Toilet Repair - Fixing An Improper Air Gap On A Ballcock

To avoid a cross connection between the water in your toilet tank and the water you drink, make sure the guts of your toilet are properly installed.  This is required by the Minnesota State Plumbing Code, section 4715.2150, subpart 2, under Flush Tanks.   An improperly installed ballcock requires repair for the Truth in Housing programs in Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Hopkins, and it's considered a hazard in Saint Paul and Maplewood.

This is a very common defect, and the repair usually only takes a few seconds.  The diagrams below show what the two most common ball cocks should look like when properly installed, and the video below shows how to adjust a ballcock made by Fluidmaster, which is the most common one used today.  Click the diagrams for larger images.





For more information on common Truth In Sale of Housing defects, click on any of the links below.

• Smoke Detectors
• CO Alarms
• Vacuum Breakers (backflow preventers)
• Missing Jumper Wire
• Floor Drains

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

Why Don't Home Inspectors Mention Code?

Home inspections are not ‘code’ inspections, and a lot of home inspectors even treat the word ‘code’ as taboo.  They call it the ‘C-word’.  I recently had a home inspector tell me he’s not even allowed to use that word in Kentucky.  This is such a taboo word that I don't use it either, but I don’t think it has to be this way.

The basis of taboo 
Three of the largest home inspection organizations make it clear in their Standards of Practice that home inspectors are not required to report on code compliance.  For example, the ASHI Standards of Practice state that “Inspectors are NOT required to determine compliance with regulatory requirements (codes, regulations, laws, ordinances, etc.).”  There is nothing in the standards prohibiting home inspectors from determining compliance… it’s just not a requirement.

Where ‘code’ plays a role in home inspections
Home inspections are conducted to educate the client – usually a home buyer.  The ASHI Standards of Practice states that Inspectors are required to report on Unsafe conditions, which is defined as a condition that is judged to be a significant risk to bodily injury during normal, day-to-day use; the risk may be due to damage, deterioration, improper installation, or a change in accepted residential construction standards.

Accepted Residential Construction Standards
This is not defined, but my interpretation of this means ‘building codes’.  This is how construction standards are defined.  Inspectors in different parts of the country have different building codes, so they also have different construction standards.  What is acceptable in one part of the country might be unacceptable in Minnesota.  Home inspectors should be expected to know what’s acceptable in their part of the country, and they should be able to prove it if necessary – this means citing code.

It’s always a judgement call
Since 2003, the National Electric Code has required arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) for bedroom circuits.  AFCIs prevent fires.  Does the lack of an AFCI breaker in a home built before 2003 constitute an unsafe condition?  What about a new construction home?  Should a home inspector call out missing AFCIs in homes built before 2003?  What about new construction homes?  If a home inspector doesn’t answer ‘yes’ to the last two questions or ‘no’ to the last two questions, they’re basing their answer on ‘code’, not ‘unsafe’ conditions.  Us home inspectors call this is a ‘construction defect’, but why not call a spade a spade?  It’s a code violation.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Golden Valley Home Inspections

Air Testing Water Pipes On Winterized Properties

I recently had a friend ask me if I could do an air test on the water pipes of a bank-owned home he's buying.   Traditionally, these types of requests have been few and far between, but I've been getting more and more people asking about this with the high number of winterized bank owned properties for sale.  I've always told my customers that we don't do this, but I've decided that it's time to start offering this service.

A pressure test is a way of checking for leaks in the water piping without actually having any water in the pipes.  This consists of connecting an air compressor to the water piping, typically at the laundry faucet or exterior sillcock, and pressurizing the pipes to about 60 psi with air.  This is similar to the water pressure that most homes will have from the street.

I use the device pictured at the right to connect an air compressor to the water piping.  I make sure all of the faucets are turned off, then I pressurize the pipes.  If they hold pressure, that's good.  I then disconnect the air hose and leave the pressure gauge in place for the rest of the inspection.  I come back at the end of my inspection and check the gauge to make sure the pressure hasn't dropped.  If it has, there's a leak.

The limitations of this test are that I cannot check the drains, vents, traps, or plumbing fixtures for leaks, but it's better than nothing.   I'll be charging a small fee to do this test with an inspection.

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

Hot Roofs: A Misnomer

Reuben's Attic

While most attic spaces in Minnesota are insulated with fiberglass or cellulose insulation, there is a relatively new product that provides superior performance:  spray foam.  Spray foam is the best way to insulate homes, especially old one-and-a-half story homes, and I'm such a firm believer in this that I had it done on my own home a couple years ago.  Spray foamed roofs are commonly referred to as 'hot roofs'.


Why are they called 'hot roofs?' Traditional attic spaces have insulated floors and are ventilated.  Air comes in at the soffits and leaves at the top of the roof, creating a cold attic space.    This helps to prevent ice dams, keeps the roof cooler in the summer which helps to prolong the life of the shingles, and may help to prevent the accumulation of condensation.  Spray foamed attics have foam applied directly to the roof sheathing, and the attic space isn't ventilated.  The lack of ventilation is why we call them hot roofs.


