Michael Thornton - Nashville, TN area Home Inspector

Older houses pose a challenge when it comes to heating and cooling systems. Today's methodologies which incorporate zoned systems or separate heating and cooling systems to climatize each level of the property are common place. Older properties follow the guidelines of "accepted" trade practices at the the time the property was built and upgrading ductwork and units to properly condition a property can get quite expensive.

When encountering conditions such as this, "seasoned" home inspectors follow rules-of-thumb and common sense to determine if a property needs to be further evaluated by a specialist. Generally speaking, the first rule-of-thumb is compressor sizing. Every 650 sq. ft of house needs approximately a ton of cooling as it takes more energy to cool a house. A 2500 sq. ft. property will need approximately 4 tons of cooling capacity. I know that there are several other factors which factor into the equation, but that is beyond scope of the inspection process. Remember, inspectors are generalists - not specialists.

The primary function of a cooling system is to first dehumidify, then to condition the air. If the unit is not properly sized for property conditions, cooler ductwork will cause water to condense and stain the ceiling. A good knowledgeable home inspector will look for clues:

• They will take several temperature readings at the supply registers;
• They will take note of the compressor size in comparison to area served;
• Note if the HVAC system is servicing 2 levels;
• Are there thermostats on both levels being serviced;
• Are there return air grills on each level being serviced;
• Note the temperature conditions on both levels - Supply temperature in relation to return air temperatures;
• Note the humidity levels on both levels;
• Note if water stains are present under service runs or around system registers especially in basement homes.

By taking all of these factors into consideration, the inspector can make an educated guess as to the system's performance. If I see water stains, undersized units or inconsistent temperatures, I generally call for a professional to further evaluate the unit.

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Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Not being known as being a power-house team and after being the proverbial door mats for eons, Vanderbilt is now at the top of one of the toughest college football conferences the SEC at 5 - 0. Yes, lowly Vanderbilt sits on top of the SEC east and is ahead of teams like Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and even Tennessee! Yeah Buddy... How cool is that?

In another come-from-behind win, #19 Vandy polished off #14 Auburn, 14-13 in which Vandy held Auburn scoreless after the first quarter. Vandy's last win over Auburn was in 1952 (52 years) and one has to go WAY back to 1943 to see a Vandy team go 5 - 0! Talk about a drought. Finally, the gang at Dudley Field has something to cheer about. Go Vandy... Yes!!! The Geeks shall inherit the Turf...

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Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

I really love my job... Especially when it comes the more 'experienced' properties. Kinda takes me back to my hippie dippie daze of listening to Hendrix and jammin to "Are You Experienced"... Yes I used to Crank up (the volume that is), tune in and drop out of reality... Lest I digress and get off topic here, the crankin' up was so reminiscent of my youthful years where I had speaker wire strewn hither, thither and yon... However, speaker wire is not too cool when it comes to running lighting circuits. Yes, one can certainly get some sour tunes as light bulbs make poor speakers. Shux, thought I was on to something here. They don't tweet or woof, but the wiring can certainly go 'poof' when it gets all heated up. I guess that I need to send ol Bubba out to fix this... Better not, ain't no tellin' what that boy will come up with... Better yet, get a qualified electrician...

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Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

I really love old houses. They are full of charm, history, and building methodologies and trade practices that are no longer acceptable.While it might be OK to reach out and touch someone, reaching out and touching this babies ain't too cool! They are quite electrifying and they just might raise the hair on your head.

But in all seriousness, older service entries are not to be placed within 3 feet of a window as people really do the darndest things, like reaching out and touching the wires or who knows what. Even though, this may have been acceptable several years ago, it is recommended that service entrances like this be moved to keep youngsters out of harms way. And, Oh Yes, just incase you noticed, that is a metal cabinet for a wall mounted room air conditioner next to the mast head. What can I say but shocking... 

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This post is included in one of AR's funnest groups Blogs Happen... . We are a cool and friendly lot of misfits. Check us out and join the group. As we all know life and blogs happen...

Michael

Copyright © 2008 by Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Wow! I woke up this morning and there was a little nip in the air. Maybe not as cold as in some areas of the country, but the nip was a sure sign that colder weather is on its way. This cool snap reminded me about something that many home owners do not give too much thought about - hose bibbs or sillcocks depending upon which part of the country you come from.

The above picture shows a "typical" design for the common hose bibb. Hose bibbs mount to the wall via the wall mounting flange. These are "Hydrant" type valves, which means it has the moving portion of the valve is at the head but it has a long shaft and stem with the actual valving mechanism at a remote distance to allow for drainage and freezing.

However, lazy or forgetful homeowners forget to remove the garden hoses which prevent these units from draining properly. Trapped water can expand in the barrel causing the barrel to burst. The results can be less than desirable especially if the rupture is behind a finished wall.

The water seeping from behind this wall is directly related to a ruptured frost proof hose bibb.

So as these days start to get cooler remember to remove your garden hoses, Because even these are known to be frost proof, unless properly drained they are not freeze proof!!!