In the article “Basic Waterproofing a Basement”, I learned that a structures basement is venerable to moisture due to the walls being in direct contact with soil, which releases water through capillary action. The presence of moisture in the basement can affect breathing air and cause damage to the structure. The basement relies on the roof system to divert water out and away from the foundation which the basement is part of. The finish grade of the area around the structure should be graded properly, which is 6" minimum over 10’. Cracks in the basement walls can indicate poor workmanship, moisture pressure from outside or the house settling. Epoxy or latex cement can be used to fill cracks in the basement wall. After thoroughly cleaning the walls and floors, 3 to 4 coats, with 15 to 20 minutes between coats, with sodium silicate can help protect the substrate and walls by filling in the pores of those materials.
In this bathroom, we see that the requirements that a one or two family home have at least one water closet (toilet), one lavatory (bathsink), one bathtub or shower, and a laundry connection. Inspectors are required to look for leaks, adequate supply of water and should flush every toilet in the house.
As a home inspector knowing what to look for when it come to signs of backdraft could prevent damage to the home or safe lives. having read this article it has made me aware that its extremely important to have a positive pressure inside the home.
Here we have a fifty gallon water heater. As you look you see there’s partial insulation on the pipping, the electrical feed line is attached to the inlet water line with electrical black tape.we also have corrosion around the joint connectors which can and will create leaks. If you look at the Temperature Pressure Relief valve theres no way of telling where it pipe too.
This particular water heater contains several inspection noteworthy items. The water heater pictures is a gas fuel unit as shown by the yellow gas line connecting the tank to the wall outlet. Secondly, this tank has a TPR valve near the top of the tank with tubing running back toward the wall at a slightly downward slope. There is a flue at the top for gas exhaust and an expansion tank pictured at the top edge of the image. Lastly, this tank has seismic straps installed. What is peculiar about this particular water heater is that it is installed in a region not known for seismic activity therefore the presence of strapping may be for some other purpose either required by local codes or for safety due to the copper piping connections made to this water heater (and the associated risk of damage to a line by moving the unit slightly). This tank is missing a pan underneath, however the garage installation of this unit may not require it (again, regional codes may not make it required).
Inspecting Pipes in Exterior Walls and Pipe Insulation
This article was a great follow up to the plumbing section. Further elaboration of the energy efficiency of plumbing as it related to energy usage and component wear can be great talking points for an inspector. While an inspector does not want to determine energy efficiency or remark on the life expectancy of a water heater they can make suggestions such as “adding insulation to water lines in the unconditioned attic space can help to reduce the demand on water heaters by conserving heat in hot water lines”. Also, being able to tell the potential home buyer they can perform this upgrade themselves with foam pipe sleeves from any home improvement store would provide valuable money saving tips that can significantly increase your customer satisfaction!
This is a picture of a sink that was very slow drain. It eventually drained by the time the inspection was finished. All of the other 4 sinks in the home drained fine. I recommended further evaluation by a plumber to make any necessary repairs.
I read the article on Hard Water. It provided a very good description on ways to identify the presence of hard water and the issues hard water may create on appliances. The article also described ways to mitigate and the fact that hard water has no known harmful effects on humans. Very interesting article.
It traps debris that has drained from the sink and prevents it from forming a clog deep within the plumbing system, and to stops sewer gases from passing into the home. In this instance the p-trap has been installed incorrectly. A licensed plumbing professional should be contacted to correct the trap.
There is evidence of an active leak in the basement. It appears that the leak is from a wall mounted toilet in the foyer bath. Wall mounted toilets are difficult to determine any defects behind the wall surface. Have a licensed plumber evaluate and repair.
A drilled well has a well head 6 to 12 inches above the ground. the well needs to be at least 10Ft below the surface. With a jet pump the well can have a one pipe system which is usually less than 25Ft deep.
In this picture you will notice that the condensation pipe dumps into a bucket. This is completely not acceptable and must be repaired properly. The pipe needs to be routed to the outside of the home and in a manner where the water won’t accumulate along the foundation of the home.
The shut off valve known as the ball valve produces the least restriction of all shutoff valves. When the handle is parallel with the pipe the valve is int the open position. The spindle turns the ball that allows or restricts flow.
A general home inspection is a visual inspection for system and major accessible component defects and safety issues. The inspection is not technically exhaustive. Not technically exhaustive means if there should be no calculations done to access if something is working properly.
A water heater, it is a very important part of home inspection, may be i think because likely we can find problems. In the picture a upload, i have only see it in new house, where the TPR Valve is driven to floor and on the floor there is a sump to take the discharge
This water heater is located in a basement and is brand new without and rust or defects on the base and entire water heater.The fittings for the cold and hot water are sharkbite type fittings and the water pan is the correct size for the water heater.
3/4 Inch Vs. 1/2 Inch Pipe, here we have a comparison about two size pipes, first is easy to understand that cross area is not proportional to radio, because is a squared relation, also it is important undertand that there is other thing, for example a 1/2" pipe has more resistance to flow than a 3/4" pipe
Carbon monoxide is a odorless tasteless gas which can kill a person within minutes in high concentrations usually faulty boilers are a common cause of carbon being emitted into the air causing death.Basic ways to protect yourself and family from being poisoned is by installing carbon monoxide detectors every 10 feet from a room in the basement and near every conbustion
item.
This is the seal between a garbage disposal and a kitchen sink. It appears to be in good serviceable condition. There is a seal that shows no signs of cracking or leaking. That is dust on the actual disposal itself. It is securely fastened to the sink however the picture doesnt show the bottom of the disposal which did show signs of leaking and for that reason I would recommend the garbage disposal be looked at by a qualified contractor.
This is a typical water heating system. The hose on the top right is the supply line and the hose on the left is the hot water line with an expansion tank attached to hold any excess hot water that is a result of excess pressure in the tank. The source of heat is electric power.
