About Franklin County, KY

Kentucky Septic System Inspection? Is it really necessary?

I don't inspect septic systems. Don't want to. Don't have a pumper truck. Won't. If I'm doing a Kentucky Home Inspection at a home where there is supposed to be a septic system the client get's the below verbally and in the report.

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The house is reported to have a septic system. I don't know. Septic systems are excluded from the visual home inspection as the tank and drain field are buried and I don't possess the necessary equipment (pump truck) to properly empty the tank and inspect it. I recommend that you have the septic system fully inspected by a qualified septic system technician, to include emptying the tank.

For more information on septic systems on the internet see: http://cfpub.epa.gov/owm/septic/home.cfm

I also recommend that you consult with the county health department to see what information they have on the septic system, as the health department regulates and oversees local septic systems.
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Yesterday a buyer's agent called asking if I knew any septic system installers in the local area. I do. Gave the agent the name and asked why.

Dare I say, "Oh Sh*t!

The agent said something along the lines of "Remember that property you inspected back in November for X & Y. I missed one little block on the seller's four page disclosure that said there wasn't a septic system. Today the buyer found the straight pipe (i.e., poop going down over the hill onto the ground). There was no septic system. I'll be turning this in to my Errors & Omissions (E & O) provider."

I looked at the listing detail from the local realtor association. (I keep a copy.) The listing agent had clearly stated that the sewer was a septic system. Guess the listing agent will be turning it in to their E & O provider also.

Talked with the buyer. He said the his agent had told him that because it seemed the septic system was working fine, he didn't really need to spend the $300.00 to follow my advice to get the septic system inspected.

Whose advice did the client follow? Yup, the one that meant he didn't have to spend any money, right now, anyway!

Lot's of blame to go around for this one.

A septic system can cost around $10,000, if not more, to install.

Glad to say:

I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVICE GIVEN BUT NOT FOLLOWED!

A septic system inspection, B 4 U Close, would reveal the lack of a septic system!

Are Your Coils Clean??

Can your heating and cooling breath like it's supposed too? It will if you change your filters regularly. Do YOU?

When I'm doing a Frankfort, Kentucky Home Inspection, I can't always get to the coils to see them, but I can almost always get my camera into the blower fan compartment to see what conditions are inside the unit. The blades should be fairly clean. When I can see the coils they should also look clean, kind of like the fins on your car's radiator.

Obviously, someone wasn't changing their filters on this unit.

This system isn't breathing very well. Though a little heat leaked through.

Dirty blower fan

Coils mostly blocked with crud.

The blower fan blades are covered with crud, reducing the energy efficiency. The coil is mostly blocked with crud, mud, pet hair and whatever other components make up this crud.

It's possible to restore the systems energy efficiency by having an HVAC technician remove the fan and coils, clean them, and replace them. BUT, it's likely to cost $400.00 to $500.00 to have this done.

My usual diagnosis:

The main blower fan blades are dirty which impedes the operating efficiency of the unit. This has also usually allowed dust to come in contact with the wet air conditioning coils. Wet plus dust equals mud on the coils equals coils being partially blocked. I can't see the coils to verify this though. I recommend that you have the heating and cooling unit serviced and cleaned (to include removal and cleaning of both the fan and the coils) by a qualified heating and air conditioning contractor.

Changing your filters on a regular basis is much easier and less expensive from both repair cost and energy cost standpoints.

Got chimney. Where's your saddle?

You wonder about chimney guys and roofers? Whose responsible for ensuring there's a saddle (aka cricket) behind wide chimnmeys to force the water running down the roof to go around the chimney instead of overrunning the chimney flashing and leaking into the house.

I can kind of understand it on old houses where they may not have "done it that way".

But the new technology and ideas for preventing roof leaks call for saddles behind wide chimneys.

Here's an example:

Does your wide chimney have a chimney saddle (aka chimney cricket) behind it?

If it doesn't, you might want to think about getting a roofer to install one to prevent future water damage.

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Matthew and Nancy Sleeth - Don't miss this opportunity to learn and fellowship with Lexington's Leading Advocates of Caring for our planet.

Matthew and Nancy Sleeth will be sharing at the First Christian Church Frankfort Kentucky on February 8th at 6:15 PM.

Matthew will be speaking on "Serving God, Saving the Planet." Nancy will be there to help answer questions and she will also do book signings.

Matthew and Nancy Sleeth really do live their lives as they so passionately advocate. In fact I remember seeing their electric bill for the month of May when they lived in a large home in Wilmore. The electrical usage was absurdly low. If my memory serves me correctly I think it was eleven dollars for the whole month of May. Yes, it does get hot during May and yes they did have an air conditioner.

Blessed Earth is the non profit that Matthew and Nancy use to advocate for the safe use of energy, the responsible use of resources and a global view of how our lives affect our neighbors around this world. The Sleeths are all about stewardship of the planet that we were given to care for and treasure.

On Wednesday, April 4th Nancy Sleeth will return to First Christian Church Frankfort, also at 6:15 PM to discuss her new book, Almost Amish: the quest for a simpler, slower, more sustainable life, which is being released that week.

If you have any questions please give me a call.

What's wrong in this Frankfort, KY Home Inspections Picture?

This series of blog posts focuses on educating my clients, Active Rain & Localism readers along with my Facebook friends (see the Facebook Business Page Badge at the bottom of the post. ALL Facebook likes are appreciated. )

The picture below was taken during one of my recent Frankfort, Kentucky home inspections.  It's a picture of the door leading to a walk in attic area.

Well, it's so cold because it's just an interior door, uninsulated, unsealed, that leads to the cold attic area.  Why would a builder put an interior door leading to an exterior temperature area?  Because it's quite a bit cheaper and no one said anything about it.  Well, until I came along to point out the incongruity and loss of energy ($$$$$$$$) that it causes.

Do you have a walk in attic.  Is the door an exterior rated door complete with weather stripping.  It should be if you want to save energy ($$$$$$).

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