My Beef With Old Gas Log Fireplaces

I’m not a fan of gas log fireplaces because they waste energy and they’re a potential safety hazard.  These fireplaces start out as wood burning fireplaces, but at some point someone decides that building a wood fire is too much work and artificial firelogs are ugly, so they have a gas log installed.

Most gas logs are pretty simple; they basically consist of a pipe with a bunch of holes.  Gas comes out of the holes, the gas burns, and the exhaust gases go up the chimney, just like when you build a fire.  Sounds good so far, but hold on.

What happens if the damper is closed?  If the fireplace damper is closed when a gas log fireplace is operated, the combustion gases will come right in to the house.  While you have the same potential for this to happen with a wood burning fireplace, it will be quite obvious if a wood burning fire exhausts in to the house; everything is going to get very smoky, very quickly.

When the combustion gases from a gas  log fireplace come back in to the house, it’s not nearly as obvious; in fact, it could be very easy to miss.  These gases can contain high levels of carbon monoxide, making this a safety hazard.

Damper clips are supposed to fix this issue.  To make sure the damper never gets completely closed on a gas log fireplace, there is supposed to be a damper clip installed.  This damper clip will prevent the damper from closing all the way, and is supposed to prevent the exhaust gases from coming back in to the house.

I’ve tested several damper clips to see just how effective they are, and many of them don’t do their job.  These damper clips will often allow to damper to close most of the way.  When the damper is mostly closed,most of the exhaust gases will still come back in to the home.  To work properly, a damper clip needs to keep the damper open all the way, or at least most of the way.

When the damper is always open, which is how these fireplaces are supposed to be installed, there will always be warm air leaving the house through the chimney, cold air coming in to the house through the chimney, or both. This is a major source of energy loss.

My recommendation:  Invest in a newer direct vent gas insert.  These have a two-pipe system, which allows them to bring in air directly from the exterior for combustion, instead of using the air in the home.  While they’re usually not intended as a heat source, they kick out a lot of heat, especially if there is a blower fan installed.  My wife loves our gas fireplace, and I don’t have any specific problems with it.

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

    

Tree Branches, Exposed Power Lines: Who Fixes What

The two most common issues I find with overhead power lines during home inspections are trees rubbing up against them and exposed contacts that present an immediate shock hazard. When I find either one of these conditions, I recommend repair. The question that always follows is “Who’s responsible for that?”

Tree Branches

According to Xcel Energy, tree branches in contact with the overhead power lines between the pole and house are the responsibility of the homeowner.   I suppose this is only fair; tree maintenance should be the responsibility of the homeowner; not the power company.  Before trimming trees around overhead power lines, you should contact Xcel Energy to have your service temporarily disconnected.

The one exception is if a tree branch falls on to one of the overhead power lines. If this happens, it’s considered an immediate safety hazard. Xcel energy will take care of this issue at no charge to the owner.

Exposed conductors / shock hazards.

The power company owns the overhead conductors and the clamps that connect them. The diagram below shows the parts that are owned by the utility company and the parts that are owned by the homeowner.

If there is frayed or damaged insulation on the conductors owned by the power company, they’ll fix it at no cost to the owner. Also, if there are exposed clamps, Xcel Energy will correct this at no cost.

The photos below all came from houses that I’ve inspected this year where there were exposed clamps, or ferrules, connecting the utility lines to the house.

These are all immediate safety hazards that should be repaired by the utility company.  While you may be thinking to yourself “but those are too high to even reach”… just imagine waving around an aluminum roof rake after a heavy snow fall.  Scary, huh?

p.s. – the proper name for the overhead power lines that come in to the home is “service drop”.  I say overhead power lines because this is what everyone else them.

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

    

Artificial Firelogs - Bad For Your Fireplace?

I don’t know where this idea got started, but there’s a rumor goin’ round that artificial firelogs are bad for your fireplace.  This is a myth.  Artificial firelogs are not bad for your fireplace; in fact, they’re cleaner, safer, easier, and cheaper than regular wood.  Artificial firelogs are also known as fake firelogs, wax firelogs, or artificial wax firelogs.

Artificial Firelogs are cleaner.  In a study conducted by Environment Canada and the EPA, it was concluded that artificial firelogs actually produce far less carbon monoxide and total particulate matter than cordwood.  Click this link to see the results of the study on artificial firelogs.  Go all the way to the end of the study, page 16, to see the comparisons between artificial firelogs and cordwood.

Artificial Firelogs are safer.  I grew up in a home with a large wood burning fireplace, and we used to have some rip-roaring fires in that thing.  We’d stack logs, kindling, and paper until the fireplace was filled, then we’d light the paper and stand back.  We often had to sit several feet away from the fireplace because it was so hot.  For anyone else who grew up in a home with a wood burning fireplace, I’m sure this sounds typical.

When artificial firelogs are used according to their instructions (one at a time, don’t break ‘em apart), they don’t produce a whole lot of heat at one time; surely nowhere near the amount of heat that most wood fires produce.   I don’t have any statistics on the number of chimney fires started by properly used artificial firelogs… but I’m pretty sure the number would be close to zero.

