hey, you pay their salary, let them help you). Here in Georgia, we have a Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs which will help people contact the correct agencies for a particular complaint. I don't if Florida has one, but I see that you do have a state Department of Business and Professional Regulation which includes a Construction Industry Licensing Board ( http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/prof/cilb_index.shtml ). Call 'em if any trouble is found, and give them the summary of your builder's responses to your complaints.

Good luck.


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"People who say guns are bad are lucky enough never to have been in a situation where someone has kicked down your door and threatened the life of your son and your sixty-five-year-old mother."
-- Memphis, Tennessee resident Gina Cushon, quoted in Laura Ingraham's book "The Hillary Trap"
 
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