Untitled

1. COMMON ELECTRICAL DEFECTS

Many electrical defects are difficult to understand. An amateur electrician only judges the work on whether electricity is supplied. He neglects to take the time to do the job correctly. Deciding if electrical work is correct is more than "does the light or socket work?" Approved electrical work is based on safety. The rules and regulations are designed to prevent fire and loss of life.

Following are ten of the most common electric panel and wiring defects that I find in inspections.

1. Over-fusing. Over-fusing occurs when the wire size does not match the breaker size. The breakers are designed to allow the flow of a specific amount of electricity. The wire is only rated for that specific amount. If an excess of electricity passes through the wire, the wire can overheat and cause a fire.

2. Double lugging. Double lugging is connecting two wires to one breaker where there should be only one wire.

3. Missing 240 Volt couplers. Joining two opposite 120-volt circuits creates a 240-volt circuit. Couplers ensure that if one side of the breaker trips, the other side trips also. Without the coupler, one side can trip while the other remains energized. Damage can occur.

4. Neutral and ground contact at sub panel. Neutral wires and the wire to ground must be separated in a sub panel. The neutral bar must be insulated with plastic to prevent contact with any metal parts.

5. More than six breakers with no main shut-off. A main shut-off is required in all main panels with more than six breakers. The main shut-off allows a person to shut off all power with one switch. If someone adds a few circuit breakers to an older panel, the added breakers may exceed the shut-off requirement. The main shut-off, or disconnect is a safety requirement. In case of an emergency, seconds count. The ability to shut off all circuits at once becomes important.

6. Improper ground system. A "ground" is the side of an electric circuit connected to earth. A metal water pipe, Ufer bar, or ground "rod" provides electricity with a path to ground, or earth. If the path to ground is interrupted (by plastic pipe or loose clamps, for example), an electrical hazard can be the result.

7. Exposed splices. When electric wires are joined, they should be in an approved electric junction box with cover. If wires become loose, electricity short circuits and can cause a fire. When splices are contained in a box, a fire is less likely to happen.

8. Charred connections. This is a red flag. Evaluation must be done to determine why a wire has burned.

9. Extension cords used for permanent wiring. An extension cord over six feet long is not an approved wiring technique. Extension cords are light duty and susceptible to damage. An additional outlet should be installed so that the item can plug directly into a socket.

10. Unprotected wires. Wires mounted on a wall should be protected either with conduit, or should be installed behind wall surfaces.

Some electrical defects are found at almost every inspection. Most of the time, these defects are relatively simple for the experienced electrician to fix.

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2. POLYBUTYLENE PLUMBING

Polybutylene plumbing systems installed in San Diego between 1980 and 1990 were promoted as an effective replacement for copper plumbing systems. The primary manufacturer of the system was Shell Chemical with the trade name, QEST. There were other manufacturers, Vanguard Plastics and West Flex, but QEST was, by far, the largest manufacturer. The pipe was promoted as a less expensive alternative to copper supply systems. A typical 2000 square foot home would cost $1,000 to $1,500 less with polybutylene than with copper. Both the material and installation costs were less with polybutylene.

The key component of these systems is the fittings. There are different generations of fittings and different types of "crimp rings" used at pipe connections. The two basic fittings are plastic and metal. The plastic fittings were used from about 1980 to 1985 and metal from 1984 to 1990. The plastic fittings have a very high failure rate with leaks occurring at the pipe connections. The manufacturers began switching to metal fittings about 1984, but plumbers still had plastic fittings available and used their supply into 1985. Some houses, therefore, may have a mixture of plastic and copper fittings.

Over a six-month period, I worked as a subcontractor with the expert witness team for the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit involving plastic fittings. The lawsuit involved approximately 30,000 homes in the San Diego area and a possible settlement of over $100 million. I was performing plumbing audits and identifying type of pipe, fittings, and manufacturer. The purpose was to inspect a small number of residences and statistically project those findings for the 30,000 homes. There were several manufacturers and the court needed accurate statistics to assess the proportional responsibility to each manufacturer.

There were several teams doing the inspections. The teams were made up of a plumbing expert from the manufacturer, inspectors from the class action lawsuit team, and a paralegal.

It became clear that some houses, particularly 2-story houses, would have pipe running between floors instead of the attic, so the pipe was not visible. Therefore, in some houses, a typical home inspection will not be able to identify the type of pipe.

