This was a newer Bradford White 50 gallon FVIR water heater installed in basement laundry room adjacent to the gas forced air furnace. This water heater had a leak as water had collected in the secondary drain pan. The gas valve was not installed above the drip leg. There was not enough combustion air in the room. A plumbing contractor was recommended to evaluate and repair as needed.
I find he water heating dating chart most helpful when inspecting a water heater. Dates are normally hidden within the serial number, and all manufacturers are different when it comes to that. I carry a copy to every inspection.
About half the time, I do not find expansion tanks on water heaters. I did not realize that a check valve on the supply water line was a good indication of the need for an expansion tank. And that expansion tanks hanging parallel with the ground should be supported.
This is a picture of an electric hot water heater located in a residence. The cover plates on the upper and lower thermostats and heating elements are missing. There was no signs of any leaking. There was no expansion tank installed.
Rheem gas water heater. TPR drain pipe extends to concrete floor under water heater with no drain pan. Main fuel supply connect is within reach of water heater.
Inspecting Furnaces
A warm-air medium heat conveyor, which is defined as ‘a self-enclosed, fuel burning unit for heating air by transfer of combustion through metal.’ The SOP inspection include inspecting, identifying and describing the energy source and heating method. By normal operation control, and having knowledge of maintenance and common problems is part of the minimum requirements.
Inspecting Underlayments On Roofs
Underlayment is the first component to be installed on a roof, and the type of underlayment used is determined by the roof-covering materials. It is a water-resistance membrane used as a moisture barrier, with the roof-covering being the primary water proof barrier. During inspections determine if the correct underlayment is being used.
This course is expired and look longer accepted by TREC.
Note the presence of the TPR valve. The piping connected to the valve drains directly into the plastic catch pan that the water heater sits in. This is not allowed with current building standards.
Reading and writing exercise for water heater section
This water was manufactured in 2006. Assuming it was installed during that year, it is 10 years old at the time of inspection. Client is advised to drain the water heater annually to remove sediment and scaling. The electric unit is installed in the garage, and plumbing and electric connections all appear to be in good condition auto signs of leaking or corrosion.
inspection & writing assignment:
visual inspection of the electric water heater. this is a 240v 40gal unit which was manufactured in 2007 and has a 4.5kw element according to the label affixed to the unit. there is a decal indicating this water heater is rented or leased from the electric utility company.
upon opening the cover to the thermostat, no obvious signs of electrical issues appear to be evident such as excessive wiring stripping, burned or charred wires or insulators, nor did there appear to be any discolouration from overheating in this area.
I did not operate any of the shut-off valves or the TPR (temperature relief valve) as is beyond the scope of this inspection.
when I touched the water lines there appears to be a defect; the supply line marked with a blue ring was hot to the touch and the hot water line which was marked with a red ring was cool to the touch.
after running the hot water tap on a nearby sink for about a 30 seconds, the water at the sink felt hot to the touch as would be considered normal. I then went back to the hot water heater while the sink was running and the supply (blue) line was cool, and the hot (red) was hot.
at the time of the inspection; there was obvious no evidence that the TPR valve was leaking such as no discolouration indicating water staining and no wet spot on the floor under the discharge pipe.
the hot water tank should not backflow into the cold water supply line. this may or may not be a serious issue. I recommend to the homeowner to have the hot water heater checked by the utility it is being rented from based on the apparent defect I discovered.
reading & writing assignment: I read articles on ‘home heating oil tanks’ & ‘hot water recirculation systems’
home heating oil tanks are constructed mainly by either steel or fibreglass. a typical installation would be outside the home close to the furnace or other oil using appliances.
when performing an inspection of the oil tank remember that a full 275gal (900litre) tank could weigh 2000lbs and it is very important that it is secure and stable.
fibreglass tanks tend to have a longer life due to the fact that they do not rust, however sometimes there are manufacturing flaws that leave weak spots in the tank. a sign of such a weak spot would be a slight ‘bulge’ or ‘welt’ on a side of the tank.
a steel tank typically has a lifespan of 10 years in many municipalities. check for the data plate for the tank size, manufacturer, and date of manufacture and record for the client. the homeowner should verify with their insurance company as to their allowable age. a fibreglass tank in many municipalities is allowed to be used for much longer than 10 years.
when looking for signs of leakage on a steel tank, gently wipe you hand on the bottom of the tank and make note of any heavy flaking of paint especially if rust is on the paint.
for all oil tanks: look for any signs of leaks by looking for dark spots on soil or wet spots on the floor, under the tank and also at & around & under all fittings. copper lines delivering oil from the tank to the oil burning device will show corrosion by having green on the copper which is oxidation.
