John M. Acaron, BSME, CHI, CMI

Clothes dryers evaporate the water from wet clothing by blowing hot air past them while they tumble inside a spinning drum. Heat is provided by an electrical heating element or gas burner. Some heavy garment loads can contain more than a gallon of water, which during the drying process will become airborne water vapor and leave the dryer and home through an exhaust duct (more commonly known as a dryer vent). A vent that exhausts moist air to the home exterior has a number of requirements:

1. It should be connected. The connection is usually behind the dryer but may be beneath it. Look carefully to make sure it's actually connected!
2. It should not be restricted. Dryer vents are often made from flexible plastic or metal duct, which may be easily kinked or crushed where they exit the dryer and enter the wall or floor. This is often a problem since dryers tend to be tucked away into small areas with little room to work. Vent hardware is available which is designed to turn 90° in a limited space without restricting the flow of exhaust air. Restrictions should be noted in the inspector's report. Airflow restrictions are a potential fire hazard!
3. One of the reasons that restrictions are a potential fire hazard is that along with water vapor evaporated out of wet clothes, the exhaust stream carries lint - highly flammable particles of clothing made of cotton and polyester. Lint can accumulate in an exhaust duct, reducing the dryer's ability to expel heated water vapor, which then accumulates as heat energy within the machine. As the dryer overheats, mechanical failures can trigger sparks, which can cause lint trapped in the dryer vent to burst into flames. This condition can cause the whole house to burst into flames! Fires generally originate within the dryer but spread by escaping through the ventilation duct, incinerating trapped lint and following its path into the building wall.

House fires caused by dryers are far more common than generally believed, a fact that can be appreciated upon reviewing statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency. Fires caused by dryers in 2005 were responsible for approximately 13,775 house fires, 418 injuries, 15 deaths, and $196 million in property damage. Most of these incidents occur in residences and are the result of improper lint cleanup and maintenance. Fortunately, these fires are very easy to prevent.
The recommendations outlined below reflect International Residential Code (IRC) SECTION M1502 CLOTHES DRYER EXHAUST guidelines:

M1502.5 Duct construction.
Exhaust ducts shall be constructed of minimum 0.016-inch-thick (0.4 mm) rigid metal ducts, having smooth interior surfaces with joints running in the direction of air flow. Exhaust ducts shall not be connected with sheet-metal screws or fastening means which extend into the duct.

This means that the flexible, ribbed vents used in the past should no longer be used. They should be noted as a potential fire hazard if observed during an inspection.

M1502.6 Duct length. The maximum length of a clothes dryer exhaust duct shall not exceed 25 feet (7620 mm) from the dryer location to the wall or roof termination. The maximum length of the duct shall be reduced 2.5 feet (762 mm) for each 45-degree (0.8 rad) bend and 5 feet (1524 mm) for each 90-degree (1.6 rad) bend. The maximum length of the exhaust duct does not include the transition duct.

This means that vents should also be as straight as possible and cannot be longer than 25 feet. Any 90° turns in the vent reduce this 25-foot number by 5 feet since these turns restrict airflow.
A couple of exceptions exist:

1. The IRC will defer to the manufacturer's instruction, so if the manufacturer's recommendation permits a longer exhaust vent, that's acceptable. An inspector probably won't have the manufacturer's recommendations, and even if they do, confirming compliance with them exceeds the scope of a General Home Inspection.
2. The IRC will allow large radius bends to be installed to reduce restrictions at turns, but confirming compliance requires performing engineering calculation in accordance with the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, which definitely lies beyond the scope of a General Home Inspection!

M1502.2 Duct termination.
Exhaust ducts shall terminate on the outside of the building or shall be in accordance with the dryer manufacturer's installation instructions. Exhaust ducts shall terminate not less than 3 feet (914 mm) in any direction from openings into buildings. Exhaust duct terminations shall be equipped with a backdraft damper. Screens shall not be installed at the duct termination.