Another point of interest was repairs. When plastic fittings failed, plumbers would repair with copper fittings. Many times they would replace all visible plastic fittings with copper and leave the inaccessible plastic fittings in place.

The copper fitting installations are usually better than the plastic fitting system, but the copper fittings and pipe are not without problems. I have seen copper fittings leak. The plumbers that worked on the expert witness team with me had all performed repairs on copper fitting installations.

The pipe is affected by heat from the attic and from water temperature. Pipes have had pinhole leaks on the hot water side of the water heater pipe. (The pipe expands and contracts with heat and is susceptible to damage and stress.)

Rodents are another problem with these pipes. When owners put poison in the attic to kill the rodents, the poison makes the rodents thirsty. The rodents smell the water in the pipe and then chew the pipe.

There have been instances where Home Owners Associations (HOA) has settled lawsuits with polybutylene manufacturers. The HOA then divided the money among the residents and the residents pocketed the money rather than re-plumb. If your sale involves one of these homes, it is important that the buyer understand that if the plumbing fails, it is now their responsibility to fix it. The HOA or manufacturer will not. Shell Chemical will not pay twice. The buyers should be supplied with a separate statement from the sellers about all settlement monies.

There is a Plumbing Claims Group set up by the manufacturers and courts to address the problem polybutylene systems. The claim group may cover polybutylene systems up to 16 years from time of construction for copper fittings and 11 years from date of construction for plastic fitting systems. For up to date information, the plumbing claim group’s telephone number is 1-800-876-4698 and the claims group web page is www.pbpipe.com.

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3. CRACKED SLABS

There are areas of a house that experienced inspectors always investigate for possible slab problems. Most cracked slabs are found at the visible section of the exterior foundation. I always closely inspect the perimeter of the slab to check for cracks. Other good indicators are cracks below the furnace, inside the filter compartment, uneven floors, cracked tiles, buckled linoleum or domed floors at the center of a room. These are all possible signs of cracking.

It is important to pay particular attention to the middle third of the slab and where the slab is at its narrow point. This is where there should be an expansion joint, but almost never is. The slab will often times make its own expansion joint. Many times this will happen at the front door running through to the patio door.

Some indirect signs of foundation movement can be found at doorframes that are out of square, or at cracks that pass from one medium to another (also called pattern cracks). For example, a stucco crack 1/8 inch with a crack at the inside drywall and then one at the ceiling is a crack that changes medium can be an indication of a movement.

Attic framing can also show unusual signs of separation at connection points. When foundation cracks, and movement occurs, the foundation tends to be the hinge point and the cracks become larger, or V-shaped. As you go higher into the structure, the cracks or separations increase in size.

Any stucco or drywall cracks that are parallel with a hillside slope can be an indication of possible slab cracking and slope movement. These types of cracks can be the most serious, because they are symptoms of slope movement.

Dome shape elevation with cracks running to the top of the dome is usually due to expansion soils and is related to drainage. When expansion soil gets wet, it increases in size and can cause severe cracking and damage to the slab, especially at weak or thin sections of the slab. The best way to find cracks in slabs is to have the floor covering removed. Unfortunately this in impractical in many instances, in that houses are typically furnished and floor coverings are secured in place.

If there is no displacement of slab cracks and no other cracking in drywall or stucco, and the door frames are square, and the crack does not appear to have a relationship to a slope, then the typical repair would simply be epoxy injection.

Severity of the concrete crack, many times, depends on whether the crack is caused by soil movement, weak concrete or simply shrinkage. A crack less than 1/8 inch that tapers down to a hairline crack at ends would most likely be due to shrinkage. More serious cracks might be parallel with a slope, or over 1/4 inch with offsets from one side to another. These cracks may or may not indicate major problems, however, a qualified state registered engineer should evaluate and determine the cause, effect and remedy.

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4. GARAGE DOOR INSPECTIONS

A garage door is the largest moving object in the home. An older wood double door can weigh from 250 to 450 pounds. This weight, coupled with older hardware, makes older doors frequent causes of accidents in the home. Many people enter and exit their home through the garage door far more often than they use the front door.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Council (CPSC), an average of 20,000 people each year, since 1990, have been treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to garage doors. From 1988 to 1995, an estimated 68,380 finger injuries associated with garage doors were treated, an average of 8,550 finger injuries per year. In addition to the finger injuries, 62 incidents were attributed to the sudden release of energy stored in counterbalance springs, resulting in serious injuries.

