Michael's View: January 2008

The HVAC contractor who installed the furnaces and air handling units for this new construction property must have been having a bad day. The first error in the attached picture is quite obvious. The HVAC contractor forgot to finish sealing the ductwork to the side of the air handling unit. The other thing I wrong in this picture is not so obvious. The air handler is setting on bricks that were picked up from the construction site. Acceptable trade practices calls for units to be setting on neoprene stands designed to absorb the vibration from the air handlers. Stands cost about $10.00 each, bricks . . . EH . . .

He also forgot to attach the drain line to the drip pan under the unit. Well let's hope that today will be a better day.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton an ASHI Certified inspector with Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing Nashville home inspections for Davidson county and Brentwood home inspections for Williamson County and other areas of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comment.  This post is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0.  Information and is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information they can use to make better real estate decisions. 

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Having been an electrical engineer and a licensed electrician in a prior life, I am critical on electrical issues especially when it comes to the safety of my clients. Yesterday, I inspected a new construction property and one that was about 4 years old that did not have an inspection prior to closing.

Having had to inspect the wiring practices of electricians under my watch as an electrical engineer, it has always been my practice to give the "tug test" on all wiring connections in panels. I found one of the main leads to the sub-panel was loose at the connecting lug. This is a potential shock and fire hazard as aluminum wiring will expand and contract more that copper and can eventually work its way out of the connection. There were also several breaker connections that pulled loose from the lugs on the breakers as well. I also mentioned that anti-oxidant paste was needed for the connections as well. All-in-all, this panel and several other electrical issues will need to be addressed by the electrical contractor. BTW, the panel and wiring had already been passed codes!

The 4 year old property had quite an unusual situation. There was a GFCI outlet in the laundry room and two other outlets within a few feet down towards the laundry sink. I always test outlets within 6 feet of a water source for proper grounding and GFCI protection as per 1991 NEC. To my surprise the outlets closest to the the sink were not GFCI protected! Wow! All I could do is scratch my head and wonder how this got past electrical codes.

In order to protect the unsuspecting public from potential dangers such as these, is the main reason that I suggest that all properties, especially new construction, be inspected before the closing at escrow.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton an ASHI Certified inspector with Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing Nashville home inspections for Davidson county and Brentwood home inspections for Williamson County and other areas of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comment.  This post is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0.  Information and is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information they can use to make better real estate decisions. 

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) devices have been in properties in varying degrees since the early 1970's. Failures in these devices are the number one common electrical issue that I comment on when doing property inspections. Like most items in a home, not too much thought are given to items until they give problems. However; a problem with a GFCI device cannot be detected until it is too late. Every year approximately 300 electrocutions occur and thousands of people are seriously burned due to GFCI failures. Many could have been prevented if monthly maintenance had been administered. ALL manufactures of GFCI devices require monthly testing. To the best of my knowledge, all newer devices built since 2002 have "Monthly Testing Recommended" molded in the plastic facing on the devices. 

When I point out to my customers that monthly testing of these devices is highly recommended, just about all my clients respond with, "I did not know that." I send out a monthly reminder list to my customers prompting home owners to check various items around their properties. If you want to be added to this monthly newsletter and reminder list, just contact me.

For more information about how GFCI devices work and testing guidelines, go to my website chiblogs.com and click on Electrical. Ground Fault Circuits is at the bottom of the blog roll.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton an ASHI Certified inspector with Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing Nashville home inspections for Davidson county and Brentwood home inspections for Williamson County and other areas of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comment.  This post is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0.  Information and is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information they can use to make better real estate decisions. 

As part of the inspection process, we are required to evaluate and comment on the condition of package units, furnaces and compressor units. Periodically, I come across an older package unit where there is excessive rusting around the exhaust venting for the enclosed built-in furnace. As a rule, I see this condition on units that are typically 12-14 years of age. Depending upon the manufacturer and whether the unit is "contractor grade" one can pretty much assume that there will be excessive rusting in the furnace and probably a cracked heat exchanger.

Depending upon the manufacturer, grade and how well the unit has been maintained over its service life, the expected life expectancy of most package unit furnaces will be in the 12-18 year range. When I see this condition I tell my customers to have the unit serviced and have the furnace checked for cracks or burn-through by a licensed HVAC contractor. Carbon monoxide can be introduced into the home through cracks in the furnace system and can cause asphyxiation. In this area, any cracked or damaged furnace units are "red-tagged" and gas will be shut off to the property until the unit is repaired or replaced.

