Why Remove the Service Covers?

Part of the Washington State SOP is removal of the access covers for furnaces. It seems like a bit of common sense, but not every inspector will do it, especially if the furnace is relatively new or electric. 

Yesterday's inspection gave me a great example of why the cover should be removed. The induced-draft furnace, a Carrier wasn't that old. It was a bit of a problem to get to it since the builder put in the crawlspace.

Before I clambered into the under-floor area, I set the thermostat up by ten degrees so I could put a heat demand on the system. When I reached the scuttle, I could hear the inducer spinning up and the furnace ignite. All good.

I let it run while I did the crawlspace inspection (also required under Washington's SOP.) After taking pictures of the issues there, I turned my attention to the furnace.

It was side-mounted with the burners to my left and the blower compartment to my right. To get the cover off for the burners, both covers needed to be removed. This shut down the whole furnace,  as it should, when the blower door safety switch released.

I fiddled with the blower door and remounted it with it to restart the furnace which obligingly did so. Saw the glow of the hot surface igniter and heard the woosh of the gas burning. And, from the corner of my eye, an oddity. The flame on start-up didn't look right. A few seconds later, the furnace shut down on its own.

Most modern furnaces has a sight glass to the electronic control boards. On these boards, there is an LED (light emitting diode) or two that will signal an error code. In this case, it was three short lights followed by three long. The legend indicated a flame roll out or limit switch failure.

I used the serviceman's switch (a switch located within sight of the piece of equipment that turns power off to it) and reset everything. The furnace started, ignition, and ran without incident.

Have I mentioned I hate intermittent problems?

So I reset everything, again.

And the furnace failed, again. This time I got the (not very good) picture of the flame roll out. If you look closely to the left side of the picture, a tongue of flame dodges the normal flame path and appears to be hitting a wire.

If I had taken the easy way, to start the system and count it as working by just the first start-up, I would have missed a critical detail of the operating status of the furnace. By pulling covers and testing both safety switches, I gathered better and more accurate information. Better still, I found a condition that might lead to a house fire. Protecting the people in that home is the most important part of my job.

The cost of repair probably isn't much, in this case. I say probably because, while the issue may be as simple as adjusting the gas and air mixtures, a cracked heat exchanger can present this as well. In that case, replacement of the whole furnace may be necessary. In between, the venting of the furnace may be a cause.

As a home inspector, determining the cause is beyond my purview. Finding it, though - that's solidly in the inspector wheelhouse.

Last Day of Work This Year - December 23rd

Hi:

By now, I think that nearly everyone that I work with on a regular basis has heard that I will be taking an extended period off from performing inspections in order to travel to Africa. Not everyone has the timeline, so I thought I would share that so each person can plan for the future.

I leave for Kenya on December 27th. With the holiday, that means my last day of work for the year will be the 23rd, as I am also taking my birthday (Dec. 24th) off to spend with my family.

I return, assuming no unfortunate incidents with hippos or lions, on January 29th and will be ready to work on February 1st.

The trip is a combination of research for a new novel and a chance for me to realize a lifelong dream to explore, at least in small part, the incredible continent that is Africa. It also follows a realization that the time for such a trip is while you are both young enough and healthy enough to maximize the adventure.

For those who wish to follow along, I will be posting to my personal blog, www.paulduffau.com, but Internet service is likely to be spotty in the Rift Valley.

I thank you for your understanding and hope that this does not unduly inconvenience you. I did try to schedule the trip to take advantage of the slower winter season.

My best wishes to all,

Paul Duffau

Aftermath of a Big Wind Storm

I have a lot of clients that are a little freaked out by the storm last night so I'm clearing some time on my schedule to do drive-bys on their homes that are under contract. If you have a client that is still under contract and worried, let me know and I'll set up a time to get to property. This is a freebie service, btw.

On Thursday 11/19, I'm in Pullman.

Saturday 11/21, I can be in Moscow.

Some Problems Really are Intermittent

We have had some desperately-needed rain here in the Palouse over the last week or so. It good for the crops-the winter wheat is sprouting-and for home inspections. Most people think of roofs when they consider the helpfulness of rain during the inspection, but there are other features that can make themselves apparent.

In this case, it appeared that the underground drainage system for the storm water off the roof was blocked, so I had water overflowing the boot at the downspout. Unsurprisingly, this manifested as a water problem in the crawlspace in the same corner.

Half the battle in fixing water problems is understanding where the water is coming from. In this case, it was easy to present the client with the results of the inspection and a potential course of action to correct it.