In 1996, the estimated 8,550 finger injuries associated with garage doors included 190 amputations, 1,000 crushing injuries and 1,400 fractures. Also, in 1996, an estimated 1,150 injuries were associated with garage door springs. Sixty children have been trapped and killed under automatic garage doors since 1983.

Children have been known to play with the remotes and other door controls. I recently caught my nephews playing with the opener. One would operate the button and the other would grab the door on the upward path for a free ride.

A close inspection of the garage door safety features is vital part of any home inspection. The door should operate evenly without jumping or buckling at the supports. The hardware should not have uneven wear. The springs should be safety springs. This type of spring has a rod down the center. The rod is designed, incase of the spring breaks, to prevent the spring from becoming a projectile. Often times, older doors will have worn and old hardware.

The safety reverse function of a garage door opener is one of the most important segments of an inspection. An inspector has to be very careful, especially with roll doors. Many times the connection at the door is light duty and can break. Most inspectors test doors by catching the door in the middle of the downward path. The door, if adjusted properly, will reverse.

As early as the 1970s, door manufactures began to equip openers with auto reverse functions, but these were volunteer improvements and were not consistent throughout the industry. The auto reverse mechanism became standard throughout the industry, but was not mandatory. CPSC said units manufactured before 1982 did not have the safety features incorporated into the voluntary standard. Some old openers were equipped with a device that only stops the closing door and does not reverse when it strikes an object. Other pre-1982 openers included a device intended to cause the closing door to reverse when it struck an object, but for reasons mostly related to age, installation and maintenance, they may not be safe enough to prevent child deaths. The devices cannot be adjusted or repaired to provide the safety available in garage door openers manufactured in 1982 or later.

In 1991, Congress passed the Consumer Products Safety Act, which required auto reverse mechanisms. Further legislation in 1993 required electric eye devices to activate the auto reverse mechanism.

