Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The essay I am writing on today is a basement crawlspace, even though we dont see many of these in this area i wanted to put one out there, it looks like there has been moisture coming threw the walls and will need to be addressed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I will write a short essay on solar energy today, solar energy has a lot of positive advantages one being the amount of renewable energy is endless. It is safer and causes no bad side effects to the air we breath.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Attached is a picture of a receptacle inspected for proper function. As seen in the picture the proper lights are on showing its operation is correct as shown. I will also check the operation of the GFIC circuit to make sure it passes the test as well
Research & Writing Assignment:
This essay is based on an INTERnachi glossary picture of an inspection of a main electrical service panel with the dead front removed. The electrical inspector should always remove the dead front panel to inspect the inside of the breaker panel unless the electrical inspector deems it unsafe, making sure to provide for his own safety at all times. The electrical inspector should never stick any tools or devices in to the electrical wiring of the panel or remove a panel cover that is potentially unsafe or does not have the required amount of clearance in front of it.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Part of the home inspector’s duty is to perform an inspection that will observe the general safety requirements for the client. The client is relying on the inspector to note the potential safety hazards that may exist on the property. The home inspector is not required to cite code, but should comment on when certain safety requirements such as stair rail spacing and overhead service line height requirements are not being met.
Research & Writing Assignment:
There are six good reason to hire a professional to evaluate your home energy audit. They are 1.Thermographic Scans 2. Air Infiltration Tests 3.PFT Air Infiltration Test 4.Energy upgrades and rebates 5. PFT Air Infiltration Test 6.Help to Prioritize and Budget
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This section of the inspection included an interior inspection of a single family unit within a four unit coach home style condominium in Southwest Florida; a sub-tropical climate.
The unit was built in 1998. It has eleven interior doors. Seven are standard 68 height molded six panel colonial style Masonite doors. Two are bi-fold mirror glazing over a metal frame for access to the two master closets. One was a solid core French door set, solid wood 80 high, separating two sections of the unit. All doors are in good condition, functioning properly. I testes operation of all passage and privacy sets. The trim and doors were painted and in good condition.
Entry to the unit is through a 30 X 68 metal front door and a fire rated door to the garage with self closing hinges. Both doors were cosmetically in good condition and the entry sets and deadbolts of both operated properly and were keyed alike.
There are seven windows in the carriage home unit. Six are 48H X60W and the kitchen window over the sink measures 40H X 24W. All are double hung aluminum framed, single pane standard 1/8 window glass with applied muntins inside and out to create the appearance of individually divided lights. There are no energy coatings, films or insulated glass present. The felt weather stripping around the perimeter allows moderate air infiltration and are not airtight. There was no evidence of water damage or rot at or below any of the windows.
All windows opened, closed and locked properly with the exception of one. The right hand lower unit of the dining room window. The photo attached shows that the spring tension bar employed to hold the window in an open position is in need of repair or replacement. The photo also shows residual mastic from duct tape on the frame. There was no sign of leakage at or below the window unit. A professional should address this condition. The hardware required to repair the window is twenty years old and may be proprietary. Additionally, the weight of the lower sash is such that it may pose a risk to a homeowner or child attempting to operate the window without the benefit of back-tension from the spring.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Pictured is an air handler located in the garage of the subject property. The unit is hanging from rafters above head, overall condition is good, the intake and exhaust are sealed with mastic and foil tape, it is running and operating properly.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Blower Door Test. Advances in the technology associated with portable blower door testing have made this test an essential tool in energy audits. The newer door blowers are lightweight, set up quickly and have more sophisticated metering than blower doors of the past. The basic concept is to create negative or positive pressure within the envelope of the test structure, yielding both an accurate measurement of the measured airflow and source of such leaks. Pressure is measured in “pascals”, a unit of pressure roughly equivalent to 1 mph of wind pressure on the exterior per pascal. Once pressurized, the air-tightness envelope of the house can be accurately measured utilizing mathematical equations to adjust for temperature, barometric pressure, and the effect of the height at various portions of the structure.
All exterior doors and windows must be closed along with all fireplace flues and other openings to create as tight an envelope as possible. Then all interior doors are left wide open (including basements if used as living space or for housing the furnace or hot water heater). The house is pressurized to approximately 50 pascals and measurements of pressure differential are taken simultaneously at the blower door and at various places in the house. One can detect large leaks with one’s own senses; though the use of smoke and thermal imaging are more accurate methods of detecting the location, source and severity of leaks.