Inspectors will see many dryer vents terminate in crawlspaces or attics where they deposit moisture, which can encourage the growth of mold, wood decay, or other material problems. Sometimes they will terminate just beneath attic ventilators. This is a defective installation. They must terminate at the exterior and away from a door or window! Also, screens may be present at the duct termination and can accumulate lint and should be noted as improper.

M1502.3 Duct size.
The diameter of the exhaust duct shall be as required by the clothes dryer's listing and the manufacturer's installation instructions.

Look for the exhaust duct size on the data plate.

M1502.4 Transition ducts.
Transition ducts shall not be concealed within construction. Flexible transition ducts used to connect the dryer to the exhaust duct system shall be limited to single lengths, not to exceed 8 feet (2438 mm) and shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2158A.

In general, a home inspector will not know specific manufacturer's recommendations or local applicable codes and will no be able to confirm the dryer vent's compliance to them, but will be able to point out issues that may need to be corrected.

For more information visit: HOMEINSPECTORUSA

John M. Acaron, CHI, CMI

www.HOMEINSPECTORUSA.biz

(850-814-3889)

Deal Killer ("DK") is one of the most controversial of all home inspection topics, the one that stirs ire among veteran inspectors and that draws defensive reactions from some real estate professionals everywhere. The very idea that professional real estate agents are the primary source of home inspector referrals is a clear and obvious conflict of interest. Yet most home buyers never seem to give this a thought. They simply hire the agent's favorite home inspector, without asking if this is the best one available. Let the client do his own research and select his professional home inspector.

The proper job description of real estate agents is representing the best interest of clients. The highest expression of true representation is to provide total, complete, and unabridged disclosure. When a buyer asks an agent to recommend a professional home inspector, the actual question, regardless of how it is stated, is "who is the best home inspector available?" Real estate agents who recommend someone they do not regard as the best are not representing the client's interests and are thereby guilty of misrepresentation. If the ethical commitment to a client is not sufficient motivation to recommend a quality home inspector, real estate agents should consider the matter of personal liability. Every defect that is overlooked by a marginal home inspector is a potential lawsuit, and such suits are commonly filed against agents who compromise the interests of their clients.

The derogatory phrase "DK" is somewhat used by a few real estate agents to describe independent professional home inspectors who give buyers objective information in an inspection report, which may lead the buyer to renegotiate or to look at other properties. Some real estate agents view independent home inspectors as a challenge to their ability to generate income. They view these "DK" as foes and will try to use a number of tactics to control the inspector selection process. Think twice, Think about liability.

Transactions close when buyers are satisfied with the condition of the property. The best professional home inspectors find more of the conditions that raise dissatisfaction. Less experienced inspectors don't disclose as many of these conditions, posing less risk to the agent's income. For some agents, the temptation to recommend a less thorough inspector is too great to resist. When temptation prevails, "STOP" let the client make his choice.

But what exactly does that mean? The name suggests someone who reports nonexistent problems or who describes defects in an alarmist fashion. But professional home inspectors of that kind are rare. The epithet is more commonly applied to those with the greatest ability to discover problems in a home. Once a professional home inspector has been branded with the "DK" label, disrepute spreads through the grapevine of local real estate agents. When new agents join a real estate office, they are often advised by some of the veteran agents not to use Inspector X, because of his "DK" status. Avoid the engagement in this practice. Remember: A happy client results in many future referrals.

Being a thorough, detail and unbiased professional home inspector is often mistaken as a nick-pick inspector. However, some home inspectors use canned software package, often call a check list formatted with prewritten statements. These home inspectors are for the most part very popular because the end result is a check list that is difficult to understand and pretty much cumbersome, softening out the end results. Is this the common practice of all real estate agents? Absolutely not! So, what is the solution? Let the client make his own research and select his own professional home inspector. This is call: "PEACE OF MIND" for information visit: www. HOMEINSPECTORUSA.biz

John M. Acaron, CHI, CMI

www.HOMEINSPECTORUSA.biz

Office: (850-814-3889)

Think of a professional home inspector as a detective searching throughout the house for clues that lead to a conclusion of the home's overall condition. A certified home inspector performs a very important service. He inspects an existing home using professional standards and equipment as a measure to accurately report the condition of the home. A professional home inspector will inspect the property to the highest professional and ethical standards in the industry and provide the client with an accurate, comprehensive, easy-to-read, written assessment report thereafter. The inspector does not evaluate the home for cost or value. A home inspection is a non-invasive examination of the condition of a home performed on specific time and date. The home inspection is carried out by a professional home inspector, who usually is certified and has specialized equipment (tools), education and training to ascertain and carry out such task.