Pipe Organs, from the inside

I can add to my list of firsts. Today, the inspection was at a church in Moscow and they had a pipe organ, so I had a chance to crawl around on the interior. Very neat to see the different structures that they use to create the sounds. Also, the wiring is impressive as heck.

Nobody ever said this job was boring!

Each one of those represents a different circuit to activate the pipes. Wickedly complex.

The mid-sized pipes. Look like they're out of a Disney movie.

The tops of the largest pipes were twelve feet over my head.

Houses Don't Levitate

I know we're closing in on Halloween, but last time I checked, house framing doesn't float in the air above the foundation wall like Casper the Ghost. There's a reason inspectors need to physically enter the crawlspace.. Here, the floor joists are a half-inch from the sill plate and there's also a gap below the sill plate (and no anchor bolts to be found!) Add to it cracks in the wall an inch or more wide with substantial deflection, and yep, I punted. This is one for a structural engineer like Evan Laubach of Pullman. He's terrific at finding solutions to major issues, usually in a cost-effective manner.

Order and Pay for Everything Electronically!

I've been making changes behind the scenes for the website. Among those changes are the ability to sign the inspection agreement online (just head to the Agreement tab under ABOUT) and, the latest change, the ability to prepay the inspection at the same time that you schedule.

As with everything I do, I aim for the most comprehensive level of service and convenience for you, while providing you with a great inspection.

Thanks - and if you have other suggestions on how I can make this process easier for you, let me know!

Autumn Joys

We're in the midst of a change of seasons to my favorite of the year - autumn. The heat of summer gets broken and replaced with simply warm afternoons and brisk nights. The trees begin their turn to ornaments, just ahead of becoming yardwork.

With the press of summer past us (not that work has slowed appreciably), let's celebrate the beginning of a new autumn.

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer. ~ Helen Hunt Jackson

I trust in nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. Spring shall plant and autumn garner to the end of time. ~ Robert Browning

And, lastly, because it suits my mood:

Autumn's the mellow time. ~William Allingham

Enjoy the week!

Traversing Attics

I have a few tricks for traversing the attic without destroying the insulation. One is to take advantage of physics by anchoring in more that one plane. In this attic, had my thigh leaning into the web on the left while my foot took the load on the bottom side. Traversed the whole attic with nary a footprint in the fiberglass.

Relax and have fun!

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game. ~Michael Jordan

If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun. ~Katharine Hepburn

Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun. ~Randy Pausch

Have a great week! Don't work too hard and have a little fun!

Air Quality in a Forest Fire

With all the fires burning around us, air quality is horrid. As I write, both Moscow and Lewiston are in the hazardous range, and Pullman is only marginally better.

For those with central air or furnaces, you can use the blower on the system to help filter your air. The thermostat should have a fan setting that you can switch from 'Auto' to 'On'. This will start pulling air through the filter and clean it for you. The cost of running the system in this mode is pretty negligible.

For those of you challenged by the dust at harvest time, this will work, too.

Be safe, everyone.

Letting go...

It doesn't take a lot of strength to hold on.  It takes a lot of strength to let go. ~J.C. Watts

It seems like an easy enough thing to do. But, in reality, letting go of the things that hold us back is so much harder than you would think. That being said, I think that being able to let go of the things that are not helpful to you is probably one of the biggest steps toward being more positive and motivated in all areas of your life. Today, my goal is to let go of the things that make me moody or unproductive, because those are the things that are not necessary for me to worry about. The kids are fighting? No big deal. Tell them to figure it out, shut them in a room and stop worrying. Eventually they will figure it out. And if it suddenly gets quiet, you might just check to make sure WWIII hasn't just happened in your house. Feeling pulled in too many directions? Figure out which ones are absolutely unavoidable and purge the rest. It will make you feel so much lighter and happier. Take the weight off. It's not an easy thing to do, but it is worth it. So start letting go of the things that way you down or hold you back.

Have a great week!

Have compassion...

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~Dalai Lama

Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation. ~Henry Ward Beecher

The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no cares or understands. ~Arthur H. Stainback

Step back and breathe...

On a daily basis, we all have obstacles we must overcome to keep moving forward. Some days, those obstacles are less obvious than others. These are things like having trouble getting out of bed, getting stuck in traffic, and sometimes even our own impatience with the world.  Sometimes slowing down and taking a deep breath sounds like the opposite of being productive. So how could that possibly help keep us motivated? I'll let these folks tell you and let it simmer until next week.

Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow- that is patience.  ~Unknown

He that can have Patience, can have what he will. ~Benjamin Franklin

Patience is the companion of wisdom. ~Saint Augustine

It's a beautiful world!

