Home Inspector Dan's Posts and Updates

Upside down electrical outlets in your home?

Notice that random electrical outlet that is upside down in the bedroom? Well, an electrician probably installed it upside down to indicate a switched outlet. These outlets are meant for lamps to be turned on at the wall when entering the room. Typically only half of the outlet is switched and the other half is always on, but some homes may be wired differently.

It’s safe to not plug anything in that requires the ground connection into the switched outlet. The additional weight of it upside down can cause the ground to lose contact, creating an unsafe condition considering the fixture will be turned on and off regularly. Standard lamp-cord wiring has 2 blades without a ground plug.

Another area an upside down outlet may be installed is where a doorbell transformer or security system transformer is mounted. It may be oriented so the wire runs towards the ceiling. These plugs are usually heavy and include a screw to keep the plug attached to the outlet.

What items will be inspected at a residential home inspection?

Items Inspected

The items examined in a typical home inspection include the plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems, foundation, roof, exterior and interior structures and built-in appliances. The visual inspection culminates in a set of comprehensive, computer generated reports describing the condition of the items and systems inspected. Your digital report with photos will be delivered within 24 hours or less.

Infrared gives a visual of the home heating system

Infrared Imagery

Using an infrared to check the flow of air at registers is done at the end of my inspection. Turning up the electric or gas heat and then checking for adequate flow at all of the registers in the home. Most registers can be tested just by using your hand. Having an infrared camera allows me to check the temperature and flow at registers not at ground level.

Does your sink overflow look like this?

Rusted Sink Overflow Drain

Did you know that many modern sinks do not have an overflow drain anymore? Industry standards have changed because the chance of them getting rusted out and leaking were higher than overflowing the sink. I ran into a couple on an ’82 manufactured home this afternoon. At this point there is not much to do but to replace the sink, have a qualified person do the work.

Do you have excessive moisture underneath your home?

Crawlspace vents should be mounted above grade

A crawlspace needs ventilation to remain dry, but the vents must be elevated to where it does not create an entry point for water. To lower the possibility of the vent leaking, the vent should be raised. It could possibly be removed, but ventilation under a home is just as important as keeping water out. The area around this slap could benefit in a drain to limit the chance of water running into this area.

Do you have excessive moisture underneath your home?

Cooking vent is leaking into cabinet above

Feature Title

This cooking vent is leaking into the cabinet above, and not exhausting the air as it was designed. The vent should be secured with new materials by a licensed repairman.

Cooking vent is leaking into cabinet above

Irrigation surprises are likely on an older home

Feature Title

Irrigation leaks can be expensive if not repaired. Over time the excessive moisture will cause settlement cracks in any surrounding concrete. The cost of the leak is usually cheaper to fix right away.

Irrigation surprises are likely on an older home

Attic space makes a great home for termites

Trusses Damaged by Termites

Termites usually travel up the wall a few feet and don’t need to travel much higher. But there is nothing stopping them from continuing into you attic space. Especially an attic space with moisture issues. If the termites can get their water in the attic then they won’t need to ever come down.

Caulk Any Stucco Gap At Windows To Prevent Leaks And Damage

Driveways settle when water is present

1 2 3