I inspected a Lennox gas furnace. I was able to repot the brand, age, model and serial #. The age of the furnace is 17 years, so it is in marginal condition due to the age. It had proper copper lp gas piping. There was a manual turn off valve in the line, was a drip leg present. The furnace fired up and operated good. No gas smell, safety switch present. The filter was good. The direct driver blower unit worked good and there were pads on the bottom of the unit for vibration purposes.
Tree dangers. I have seen where trees to close to houses cause potential threats to the homes in many ways. The normal person may not be aware of the dangers awaiting to cause damage to their home. On a practice inspection a couple had their foundation floor dug up in one area of the basement to put a bathroom in and there were tree roots all around under the foundation slab. Also I’m surprised people don’t clean their Eve’s out, can’t believe the trees I’ve seen growing out of them.
Scott lien
Wood burning stoves. Knowledge is always good and good to share with others. I actually have a wood burning fireplace in my home . I understand the importance of dry wood,cleaning a chimney and how a damper works correctly. As an inspector it’s good for me to be able to give customers tips and ideas to better use their wood stoves and fireplaces properly and safely.
Scott Lien
I selected an article on radon gas because I plan on testing for it as an upsell to my home inspections. With radon gas being detected in one of every fiifteen homes and known to be the second leading cause of lung cancer throughout not only the US but throughout the world I believe it’s becoming a large concern among the health of people today. Since it is a clear odorless gas it’s hard to get people to realize the danger, because we typically think in terms of “out site out of mine”. Keeping this in mind as home inspectors we should educate ourselves on radon and share this knowledge with our community and clients an order to spread the word of its dangerous . The way radon is measured is by pCi/L. There different types of measuring devices, I personally use the e-perm system by Rad Electric inc. Surgeon General recomends any house that test 4pCi/L or over should have a radon mitigation system installed. Also any house that test 3 to 3.8pCi/L either have a mitigation system installed or tested again in 12 to 18 months, I’d also recommend a test every 3 to 5 years even after a mitigation system is been installed due to the world’s extreme climate changes. This might be a little outside the box but I believe anyone who is a landlord should have their property tested for radon only because landlords battled a lot of lead paint cases and I believe this could be the next big concern for litigation.
I first became interested in air quality testing for mold, after reading articles concerning flooring and sheetrock tainted with high levels of formaldehyde sold in the United States, my interest expanded. In 2004, the International Agency for research on cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde as a toxic air contaminant meaning there is no safe levels of exposure.
Products that formaldehyde may be found in, pressed wood products, furniture, carpet backing, unvented fuel burning appliances (example include stove / oven, kerosene space heaters)
Symptoms of exposure are skin rashes, asthma attacks, watery eyes, increase risk of cancer.
To reduce formaldehyde exposure, seal non-laminated surfaces that may contain formaldehyde with paint, varnish or polyurethane like materials. Reduce high levels of humidity in the home and increase ventilation. Pay attention to labels on products such as furniture and rugs.
All in all formaldehyde like many other things are silent killers that not many people know about but when home inpectors arm themselves with education we can help the public control and prevent exposure.
The image above is of a downspout on a roof. It is missing the elbow. The elbow should be reattached and downspout continued into the gutter below. This will prevent premature wear on the roof shingles and minimize moisture intrusion back into the house due to inadequate directing of water runoff from the roof.
Inspecting an attic can be a daunting task, but finding defects like the attached photo make it worthy. The back section of this home is lacking adquit installation. This area in the main house has been know to be a different temperature than the rest of the home. It was recommended to have the insulation properly installed by a qualified contractor.
The two articles I’ve chosen to read and write about are “Inspecting Aluminum Wiring” and “Backdrafting”
Inspecting Aluminum Wiring is vitally important for every house inspector to comprehend the importance recognizing and informing clients of the potential issues with solid aluminum wiring. Alimining wiring has inherent physical properties that can deteriorate over time creating loose connections and possible arc and fire damage to the structure.
Backdrafting is an issue that needs to be addressed if encountered in an inspection. Backdrafting occurs when outside pressure pushes vapors back into the burning chamber. With proper drafting all burnt exhaust will be drawn up the vent stack to the exterior of the home.
During the interior inspection, the stairs shown in the photograph were installed improperly. While the stairs conform to local code, the transition between the top tread and existing second floor decking create a safety hazard. This situation should be addressed and repairs made as soon as possible.
The two (2) articles chosen for this assignment were “Cause of Deaths in the US” and “Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Detectors”. While the number of deaths per year from non-fire related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a relatively low 170, that number could be greatly reduced by proper placement and use of carbon monoxide detectors. Strategic placement of CO detectors includes installation on every level of the home and within hearing distance of all sleeping areas.
Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide detector placement
When inspecting a home for smoke & carbon monoxide detector compliance insure that the devices are installed in the correct locations. Smoke detectors should be placed in each bedroom and on the ceiling or wall outside each sleeping area in the vicinity of bedrooms. The devices should be mounted on the ceiling or on a wall 6 to 12 inches from the ceiling. Each inhabited floor of the residence should be protected.