Yesterday, my family and I went boating and swimming. As I was looking around, I was astounded by the beauty of it all. My children, who have been so afraid of getting in the water, were inner tubing and jumping in the water and having a wonderful time. And that was so beautiful. So when today didn't start as planned, I chose to focus on the beauty that I witnessed yesterday.  The beauty that we all see on a daily basis can be a huge motivator. Images like this one can have a huge impact on your day. Hold on to those images and memories and use them to help you get through each day. And look for more moments of beauty to help keep you going through the rest of your week. Happy Monday!

Hello! Welcome to my Monday Morning Motivator

I would say good morning, but I'm late. By about 12 hours. So, instead, I will say welcome to my Monday Morning Motivator. I'll be the first to admit that I struggle on Monday mornings, and today was no exception, which is why this post is coming to you at this hour.  I got very little sleep and morning came way to early for my liking. I was wholly unprepared for all the things I needed to do today. By the way, I'm a mom of 3 (ages 7, 5, and 1.5) and also do part time in-home daycare for 2 (ages 4 and 1) once a week. Today, my 2 borrowed extras came over at quarter to 5 in the morning. I turned off my alarm at 5:45 after coaxing my 18 month old back to sleep because my motivation had taken a vacation. When I did wake up, I did what I always do, and sometimes multiple times depending on the level of motivation I'm harboring for the day.  And that is: make coffee. That's right. Coffee. It was my best friend this morning. It is my motivational kick in the pants when I need one. If you drink coffee, or any other liquid form of motivation, it's sometimes that little something extra we needed to really get going. I will work on trying to improve my positivity about Mondays and will continue to bring my thoughts about how to do that to you here. So until next week, just remember:

Have a great week!

Surviving the Home Inspection Hits #1 On Kindle!

Very excited that my book, Surviving the Home Inspection, hit the top spot (probably briefly given the ephemeral nature of Amazon's bestseller lists) in the Kindle store in the Buying and Selling Homes category.

I'm already planning my next project- deciphering FHA, VA, USDA, inspections for the sellers.

How Much Difference Does Insulation Make?

I did an inspection in Lewiston late last year on a very cute little bungalow near Normal Hill. The home was classic brick with trees lining the street in front. The clients were a young couple buying their first home.

One the findings that we came up with is that there was nearly no insulation. The home had an old beast of a furnace that kept the home warm - when it ran, and it definitely like to do that.

Jack asked me for some advice about how to handle this. We talked about the advantages and disadvantages of blown fiberglass and blown cellulose. One nice thing about our local Home Depot is that they will essentially lend you the equipment to insulate the home yourself if you purchase a set amount of the insulation from them. It's a pretty good deal, one that I took advantage of in my home.

Jack sent me these pictures, a before-and-after of the attic space. It's pretty impressive, though it's going to make it a lot tougher for the next inspector to traverse the attic.

Jack put in about a dozen inches of new insulation. One of the advantages of the blown cellulose that he chose is that it air seals much better than fiberglass. It's also much less expensive.

It always makes me happy when I get a chance to see my advice make a positive difference for the people that I work with. In this case, it's a young couple who just spent one afternoon and made their house much more affordable from an operating expenses perspective.

How more affordable?

Jack sent me the numbers - bear in mind that this has been a really mild winter, so the numbers are a little lower than in a cold year.

• Month 1 - $209 for gas and electric.
• Month 2 - $125 for gas and electric.

So, the bill dropped by 40 percent over the course of a month. Pretty darned impressive and I'm awfully happy for the family. Good job to them!

Surviving the Home Inspection

The Essential Seller's Handbook for Surviving the Home Inspection is now on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I have the price discounted 50 percent for a short period of time.

The trade paperback edition should be ready in two weeks.

Avoiding Frozen Pipes

The Washington Post has an article on what to do if your pipes freeze. Not a current worry here, but worth filing away for the future.

Here's some of the advice that I left:

Let's throw some extra pointers out there . . .
1. Leave the sink base cabinets open to allow better air flow, especially in older homes with poor wall insulation.
2. Make sure you don't have any hoses hooked up outside and that the hose bibs are protected with insulating covers.
3. If your house is vacant, call a friend/realtor/somebody to check on it and make sure the heat is on.
4. If you have a crawlspace, close the vents for the time being. Ideally, any plumbing line in the space should be insulated.
5. If you have a basement look for water lines that are in contact with concrete. Put a piece of insulating material, even some rubber, behind the lines to get them off the walls and fill the air gap. Pay attention to the laundry lines in old houses.
6. Add portable electric heat to spaces where pipes are subject to freezing. Use as little heat as you can and make sure there are no combustibles nearby.

Better to go to overkill on precautions than to deal with a flood.