Artifical Firelogs are easier.  Just stick it in the fireplace and light the package.  Done and done.  No stacking and storing of wood, no mess, no ‘building’ a fire… no comparison.

Artificial Firelogs are cheaper.  Unless you split your own logs and your time is worth nothing, artificial firelogs give you far more flame for your buck.

…yeah but still.  Even though artificial firelogs are cleaner, safer, cheaper, and easier than real wood fires, everyone still prefers wood fires.  Myself included.

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

    

Are Re-Inspections Necessary?

When a home buyer asks a seller to make repairs to a property after a home inspection, how do the repairs get verified?  Do they get verified?  Do they need to be verified?  I recently blogged about a hack chimney repair that I found at a re-inspection, and several people commented about the importance of re-inspections.

I sent out an email to several real estate agents that I respect and have had recent communication with, to ask about their take on the importance of re-inspections.  Not surprisingly, their answers were all very similar.  I’ve compiled the most common statements below.

Try to avoid asking the seller to make repairs.  If the seller is going to make repairs, they’re probably going to do the least amount of work possible, use the least amount of money possible, and the repairs will often be sub-par or just plain unacceptable.  It’s often better to ask the sellers to fund repairs, or ask for the price of the home to be adjusted accordingly.  The downside to adjusting the price of the home, however, is that the buyers will need to come up with cash to make repairs.

When requesting repairs, make sure everyone understands the issue(s).  An excellent home inspection report will usually be enough to make everything clear and understandable.  If there is any confusion, ask the home inspector for clarification.

A common problem with a repair request is to ask for the wrong thing to be fixed, or to specify an improper repair.  For instance, if a furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, it would be just plain silly to ask for the crack to be repaired.  The furnace needs to be replaced.

Cracked rubber boot at plumbing vent flashing

One of the more hilarious misunderstandings happened when the buyer asked the seller to address the plumbing vent flashings, which had rubber boots that had dried out and split.  The seller told the buyer that they fixed the dried out boots by applying a lubricant.  No joke.  I can’t make this stuff up.

When requesting repairs, request building permits.  Not only does this force the seller to ‘follow the rules’, but it should make the buyer feel better knowing that the work was inspected by an authority, and it puts the cost of the re-inspection on to the seller’s lap.

When requesting repairs, be specific.  If the purchase agreement addendum is poorly written or isn’t specific, the repairs won’t be completed properly… if at all.  A vague, poorly written addendum might say

Have the leaking laundry sink repaired. 

What are the odds that someone will complete this repair with a tube of caulk? A well written addendum may specify the problem, how the repairs should be completed, who should complete the work, and how the repairs will be verified.

The concrete sink in the laundry room is cracked and leaks profusely when filled with water, creating unsanitary conditions.  Have the leaking laundry sink replaced by a Minneapolis licensed plumber, and an appropriate plumbing permit obtained and approved by the Minneapolis plumbing inspector.  The seller shall have the corrections completed, inspected, and approved no later than one week prior to the date of closing.  Documentation of the repairs, including any applicable receipts, permits, and lien waivers shall be provided to the buyer no later than one week prior to closing.

In this second example there was very little left to interpretation.  In some cases, however, the exact method of repair doesn’t need to be specified.  For instance, if there are several defects inside an electric panel, it’s probably good enough to specify the defects, request repairs, and request an electric permit.  Leave it up to the electrician to decide how to best repair the defects.

When all of the above happens, a re-inspection by the original inspector probably isn’t necessary, but it may still be worthwhile.  Just as we find countless defects by licensed contractors on new construction inspections, improper repairs frequently happen with real estate transactions, no matter who does the work.  When there is any doubt in the buyer’s mind as to the quality of the work being done, it may be worthwhile to have a re-inspection performed.

My two cents:  I don’t do many re-inspections, mostly because of all the items stated above.  When I do get hired to re-inspect a property, I base my price on how much time I think the re-inspection is going to take.  If the seller is a property flipper who was given a list of twenty things to repair, I know from experience that maybe half of the repairs will be completed properly, and the other half either won’t be done or will be done incorrectly.  I charge the most for these types of transactions, because they become a contentious pain in the butt.

On the other hand, if I’m going out to look at three specific repairs and the buyer or the buyer’s agent has provided me with receipts from licensed contractors, I won’t charge nearly as much because the repairs will probably be fine.  Those are a breeze.

The bottom line: Re-inspections never hurt.  If repairs are being done by licensed contractors, the repair requests are specific,  and appropriate permits are pulled, re-inspections probably aren’t necessary.  If the repairs are being done by the seller, I strongly recommend a re-inspection.  I have yet to do a single re-inspection where it was the seller who completed the repairs, and everything was done properly.

Special thanks to the following real estate agents for taking their time to share their advice with me: David K. Wells III, Debbie Nelson-Scheffler, Honey Buck, Jim Starr, Linda Hegland, Michael Harrell, and Sharlene Hensrud.

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