When conducting energy audits it is important to inform you client of the process to complete this. Prior to beginning the audit the inspector should inspect all required equipment to ensure you are ready to complete the project. Interior doors on most instances will be left open for the test.
The water heater appears to be back-drafting as evident with burn marks on tank near burner. The flame was not solid blue but had multiple yellow and orange patterns. The vent flue for water heater touched the wood sheathing of attic, did not provide proper slope and did not provide proper 1-inch clearance from combustible.Minimal ventilation in attic was provided for the water heater since most of the soffit vent were blocked by insulation. For safety evaluation and repairs are recommended.
No one wants to be sued. Asset protection is very important in the home inspection industry since the liability of the many components we inspect can always fail without warning or the buyer has remorse. Besides putting into place incorporation or L.L.C (limited liability corporation) to separate your personal belongings from business or obtaining general liability/errors and omissions insurance one may consider - Allodial title this is a real property ownership system where the real property is owed free and clear of any superior landlord. In this case, the owner will have an absolute title over his or her property. Property owned under allodial title is referred as allodial land. This title in some states does not allow eminent domain and taxes imposed by federal, state and/or local forms of government. Many of my stock brokers with wealth have this in place.
Performing Commercial Inspections
I learned there are many more things to think about before entering into the commercial inspection process. Using other expert professionals while performing the inspection would definitely enhance the quality of the report and it is needed. I discovered that my education is lacking in this department and need to find an avenue to gain the knowledge in order to add this to my repertoire of service offerings.
In this photo, I am inspecting an exterior wall of a commercial property for adequate insulation installation. Looking at the photo there are voids in between 2 of the framing members. The insulation was R-19 which is adequate for the application.
This is an attic scuttle hole in a home I inspected. You can see there is space between the hatch and the molding leading to a loss of conditioned air. Also there is no insulation on the top of the hatch either.
I did my research on energy star program criticized. We as consumers take for granted what is written on the labels we read. But sometimes doing a little research can save you time and money down the road. Doing your homework on products you want to buy can save you more money.
This is an exterior door that is the entrance into a boot room. Notice the misalignment on the bottom part of the door. The gap in the door lets in and out a large volume of air that is usually discarded because its the boot room door. It’s also part of the main living space of the home. An energy audit would assist in identifying this issue and make recommendations for repair.
Living in the North a person sees a lot of different no conventional heating systems. Lately I had to opportunity to look over a home built gravity feed furnace. By taking the inter-natchi courses, they assisted me in understanding the issues with carbon monoxide gasses, lack of heating efficiency, and the overall lack of safety this furnace caused. Doing things cheaply puts everybody at risk.
During the audit all gas combustion appliances are checked for safety. A gas sniffer was used to check the gas line and a CO detector checks for both ambient carbon monoxide level and levels upon start up. The auditor will also want to check the hood to verify that it is vented and not just recirculating the air. The exterior inspection should reveal a vent on the roof of side wall. An inspection of the attic will verify that the proper connections are secure between the hood over the stove and roof vent.
Carbon Monoxide detectors should be in every home that has ANY fuel burning appliance. Incomplete combustion gases including CO under certain conditions can back draft into the home. As the PPM concentration of CO increases within the home, the occupants may experience symptoms ranging from sleepiness to death. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) recommends CO detectors be placed within 10 feet of every bedroom, on each floor and at least 15 feet from fuel burning appliances.
Note that combustion appliances are sealed combustion. This does not require a combustion spillage or draft test as there is no danger of combustion spillage due to depressurization. Still have to do a Carbon Monoxide test. Will test CO from the exhaust outlet as per BPI Standard.
Dryer venting can be a cause of house fires. It is pleasing to see that codes are now coming in to eliminate the flexible duct as these are safety hazards. Because they are kinked easily and the ribs create turbulent flow which reduces exhaust & traps lint, they should be banned! Unfortunately we will continue to see these and just have ot educate homeowners and buyers about hteir dangers.
In this photo we see that the deck on the back of this home does not have proper railing balusters that run vertically. We also see that the entry and the exit of the porch does not have a proper step on too it.
For home owners one thing that we as home inspectors we can offer is this article that tells homeowners what tools may be able to be rented to do some of the things that we mention in the home inspection report. This article gives great insight to this. “10 Rental Tolls for DIY Home Projects by The Home Depot.”
Due to the presence of rust, scale, and some debris in the burner chamber of this furnace, I would advise the homeowner to have the unit serviced by a licensed HVAC contractor to ensure proper and safe operation, including the further inspection of the heat exchangers. These items should be serviced and/or repaired, and performed prior to the closing of the home sale.
Article re: Blower Door Testing reiterates the importance of preparing the space or home prior to completing the test. Just as in any home renovation, it’s the work behind the drywall that can make or break a project. The same goes for the Blower Door Test - ensuring proper procedure in preparation of the test before it even starts ensures the safety of everyone.
Destroyed weather seals on exterior doors can be a pathway for air infiltration resulting in decreased energy efficiency of a home. Here is a picture of a seal that has apparent pet damage. Recommend replacing this damaged piece in the near future.
Infrared cameras are a helpful tool in performing a home energy audit. They can help see what’s underneath the wall from an insulation value that isn’t readily available to the naked eye. Showing cold spots around windows and doors may be indicative of poor insulation or seals.
This essay is on Performing a Home Energy Audit. I used the attached photo depicting an inspector using a thermal camera although use of a thermal camera is not required per the standards. However, I think with tool and technology available and no longer cost prohibitive, this is a tool no inspector can be without especially for a Home Energy Audit. The tool will allow the inspector to visually see or detect thermal leaks and after all isn’t that the purpose of the energy audit. These would likely not be seen otherwise as the source area which the blower door test will not specifically indicate.
