Anti-Tip Brackets for Freestanding Ranges
9 out of 10 inspections I do are missing the anti-tip bracket for their free-standing stove. How I inspect, this a defect that I will call out every time. Many people don’t realize how important these brackets are and the consciences when one is not installed. I always educate my clients on this especially one’s with small children.
During an inspection, I identified a relatively new (~ 2013) installation of a gas-fired tankless water heater manufactured by Grand Hall Enterprise Co. Ltd. (Model GU195: Max input 195,000 Btu/hr. Water flow rate = 8.5 gallons/minute with a 45 degree F rise) or 4.8 gallons/minute w an 80 degree F rise. It tested as operating properly. It was noted that many customers have had reliability problems with this water heater and the probability of failure was relatively high, despite how recently it was installed. In addition, and related to the reliability issues, in 2015 the company shut down its tankless operations. Warranty parts and service may be a problem. Recommended establishing a repair or replacement plan in case of failure.
Tank-type water heaters have safety devices called temperature/pressure-relief (TPR) valves. They are intended to release water if the pressure or temperature exceeds predetermined safety levels. If a TPR fails closed, 1) the water in the tank may become superheated, 2) the pressure in the tank will build up and 3) the tank may rupture. Such tank ruptures can be catastrophic because a rupture exposes the superheated water to the atmosphere. When exposed to the atmosphere, the water will expand into steam almost instantaneously to a volume about 1,700 times its original volume. This expansion can effectively turn the water heater into a rocket, propelling it in the direction opposite the rupture. This effect has been popularly demonstrated by the show MythBusters, which demonstrated in November 2007 the extraordinary force of an exploding water heater. This video is available in many locations, from Discovery TV to You Tube.
Some installers, particularly DIY homeowners, may not recognize the function and importance of the TPR valves and may install it improperly. Common problems involve the lack of a proper discharge pipe, modifications including restrictions, and improper discharge location for example. Inspectors should pay special attention to the proper configuration of the TPR.
hello. starting course.
This is a 50 gallon water heater that is fairly new and in great condition. However, I would recommend that the clutter surrounding it should be removed. Also it looks like it wasn’t installed with a drain pan but has a piece of cardboard under it instead.
Water Heater Expansion Tanks (essay)
An expansion tank is a metal tank connected to a building’s water heating appliance designed to accommodate fluctuations in the volume of a building’s hot water supply system. These fluctuations occur because water expands in volume as it gets hot and loses volume as it cools. the expansion tank should be inspected for proper location and support, corrosion and leakage because if there are any issues such as the TPR valve failing to operate, the result can be catastrophic turning the heater into a bomb or propel it like a rocket!
After taking this course one simple thing that i learned was that the TPR valve needs to run straight to the outside of the home. In this case the CPVC pipe runs into the pan and then as the can fills it will run out of the house. That is not right as the pan will over flow causing water damage.
Inspecting a water heater will require knowledge if all types. Labeling should be visible and attached. A water heater is an appliance. Proper location is important. Valves should be in working order. Emergency shut off valve should be working and visible. Water heater should have working drain valve and be accessible.
Student Inspection - Hot Water Tank
The hot water tank is located in an enclosed space beneaththe stairway. The unit is a 40-Gallon Whirlpool,electric water heater was manufactured in February 2014. The following data was obtained from the unitlabels;
Model # E2F40RD045V
Serial # 1407T455840
Product # 0826354
Capacity: 40 U.S. Gallons
Limited Warranty# 324524-000 Inner Tank 6 years, Parts 6 Years
There is not the recommended 2-ft of clearance around thewater tank for maintenance. There is aTPR valve present, and it does not have any piping from the valve to the wasteconnection. There was no evidence ofrust near the bottom on the unit, but there was a substantial amount of rust inthe well connection to the hot water outlet on top of the tank. This could potentially be a safety issue anda licensed plumber should evaluate and repair or replace as necessary. There was evidence of the flexible hot waterconnection hose leaking from the gasketed connection point.
