My essay is on minimum water trap sizes. Clothes washer stand pipe should be a minimum of 2". The minimum size trap for sinks, bath tubs with or without shower heads shall be 1 1/2. The minimum size trap for a bidet is 1 1/4. floor drains are 2" minimum.
During this plumbing inspection I recorded 2 dryer vent a few inches apart that is also blocked by the waste line vent I couldn’t verify if both vents we actived but I recommended that a professional plumber evaluate this situation.
Clothes dryers evaporate the water from wet clothing by blowing hot air past them while they tumble inside a spinning drum. Heat that is provided by an electrical heating elements need to be cleaned regularly to prevent from catching fire.
While inspecting the hallway bathroom, I performed a functional flow test and the water pressure was somewhat diminished , the temperature was too hot and that there were leaks in the bathtub, I suggest a licensed plumber to repair and replace as needed.
I was researching the hot water heater and learned that the gas pie had a waste collector called the sediment trap, This should be emptied at least every season. I also was curious about the top of the gas pipe was not sealed in the picture, I think the gas pipe should be sealed so no possibility that anyone could get hurt.
The photo above was taken in a bathroom that had a separate hot water heater for the sink. The hot water heater is showing signs of rust and should be replaced due to the risk of leaks. Additionally the Water heater is not on a drain pan but the area does have a floor drain installed. Furthermore, the relief valve is installed within the required distance of 6 inches from the floor. The water supply and discharge lines are cpvc and a shut off valve is also installed prior to cold water inlet.
Above is a picture of a toilet with the tank lid removed. The toilet was flushed multiple times and was functioning normally at time of inspection. The plastic blot cap was missing from the right hand side of the toilet. This cap could be replaced mainly for cosmetic purposes.
Sump pumps provide a valuable service for homeowners to eliminate water intrusion. When a sump pump is installed during an inspection the inspector should be familiar with its operation. For installing the covers to the sump pump they must be gas tight with mechanical fastening to hold the cover in place with a gasket to ensure the air tightness.The use of a cover not only protects against moisture getting into the building it will also protect against the intrusion of Radon which is harmful to ones health.
I read the article " Sewer Gases in the Home". The article discusses The types of health problems that can be caused by the intrusion of sewer gases into the home as well as the causes for the intrusion. I learned that in most cases it is a simple matter of a dry pipe where the trap is not used enough and dries out.
THE ATTACHED IMAGE IS THAT OF A BATH TUB STOPPER MISSING IN A TUB SHOWER. BATH TUBS SHOULD HAVE A MECHANICAL WATER TIGHT STOPPER. ALTHOUGH NOT A SERIOUS DEFECT, I WOULD NOTE THIS AS IN NEED OF REPAIR IN MY INSPECTION REPORT.
While inspecting Water Heater, you will notice the
TPR valve drain terminates at floor level and also there is not drain line on the emergency drain pain at bottom of water heater. Both should drain to the exterior of the structure.
while inspecting water heaters I will always inspect the termination on the drain line of the TPR valve to make sure the piping in running to the exterior of the structure unless it is in a garage, which it can terminate above the floor.
THE IMAGE THAT I CHOSE FROM THE ILLUSTRATION GALLERY IS TITLED, “COPPER SUPPLY PIPES”. IT ILLUSTRATES THE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES COPPER PIPE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE SIZES AND LABELING. EACH TYPE HAS THEIR OWN COLOR MARKING FOR IDENTIFYING PURPOSES. TYPE K HAS GREEN MARKINGS. TYPE L HAS BLUE MARKINGS. TYPE M HAS RED MARKINGS.
This is a photo of an upstairs bathroom lavatory. There are no leaks. There are shut off valves for hot and cold water supplies. The hot and cold service lines are plumbed backward with hot on the right side and cold on the left. Hot and cold flexible supply lines should be reversed at the faucet so that cold comes out of the right side handle and hot comes out of the left side handle. No other issues found.
This is a photo of a FVIR water heater. FVIR meaning flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant. You can tell by the solid metal base that contains a glass window. You can see the limit switch wires in the front that will shut down the gas if there is a slight explosion from flammable vapors. This unit had no signs of water leaks or corrosion
Galvanic corrosion is the disintegration that occurs when dissimilar metals come into contact in the presence of electrolytes.One example of this is ACQ lumber. It contains copper that reacts with the aluminum in framing nails. Using galvanized dipped nail is the solution. The best preventative measure for plumbing in your home would to just use one type of metal .
Anti-Scald Devices by Nick Gromicko is the article I reviewed.
Anti-scald devices are used to regulate the water temperature so it does not fluctuate greatly and cause scalding burns or cold water shock. These fluctuations come from multiple faucets being used at the same time (i.e.: someone taking a shower and having a toilet flushed at the same time). When cold water is diverted away from the shower to perform the toilets function, the shower water can become super hot. The device would keep the water temperature within a few degrees of the setting chosen by altering the water flow of the hot or cold line. This would decrease scalding or fall injuries that occur from the initial temperature injury or the shocking reaction to adjust the handles that could cause a fall. One should check local codes to see if these devices are required when building or remodeling plumbing fixtures.
Inspecting a water heater. When inspecting water heater I noticed a puddle of water coming from the bottom of the water heater the water heater seems to be about 15 years old it seems something internally failed and cause to slowly leak possibly caused by the settlement build up this will need to be written up in a report and replaced
This picture shows the water main. Components to take note of is the shutoff valve and water meter. Able to observe that the water intake line is plastic from the municipality up to the shut off valve. After the shut off valve it is copper. No leaks or defects in the line were detected.
Trap: Traps are designed to keep sewer gasses from escaping the drainage system and entering the home. It also stops airborne bacteria from doing the same. Water is settled, or trapped in the loop of the drain and acts as a plug. Traps even though small, are a very important part of the plumbing system.