Hot water systems must supply water at temperatures hot enough to meet cleaning demands but not so hot as to risk injury to people. Children, the disabled, and the elderly are most susceptible to hot water-related injuries. Currently, the maximum temperature criteria calls for temperatures to be in the 120-125ºF range. As part of this companies service to out customers, we check the temperatures of the water system and advise our customers accordingly.

The risk of scalding or other injury from hot water can be estimated by the exposure time v/s the water temperature. The table below indicates the risk of injury to a normal healthy person. Keep in mind that these times are reduced for children, the disabled, and the elderly.

• 120ºF - More than 5 Minutes
• 125ºF - 1-1/2 to 2 Minutes
• 130ºF - About 30 Seconds
• 135ºF - About 10 Seconds
• 140ºF - Less than 5 Seconds
• 145ºF - Less than 3 Seconds
• 150ºF - About 1-1/2 Seconds
• 155ºF - About 1 Second

If your water temperature is in excess of 125ºF, consider adjusting your thermostat accordingly. While individual comfort levels and reaction times vary, according to the water heater manufacturing association, the maximum recommended bathing water is approximately 104ºF.

This posting and the continents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing Nashville home inspections for Brentwood and the Davidson and Williamson Counties of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comment.  This post is part of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, which is a social network highlighting the best of Web 2.0.  Information and is provided with the intent of educating and assisting home owners, home sellers, home buyers and real estate investors with information they can use to make better real estate decisions. 

Visit my website: chiblogs.com

Just mention the “M” word during an inspection, and it seems as if all parties involved in the property transaction freak out! I really feel that the whole mold situation has been grossly blown out of proportion. It seems as if all molds are bundled into the same category as the “killer mold” in the infamous $32 Million dollar settlement for Melinda Ballard of Dripping Springs, Texas. Nothing can be further from the truth!  Molds have always existed in the environment and are generally harmless; there are some types of molds that produce toxins that can be harmful enough to cause what has recently been termed Toxic Mold Syndrome. Please Read Notes on Toxic Mold Syndrome below.

Mold has been around since the dawn of time. Mold is to the plant kingdom what bacteria is to the animal kingdom, and that is to break down dead decaying material for recycling back into the earth’s nutrient system. Without mold, be would be up to our eyebrows in leaf litter.

I have been inspecting properties and doing mold surveys for several years, and almost every property that has a crawlspace or an unfinished basement will have some amount of fungal activity. These areas are exposed to the environments and are subjected to seasonal cycles. Warm humid air during the summer months, aided by the condensate on ductwork will cause the moisture content to rise in framing members. Once the moisture content gets to 20% fungal growth can be supported.  Once the moisture content drops below that level, fungal activity stops.

Due to the liability factor associated with property inspections, competent inspectors will mention that there is some “fungal activity” has bee observed and you may want to consider further testing or have a company that specializes in this type of situation further investigate.

I take a few minutes to educate my clients by giving some information:

• All molds are not toxic. The most dangerous mold strains are: Chaetomium (pronounced Kay-toe-MEE-yum) and Stachybotrys chartarum (pronounced Stack-ee-BOT-ris  Shar-TAR-um) as they have been proven to produce demylenating mycotoxins among others, meaning they can lead to autoimmune disease. Under certain growth and environmental conditions, both of these fungi release toxic, microscopic spores and several types of mycotoxins that can cause the worst symptoms which are usually irreversible such as neurological and immunological damage. 
• Most people with “normal” healthy immune and respiratory systems will rid the body of any spores that enter the lungs or body.
• Individuals compromised immune systems such as AIDS patients, asthmatics, individuals undergoing Chemo-therapy, infants under 6 months or the very elderly can be at risk for toxins caused by even “common” molds.
• Older properties do not have the tighter construction methodologies associated with properties built since the early ‘90’s. This holds the air-borne contaminants in the property much longer thereby increasing exposure.
• Children with asthma or asthma like symptoms are at risk. There have been studies linking adult and child onset asthma with fungal activity.
• As a responsible individual, you have the most intimate knowledge of the health of your loved one and yourself. If they or you fall into one of these categories, steps may need to be taken to make the property conform to your health needs.