First, let’s see if there is condensation now. I’m not convinced there is. If that popcorn around the pipe is wet, it’ll peel right off with a finger swipe.
So just as an experiment, just now I put a pipe through some drywall with some armor flex on it. I then poured some water at the top.
This is what it looks like on the thermal.
For clarity, the armorflex was in my van, in the window and it was a bit toasty in there, so it hadn’t really cooled off much.
Brand new installation of old equipment?
Replacement Record Replacement Part Number label date last replaced: 9/20 Sept 2020.
Thermogram red blush = heat transfer. ><94F.
To create condensation, or bulk water on an object, you need to ‘lower the temperature of the object’s surface, the drywall, to below the dew point of the surrounding air.’ ><94F.
Did you take any measurements?
If I suspected moisture due to humidity and temperature concerns, I used a hygrometer, REED R6001 Thermo-Hygrometer. Plus a Fluke 971 Dual Display Temperature Humidity Meter that synced with my Fluke Ti300 thermal camera.
Remember: The three methods of heat transfer are: ! Conduction. 2 Convection. 3 Radiation.
Conduction is the primary apparatus for heat transferring through drywall.
I see no issues with the thermogram you presented.
As for the difference in the ceiling paints color around the HVAC LINES protrusion, I suspect the ceiling was painted after the equipment installations. There is a dab of paint on the HVAC cabinet. Illustration below.
If you use terms like that on a Four-Point, you are doing a disservice to your customers. There are two relevant binary HVAC questions on the report.
The questions on the report are:
“Are the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in good working order?”
And
“Does the air handler/condensate line or drain pan show any signs of blockage or leakage, including water damage to the surrounding area?”
You either check the “Yes” checkbox or the “No” checkbox for each question and you include a photo of the leak, if there is one. If the system is not in good working order, you simply state what is not functioning as intended. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less.
The more words you use, the more likely you are to confuse the person whose sole job is to input mostly binary data into a computer to determine how much to charge the homeowner for insurance. Citizens made the “Explain” box next to the “No” checkbox on the “Working order” question very small for a reason.
The people who review Four-Point reports are not required to be technical people. I can tell you that most are not. They are clerical people who are trained to look at the report to see that the checkboxes are checked and that there are accompanying photos as required. Where the form asks for an explanation, you should limit your comment to a single simple sentence whenever possible.
If you do ANYTHING outside what Citizens (therefore by extension EVERY insurance company in Florida) requires, you will probably needlessly cost your customers money. The insurance companies will do anything they can to deny a discount that the customer is rightfully entitled to, or to deny coverage altogether.
Agents and underwriters have different interests. Agents only make money when they can insure people. They want good Four-Point reports so they can sell policies. Conversely, underwriters want to maximize their profits, so they are eager to deny coverage on any house that is less than perfect.
Citizens is the insurer of last resort. Citizens is denying coverage in record numbers right now. As an inspector, you can easily cost your customers a lot of money, and potentially hardship, by deviating from the script in any way.
It is vitally important for home inspectors to understand that a Four-Point report is not for the homeowner; it is for the insurance company. It is used to determine whether the homeowner gets the discount that insurance companies are required to give them for a conforming home, not give the discount for a non-conforming home, or possibly deny coverage for a non-conforming home. The insurance company will decide based on which checkboxes are checked.
Additional commentary almost always costs the property owner more money, or worse, denial of coverage. Citizens is very clear about what it wants. The report was updated in March of 2025. The purpose of the update was mainly to clarify some things that had caused some confusion in earlier versions, such as the definition of Cloth Wiring. There were also a few new things added, mainly to the electrical and plumbing sections.
Citizens sets standards for all property insurance in Florida. Citizens is a self-funded quasi-governmental insurance company created by the State of Florida as the property insurer of last resort. Every insurer in Florida follows the minimum guidelines established by Citizens.
Before 2018, State Farm was the only major insurance company that had significantly more stringent requirements for residential insurance than Citizens. After the 2018 Citizens Four-Point update, State Farm started accepting the Citizens Four-Point report. As of the March 2025 update, the State Farm report no longer meets the Citizens requirements. I still have the State Farm report listed on my website, but I don’t think I’ve sold a copy in several years. One of these days, I’ll take it off the website.
WindSurance Four-point reports are 100% Citizens compliant and follow the Citizens format. Unlike the 1802 Wind Mitigation report which is a mandatory format, the Four-Point format is not mandatory, but insurance companies do not like to see reports coming to them in different formats. That makes reviewing the reports very difficult and significantly increases the likelihood of the property owner not getting the best available rate. All residential and commercial WindSurance reports are in the Citizens format, whether the format is mandatory or not, and are the reports most often preferred by insurance companies for that reason.
Thank for your word.
I went straight forward without too many details
And
Just taking consideration for future Inspections not neccesarilly in a four point format.
I just put in the recommendation about check with Drywall Professional.
Have been seen cooper pipes with condensation leaks several times thats why though that could be a future problem. more than FAIL COMMENT extend a recommendation to the client.
Understood!.
Hygrometer sound like a good alternative solution instead a moisture meter.
Looks like that White Paint around it was damage at certain point but there is not indication that have a present damage, for me just having some clarity about if was fixed in a way that could be acceptable to avoid problem in the future.
Moisture meter is a necessity. I always carried 2. My Tramex was the go to meter.
Hygrometer when you start to learn dewpoint conditions.
I realize you are starting out. Learn, Learn, Learn.