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Articles 1. COMMON ELECTRICAL DEFECTS 2. POLYBUTYLENE PLUMBING 3. CRACKED SLABS 4. GARAGE DOOR INSPECTIONS Swimming Pools “Having a pool has brought my family closer together,” says Dolores Paolicelli of Yonkers, New York. “My husband and I used to go...... Recipes For Home Repair How to Tutorilas-Home Improvement. The complete print edition available for download. Step-by-step procedures accompanied by..... Home Energy Audit Uncover twelve areas in your home and daily lifestyle that can help you save energy and money.... Foundation & Trees Fact Sheet Mold Ice Damming Planning to Dig Building & Environment Inspection Testing, Diagnosis, Repair and Problem Prevention Advice		1. COMMON ELECTRICAL DEFECTS Many electrical defects are difficult to understand. An amateur electrician only judges the work on whether electricity is supplied. He neglects to take the time to do the job correctly. Deciding if electrical work is correct is more than "does the light or socket work?" Approved electrical work is based on safety. The rules and regulations are designed to prevent fire and loss of life. Following are ten of the most common electric panel and wiring defects that I find in inspections. 1. Over-fusing. Over-fusing occurs when the wire size does not match the breaker size. The breakers are designed to allow the flow of a specific amount of electricity. The wire is only rated for that specific amount. If an excess of electricity passes through the wire, the wire can overheat and cause a fire. 2. Double lugging. Double lugging is connecting two wires to one breaker where there should be only one wire. 3. Missing 240 Volt couplers. Joining two opposite 120-volt circuits creates a 240-volt circuit. Couplers ensure that if one side of the breaker trips, the other side trips also. Without the coupler, one side can trip while the other remains energized. Damage can occur. 4. Neutral and ground contact at sub panel. Neutral wires and the wire to ground must be separated in a sub panel. The neutral bar must be insulated with plastic to prevent contact with any metal parts. 5. More than six breakers with no main shut-off. A main shut-off is required in all main panels with more than six breakers. The main shut-off allows a person to shut off all power with one switch. If someone adds a few circuit breakers to an older panel, the added breakers may exceed the shut-off requirement. The main shut-off, or disconnect is a safety requirement. In case of an emergency, seconds count. The ability to shut off all circuits at once becomes important. 6. Improper ground system. A "ground" is the side of an electric circuit connected to earth. A metal water pipe, Ufer bar, or ground "rod" provides electricity with a path to ground, or earth. If the path to ground is interrupted (by plastic pipe or loose clamps, for example), an electrical hazard can be the result. 7. Exposed splices. When electric wires are joined, they should be in an approved electric junction box with cover. If wires become loose, electricity short circuits and can cause a fire. When splices are contained in a box, a fire is less likely to happen. 8. Charred connections. This is a red flag. Evaluation must be done to determine why a wire has burned. 9. Extension cords used for permanent wiring. An extension cord over six feet long is not an approved wiring technique. Extension cords are light duty and susceptible to damage. An additional outlet should be installed so that the item can plug directly into a socket. 10. Unprotected wires. Wires mounted on a wall should be protected either with conduit, or should be installed behind wall surfaces. Some electrical defects are found at almost every inspection. Most of the time, these defects are relatively simple for the experienced electrician to fix. [Top] 2. POLYBUTYLENE PLUMBING Polybutylene plumbing systems installed in San Diego between 1980 and 1990 were promoted as an effective replacement for copper plumbing systems. The primary manufacturer of the system was Shell Chemical with the trade name, QEST. There were other manufacturers, Vanguard Plastics and West Flex, but QEST was, by far, the largest manufacturer. The pipe was promoted as a less expensive alternative to copper supply systems. A typical 2000 square foot home would cost $1,000 to $1,500 less with polybutylene than with copper. Both the material and installation costs were less with polybutylene. The key component of these systems is the fittings. There are different generations of fittings and different types of "crimp rings" used at pipe connections. The two basic fittings are plastic and metal. The plastic fittings were used from about 1980 to 1985 and metal from 1984 to 1990. The plastic fittings have a very high failure rate with leaks occurring at the pipe connections. The manufacturers began switching to metal fittings about 1984, but plumbers still had plastic fittings available and used their supply into 1985. Some houses, therefore, may have a mixture of plastic and copper fittings. Over a six-month period, I worked as a subcontractor with the expert witness team for the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit involving plastic fittings. The lawsuit involved approximately 30,000 homes in the San Diego area and a possible settlement of over $100 million. I was performing plumbing audits and identifying type of pipe, fittings, and manufacturer. The purpose was to inspect a small number of residences and statistically project those findings for the 30,000 homes. There were several manufacturers and the court needed accurate statistics to assess the proportional responsibility to each manufacturer. There were several teams doing the inspections. The teams were made up of a plumbing expert from the manufacturer, inspectors from the class action lawsuit team, and a paralegal. It became clear that some houses, particularly 2-story houses, would have pipe running between floors instead of the attic, so the pipe was not visible. Therefore, in some houses, a typical home inspection will not be able to identify the type of pipe. Another point of interest was repairs. When plastic fittings failed, plumbers would repair with copper fittings. Many times they would replace all visible plastic fittings with copper and leave the inaccessible plastic fittings in place. The copper fitting installations are usually better than the plastic fitting system, but the copper fittings and pipe are not without problems. I have seen copper fittings leak. The plumbers that worked on the expert witness team with me had all performed repairs on copper fitting installations. The pipe is affected by heat from the attic and from water temperature. Pipes have had pinhole leaks on the hot water side of the water heater pipe. (The pipe expands and contracts with heat and is susceptible to damage and stress.) Rodents are another problem with these pipes. When owners put poison in the attic to kill the rodents, the poison makes the rodents thirsty. The rodents smell the water in the pipe and then chew the pipe. There have been instances where