To be a competent and professional home inspector it must be fully educated & trained in the proper operation of all commonly found home systems. These systems include:

•v Structural Components (foundations, floors and walls),

•v Exterior Components (siding paint, windows, decks, garage doors, etc.),

•v Roofing (coverings, flashings, chimneys, etc.),

•v Plumbing (piping, fixtures, faucets, water heating and fuel storage systems, etc.),

•v Electrical (wiring, main service panels, conductors, switches, receptacles, etc.),

•v Heating (equipment, safety controls, distribution systems, chimneys, etc.),

•v Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps (cooling and air-handling equipment, controls and ducting, etc.),

•v Interior (partitions, ceilings, floors, railings, doors and windows, etc.),

•v Insulation and Ventilation (attic, walls, floors, foundations, kitchen and bathrooms, etc.)

Why a Home Inspection? Public awareness, increased liability, and the growing demand for qualified information have catapulted the home inspector into the public spotlight. When purchasing a home, many home buyers have saved literally thousands of dollars through information provided by the home inspector. People who have owned a home for several years have benefited through the home inspector's knowledge of maintenance, repairs and experienced eyes to avert potential problems. In many areas where disasters have occurred, homeowners have relied on inspectors to help them identify any damage resulting from storms, earthquakes, etc.

The home inspection report must be neatly written and conform to the accepted standards of this industry. With proper education, training and experience a home inspector can be an effective asset to the home buyer. A home "cannot fail" an inspection, as there is no score or passing grade given. A home inspector, therefore, will not pass or fail a house, but rather describe its physical condition and indicate what components and systems may need a major or minor repair or replacement. The home inspector play a very important role in the decision making process and in the result of the real estate transaction.A home inspection has become an intricate part of the real estate transaction. ****** Inspected Once, Inspected Right! ******

The 2009 Health Expo took place on Wednesday 4 February at Edgewater Beach Resort Convention Center over three hundred companies from the medical community in Panama City and Panama City Beach show- cased their services and capabilities. HOMEINSPECTORUSA show-cased the Mold Screening and testing services as well as the Home Inspection core capabilities and expertise.

Here are a few photos depicting our booth. The event was a total success for our company. Many leads were acquired and several inspections were booked. The Health Fair will become a continue event for years to come due to the extraordinary success. So, you should be in the look out for the next year event.

Inspected Once, Inspected Right! Anyone Else is Just Looking Around!

We are a local "INDEPENDENT" Professional Home Inspection & Environmental (Mold testing) company working just for your best interest before the investment is finalized. HOME INSPECTOR USA staff are certified Home, Commercial & Environmental (Mold & Allergens) Inspector's (IAC2, ESA, EMSL, IAQA, InterNACHI & ProLab). We at HOME INSPECTOR USA, we're committed to providing the highest level of professional service in the home inspection industry at competitive rates. HOME INSPECTOR USA programs conform to state, EPA, VA, HUD, InterNACHI and FHA standards. HOME INSPECTOR USA is the premier home inspection and mold inspection company in the area.

HOME INSPECTOR USA has earned the continued loyalty of many praised business and numerous residential and commercial clients who rely on us to meet their needs, and trust in our tradition of delivering complete, accurate, and reliable results. Allow us to earn your trust and business as well! We are not a contractor or affiliated with any contractors repair companies, appraisal firms, real estate agents or mold remediation company. HOME INSPECTOR USA is a local (Panama City Beach, Florida) company, founded in Bay County, Florida. Our continue success has enable us to expand our professional home inspection services to the North Central Florida area.