Water heater inspection
inspected electric water heater which is located in attached
garage. No clear pathway to heater due to stored items, recommended removal.
Water heater is installed correct in water leak catch pan, which
is directly connected to drainage.
TPR valve and discharge pipe are proper installed.
Research exercise
Wood Decay
Wood Decay is Wood Rot caused by fungi or species.
To prevent Wood Decay, select the heartwood of decay-resistant species like: teak, rosewood, oak, redwood, cedar, black locust or use properly treated wood.
Re: How to inspect a hot water heater
This is a 40 gal. 36,000 btu gas fired water heater, manufactured in 2006. It is equipped with a fuel vapor ignition resistance ( FVIR ) system. It shows some corrosion on the hot side where the copper meets the cpvc. However, no leakage at the time of inspection. It should be noted that a pressure tank should be installed in accordance with todays building standards. I would recommend that a certified plumber address the corrosion issue and the pressure tank immediately. The gas line, flue and TPR valve meet building standards at this time.
Research water expansion tank-
Water expansion tanks are very important for taking on water from the water heater as hot water expands under heat. The water expansion tank has three operable positions below, above, and horizontal of the pipe supply line. Horizontal mounting will require additional support to handle working loads of a full tank. Although an integral part of a safe system, an expansion tank is not intended to replace a TPR valve which should still be present on a tank. In conclusion a water expansion tank is one more safety feature to be used with and not in liue of a TPR valve.
Reading the InterNACHI Home Inspection Narrative Samples in the gallery was very helpful. Having set verbiage to use in the reports simplifies the writing process, speeds up report generation, and provides consistent reporting from one document to another. The work that went into this is time well spent and will be used extensively.
Image and essay portion of class.
After taking the water heater inspection class I decided to once again review the water heater in our son’s house. The connections are good, appropriate materials used throughout, labels are easy to access, wiring (it is an electric 50 gallon water heater) is properly installed. There are no signs of leaking. One item to note is the water heater is located in what was an unused or storage area basement that is now being used and in process of being finished out. With that in mind it would be recommended that a drain pan be installed even though it was not a requirement before.
My essay for this course is on moisture intrusion.
Article is summarized from the InterNACHI library.
Moisture intrusion can be the cause of building defects and even health problems. Moisture can enter the building in many ways. Cracked foundations, cracked basement floors, rotted wood such as, band boards or around windows, and most often through roof penetrations. It is our responsibility as the home inspector to find these problems. Sometimes, it”s not so cut and dry ( no pun intended ) to see these cracks. We have to train our eyes and educate ourselves as to where to look. Roof penetrations should be limited because eventually it will leak due to bad sealants, shrinkage of caulk and flashings not sealed properly. Roof penetrations should be avoided if possible. There are new technologies and applications that can keep roof penetrations to a minimum, to include: exhaust fans vented through walls or gable ends and fresh air vents. Even high efficient appliances such as furnaces and water heaters can be vented out of the side walls. As far as the health hazard, mold is the biggest culprit due to moisture build-up. People with allergies, asthma or other ailments could be affected by mold spores and in some, it could be fatal.
I took a picture of a water heater from my friends home. First thing I notice from the beginning of my inspection is that the water heater has a direct connection to a 240 volt, it does not have a the minimum 30amp breaker and it does have the TPR valve on top. The bottom of the water heater has the drain valve but does not have a water leak catch pan and the room does not have a draining system. This is system is electrical and had the water shut off valve on top of the unit. All the electrical was extremely close so any leak can damage or short out the electrical.
The Article I chose was Your Water Heater’s Maintenance Timeline. I feel this is a very important article and subject that most people neglect. One of the most easiest maintenance you can do is clean and keep the area of the water heater clean. Make sure you do not store any flammable or paint thinner near the a gas water heater. Draining the water heater every few months is a great way to maintain it and keep it from causing problems. Annually you should check the temperature/ pressure-relief valve, and every few years you should check and replace the anode rod. If you do not feel like this is something you could do you can hire a professional. Maintaining and keeping up your water heater will lessen the changes of you changing your water heater.
Here is a Johnwood hot water tank. The gas line is visible on the left, and I the on position. Because it is a new house the valve is easily operable. With access to the manual, I checked that the venting matched the required specs. The inducer is clearly visible on top.
i looked at dedicated hydronic heating. There are a lot of people that use regular hot water heaters for hydronic heating, which can be dangerous. Pressures and temperatures can exceed the tanks limits. Instructions should be followed and proper equipment used.
