I don't get hired to re-inspect chimney repairs often, but when I do, I'm often disgusted. Here's how it works: the home inspector says the chimney needs repair, and the buyer tells the seller to fix the chimney. The sellers usually hire the cheapest chimney repair contractor they can find... and it's usually an unqualified hack with a trowel.
Just as there is a big difference in the quality of work between home inspectors, there is a similar gap in the quality of work between good chimney contractors and hacks. I'd like to share a couple of our recent encounters with these chimney hacks.
The $214 Chimney Re-Build
I inspected a home in Saint Louis Park that had a chimney with bricks that were disintegrating, and in need of major repair.
Here's what I wrote in my inspection report:
The bricks at the chimney were literally falling apart. They were disintegrating and allowing water in to the chimney,which will hasten their deterioration. I suspect the bricks used at the chimney weren't the right type. Have the upper portion of the chimney re-built. This will be a major expense.
The buyer went back to the seller asking for the chimney to be repaired, and the seller hired someone to fix it... for $214. That's a fraction of what I was guessing it would cost, so when the buyer learned what the seller paid for the repairs, he was rightfully suspicious and hired me to go back out. The photo below shows what I found:
I know what you're thinking - either "that's the same picture!" or "where's the duct tape?", right? If you click on either of the photos for a larger view, you'll notice that in the second photo, someone simply slapped some mortar on the chimney; they didn't fix it. This chimney still needs repair.
I inspected a home in Minneapolis with a chimney that had recently been rebuilt. The chimney walls looked great... but the crown was literally falling apart, due to a poor mix of concrete.
Unfortunately, the entire crown will need to be redone. Hopefully someone will go with a better mix of concrete, and a better design of crown as well. To read about the differences in chimney crown designs, click here Tops to Last a Lifetime.
Neil inspected a home in Minneapolis where the clay tiles had been stacked together without any mortar between the joints.
In order to be safe for use, the chimney liner must contain all products of combustion, which means every joint needs to be tightly mortared. Neil told the buyer that this was an improperly constructed chimney that should be repaired.
The buyer hired a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep to give an estimate on the repair; it was approximately $8,000. The seller had someone else come out, who happened to be a mason and volunteer firefighter, who said the missing mortar wasn't a concern. Pardon me? A volunteer firefighter does not a forensic fire investigator make. I'll trust the chimney expert, as well as the building code, which says "Clay flue liners shall be laid in medium-duty refractory mortar conforming to ASTM C 199 with tight mortar joints left smooth on the inside..."
Hopefully I've made my point. There are a lot of hacks with trowels that claim to be chimney experts. There are three local companies that I've had firsthand experience with and recommend regularly: Jack Pixley Chimney Sweeps and Masonry, London Chimney Sweeps, and 2nd Generation Chimneys. The one thing that they all have in common is that they're all CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps. If you're looking for a high quality chimney contractor in your area, you would do well to start at www.CSIA.org. They have a zip code search right on their home page.
The biggest problem I find with boilers on old Minneapolis and Saint Paul homes is leaking exhaust gas. While every heating contractor knows to look for backdrafting at the vent while performing maintenance checkups on boilers, I've found that many contractors don't bother to check for exhaust gas leaking around the jacket of the boiler, which can be just as serious of an issue.
To identify these exhaust gas leaks, I start by just looking at the jacket, or 'cover' of the boiler. If I find black or brown scorch marks around openings in the jacket, it's usually a dead giveaway that the boiler is leaking exhaust gas.
Another obvious sign of exhaust gas leakage at a boiler is heavy rusting in one particular area on the jacket; if you see rusting like the kind pictured below, it's bad news for the boiler.
To confirm these exhaust gas leaks, I use a combustible gas detector. While the most common use for a combustible gas detector is to detect natural gas leaks, they can also be used to detect exhaust gas leakage. When I inspect boilers, I check around the entire boiler for exhaust gas leaks while it's running. A combustion gas analyzer can also be used to confirm exhaust gas leaks, but this method takes much more time, because there is no instant audible feedback. The video below shows me finding just such a leak with my combustible gas detector - a TIF8800A.
