Research & Writing Assignment:
I have learned a vast wealth of information pertaining to the structural integrity of a home and general cues as to any issues currently existing within the structure of the home that give away clues as to the status of the structure and foundation.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This homes HWT is a direct vent mid efficient unit.It is a 75 gal capacity natural gas heater that supplies the domestic hot water and also provides the heat source for a potable water warm floor heating system.The TPR valve appears to be in good condition and has a proper drop tube.The gas supply line has a shut off before the drip leg and coupler.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Water heater expansion tanks are designed to accommodate volume fluctuations in a buildings hot water system. They are metal tanks with a rubber bladder inside. As water is heated it expands and as it cools it shrinks, or looses volume. The bladder in the expansion tank acts as a shock absorber as the water is expanding and contracting in the system. Inspection of the expansion tank should be done at the same time the water heating system is inspected. Not all regions require expansion tanks so it would be important to check with AHJ.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Research & Writing Assignment:
Water heater expansion tanks are designed to accommodate volume fluctuations in a buildings hot water system. They are metal tanks with a rubber bladder inside. As water is heated it expands and as it cools it shrinks, or looses volume. The bladder in the expansion tank acts as a shock absorber as the water is expanding and contracting in the system. Inspection of the expansion tank should be done at the same time the water heating system is inspected. Not all regions require expansion tanks so it would be important to check with AHJ.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Research & Writing Assignment:
Water heater expansion tanks are designed to accommodate volume fluctuations in a buildings hot water system. They are metal tanks with a rubber bladder inside. As water is heated it expands and as it cools it shrinks, or looses volume. The bladder in the expansion tank acts as a shock absorber as the water is expanding and contracting in the system. Inspection of the expansion tank should be done at the same time the water heating system is inspected. Not all regions require expansion tanks so it would be important to check with AHJ.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of a TPR valve along with the third party approval tag. The purpose of this tag is to inform the consumer that the TPR Valve has been tested by a third party after the fact of the manufacturing of the product. The test is to insure that the valve works properly when it needs to. The TPR Valve, which stands for temperature, pressure relief valve is a emergency protection valve, which its only purpose is to release pressure built up in the tank over 150 psi or to release water that has reached over 210 degrees fahrenheit. Since the inception of the TPR valve there has been many incidences of injury and death that has been avoided. Every hot water unit should have this installed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The image I have selected is one of a picture of a information tag that one will generally find on a Hot water heater tank.This tag describes many things that a home inspector should know about the unit. first it should state which way the unit heats the water. Natural gas, electric, oil burning are some examples. This tag will also tall you BTUs that it runs at, the size or gal the tank holds the manufacture date as well as, serial number and manufacturer.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
A water heater’s thermostat controls the temperature of the water inside the tank. The water temperature setting recommended by most manufacturers is between 120 to 140 degrees. This is hot enough to be efficient for household use, but not so hot that it can pose a scalding risk. If there are children living in your home, it’s wise to stay closer to the lower end of the range. Setting your water heater to a lower temperature saves energy, too, and if you remember to dial back the heat when you go on vacation, you’ll experience even more energy savings. Usually, the thermostat is located underneath a protective cover plate and has a knob or dial you can turn to set the temperature.
The dip tube feeds cold water from your home’s water lines to the bottom of the tank’s interior, where the water starts to warm up. The heating mechanism, either a burner or an element, stay on until the water reaches temperature. As the water heats, it rises to the top of the tank. Water exiting the water heater at the top is always the hottest in the tank at any given moment because it’s the nature of hot water to rise above denser, cold water.
Research & Writing Assignment:
If water heater controls fail and pressure in the system exceeds 150 PSI, or temperature exceeds 210 degrees, a TPV valve installed on the side or top of the water heater will open, safely discharging water from the system. The importance of this valve is essential and should be examined periodically for rust or corrosion, and the release lever should be exercised monthly by the homeowner, not by the inspector.
If a TPR valve fails to operate when its needed, the pressure will continue to build in the water heater tank as water temperature rises past the boiling point and water becomes superheated. Eventually, the pressure in the tank will exceed the ability of the water heater to contain it, and the tank will burst to expose the superheated water to air and to cause expansion into steam. This situation can launch the water heater like a rocket, causing extensive property damage, personal injury or death.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In a bathroom we are checking water flow and drainage and looking for water intrusion. This is the area underneath a bathroom sink. The waste outlet is 1 1/4" and is draining properly after being filled. Running the shower and water as well as flushing the toilet help determine if there is not enough water pressure. Under the sink are shut-off valves for turning the water off for repair or replacing the fixture.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Water heaters heat water by using gas, electricity or indirect heat from another source to do this. Water heaters have several safety devices built into them such as a TPR valve, fuel shutoff valve and sometimes a pressurized expansion tank.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I looked at the gallery and found a picture of an expansion tank. Expansion tanks provide space for the water to expand when heated, and keeps the water pressure within normal operating range while the boiler is working. All hot water boilers should be provided with an expansion tank. Expansion tanks should also be installed when a back-flow prevention device, check valve, or other device is installed on a water supply system using storage water heating equipment.
Research & Writing Assignment:
In the article Bidets by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard, I learned that bidets are a replacement for toilet paper. Also bidets are not toilets, but are standalone fixtures for cleaning after using a toilet. A bidet uses water to clean you and some have air driers to dry you.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This gas water heater is in immediate need of replacement as evidenced by the signs of back draft as well as water running across the top of the tank, advanced corrosion around the water inlet/outlet lines as well as the TPR valve.