This home was owned by a meticulous pair of individuals. The water heater was originally strapped with plumbers tape. They discovered that these were inadequate and installed additional earthquake strapping in addition to the original strapping which was present. The gas lines all had drip legs and appropriate valves. All copper piping was used to attach the water heater to the water supply as well as for the overflow piping. The flame area was sealed and the visible flame appeared to be a nice blue color. The heater was elevated using an 18" metal platform. Most importantly, it provided an adequate supply of hot water to the home.
Two articles read
Dangers of gym equipment
Factory built fireplaces
Dangers of gym equipment
I already sensed that the gym was a disgusting place, but this has cemented my opinion with some facts. The truth is that the staff at my current gym does a good job and the towels appear to be well cleaned. I swim and I have become very informed regarding my concerns about sanitation. However, it sounds like my trip between the pool and the shower is an additional area of concern. I take two of their towels and use one on the floor to stand on while putting on clothes so as to not take the contents of the floor through my clothing. All things considered I think the home gym and pool now sound very appealing. As for the dangers of treadmills and weights I think I’ll just walk / run or use my own body weight.
Factory built fireplaces.
I had heard of Rumford fireplaces, but did not know of his contribution to the science and art of fireplace construction. After I completed the fireplace course from InterNachi I tried to figure out why any modern home would desire a masonry built fireplace. These had their place in history and made sense when bricks and labor were relatively inexpensive. With issues of un-reinforced masonry; the life spans of brick; the issues regarding flues it seems like I can think of very few reasons why one would select a brick fireplace and / or chimney. That being said, factory built fireplaces offer a number of positives compared to bricks and additionally have features which can make the experience of buying one more like selecting additional features for your vehicle - Blowers; log-lighters; pizza ovens; inserts for wood or pellets and a number of other features are all options. Fireplaces are now more commonly a luxury rather than commonly used form of heat supply, but having a luxury that isn’t expensive to repair or at risk of toppling is better by far.
Water heater at the station. It is in working order with no defects. Public water system and electrically fueled water heater. Plastic drain pan in functioning order with no defects. Shut off valve and electrical disconnect are functional and in working order. TPR seems to be in functioning order… No knicks or cuts noticed in electrical wiring.
Blackflow prevention is a very important aspect of the water distribution system. Backflow preventers stop the ability for water to reverse flow in the water distribution system. Potable water can be contaminated if this backflow occurs. Back pressure and back siphonage are two ways that backflow can occur. Atmospheric Vacuum Breakers are one of the most common backflow preventers in the residental home application.
Water stoves are water heating elements detached from the house. Water stoves are wood fueled and are set up with a firebox and a water reservoir. As the air is heated inside of the firebox the air is pushed through chambers in the water reservoir thus heating up the water. The heated watered is then pumped underground to the home and it now has hot water. Some cons to this water stove is that the gases given off from the water stove can enter the home and cause contamination or sickness to the occupants.
Here is a picture of a gas water heater. The gas supply line is 1/2 copper pipe. After the shut off valve they connected a piece or steel pipe which is then connected to the water heater with a flexible connector. There is no drip leg installed. The discharge pipe for the TPR valve is not within six inches of the floor. The supply and hot water connections are made with flexible copper tubing which can impede the flow. I also did not see an expansion tank installed.
Inspection performed on Electric Water Heater discovered that unit functioned properly with no leaks. All electrical coverings were intact and secure. All main line piping was secure with only general wear found. TPR Valve was installed and secure. TPR Discharge Pipe was attached but had sections that were created using 3/4" PVC piping and connections. Discharge piping also did not follow the flow of gravity as it ran up and over the top of water heater. Discharge outlet was found to be through the wall to the outside and was 6" above the floor.
I just finished reading the Anti-Scald Valves and the Water Heater Expansion Tank articles. Anti scald valves are also sometimes called mixing valves and are used to temper the water temperature going to fixtures to prevent scalding hot water to come out of showers and faucets when there is a loss of cold water pressure from a toilet flushing or other cold water usage.
Expansion tanks are used to maintain a safe pressure in the supply pipes. Excess pressure is created from the heating of water in the hot water tank. They are not always required but are a smart item to recommend when a new heater is installed.
Ready to take the water heater inspection course
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