If you don't own a combustible gas detector or a combustion gas analyzer, we can't hang... but you can still check for exhaust gas leakage on your boiler. Simply hold a room-temperature mirror above the suspected areas. If there is exhaust gas leaking out, it will fog up the mirror. It probably won't be as dramatic as the fogged mirror shown below, but it's the same principal.
Exhaust gas leakage is a problem because it could contain carbon monoxide, which can be deadly in high enough concentrations. Even if the exhaust gas leaking out of a boiler has a very low level of carbon monoxide, this is still a potential safety hazard that needs repair. There is no acceptable amount of exhaust gas leakage.
The repair for leaking exhaust gas at a boiler is often to have the boiler replaced, which is an expensive repair. In some cases, the exhaust gas leakage can be repaired by a qualified heating contractor who specializes in boiler repairs, but this is usually an expensive repair.
I'm not sure if it's handy homeowners or negligent contractors that are responsible, but I find the same installation defects on water softeners over and over again. The installation instructions for water softeners are pretty much the same for all the different manufacturers, so the information I'm giving here should apply to just about any water softener.
All of the metallic water distribution pipes in the home are supposed to be bonded; in other words, they're all supposed to be able to touch each other. If the water pipes in the home weren't bonded, what would happen if an energized (aka 'hot', aka 'ungrounded') wire came in contact with one of the pipes? All of the plumbing fixtures and other pipes that were connected would become silently energized. When everything is properly bonded and there is a proper ground jumper at the water meter, this can't happen.
I find this bonding compromised by a plastic by-pass valve at nearly half of the water softeners I see. If the water softener manufacturer provides a plastic by-pass valve, they will also provide a ground clamp that needs to be installed on the water pipes coming in to and going out of the water softener.
If you live in Saint Louis Park and you don't have this installed when it's time to sell your home, the city inspector will require repair of this as part of their Point of Sale inspection program. If you don't have the clamp, don't worry; you can achieve the same thing with a pair of ground clamps attached to the water pipes and a bare copper wire running between them.
The drain hose that comes from the water softener needs to terminate in a manner that won't create a potential cross-connection between the potable water and anything else... such as sewer water. This is usually achieved with an air gap; this is just a literal gap between the end of the discharge pipe and the drain receptor, whether it's a floor drain, standpipe, or laundry sink. The only problem with the diagram below, which is what one of the water softener manufacturers includes in their installation manual, is that water will shoot all over the place. When water softeners discharge water, the water flows fast. It doesn't dribble out.
The photo below is an example of an air gap at the floor drain. Even if the floor drain were to back up with sewer water, the water wouldn't come in contact with the end of the discharge hose. Also, note that the cover for the floor drain has been cut out a little bit; if this wasn't done, the discharge from the water softener would probably splash water all over the place.
While this isn't technically a defect, it's bad practice to run softened water to the outside faucets. Lawns and plants don't need softened water, and this is a tremendous waste of softened water. Any time a water softener is installed, the water supply pipes for the outside faucets should be connected upstream of the water softener.
It's also standard practice to connect the cold water for the kitchen sink upstream of the water softener. The reason for this is that softened water will have a higher sodium content - but probably not enough to make much of a difference, according to the Mayo Clinic web site.
In the photo below, you can see that all the water for the house passes through the water softener; this is a wasteful installation that should be corrected. Because this was an unfinished room, it would be quite simple to run un-softened water to the outside faucets and kitchen sink.
This is probably the biggest "no duh" defect that I find with water softeners. Everyone knows that extension cords aren't supposed to be used as a substitute for permanent wiring. If an outlet is needed, it should be installed by an electrician.