Research & Writing Assignment:
While inspection dryer vent lines it is important to check and document any restrictions that may cause a clog. The flexible ribbed vents should no longer be used as they pose a fire hazard, instead it is recommended that rigid metal duct with smooth surfaces be used. Dryer vents should never terminate into an enclosed area including crawl spaces.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The attached water heater has some severe damage. THis unit wasn’t actually installed and was about to be thrown away, I took the chance to look at the internals to compare on this class video and noticed that it was possible that this unit was never drained our even inspected. many of the hoses and tubes were not installed correctly and not by a professional
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article in which i found fascinating was the tornado article. Surprisingly, Florida experience the most tornadoes per unit area. I think that readiness for tornado training and awareness should be made a standard for citizens in this state. Also as an inspector, we need to make sure we are properly inspecting homes to find defects that may be affected by a tornado
Research & Writing Assignment:
Water Heater Expansion Tanks
What is an expansion tank?
An expansion tank is a metal tank connected to a buildings water heating appliance designed to accommodate fluctuations in the volume of a buildings hot water supply system. These fluctuations occur because water expands in volume as it gets hot and loses volume as it cools.
Expanding water volume in a closed system can create dangerously high water pressure. As water is forced into the tank by expansion, it compresses air contained inside of a rubber bladder. Air is used as a cushion because it exerts less force on its container than water, which cannot be compressed.
The function of this bladder is to prevent air from becoming absorbed into the water, a process that could cause the expansion tank to lose its ability to act as a sort of shock absorber. If, over time, the bladder begins to leak some air, a Schrader valve, identical to the fill valve found on bicycle and car tires, can be used to add more air.
Whats a closed plumbing system?
Homes have either closed or open plumbing systems. In a closed plumbing system, water cant flow back into the city water lines once it enters your homes plumbing.
If no expansion tank present, a closed system doesnt give expanded water any route for escape, causing damage to your homes water heater and plumbing.
When water is heated inside your water heater, it expands. This is called thermal expansion. The cold water in a standard 50-gallon water heater expands to 52 gallons when heated to 120F. That extra water volumeraises the pressure in your water heater to dangerous levels.
So how does that extra pressure affect your water heater? Think of thermal expansion in your water heater as bending a paperclip back and forth. Eventually, the paperclips breaks, right?
The same thing happens to your water heater. Your water heater tank isnt designed to expand and contract to accommodate for thermal expansion and will eventually burst. Thats where an expansion tank comes into play.
How do I know if I have a closed plumbing system?
If your home has any kind of backflow prevention device installed on your homes main water line, your home has a closed plumbing system.
These backflow prevention devices stop the water from flowing out of your homes plumbing and back into the municipal water lines.
Where to look:
Backflow prevention devices are always connected to your main water shutoff valve.
Note: Dont have a backflow prevention device? Then you have an open plumbing system, which allows water to flow back into the citys water lines as it expands, preventing high water pressure situations. While expansion tanks arent required for open water systems, you could still benefit from one.
What does expansion tank looks like ?
Expansion tanks are considerably smaller than water heaters, usually holding about two gallons in residential systems, although tank sizes vary in relation to the water volume of the hot water supply system they serve. The design pressure for which a tank is rated is marked on a label on the tank, commonly 150 pounds per square inch (PSI) for a residential tank.
Inspectors should check that tanks are positioned high enough above the water heater that water will easily drain back down into the water heater tank. It is best positioned near the water heater and may be installed vertically, either above or below the horizontal supply pipe, but can also be positioned horizontally. Horizontally-hung tanks will need additional support to reduce the stress on the copper piping.
The expansion tank should be inspected for proper location and support, corrosion and leakage.
Expansion tanks are not a Substitute for a Temperature Pressure Relief (TPR) Valves.
If water heater controls fail and pressure in the system exceeds 150 PSI, or temperature exceeds 210 F, the TPR valve will open, safely discharging water from the system. TPR valves are capable of reducing water pressure at a rate greater than the capacity of the water heater to raise it. It is important that it is examined periodically for rust or corrosion, and recommended that the release lever should be exercised monthly by the homeowner.
If a TPR valve fails to operate the pressure will continue to build in the water heater tank as water temperature rises past the boiling point and water becomes superheated, until tank rupture. Superheated water (greater than 212 degrees) in contact with the air will cause an instantaneous and explosive expansion of steam, causing extensive property damage, personal injury or death.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Water Heater Inspection Findings:
AUTOMATIC STORAGE WATER HEATER
Manufacturer: BRADFORD WHITE CORPORATION
200 LAFAYETTE ST. MIDDLEVILLE MI 49333 USA
(www.bradfordwhite.com).
Manufacturer Description:
o 2" Non-CFC foam insulation covers the sides and top of the tank, reducing the amount of heat loss.
o Hydrojet Total Performance System is a cold water inlet sediment reducing device helps prevent sediment build up in tank.
o Protective magnesium anode rod provides added protection against corrosion for long trouble-free service.
o Six year limited warranty on tank, heat exchanger and component parts.
o Transfers heat directly and efficiently to the water.
o Vitraglas lining and factory installed heat trap.
Model No: M250T6DS-1NCWW
Serial No: KG18557748 D/N:
Manufacture on: July 2013.
Capacity: 50(gal.)/ 189.3(Liters).
Voltage: 240 / 208, 1-Phase AC only.
Upper Element: 4500 / 3500 Watts. 50/60 HZ
Lower Element: 4500 / 3500 Watts
Maximum: 4500 / 3500 Watts. Wattage rating based on 60 HZ.
Press: Test 300(psi), Working 150(psi)
Others:
Recommendations:
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read “Tankless Water Heaters” by Joseph Truini. These are very efficient units that only operate when I tap in the house is opened. Therefore there is no wasted fuel keeping 40+gallons of water warm all the time regardless of the demand for hot water at the time.
