Ants are in households everywhere along with restaurants, offices, hospitals anywhere that food and water may be. Ants nest in the ground or wood. They like moist wood best. Wood that has been damaged by water most of the time will have ant activity. Around sinks, bathtubs, roof leaks, doors and windows that are not sealed or flashed correctly. It is vitally important to keep wood dry and sealed. In return ants will not be a problem for you.
This is an image of our forced air gas furnace. It has an AFUE rating of 96%. Since it is a high efficient unit the exhaust gases are allowed to be directly vented to the outside.
I read the article House Numbers by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard. I learned that house numbers have certain common requirements. Some of these requirements are: be large, color contrasts with background, not obscured by trees, face the street named on the house’s address, and be clearly displayed at the driveway entrance if the house is not visible from the road.
The attached photo is an electrical outlet located directly above a baseboard heater. Outlets should not be above electrical baseboard heaters. Cords Plugged into outlets could overheat if accidentally draped over the heater. Outlets should be located at either end of the heater. Recommend a licensed electrician relocate panel or tie off conductors and install blank cover plate.
This photo was taken during a recent inspection. The device on top of this condenser will tell you if the unit is level. A Condenser should not be more than 10* out of level. Recommend a qualified A/C tech to level the unit. The refrigerant lines are fragile so make sure your client doesn’t force it into the correct position.
This photo depicts the burner port in a gas furnace. While the picture was taken the induced draft fan was running and the igniter for the pilot is hot. Every component seemed to work as intended. The furnace never ignited because there was no gas supplied to the system.
I chose to read the article titled “Asbestos Cement Siding Inspection” because it is relevant to some home-improvement projects I am currently undertaking. While asbestos is regarded as a wonderful building material, its impact on health (often leading to several different lung cancers) has caused this material to be banned in new construction materials. Inspectors are likely going to run into asbestos while performing inspections, and it is important to remember that while it can be hazardous if it is damaged and falling apart, if it is intact and in good condition it should not impact health. It is only when asbestos has the ability to be airborne (in dust ect.) that it can pose as a health issue.
I took this picture of a recently installed 98% efficient goodman forced air furnace. it was installed 3 months ago and everything was in working order and installed correctly. i recommended to be sure to have the filters cleaned or checked regularly
hello , I chose to study the ladder section in the library. I learned a lot about how to set up ladders safely. also was very surprised that so many injuries a year were reported along with deaths it is very important to be sure all ladders are set up securely. and never leave a ladder unattended
I chose an older home’s HVAC system in South Florida. This unit is an “all-in-one” retrofit HVAC system. Down here it is quite common to install this type of unit when to low slope roof leaves an attic space with not enough room to install the air handler portion of the system. With both the compressor & air handler in one unit it will allow only the duct work to “snake” through the available attic space.
This unit is a 1997 unit (hard to read date on mfg sticker due to the sun fading the information. This unit was functional but recommended service as the side panels were falling off, the outside duct work or plenum had gaps in it (outside creatures could gain access AND the center fan was full of pine needles that had fallen thru the upper grate.
Essay for HVAC course
Article choice is Thermostats
Thermostats are devices that control the heating & cooling of your home to desired comfortable conditions.
Inspectors do not check calibration, time, programs or other functions of a thermostat… we just need to be familiar with their function. Thermostat can be manual or programable. They will typically show you set temperature & actual temperature. Thermostat location is important to it functioning correctly. They should not be located by a heat source (fireplace, hot lights or even windows. They should not be located on an outside wall as false reading could occur. Inside wall in a main non drafty room is best.
Use of a programable thermostat has been proven to reduce utility bills by up to 10% (adjust temperature for when you are home or away).
Hello everybody!
Here we have a natural gas furnace. It is a standing pilot, low efficiency, but works great. It is located in a basement and works off of a natural draft. The unit does have a blower which forces the air through the ducts. The electrical panel (right side of furnace in picture) was left open with wires exposed, would suggest an electrician to repair boxes.
I really need to take this course.
Hello everybody,
Article: To Buy or to Rent?
Real estate is a long term investment that many people may not be ready for. The Federal Reserve Board summarizes that home owners worth is significantly more than a renters worth. Now, this does make sense as the money you are putting towards your mortgage (not rent) is building equity and gaining yourself an asset. There are also perks such writing off mortgage interest and possibly receiving a tax break when you sell the home. The perks of renting really show when you have a leaking roof or broken water heater. You won’t be out thousands of dollars in repairs. The cost-effectiveness of owning a home differs geographically, making places such as Miami and fresno the best bargains for home ownership. Places such as San Diego and New York City, you are better off renting then paying the bank off. When buying a home, it is advised by the experts that you put 20% down to reduce interest rates and be excluded from having mortgage insurance. You should expect 30% of your monthly income to go towards your mortgage. Anything higher and you may want to consider renting.
In the attached video I could not see into the heat exchanger. The blue flames indicate the gas to air mixture from the primary and secondary air was adjusted right. I could also see the thermal coupler as well.
Hello everyone,
Just read a great article on backdrafting. I learned that backdrafting is caused by a lack of induced draft. In the course I also learned that when you see soot or heat damage at the front of the furnace it could be a backdrafting problem. The way to check it is by either using smoke to see if it is pulled into the vent pipe or you could use a match or lighter or a CO analyzer.
The following is a hot water heater. Of interest, I noticed some black discoloration on the retaining cabinet which might indicate the presence of mold. A tag on the unit indicates a 1999 mfg date.
hopefully photos upload
I read an article on crawlspaces.
Crawlspaces can be hazardous and even potentially deadly. They can contain mold, fungus, spiders, scorpions, ants, termites and even the hantavirus which can be deadly. Always war personal protection devices.