Home Owners Associations (HOA) has settled lawsuits with polybutylene manufacturers. The HOA then divided the money among the residents and the residents pocketed the money rather than re-plumb. If your sale involves one of these homes, it is important that the buyer understand that if the plumbing fails, it is now their responsibility to fix it. The HOA or manufacturer will not. Shell Chemical will not pay twice. The buyers should be supplied with a separate statement from the sellers about all settlement monies. There is a Plumbing Claims Group set up by the manufacturers and courts to address the problem polybutylene systems. The claim group may cover polybutylene systems up to 16 years from time of construction for copper fittings and 11 years from date of construction for plastic fitting systems. For up to date information, the plumbing claim group’s telephone number is 1-800-876-4698 and the claims group web page is www.pbpipe.com. [Top] 3. CRACKED SLABS There are areas of a house that experienced inspectors always investigate for possible slab problems. Most cracked slabs are found at the visible section of the exterior foundation. I always closely inspect the perimeter of the slab to check for cracks. Other good indicators are cracks below the furnace, inside the filter compartment, uneven floors, cracked tiles, buckled linoleum or domed floors at the center of a room. These are all possible signs of cracking. It is important to pay particular attention to the middle third of the slab and where the slab is at its narrow point. This is where there should be an expansion joint, but almost never is. The slab will often times make its own expansion joint. Many times this will happen at the front door running through to the patio door. Some indirect signs of foundation movement can be found at doorframes that are out of square, or at cracks that pass from one medium to another (also called pattern cracks). For example, a stucco crack 1/8 inch with a crack at the inside drywall and then one at the ceiling is a crack that changes medium can be an indication of a movement. Attic framing can also show unusual signs of separation at connection points. When foundation cracks, and movement occurs, the foundation tends to be the hinge point and the cracks become larger, or V-shaped. As you go higher into the structure, the cracks or separations increase in size. Any stucco or drywall cracks that are parallel with a hillside slope can be an indication of possible slab cracking and slope movement. These types of cracks can be the most serious, because they are symptoms of slope movement. Dome shape elevation with cracks running to the top of the dome is usually due to expansion soils and is related to drainage. When expansion soil gets wet, it increases in size and can cause severe cracking and damage to the slab, especially at weak or thin sections of the slab. The best way to find cracks in slabs is to have the floor covering removed. Unfortunately this in impractical in many instances, in that houses are typically furnished and floor coverings are secured in place. If there is no displacement of slab cracks and no other cracking in drywall or stucco, and the door frames are square, and the crack does not appear to have a relationship to a slope, then the typical repair would simply be epoxy injection. Severity of the concrete crack, many times, depends on whether the crack is caused by soil movement, weak concrete or simply shrinkage. A crack less than 1/8 inch that tapers down to a hairline crack at ends would most likely be due to shrinkage. More serious cracks might be parallel with a slope, or over 1/4 inch with offsets from one side to another. These cracks may or may not indicate major problems, however, a qualified state registered engineer should evaluate and determine the cause, effect and remedy. [Top] 4. GARAGE DOOR INSPECTIONS A garage door is the largest moving object in the home. An older wood double door can weigh from 250 to 450 pounds. This weight, coupled with older hardware, makes older doors frequent causes of accidents in the home. Many people enter and exit their home through the garage door far more often than they use the front door. According to the Consumer Product Safety Council (CPSC), an average of 20,000 people each year, since 1990, have been treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to garage doors. From 1988 to 1995, an estimated 68,380 finger injuries associated with garage doors were treated, an average of 8,550 finger injuries per year. In addition to the finger injuries, 62 incidents were attributed to the sudden release of energy stored in counterbalance springs, resulting in serious injuries. In 1996, the estimated 8,550 finger injuries associated with garage doors included 190 amputations, 1,000 crushing injuries and 1,400 fractures. Also, in 1996, an estimated 1,150 injuries were associated with garage door springs. Sixty children have been trapped and killed under automatic garage doors since 1983. Children have been known to play with the remotes and other door controls. I recently caught my nephews playing with the opener. One would operate the button and the other would grab the door on the upward path for a free ride. A close inspection of the garage door safety features is vital part of any home inspection. The door should operate evenly without jumping or buckling at the supports. The hardware should not have uneven wear. The springs should be safety springs. This type of spring has a rod down the center. The rod is designed, incase of the spring breaks, to prevent the spring from becoming a projectile. Often times, older doors will have worn and old hardware. The safety reverse function of a garage door opener is one of the most important segments of an inspection. An inspector has to be very careful, especially with roll doors. Many times the connection at the door is light duty and can break. Most inspectors test doors by catching the door in the middle of the downward path. The door, if adjusted properly, will reverse. As early as the 1970s, door manufactures began to equip openers with auto reverse functions, but these were volunteer improvements and were not consistent throughout the industry. The auto reverse mechanism became standard throughout the industry, but was not mandatory. CPSC said units manufactured before 1982 did not have the safety features incorporated into the voluntary standard. Some old openers were equipped with a device that only stops the closing door and does not reverse when it strikes an object. Other pre-1982 openers included a device intended to cause the closing door to reverse when it struck an object, but for reasons mostly related to age, installation and maintenance, they may not be safe enough to prevent child deaths. The devices cannot be adjusted or repaired to provide the safety available in garage door openers manufactured in 1982 or later. In 1991, Congress passed the Consumer Products Safety Act, which required auto reverse mechanisms. Further legislation in 1993 required electric eye devices to activate the auto reverse mechanism. [Top]