Carbon monoxide detectors should be placed within ten feet of all bedroom doors and near all sleeping areas. Each inhabited floor of the residence should be protected including basements and rooms over attached garages.
Nice to join and I’m ready to start learning.
Alan
[ATTACH]118977/ATTACH Part of this assignment is to upload pics of a component of a home inspection. I choose a hot water heater. Part of the inspection is to report on the type of fuel. this is a gas water heater. also to report on the capacity this one is a 40 gal. check for proper ventilation and that the pressure relief valve is present with an extension to the floor. i also check for leaks and any signs of corrosion. i hope i did this part of the assignment right thanks Guy
I choose for my two articles for this part of the coarse. garage inspection and using a drone for inspecting. I have found in a few houses that the owners have tried to install openers by themselves. when you go to operate them they shake and look like they will be ripped from the ceiling. also the photo eyes never seem to be adjusted properly. i recommend to have a garage door company take a look at them. And the new technology of the drone to inspect roofs is very interesting if you can learn to fly one steady enough to take good quality pictures I would like to see what other people think about this Thanks Guy
I chose a recently remodeled deck sitting roughly eight feet off the ground at the neighbors - and as you can see in the pictures, the cat was very interested!
This deck appeared to be fixed up very nicely. The deck features shatter resistant glass sheets (note: according to the property owner), and if you examine the pictures, silicone has been applied in the grooved opening receiving the glass, reducing water and moisture ingress.
The only visible issue found is the spacing of the balusters, which was so close by eye that I felt it necessary to pull out a tape measure and verify. As shown, on both sides of the central decorative baluster the spacing was off by roughly 1/2 of an inch. According to standards, the gap should be no more than 4 inches for child safety.
The only other concern I felt necessary to mention was the security of the glass in case of unintentional impacts from running children, etc. In an inspection report, I would likely state that it should be evaluated by a professional as to its impact resistance.
Why? You will see in one of the provided pictures that the glass is secured in place on the vertical plane (there is no top groove - glass top edge “floats”) by thin balusters - one on each side of the glass - with a single decking screw top and bottom. As seen, the bottom end of the one in the picture is also cracked.
Thank you! Love the course!
I chose for my two Articles A Garage Inspection and Carbon Monoxide and Detectors.
A Garage Inspection- It is very important to look carefully at all roof trusses. Alteration is one of the biggest issues with trusses. Trusses are engineered to carry a specific load and being altered can malfunction. Especially in areas where there is snowfall.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Detectors- All detectors are very important in keeping us safe. Especially C/O detectors because C/O is colorless and odorless. Proper installation and inspecting regularly is crucial to are safety.
I chose the following two articles for the reading/writing assignment:
“IR Cameras: Inspecting Roofs,” by Nick Gromicko and Ethan Ward
“IR Cameras: An Overview for Inspectors,” by Nick Gromicko and Ethan Ward
Both of these articles are well written and provide valuable information regarding the benefits of modern IR imaging cameras in home inspections and, obviously, energy audits. My own business plan I am enacting this spring incorporates 4K remote imaging and IR remote imaging via Phantom III Professional drone. As mentioned in the roof inspection article, a higher vantage point can offer a better view, so to speak.
The drone also allows safe and effective roof inspection in detail of roofs deemed not safe to tread upon. With the 4k/IR combo camera on a 3D floating gimble, inspection can be made in real time via the real time video transmission to the controller and video or still shots in ultra-high resolution; all with crystal clear zooming with no video wobble to 1 cm.
Embracing new technologies and new ideas is the joy of life itself. These technologies not only allow us to perform better and more efficiently, but allow for personal growth and downright fun! Flying the drone at near dark with the I/R camera is exciting, and getting paid to play like a boy again is a gift.
This picture was from a recent inspection where I encountered a Federal Pacific panel with stab-lok breakers. As you can see from the pictures the, panel had several open breaker slots with missing blank covers. I informed the customer about the past history of this manufactures panels and that I would not be able to remove the dead front of the panel for further inspection due to the breakers tending to fall out of position. I recommended further evaluation and repair by a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
During the inspection of the property I was able to determine that eh house was on a private water supply (well). There was fiberglass pressure tank that was leaking and needs to replaced. There was also this sediment filter with no maintenance schedule for replacement. Recommendations are to have the filter checked by a licensed professional.
I read the articles pellet stoves and Estimating the lifespan of a water heater. Although as inspectors we are not required to estimate the future life expectancy of a water heater, almost all customers tend to ask the question. Most plumbers I know tend to like between 12-15 years as the average for a water heater, of course that doesn’t take into account any variables such as , water heater quality, water quality, location of tank, or usage. The article I read has the average life even lower at 10 years. I always include the date of manufacture of the unit in my report to help the client know if its overdue to be changed and be informed. I just completed an inspection with a water heater that was original from 1987, and was still operating. Some one did write on the tank near the lower element stating this element was changed in 2012. I informed the client that the water heater is well past the average life expectancy, but is still functioning presently.