That concludes my list of the most common water softener installation defects. While I'm on the topic of water softeners though, here's one more piece of information; this list gives the water hardness for most cities in the Twin Cities metro area. I keep this list with me, and use it as a reference whenever a clients asks me about the water hardness is their city. Water Hardness List
I've taken many building code classes that were taught by the Building Official for the City of New Hope, Roger Axel. He's a fantastic teacher. In his classes, I remember him repeatedly telling us to take off the blinders; what he meant by this was to not miss the forest for the trees. Sure, the deck ledgerboard has lag screws every six inches... but if the house was built with floor trusses, what are those lag screws going in to? The wall sheathing? Look at the big picture, keep an open mind, don't make assumptions, question everything.
Despite this sage advice, municipal inspectors often have to wear blinders. This blog post isn't about deck construction. This post is about why municipal inspectors have to wear blinders.
Here's a common scenario: I inspect a home for a buyer, and I come up with a list of electrical defects that are potential fire hazards. The buyer asks the seller to fix the stuff. Two days later the seller calls me, and she's not happy.
Seller: "Hello Mr. Saltzman, you told my buyer a lot of bad information about my electric service. I just had the Minnesota State Electrical Inspector out at my house last year, and they said everything was fine."
Me: "Why did you have the state inspector at your house?"
Seller: "I had my basement finished off, and they approved all the work. They wouldn't have signed off on it if there were problems!"
Ah, but that's not true. When a permit gets pulled for work being done at a property, the permit fee covers the cost of the inspections to make sure the work being done is correct. Again, the work being done... not all the work that was ever done at the house. A $50 electrical permit for some wiring in the basement doesn't cover the inspection of the entire electric service at the house. The electrical inspector is being paid to look at the work that's being done, and that's it. If there is a glaring electrical defect that has nothing to do with the work being done, will the electrical inspector require repair? It depends.
On one hand, the electrical inspector may not have the right to require repair. If the municipal inspector is being hired to inspect the work that's being done, they have an obligation to the homeowner to approve the work if it's done properly, regardless of whatever else is going on at the house. If an owner is replacing an electric panel, should the municipal inspector go through the entire house to make sure all the lights are wired properly, all the outlets grounded, and GFCI outlets installed to today's current code? Probably not.
On the other hand, does the inspector have a moral obligation to report the other defects they see? Maybe, but these defects shouldn't have any effect on the permit approval process. If a municipal inspections department begins requiring repair of defects that aren't directly related to the work being done, what are homeowners and contractors going to start doing? They might decide that it's too much of a hassle to pull permits, because some 'a-hole inspector' is going to start poking around for other problems as soon as he or she sets foot in the house.
Municipal inspectors need to have a delicate balance of what they look at and enforce; if they miss defects, they get labeled incompetent or lazy. If they start requiring more repairs than what they're hired to look at, people think they're being jerks, and people stop pulling permits. To a certain degree, municipal inspectors have to wear blinders. I don't envy the job of the municipal inspector.
If a municipal inspector signs off on a permit, they're signing off on the work that's being done; not the entire house.
I've read a lot of water heater installation manuals, and they all give the same advice on water heater maintenance, but most people don't do any type of maintenance on their water heaters, period. Today I'm going to go over the routine maintenance that water heater manufacturers recommend, and I'll throw in my two cents. My take on water heater maintenance should be much more interesting than reading the installation manual.
Every month (yes, every month) you're supposed to flush some water out of the bottom of your tank. There's a drain valve at the bottom of the water heater tank that can be opened to allow water to drain out. You don't need to literally drain the water out of the water heater, just open the valve and let some water come out; Rheem says a few quarts is fine.
If you want to really flush out the bottom of the water heater tank, you could attach a garden hose and let a bunch of water flow through. This water is constantly being replaced by the cold water coming in to the water heater, so you don't even need to have a floor drain close by if you have a long enough garden hose.
If the drain valve leaks when you're done, don't worry. The cheap, easy, and effective repair is to screw a garden hose cap on to the end of the drain valve. This is a perfectly safe and perfectly acceptable repair.