15 Tools Every a Homeowner Should Own :
This article explains tools that when kept accessible could end up saving a homeowner a lot of calls for repair and money in the long run as well. A plunger for a toilet and sink can save that late night call to the all to happy plumber who gets the after hours pay. A few handy tools would wrench set, pliers, screwdriver set, wire cutters, and a claw hammer. In every aspect of repair safety is an issue as well which is where a flashlight, safety glasses and a face mask can come in handy. There are several other tools noted I. The article but these seem to me to be the top of the list.
Lead Facts :
This article states the time frames and uses for items that use to contain lead and shows how older construction homes may still have these features present. What I noted from the article is a few ways to combat the lead that may be present. The first is to try not to aggravate or disturb the area. Keep up with washing and cleaning but try not to dust or vacuum so you don’t disturb the dust particles. Some supplements that can help are vitamin C, calcium and iron supplements may also combat side effects of lead.
This a mid 80’s water heater that by exterior inspection/observation. This water heater although appearing dated works very well. Hot water reaches needed temps in normal time frames.
This is my home’s hot water heater. It is a 50 Gallon, Electric Water heater that I believe was built in 2014 (based of the serial number and no other date markings). The two glaring defects are that there is no piping attached to the TPR valve for proper termination and there is no drip pan under the water heater itself. Adjacent to the water shut off valve above the water heater there is signs of previous water leaking and corrosion. Further inspection appears as though this occurred in the past and is not a current problem. The cap of the electrical connection on top of the water heater was left open which poses a safety hazard. It is obvious that this is a newer type of water heater due to it’s digital display and a convenient “vacation” button which would stop the continuous heating of water if our family was to leave for an extended period of time.
I conducted my research on Water Heater Expansion Tanks by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard. This topic interested me because they are not always seen and I really wanted to know whether they were an actual requirement or not. I also wanted to see if their requirements (if any) had to do with the fuel source of the Water Heater. Throughout the video these were typically seen when a boiler was a part of the heating system, or if the fuel source was gas. I do not recall seeing any on electric water heaters. The article is very informative on exactly what they do, but only touched on my questions. In the summary my first question was answered to a degree in that they are only required in certain jurisdictions. This is a further reminder that before I get out into the field and start conducting inspections, I need to know the regulations regarding my area of operations.
This image shows a typical gas line hookup to a water heater in an older home. The drip leg is very small (2”) but it is located upstream from the shut off valve. This is incorrect since you cannot turn off the gas to clean out the drip leg. Also, the PTFE tape is white not the yellow rated for gas lines.
Much like Robert above, I was confused about the article on Water Heater Expansion Tanks. I understand the “How” but did not understand the “Why” or when are they needed so I expanded my research online. What I discovered is that most of the homes I’ve seen do not have these tanks and most of these homes were older homes. Turns out, in the past, expansion tanks were not as necessary as they are today. Back then, when thermal expansion would occur it would push the expanding water back through the plumbing system and into the city main. Today’s plumbing systems are more sophisticated, utilizing controls and other devices for efficiency and comfort. This often creates what is called a “closed system”, which prevents the expanding water from traveling back in the opposite direction. Many utilities have also been adding check valves to their water meters, so that once city water passes your meter it cannot flow back into the city supply. This makes your entire home a closed system. So, it seems to me to be good advise for all water heater tanks to have additional expansion tanks even if it not required by code.(and I know we are not to talk about code)
Thank you.
The water heater that I attempted to inspect was in a condo. The tank was in a corner of the kitchen blocked in by the cabinets and stove. It would be very hard to evaluate this unit without moving the stove. I could not see a any components in this spot. It would be hard to turn the water off if it to needed to be repaired.-
The article that I read talked about hard water. An inspector can get an idea of a house has hard water by a few different indicators. Poor washing machine performance, calcium build up around water taps, excessive scum on the shower floor are all indicators of hard water. Hard water is not harmful to people.
As you can see the TPR valve is missing a discharge pipe which shouldn’t connect directly to the drainage system, the pipe should discharge through an air gap located in the same room as the water heater, the pipe should be constructed of materials tested, rated, and approved for such use, the pipe should not be smaller than the diameter of the outlet of the valve served and should discharge full size to the air gap, the pipe should not valves or tee fittings installed, pipe shouldn’t have threaded end, the pipe should serve a single relief device and should not connect to piping serving any other relief device or equipment and the pipe should discharge to the floor, to an indirect waste receptor or to the outdoors.
