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Home Inspector Notes

Issues commonly noted in inspections.
Roof Inspections

 "Got Hail Damage?"

October 5, 2010 was one of the latest disasters to the Phoenix metro area for awhile.  100's of 1,000's of roofs obtained server hail damage.  Even the ever so popular cement tile roofs commonly used here in the valley are NOT immune to the damage hail can cause.  A close evaluation of the roof is required to notice the damage to any roof.  Whether it is an asphalt metal or cement tile roofing, hail can do server damage.  Please review these pictures of a roof with hail damage.  Not all of this damage was caused by hail, but the largest percentage of it was.  
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Water Heaters

Many times during inspections home inspectors find deficiencies with the water heater.  The largest percentage of the issues are related to incomplete or incorrect installations.  The TPR (Temperature Pressure Relief Valve) Drain Lines cause the most water heater deficiencies.  The TPR valve is located by industry requirements within the top 6 inches of the water heater tank.  Some are located on the side of the tank and some are located on the top.  Either location is acceptable for its purpose.   The TPR Drain Line has two purposes.  The valve is preset at the factory to open when the water temperature inside the tank reaches its set point degrees so super heated water can escape from the tank allowing cool water into the tank.

Under pressure, water will not boil until it reaches 400+ degrees.  However, if the valve for some reason does not open when the hot temperature is reached,  the valve is preset to open if the pressure inside the tank gets too high to relieve the pressure.

If the water heater were to malfunction and not stop heating the water the pressure inside the water heater tank can cause the tank to rupture.  If that happens, and the super heated water inside the tank is exposed to air, it immediately changes to steam.  When the water changes to steam, it expands and the result is an explosion.  In most cases when this happens, the water heater can be launched like a rocket through the roof several hundred feet into the air before returning to the ground.  The TPR Valve is intended to prevent this from happening.

The TPR Drain Line is a safety feature often times neglected by installers.  It is intended to carry the super heated water away from the water heater to a safe place for discharge.  However, it cannot do it's job if it is not connected.  As a result it turns into a scalding hazard to any person who might be near the water heater if it discharges.  If it is connected but the drain line is not an approved material or not routed in an approved manor, it becomes a risk for the building as I explained earlier.

In most cases, even though the water heaters TPR Drain line might get listed as a deficiency and as a safety hazard on the home inspection report.  The cost to correct the deficiency is minimal compared to the risk caused by the deficiency.  A plumber can normally correct the TPR Drain Line in an hour or so.  Be sure to hire a licensed plumber who knows what the requirements are for this drain line.
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Home inspectors in Phoenix just like other locations have a lot of details to note during a short 2 - 3 hour period when the home inspector is on the site.  It is no coincidence that many of the deficiencies we see as home inspectors can be seen in numerous property inspections.

Water heaters and TPR drain lines may be the most common, another very common deficiency we find is in the electrical panel.  It is nearly a standard comment in the inspection report when it comes to electrical connections inside the service panels for the irrigation control systems (in particular).

Here in Phoenix it is no secret if we plant anything outside, it MUST have irrigation or it will not survive.  However, the landscapers who install these systems are NOT electricians.  Most of the time, they make the same mistake.  Landscapers connect the control system to a circuit breaker inside the electrical panel by double tapping an existing circuit.  This is not allowed buy industry standards (on most brands of circuit breakers) and it is practiced regularly here in the valley.  In addition to double tapping circuits, we see other deficiencies related to landscaper/electricians such as inadequate use of electrical connectors and conduits.  Every home owner should have the system inspected after installation.  Most importantly because any time work is done inside the electrical panel it normally requires a permit and inspections by the city inspectors.  Without the protection of a permit and inspection, you have no idea if the job was done correctly.

Another issue noted during a home inspection related to irrigation systems is the lack of back-flow-prevention.  The prevention of surface water being drawn back into the water pipes of the home is a very serious issue.  People have lost their lives due to back-flow.  Chemicals and bacteria can be drawn into the water pipes if the supply pressure for any reason drops drastically.  As a result, these chemicals can accidentally end up in a glass of water from the faucet inside the house.  Who would have ever thought something so simple as installing an irrigation system could be so complicated and life threatening. 
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