The reason for flushing the water heater is to help prevent the accumulation of sediment on the bottom of the tank. As sediment collects in the bottom of the water heater tank over the years, it will begin to surround and insulate the thermostat, which can lead to the water heater running for longer and longer periods of time, which will decrease the life of the water heater and lead to eratic water temperatures. I'm pretty sure this is why most water heater manufacturers don't actually publish the water temperature on their control valves.
So there's the what and the why... and now my two cents. I don't drain my own water heater. It seems like a pain in the butt, and I'm not convinced that doing this will actually help to extend the life of my water heater. I know it's anecdotal evidence, but just last year I came across a used water heater sitting out in someone's garage for disposal while doing a home inspection in Champlin. The water heater was installed in 1998 and failed approximately 12 years later. For the record, water heaters typically come with 6, 9, or 12 year warranties. What made this so juicy was that there was a chart on the water heater that the owner had diligently filled out every time he drained the water heater... but the water heater still failed after 12 years. Even though the owner hadn't drained the water heater every month I would have thought this would have helped out at least a little more.
Just for this blog, I hooked up a garden hose to the drain valve on my water heater and flushed some water out. After about three seconds, the valve itself started leaking extremely hot water out all over me. I quickly closed the valve and decided not to flush the water heater again.
If you have a new water heater and you're a diligent homeowner, go ahead and flush your tank every month. If you have a water heater that's several years old and has never been flushed, I've heard it's better to just leave it alone.
Every year, the temperature and pressure relief valve is supposed to be opened to allow several gallons of water to drain out. Doing this will help to clear out sediment accumulation, and will let you know that the valve still operates freely.
The problem with this test is that the valve may not close properly after it gets opened. The older the water heater, the greater potential you have for a leaking valve. If the valve leaks after this test, it can be replaced. Temperature and pressure relief valves sell for about $10 - $15, and they're fairly easy to replace.
Every year, the sacrificial anode rod is supposed to be checked for deterioration and replaced if neccessary. The purpose of the anode rod is to save the rest of the water heater from destruction by sacrificing itself. Hey, maybe they should call it a Jesus rod ;). I don't remember much from chemistry, but I found this text at by doing a quick google search:
Cathodic protection is a scheme in which a piece of reactive metal, typically magnesium, is connected to the steel to form an electrochemical cell. Magnesium ions (Mg2+) form more easily than iron ions and enough electrons are given up by the magnesium atoms as they become positive ions to completely dominate the hydroxide ion formation process. With nowhere for their electrons to go, the iron atoms can't become iron ions and rusting can't proceed. As long as the magnesium metal, often called the "sacrificial anode", remains intact and connected to the steel, the steel won't rust significantly.
Wonderful. I don't quite follow, but the bottom line is that once the anode rod is badly deteriorated, the rest of the water heater will follow. Replacing the anode rod when needed is supposed to go a long way toward extending the life of the water heater.
To check the anode rod, you'll need to start by turning off the water supply to the water heater, and draining a few inches of water out of the tank. Now you just need to locate the thing on the top of the water heater that looks like a hex head plug - see the photo at right; that's the top of the anode rod. Get a 1 1/16" socket wrench (yes, this is a standard size), unscrew the anode rod, and pull it out of the water heater to inspect it. Once there is more than six inches of core showing at the anode rod, it's time to replace it.
There are four problems you might run in to if you want to check on / replace your anode rod:
Sorry to be cynical, but checking on and replacing an anode rod is too difficult. When the manufacturers make it just about impossible to do this step that's supposed to dramatically increase the life of your appliance... of course nodody is going to do it. What incentive does the manufacturer have in making this step easy?
By the way, if you do happen to replace your anode rod, I've heard you're supposed to save the old magnesium rod for Independance Day. That's just what I've heard. Good times.
 |
|
|
Minneapolis Home Inspections, Truth-in-Housing Evaluations, Infrared Inspections. Minnesota State Certified Building Official Limited #MN2893, ASHI Certified Inspector.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2013 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
