Cheap Vacuum Breakers Don't Meet Code

Vacuum breakers (aka - backflow preventers) have always been one of those pesky Truth-In-Housing repairs for homeowners in Minneapolis and Bloomington, but those aren't the only cities where they're required.  They're actually a requirement of the Minnesota State Plumbing Code, section 4715.2100 (D).

Cheap Vacuum Breakers Don't Meet Code

Part of the requirement for a vacuum breaker says any new device must be field testable. The minimum standard for a vacuum breaker meeting this requirement is ASSE 1052.  Vacuum breakers that conform to this standard are about twice the size of the really cheap vacuum breakers that you'll find at most home improvement stores, and they cost about four times as much.


At left is a vacuum breaker conforming to ASSE 1052.  You can see that it's about twice the size of the cheap vacuum breakers that conform to ASSE 1011, shown at right.

Cheap Vacuum Breakers Are Still Allowed...

So why do you see the cheap vacuum breakers all over the place in Minneapolis and Bloomington, and why are they allowed for Truth-In-Housing evaluations?
Minneapolis and Bloomington allow these because they don't want to place too large of a burden on homeowners.  They want homeowners to be able to pick up a cheap vacuum breaker at the neighborhood hardware store for a couple bucks.  They figure it's better than nothing.

...But Not On New Construction

If you look at any new construction home or at any sillcock that has been recently installed with a plumbing permit, you'll find the larger vacuum breaker, or the sillock will have an integral vacuum breaker.  If the sillcock has an integral vacuum breaker, it doesn't need to be field testable.

The photo at left shows a standard sillcock with an integral vacuum breaker, and the photo at right shows a frost-free sillcock with an integral vacuum breaker.  Both of these sillcocks meet the minimum requirements of the Minnesota State Plumbing Code.

Why Just Minneapolis and Bloomington?

So why is it that only Minneapolis and Bloomington require vacuum breakers for their Truth-In-Sale of Housing programs?  I suspect there has been too much complaining from residents in other cities.  Even though this is the cheapest, easiest 'repair' item required in Minneapolis and Bloomington, I hear more complaints about this one item than anything else.

RELATED POST: Why Do I Need A Vacuum Breaker?

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Bloomington Home Inspections



    

Gas Leaks: A Quick Follow-Up Video

About a month ago I posted a blog complaining about how the gas company will frequently come out after we've done a home inspection and they won't be able to find a gas leak that we've identified.

In example #2, I wrote: At another home inspection I did last month in Bloomington, I could clearly smell gas while standing at the water heater.  I bent down and smelled a significant leak at the union.  I put some leak solution on the union, and it quickly blew a bubble about the size of a quarter.  This was so obvious that I didn’t even bother marking the location of the leak… but I’ll never make that mistake again.  The Bloomington seller called Centerpoint Energy, who came out and said there was no leak.  We then called Centerpoint Energy, talked to the technician that went out the first time, told him exactly where to find the leak, and he still couldn’t find it the second time he was out.  Unbelievable.

Here's a quick follow-up video of that same gas leak that we found at a Bloomington Home Inspection, taken yesterday.

(Don't Try This At Home)

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Bloomington Home Inspection





    

Why Can’t The Gas Company Find These Gas Leaks?

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I find a lot of gas leaks, and I always try to make it easy for a repair technician to find the leaks.  I take a photo of the leak with a bunch of soapy bubbles coming out of it, I mark the exact location of the leak with orange tape, and I write “Gas Leak” on it.  You can't miss it.




So why is it so difficult for the GAS COMPANY to find these leaks?
Ironically, I’ve found that almost every time Centerpoint Energy comes out to repair a gas leak that I've found during a home inspection, they end up leaving the house without fixing the leak.  I’m not alone in my findings – I’ve heard this same sentiment expressed by many other Minnesota home inspectors, and this last month has been particularly frustrating.

Example #1: I inspected a home that had already been ‘pre-inspected’ by another home inspector.  The other home inspector had identified a gas leak and marked it with masking tape.  The photo below shows what the gas valve looked like at the time that I did my inspection.




After the first home inspector identified this leak, Centerpoint Energy came out and said there was no gas leak, and went on their way without fixing it.  I knew exactly what happened, because it happens to me all the time.  The photo below shows the same gas fitting with my gas leak solution bubbling.  Granted, it’s a very small leak, but who cares?  Fix it!




Example #2: At another home inspection I did last month in Bloomington, I could clearly smell gas while standing at the water heater.  I bent down and smelled a significant leak at the union.  I put some leak solution on the union, and it quickly blew a bubble about the size of a quarter.  This was so obvious that I didn’t even bother marking the location of the leak… but I’ll never make that mistake again.  The seller called Centerpoint Energy, who came out and said there was no leak.  We then called Centerpoint Energy, talked to the technician that went out the first time, told him exactly where to find the leak, and he still couldn’t find it the second time he was out.  Unbelievable.

These experiences drive me crazy.

My advice: If your home inspector tells you that you have a gas leak, hire a private contractor to fix it if you want it fixed.  I’ve never had experiences like these with a plumber, only the gas company.


Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minnesota Home Inspector