My home inspection lasted about 1.5 hrs. The inspector was from one of the larger inspection companies. A friend used the company and apparently had a very competent inspector.
At the time I thought my inspector was good. In hindsight he missed a lot of things that in my opinion an inspection should discover. He had a bad back and could barely bend down so he only looked in places in plain sight. He barely peeked behind the knee walls upstairs. He didn't look under the front porch. He claimed he looked at the roof with binoculars before I got there...
I was clueless at the time and really depended on him to seek out anything that may be a long term issue. Every single system he looked at he wrote a disclaimer to have someone else inspect it. When the inspection was complete I needed a builder to look at the structure, an electrician to look at the electrical, an exterminator to look for any bug damage. The list went on and on.
His disclaimer would have required me to hire someone from pretty much every trade out there to look at the house. The whole inspection report was one big CYA for him and his company.
I hired accurate inspection of atlanta the next time to perform another inspection because I wasn't satisfied. He found things that were electrical code violation and one circuit had oversized wiring and had started melting the insulation. The chimney was pulling away from the structure. Luckly I hired him to perform this warranty inspection. If not I would have been out a lot of money.I think I will and never go with one of the big inspection firms.
When a heat pump is operating in the heating mode or heat cycle, the outdoor air is relatively cool and the outdoor coil acts as an evaporator.Under certain conditions of temperature and relative humidity, frost might form on the surface of the outdoor coil. The layer of frost will interfere with the operation of the heat pump by making the pump work harder and, therefore, inefficiently. The frost must be removed. A heat pump has a cycle called a defrost cycle, which removes the frost from the outdoor coil.
A heat pump unit will defrost regularly when frost conditions occur.The defrost cycle should be long enough to melt the ice, and short enough to be energy-efficient.
In the defrost cycle, the heat pump is automatically operated in reverse, for a moment, in the cooling cycle.This action temporarily warms up the outdoor coil and melts the frost from the coil. In this defrost cycle, the outdoor fan is prevented from turning on when the heat pump switches over,and the temperature rise of the outdoor coil is accelerated and increased.
The heat pump will operate in the defrost cycle until the outdoor coil temperature reaches around 57° F.The time it takes to melt and remove accumulated frost from an outdoor coil will vary, depending on the amount of frost and the internal timing device of the system.
Interior Heating Element
During this defrost cycle with older heat pumps, the indoor unit might be operating with the fan blowing cool air. To prevent cool air from being produced and distributed inside the house, an electric heating element can be installed and engaged at the same time as the defrost cycle. In defrost mode, this heating element will automatically turn on, or the interior blower fan will turn off. The heating component is wired up to the second stage of a two-stage thermostat.
The Typical Cycle
The components that make up the defrost cycle system includes a thermostat, timer and a relay. There is a special thermostat or sensor of the defrost cycle system, often referred to as the frost thermostat. It is located on the bottom of the outdoor coil where it can detect the temperature of the coil.
When the outdoor coil temperature drops to around 32° F, the thermostat closes the circuit and makes the system respond. This causes an internal timer to start. Many heat pumps have a generic timer that energizes the defrost relays at certain intervals of time. Some generic timers will energize the defrost
cycle every 30, 60 and 90 minutes.
The defrost relays turn on the compressor, switch the reversing valve of the heat pump, turn on the interior electric heating element, and stop the fan at the outdoor coil from spinning. The unit is now in the defrost cycle.
The unit remains in the defrost cycle (or cooling cycle) until the thermostat on the bottom of the outdoor coil senses that the outdoor coil temperature has reached about 57° F. At that temperature, the outdoor coil should be free of frost. The frost thermostat opens the circuit, stops the timer, then the defrost cycle stops, the internal heater turns off, the valve reverses, and the unit returns to the heating cycle. A typical defrost cycle might run from 30 seconds to a few minutes. The defrost cycles should repeat regularly at timed intervals. An inspector should not observe a rapid cycling of the defrost operation.
In summary, certain conditions can force a heat pump into a defrost cycle (or cooling cycle) where the fan in the outdoor coil is stopped, the indoor fan is stopped or electric heat is turned on, the frost melts and is removed from the outdoor coils. When the frost thermostat is satisfied or a certain pre-set time period elapses, the outdoor fan comes back on, and the heat pump goes back into the heating cycle.
All air conditioners and heat pumps are specifically designed to work with matched indoor units (furnace or air handler) for optimum efficiency and performance.While an outdoor cooling system may "work" with indoor units, including older systems, it will only operate at its peak potential when it's paired with the right sized system for your home.
Bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to heating and cooling systems. A system that is too large for your home will frequently cycle on and off, which wastes energy. Plus, it won't run long enough to remove humidity from the air, which can impact the comfort and health of your home. A system that is too small can't do its job of making you comfortable. In this case, it will run continuously to keep up with the thermostat setting, costing you more on your utility bills and potentially shortening the system's life.
The only reliable way to determine the size that best matches the needs of your home is to have a load calculation, which takes into account the square footage of your house, the insulation value of your windows, the amount of insulation in your walls and roof and many other factors.A load calculation is required to ensure proper sizing of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) calculation is required by Georgia's energy code. Common rules-of-thumb, such as 1 ton of air conditioning per 600 square feet, are not acceptable because there are many factors, other than the size of the home, that affect the size of heating and air conditioning equipment required.
A correctly sized cooling unit is critical for providing proper dehumidification, comfort,and efficiency.accounts for details such as orientation, window-to-wall area ratio, window type, insulation levels, air infiltration, duct losses and internal heat sources. All are significant factors that affect the load of a home.
A duct design is required to ensure proper sizing of the duct system. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) recommends.determining the size of the duct system. A duct sizing calculation takes the size of the HVAC equipment, the corresponding air handler, the air requirements for the rooms and the
type of ducts being installed (hard pipe or flex duct) into account. The common rules-of-thumb for duct sizing such as an assumed friction rate of .1 per 100 feet of ductwork are not acceptable. The air handler, required air flow and duct length and fittings used all contribute to the friction rate and static pressure of a particular system.
To repair or replace, that is the question that likely comes to mind whenever your heating or cooling system stops working like it should. Although repairing may be the most affordable solution now, it might not be the best choice over the long run.When the cost of repairs approaches 50% of the value of your heating or cooling system, it's generally time to replace the system.Even if needed repair costs aren't quite as daunting as 50%, you might want to replace your system if it's more than 12 years old or you've had a history of problems with it.
The BTU from the furnance entering the flue ARE less on a on a induced draft when compared to a gravity draft.A foraced draft even less but this type of furnace would have a plastic vent. Usually two sources of water can cause the corrosion, condensation or rain water. (sometimes Plumbing leaks).
Some condensation is normal at startup. A flue is checked with a micro-manometer after it is at a operating tempature (aprox 10 min.) At this point it should draw. If there is not a draw than there is a venting issue. It can have various reasons: Indueced draft into a masonary (usually exterior) chiminey (this is called a cold cap in some areas) , inducer fan isssues (craks or leaks), flue and/or connecter issues (bird nest, T-connector vs Y a water heater). Bottom Line- testing is beyond the visual home, But visible installation issue are within the scope of a HI , such as a induced drat into a masonary flue (wrong at some geographacial areas) , connecter issues and some inducer fan issues, these should be reported.
Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta www.findmeaninspector.com 404 680-4578
TEMPERATURE : When it's cold outside, your mission is to prevent as little heat as possible from leaving your home, because anytime it leaves, you have to pay to replace it. The price you pay is reflected in your monthly heating bill.There are two physical laws which affect how well your home hangs onto its heat.
Temperature Gradient- Heat moves from warm areas to cold areas. Pressure Gradient- Warm air moves from high pressure to low pressure.
HOW HEAT LEAVES YOUR HOME- Thermal Bridging
The living space is warm and it's cold outside. Materials that conduct heat will try to radiate warmth from inside the home to the outside, just like... a radiator! Solid materials like concrete and wood are better radiators than materials like insulation, which is filled with tiny air pockets.Solid materials offer better thermal bridging, allowing heat to move more easily from the warm inside to the cold outside, except in this case, better is worse. Building methods which minimize thermal bridging help save on heating costs.
You Change the Air Pressure
When you turn on a fan in a bathroom, above a stove or in a laundry room, you are pushing warm air out of the home through the fan vent. Whenever anything in your home burns fuel such as wood, propane or natural gas, combustion takes place. Since the products of combustion are poisonous gasses (and moisture), those gasses are vented to the outside, along with warm air from the home.Low air pressure is created in a home when air is removed either by using a fan or by creating a strong draft using the combustion process. Since the air pressure is lower in the warm house, air will come in to replace it... cold air. Nature Changes the Air Pressure-Blowing wind will create areas of high and low pressure around your home, pushing and sucking the warm air out and replacing it with... cold air.
