Question For Ben Gromicko

[Rick Marton]

Hi Ben,
I am 3/4's of the way through the HVAC seminar on Nachi tv. This has got to be one of the best seminars you guys ever did. Bill Mele does an excellent job.
You had an inspection segment inspecting heating units in different houses. You called out as a defect about the oil lines being under the concrete running from the tank to the heating unit. It had never occured to me nor my mentors who I had to go out in the field training when I was going to school to get my license to call this out as a defect because it is such the norm up here in the northeast.
If I were to call this out as a defect because we don't know what is happening under that concrete , what is the proper way of running the lines from the tank to the heater unit?
If its a finished basement I would imagine that you can't run oil lines through studs and behind sheetrock? These lines should be protected from physical damage in some sort of way. That is why they are under the concrete? So If I call this out as a defect, how do I explain that they should be run? How are they ran by you?
I understand that we only call out the defects and leave it up to the proper licensed contractor to repair, but when I call out a defect I like to explain to my clients on how it should be done.

OR

Do I call this out as a limitation, that I can't see below finished surfaces and the lines could be leaking under the concrete.

Second, you call out a defect of not having a cleanout 6 inches under the exhaust flue going into the chimney. Again I though that having a cleanout was a noble idea and a great thought, but it's not the norm by us.
If I were to call this out, does the clay or terra cotta liner extend below the exhaust flue at least a foot so a cleanout can be put in.? Or Is it solid below the exhaust flue and the licensed contractor would have to raise the heater exhaust flue and hot water tank exhaust flue first so a cleanout can now be put in below them? Again I would like to know that it can be done before I call this out.

Can you bring back the plumber who did the hot water tank nachi tv and have him do a seminar on nachi tv like the one Bill Mele did for this hvac section?
I looked for a plumbing tv seminar and did not see one.

Thanks for your thoughts and comments,
Rick