Surprisingly, windows and doors are not the most common source of large leaks. Openings surrounding penetration points for pipes and conduit, a leaky fireplace flu and basement penetrations are commonly the worst offenders, with the latter being responsible for the most change in temperature inside a structure.
The door blower test is clearly one of the most accurate tests for envelope airtightness and thus energy loss analysis in the energy auditor’s toolbox. One should seriously consider becoming proficient in its use and consider adding it as an additional amenity for our customers and yet another area of expertise for our craft.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of a kitchen from a house that’s 40 years old as of 2018. As you can see in the picture this outlet closest to the sink along with the other 5 outlets do not have a GFCI protected outlets in it to help protect the system. Partly because the home didn’t require it when it was built and the current home owner hasn’t bothered to update them. Suggestion as an inspector is to have an update on the plugs and system line.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Inspecting a roof can be one of the first steps you do as an inspector because one you’re already outside and two the exterior can be done before or right after the roof to complete the exterior portion of an inspection. This way you can have an idea of any potential areas of concern that you need to look for once you get inside the house in the attic or underneath in the basement or crawl space. The important thing to remember is knowing what you’re looking for and looking at and what the specifications or requirements are about the item you’re looking at. Safety is also a main concern you don’t want to get on a roof that is covered with debris or snow or potentially ice and risk falling off, which is why there are no requirements that say you have to get on the roof. you can put a ladder up on the side of house securely to observe the roof and look for and take pictures of any potential problems for the report.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The property has a Rheem high efficiency natural gas furnace, that is operated by a digital seven day programmable thermostat. The furnace has a standard 20x25x1 filter system. The gas value is functioning as designed. The furnace is raised, 30 inches off the floor, to protect from moisture intrusion. The central air system is an older Rheem R22 system however, operations could not be verified due to outside weather at 22 degrees.
Research & Writing Assignment:
After reading “A Garage Inspection” by Kenton Shepard, I was reminded that as I inspect any garage, I need to look for improper alterations to the truss system, as well as how the trusses are connected to the exterior walls. Also, that all electrical receptacles in garages need to be GFCI-protected.
Research & Writing Assignment:
My essay is based on the Tank-less Water Heater article. There are many pros and cons to tank and tank-less water heaters. Cost, efficiency, physical space and demand to name a few. It comes down to the old adage “you get what you pay for” the tank-less units have proven to be more efficient but cost is typically the biggest factor. I would recommend the tank-less heater for two reasons. First the demand is not only instantly on but its instantly off, so its not heating all day and night. Secondly, its a great long term upgrade to your home, even if you choose to sell it can be a great addition to the value of your home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
After reading the “A Garage Inspection” I was reminded to check the electrical outlets for GFCI protection. Also when inspecting the garage to inspect the rafters (if visible) While in the garage extra care need to be taken to the garage door to find out how it is operated and the safety measures in place for its use. The laser eyes must be tested and the manual use must also be tested.
Research & Writing Assignment:
After researching about the Central Air-Conditioning System Inspection, I better understand that a home owner can perform preventative maintenance on their own equipment. The home owner can learn how to clean the outdoor condensing unit coils, replace filters, inspect condensing drain system, checking to see if registers are open or closed. The home owner may be able to keep up with this simple monthly inspections although the homeowner should always have a qualified technician do a thorough start up in the early spring each year to maintain the system to factory specifications.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The following electric panel is good with no issue with circuit breakers, i see no dusk, rust on said panel. Those house was purchase was 2004. So the age of the panel is 14 years old. all connections are tight with no presence of open splices or wires.
Research & Writing Assignment:
the article i read was 10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home. What I learned was that there are several ways to save energy for you home. the following examples would be if you want to lower you air conditioner bill you would installed ceiling fans which I have installed through out my home. To save water for the toilet install dual-flush toilets. which can reduce water consumption by 30%. I really liked the information I learned regarding changing the way we all do laundry. By washing clothes are a certain setting temperature due to that higher temperatures setting are not that much more effective. That 103 temperature does the same job as temperature 140 temperature.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The standards of practice of interNACHI have a minimum set of rules or ethic codes that all inspectors should follow. These standards of practice should not be taken lightly as some of the guidelines they express specifically consider the safety of the inspectors, clients, and customers.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The standards of practice of interNACHI have a minimum set of rules or ethic codes that all inspectors should follow. These standards of practice should not be taken lightly as some of the guidelines they express specifically consider the safety of the inspectors, clients, and customers.