Summary Paragraph –Bat Infestation
Encountering bats during attic inspections is a real possibility, especially if the house is located within a reasonable proximity to any water source. We have several species of bats in my area, and occasionally they roost in attics. I’ve lived in housing before where bats would get inside, and they are more difficult to knock out of flight than you’d imagine, but brooms seem to work well for that task if you absolutely can’t manage to get them to leave on their own accord. Bats generally try to avoid people unless they are sick, and if given a choice, I’d rather have bats in my attic than squirrels. Bats are far less destructive.
Inhaling the dust from bat guano is towards the end of the listof things I want to ever do, and this is all the more reason to invest in a full face respirator.
I have been around flying foxes before when I was stationed in Okinawa. They are incredibly noisy, and they will get your attention at 3 am when you’re standing post at the armory.
Here is a couple of photos that had an interesting method of plumbing. The TPR pipe has six bends and moves up and out to discharge pipe. Both the cold water supply and hot water distribution points have galvanized pipes connected to a copper pipe via a dielectric union.
A valve going for the cold water supply is severely corroded and is currently leaking.
Read the article, “Estimating the Lifespan of a Water Heater”
This is an interesting article. The authors point out some good points regarding variables that affect the overall lifespan of the water heater. The point of longer warranties correlating to superior quality is not surprising, but a good point to keep in mind.
The electric water heater is located in the crawlspace of an older home. It is considered to be in poor condition and inoperable. The unit base is buried in dirt. The unit did not have a separate electrical shut off installed. The unit was not installed on a stable base and at risk of tipping over. The unit did not have an expansion tank,even though not required at the time the unit was installed. The age of the unit could not be determined. It is recommended that the unit be replaced and relocated in the home to prevent future damage.
I did further research on water tank expansion tanks. In myarea expansion tanks are installed on hot water systems where pumps circulatewater throughout the house. This enables hot water to be almost instant at allfaucets. These systems use the expansion tank to help regulate expansion aswater is circulated back into the water tank.
Water heater essay
The unit is only 1 month old, located in a tight space but accessible. All fittings are new and acceptable. TPV line is directed to the rear of unit with 1 90 degree elbow and discharges to the outside of the home to an open discharge,
Essay;
I reviewed several images from the gallery regarding water heaters and focused on Electric water heater diagram and the main components, reviewed Factors affecting water supply and saw the issues with deteriorated pipe and several joints and elbows that will reduce flow rate, and reviewed galvanized pipe leaks and cracks.
The water heater tank located at the north wall of the garage is a Rheen Guardian System, 40,000 BTU, natural gas type. Serial Number RHLN 110451263, model number 42V50-40F with a capacity of 50 Gals.
It is equipped with a 150 psi, 210 F TPR valve, correctly drainage, a brass high quality drainage valve is installed and the shut off gas valve is also installed before the burner inlet. The water heater is stand 18 inches above the garage floor in a galvanize structure.
Deficiencies:
TPR valves and discharge piping by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
From this article I learned the important of the TPR valve in boilers and domestic water heaters. TPR valve are designed to release water in the event that pressure or temperature in the water tank exceeds safe levels. If the pressure or temperature sensors malfunction, water in the system may become hot over the safe temperature. This over heated water is called superheat water. If the tank rupture and the water is exposure to atmosphere it will expand to 1,600 times it originally volume that cause an explosion of very destructive magnitude causing damage to structure and persons around or in the house. These conditions only result from extreme negligence and the use of outdated or malfunctioning equipment. If you have a leaky TPR valve is an indication that it needs to be replaced, in rare cases the TPR valve activate, if that happen, the homeowner should immediately shut off the water and power supply and contact a quality plumber for assistance and repair to prevent damages.
So I did my report on a new type of green energy named a Bloom Box it is based out of California and is currently being used by fortune 100 companies such as ebay, google, and walmart its design comes from an oxygen generator originally designed for NASA’s Mars program. Unfortunately as of right now it is very expensive to buy one of these bloom box’s but creator of the box says he hopes to get the cost down to $3,000 for 1 unit it would typically take 2 unit to power a average size American home.
