The gallery image study conducted was on the sediment trap for gas fire water heaters. In the gallery image there is the a sediment trap which is often called a drip leg. Some older units or units installed by homeowners do not have drip legs. The importance of the drip leg is to ensure that sediment in the gas supply pipe does not pass into the water heater or appliance. When sediment enters into the appliance it can cause the system to be plugged or to fail. Sediment in the system can cause the burner to burn less efficiently. When drip legs are not present on gas fire appliances, they should be installed by a qualified contractor which is usually a plumber or HVAC technician.
This is a picture of a water drilling company’s service trucks on location drilling a well. One truck is the drilling platform while the other truck provides the pipes necessary to reach the depths of the lower water tables. After the wells is drilled a casting will be inserted/created. Notice the axis of the drilling truck. The truck must be leveled to drill a straight hole.
InterNACHI advises house numbers to be visible from the street by: 1) using large numbers (3 to 6 inches tall x 1/2 inch thick); 2) choosing a reflective and contrasting color; 3) providing a clear eye view without being unobscured by vegetation or home goods; and 4) the numbers should point to the street that the home is addressed.
I recently read the article:
Child-Proofing Windows and Stairs
by Nick Gromicko
This was a good article and it gave a lot of good practice advice on how and what products you can use, or recommend to child proof your home. I often use this in part of my driveway speech with my clients before I begin the inspection, as safety is a very important aspect to inspecting their home. So, this article was good, in that I could talk to or recommend products when I see homes that have stairs, and the home would be occupied by a family that has small children.
Also, as my small niece and nephew who are curious at 3 and 5 are coming to stay with me and my wife this weekend, it was another good reminder of often taking additional precautions that I may not normally take.
This was an inspection I recently completed of a private well.
The well was enclosed underground, and did not have a extended well cap above the ground. The well was located on the East, front side of the home. The well was aprox 75-90 feet away from septic system in the back of the house. The well entry pipe came into the house in the south east corner of the garage. There was a pump and tank located there in the garage, before water entry into the home. The pump was observed to have have very low pressure both on the visible gauge on the pump, as well as the internal and external pressure when checked. I recommend a licensed well contractor or plumber further evaluate the low pressure and make recommendations to repair as needed.
Here is an over picture of the well and water system. The well and water system is needed to pump the water out of the well to the surface and deliver it to the place where it will be used.
A dug well was discovered inside the basement of the subject house. The well, which was about 10’ deep, with about 8’ of water inside the casing, was no longer in use, (potable water for the home now being serviced by a drilled well), and was covered only with loose, deteriorated boards. Inspector recommended to client that the well should be inspected and sealed by a well water specialist or installer, for the safety of all residents, (as this was a multi-family home).
This is a picture of a water well located inside of a storage building. The well casing extended above the floor approximately 15", but the casing was not sealed with concrete around the outside. The well was approximately 75 ft. from a septic tank, but there was a dog kennel within twenty feet of the well which does not meet the setback criteria.
Read the article on private water wells. Private water wells are the responsibility of the home owner or owner of the property. Care should be taken in ensuring proper maintenance of the well which will depend on the type of well construction. It is recommended to test the water quality of new wells before using and then periodic testing (once a year) of older wells.
Dug wells are still common and typical here in NH, particularly in the rural areas. Every dug well observed by this inspector has been a concrete casting lined circular well, with a very heavy concrete cover, typically with rebar handles installed in the cover during casting, for ease of removal by well inspectors. These covers are very difficult to open without proper leveraging tools, making them effective at keeping children out of harm’s way. The wells that have been able to be accessed were visually observed to assure the drop tube is clear of obstructions and well below the water table level inside the well chamber.
Upon the completion of studying “How to Inspect Private Drinking Water Well Course” I am now able to inspect, analyze then convey my findings and information about having a private well to a client. There are several factors that I found are of major importance of drinking well water. They are: 1. The Global dilemma and quality of water. Approximately 15% of Americans rely on their own drinking water supplies and the EPA does not have experts regularly checking the water source or its quality before the water is sent to the tap. 2. Having filtration clarifies the water and enhances the effectiveness of disinfection. 3. It is important for water/lab testing to be completed every six months or according to the Mfg. instruction about when and how to test the water from Bacteriological test, Nitrates and Nitrites “Blue Baby Syndrome” and the common metals in the water.
A well casing cap is very important to keep contaminates from entering the water system. If a well cap is not present a small animal could enter the well and contaminate the drinking water entering the home. In most cases this would make water undrinkable and would require emergency water disinfection.
Wood siding used on residential homes can require more up keep and maintenance than something such as vinyl siding. One of the things homeowners may overlook is the threat of WDO attacking the covering of the home. A layer of oil based paint should be applied to deter carpenter bees and other WDO from attacking the covering.
This is an image of a waterlogged pressure tank. Without the correct amount of air in the pressure tank, the pump short-cycles, which is when it’s turns on and off more frequently than it needs to. This can lead to pump failure.
The image I chose was Attic Condensation. Living in Alberta, Canada we see this quite a bit in the winter. We see improperly vented appliances or poorly insulated attics and attic hatches. The exterior is cold and the interior is warm. This warm, moist air meets the cold air and causes frost build-up, or even mildew and mold. It usually isn’t a terribly hard fix, but it’s amazing how often we still see these issues.
The pressure tank is a component in a well system. It creates water pressure by using air to pressurize the water. When a valve is opened water is pushed out of the through the supply plumbing in your home. Also, if water in the pressures tank drops below the required amount, a switch is activated turning on the pump and pump then refills the pressure tank. The combination of the pressure tank, pressure switch and the pump is what allows water to flow through your home.
There are some differences in types of residential private water wells. Two types are shallow wells and deep wells. Shallow well vs Deep well- 1st is the depth to which you dig to hit aquifers or water. Sometimes, this in some cases, this isn’t the basis of the difference. A shallow well is a private well where the primary source of water is an unconfined aquifer or unconfined water source. With Deep wells water is sourced by a confined aquifer. There are other differences as well. It is best to consult with a well professional to find out more information.
In so states these frost free hose fixtures cannot be tie into the homes drinking water. This is also with outside faucet. They must be on there own water source. Its illegal. In some states but in Oklahoma it not.
Public and private drinking water are very different. Public water is tested and private the home owner has it tested. In private wells there is three kinds dug, driven, and drilled. when having a private well at help to keep the maintained by having in service by a professional.