Stack Effect-As cold air enters the home and is heated, the warm air rises and leaves the home through vents in bathrooms and laundry rooms and through cracks and airspaces in and around ceilings.This rising heat loss is called stack effect. As warm air leaves the home through stack effect, it's replaced by cold air.
Are you serious about how to go about cutting your heating and cooling costs?
Follow these steps:
Heating Units and Controls
There are four common types of heating units:
Most heating systems need air for combustion. Furnaces, boilers and space heaters that burn fuels need a supply of air to be able to burn properly, and a vent to the outdoors so that combustion gases can escape from the house. Electric heaters do not need to be vented. Combustion is a two-step process: air in, and gases out.
Curtis Petty
The building Inspector Code Enforcement Professional Certification Program adopted by the Association provides a means of gaining recognition of the competency levels acceptable for inspection responsibilities and improved professional standing in the community.
Atlanta Home Environmental Testing www.findmeaninspector.com
It was first introduced to the US in 2001. At its peak the toxic Chinese drywall was used in new or remodeled homes in the US between 2003 and 2007. (But it is still being imported to the US). Houses with toxic Chinese drywall may, or may not have a sulphur, or rotten egg smell. The actual symptoms
of toxic Chinese drywall are upper respiratory issues, nose bleeds, severe headaches, rashes, combined with air conditioning unit failures, copper, or silver corrosion, and/or corrosion of other metals. Light bulb failures or electric device failures may also be related to exposure to toxic Chinese drywall.
Is this toxic Chinese drywall problem just limited to Florida? No. The number of homes with toxic Chinese drywall has been grossly understated, there are at least 150,000 new or remodeled homes in Florida. Other states with significant quantities of toxic Chinese drywall include, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, Virginia, Connecticut, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, California, and Colorado.
Note the biggest tragedy in all of this is that literally thousands of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas that have been restored because of hurricane damage will have to be rebuilt again, because the contractors doing the storm damage repairs used toxic Chinese drywall.
This is why Americas Watchdog is calling on President Obama, and the US Congress to enact emergency funding to help these homeowners rebuild their homes, so they are safe to live in. This is another reason why the US EPA is so desperately needed, in what is about to become the absolute worst environmental disaster for homeowners in US history.
It was first introduced to the US in 2001. At its peak the toxic Chinese drywall was used in new or remodeled homes in the US between 2003 and 2007. (But it is still being imported to the US). Houses with toxic Chinese drywall may, or may not have a sulphur, or rotten egg smell. The actual symptoms of toxic Chinese drywall are upper respiratory issues, nose bleeds, severe headaches, rashes, combined with air conditioning unit failures, copper, or silver corrosion, and/or corrosion of other metals. Light bulb failures or electric device failures may also be related to exposure to toxic Chinese drywall.
Is this toxic Chinese drywall problem just limited to Florida? No. The number of homes with toxic Chinese drywall has been grossly understated, there are at least 150,000 new or remodeled homes in Florida. Other states with significant quantities of toxic Chinese drywall include, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, Virginia, Connecticut, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, California, and Colorado.
Note the biggest tragedy in all of this is that literally thousands of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas that have been restored because of hurricane damage will have to be rebuilt again, because the contractors doing the storm damage repairs used toxic Chinese drywall. This is why Americas
Watchdog is calling on President Obama, and the US Congress to enact emergency funding to help these homeowners rebuild their homes, so they are safe to live in. This is another reason why the US EPA is so desperately needed, in what is about to become the absolute worst environmental disaster for homeowners in US history.
The Environmental Protection Agency released new information from recent tests conducted on the materials used in Chinese Drywall. The EPA reports that drywall produced in China contains sulfur, and two other organic compounds which are generally used in the production of acrylic paint. These materials are
not used in the production of drywall made in the United States. The EPA also found that Chinese produced drywall contains 10-times the amount of strontium (a metallic element) than that of American made drywall.
While these tests help to understand what has caused the catastrophic disasters in more than 100,000 US homes, the EPA has said that more tests are needed. In future tests, the EPA plans on including air samples in homes which contain the Chinese drywall in order to determine whether the drywall is the cause
of the corroded wiring and appliances, as well as the reported health problems, like many currently believe.
The first congressional hearings on Chinese drywall are set for tomorrow, Thursday May 21, 2009. The Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance will investigate health and product safety issues associated with the drywall. Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the EPA, the Consumer Product and Safety Commission and homeowners who have been affected by the drywall are expected to testify as witnesses at the hearing.
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