Sewer Gases in the Home:
This informative article lays out what risks come with getting sewer gases in your living spaces as well as what may be letting the gases in. Asphyxiation can be caused when sewer gases replace oxygen and over time causes headaches, dizziness, and unconsciousness. Methane and hydrogen sulfide specifically pose a fire/explosion risk because of their flammable properties. Ways for these gases to intrude your home includes: infrequent use of fixtures that causes traps to dry out, plumbing vents being too close to fresh air intakes on the exterior, and through cracks in the drainage piping, or vent pipes.
this is the kitchen sinks p-trap. Its water level height does not exceed 4 inches and it was tested by running the sink. No leaks, cracks, or loose fittings were found.There is also no instance of a foul smell indicating siphoning. It is in good working condition.
Toilets. Toilets are a very important part of a home inspection. People use them all the time, most people spend 3 years of their life using the toilet. It is important to check for cracks, sturdiness, and length of time it takes to flush. All toilets in the house should be flushed.
This picture is of a trap under a sink in the kitchen. It is a P-trap, so it is an acceptable form of plumbing and is not defective. An unacceptable form of a trap would be an S-trap because it has too many turns and is more prone to leakage and getting stopped up.
The gas service entry point is located along with the supply lines for the water heater in the garage downstream from the pressure regulator. Also noted are two penetrations that are sleeved but not completely isolated from the masonry (with oxidation present). Also indicated is a restriction in the supply line (arrow) and an unconnected bonding wire.
The picture I looked at was of a P-trap and an S-trap. I was able to see that the tail piece coming down on a P-trap should be no longer than 24 inches and the arm should be no longer than 30 inches. The S-trap is a defective trap and should not be used.
Ventless fireplaces offer convenience for construction and convenience of operation but limited combustion air and dangerous exhaust gases may not be properly considered. Remodeling of a living space, impacting the area in the vicinity of a ventless fireplace often modifies the installation to the point where original considerations are no longer valid and potentially unsafe.
An inspector should be able to easily inspect most water piping. As it is best practice not to hide the piping in concealed areas or within exterior walls, which increases the risk of freezing. The piping that needs to be ran in walls should be ran through interior walls.
Although, not clearly visible in the photo at initial examination. With a closer look, I noticed an issue with the TPR drain pipe as the drain pipe leads to the floor where it openly could drain across the floor of the home.
This picture was taken in a for sale house coming from a previous foreclosure.
The picture easily shows that the roof structure presents signals of water penetration as well as mold, more specific, located on the plywood panels. This issue is not only affecting the panels but also the rafter boards.
In this case, it is recommended to suggest the buyer to order an inspection with a roofing company as well to request the opinion of an engineering company since, it looks that rafters might be loosing resistance created by the mold product of the water penetration.
This picture was taken in a for sale house coming from a previous foreclosure.
The picture easily shows that the roof structure presents signals of water penetration as well as mold, more specific, located on the plywood panels. This issue is not only affecting the panels but also the rafter boards.
In this case, it is recommended to suggest the buyer to order an inspection with a roofing company as well to request the opinion of an engineering company since, it looks that rafters might be loosing resistance created by the mold product of the water penetration.
Pictured here is the main water shutoff valve. It is a public water feed. Home was repiped with CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride) piping approximately 15 years ago. Hole in wall shows abandoned copper piping that was previously used when home was built in 1992.
A disconnected or improperly installed water heater flue can emit dangerous carbon monoxide into a home. On a natural draft water heater, the draft hood should be raised at attached properly to the water heater using the legs of the draft hood and the flue pipe should be mechanically attached with three sheet metal screws.
When the exterior of a home is inspected, the inspector is required to check any rain gutters and downspouts. These are important means to diverting water away from the sctructure. They should be checked for any cracks, holes or any defect not allowing the water to discharge 4ft-6ft away from structure. They should be free of debris.
Using a flexible gas line connectors to supply gas to appliances such as a range or dryer is permitted however there are a rules that must be followed. The connectors cannot be concealed in the wall, the connectors cannot pass through a wall, ceiling or floor, and the shutoff valve must be in the same room as the appliance.
Attached is an example of an S-trap. The new owner had upgraded the plumbing to the best of his knowledge given the problems he encountered with his current plumbing situation. I advised the owner of the potential troubles he may run into when dealing with S-traps.
The article I chose to read about was about dryer vent safety. with the dryer vent, my house requires annual cleaning of the dryer. I have seen that keeping everything in the vent pipe clean also allows the dryer to work more efficiently and saves me money on the electrical bill.
Type B vents should be used only for gas (natural and propane) furnaces and water heaters. Make sure B vents are not being used for any other type of appliances like oil or wood burning systems. It is important to follow the manufacturers installation recommendations and that the label is clearly stamp on the vent.
Type L vents are used to vent appliances that produce higher than 570 degrees F or 926 degrees F for 10 minutes heat generation.
Both B and L vent have double wall but L vents are generally made of stainless steel inner wall (ticker wall). Again, make sure the vent type is stamped on the product.
Common defect found on both vents are:
missing caps
damage or deteriorated vent
missing firestop at the top and bottom side of the joist
heavy carbon deposits inside at the flue may indicate an improper fuel/oxygen mixture
Pictured here is a Rheem gas water heater 40 gallons. The appliance is about 16 years old. The picture shows the very top of the water heater. You can see the temperature pressure release valve that is most important safety device. It will open if the heater overheats, Or the internal pressure reaches too high of a level. This device prevents the water heater from becoming a missile. The TPR is piped with copper tubing. On the left side of the picture you can see the cold water inlet that is piped to the bottom of the tank where the burner is Located. The right side in the picture is the hot water outlet which will be piped through the house on demand. In the center is the draft vent for the combustion gasses to be carried out by natural draft to the outdoors.
The TPRV is likely the most common defect found in the plumbing portion of the home inspection. such a simple task, adding the proper extension would solve approx 90% of the defects i see in regards to thr TPRV. Yes