Are they really hot? No.  Studies have shown that color differences in shingles will actually have a larger impact on the temperature of roofs than the difference between a ventilated and a spray-foamed roof.  A 'hot' roof will typically only be a couple degrees warmer than a ventilated roof.


What are the benefits? Spray foam has a higher insulating value (R-Value) than anything else.  Sprayed Polyurethane foam insulation has an R-Value of 6.8 per inch, while fiberglass batt insulation is about half that.  Foam insulation also makes for a perfect seal - no gaps, no air leakage, no attic bypasses.  If ductwork is located in the attic space it won't need to be insulated, elimating energy loss here, which can account for up to 10% of total energy loss.  One more benefit that I personally love is having a warm attic area for extra storage!  Note: My old house is designed in such a manner as to support extra storage in the attic, but most newer homes are not.  This might be another blog topic some day.


What are the downsides? The only one I know of is cost.  Spray foam insulation will typically cost thousands more than fiberglass or cellulose.  I paid about $3700 to have my own attic spray-foamed with polyurethane, but I could have spent about a third of that to have fiberglass installed, along with proper vents.


Will spray foam void my shingle warranty? Probably not.  Most of the major manufacturers of shingles still warrant their products when used with a spray-foamed attic.   Owens Corning, however, does not.

If spray foam is so great, why isn't it used on walls? It is.   I have a friend who insulated the walls in his home when he built it in 1981.  Spray foam is also used at the rim joist in almost every new construction home that I inspect.

Additional Information - technical, dry reads.
Spray-in-Place Polyurethane Foam Insulation Opion Paper, by Craig DeWitt, Ph.D., PE
Vented and Sealed Attics in Hot Climates, by Joseph W. Lstiburek, PE


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

Asbestos In Floor Tiles

This article was written for Structure Tech by Joe Lederman, of the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

Many older homes may require structural inspections or renovations, especially for those who live near areas where natural disasters may occur. If your home was constructed before 1980, there is a chance it may still feature obsolete construction materials such as asbestos.

Asbestos was used as prominent form of insulation for piping, flooring and roofing. It can appear in dry wall, attic insulation, popcorn ceilings, electrical wires and roof shingles. A Professional home inspector can identify the materials and provide an expert consultation for you. Asbestos is still regarded as one of the more toxic building materials. By taking simple precautions, you can ensure that asbestos exposure will not occur in your home.

Popular in the United States from the 1920’s through the 1960’s, asbestos appeared in nine inch floor tiles due to its heat resistant and durable properties. Asbestos also appeared in adhesives or glue in older flooring materials. If you encounter black or dark asphalt floor tiles, they may contain high levels of asbestos fibers.

If any asbestos or hazardous materials are located, the best thing to do is leave it alone. Disturbing it can potentially damage and release its fibers airborne. Asbestos that is disturbed or damaged due to age is known as “friable” asbestos. This is a serious concern because its toxic fibers can easily circulate and become inhaled. If you believe that your home contains asbestos, a home inspection could be extremely important for safety, health and investment reasons.

Consistent exposure to asbestos can lead to the development of severe asbestos-related lung ailments such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. There is nomesothelioma cure and the disease is difficult to diagnose early. Typically, by the time a diagnosis is made, it has progressed significantly. Physicians usually point to several factors in determining an accurate prognosis. These include cigarette smoking, age of diagnosis and latency period.

According to the experts, the general rule of thumb is if the asbestos is in good shape, it's posing no apparent risk. If it's in bad shape, it could be a problem. The only way to verify asbestos content is to have it sampled by specialists in a laboratory setting. If an inspector deems the substance harmful, the removal of asbestos in public facilities, workplaces and homes must be performed by licensed abatement contractors who are trained in handling toxic substances. Depending on the condition of the asbestos, many experts feel it is better to seal it off than remove it.

Licensed abatement contractors who remove asbestos, will be familiar with the regulations in protecting you and themselves from exposure to asbestos. They must wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves to avoid any exposure. The area is usually isolated from the rest of the house by shutting down ventilation systems and sealing them.

The materials should be removed in as large pieces as possible and places in disposable bags.  Once the removal is completed, it will be time to replace asbestos with healthy, green alternatives. Recycled building materials that are viable options to asbestos include: cellulose, cotton fiber and lcynene foam. Cotton fiber is quickly becoming a favorite for home builders and renovators. Made from recycled batted material, it is also treated to be fireproof.

Does A Better Home Inspection Increase Liability?

I've heard the same tired old argument from other home inspectors 342 times - the more testing and services you provide with your inspections, the better chance you have of being sued.  I think this whole argument is based on home inspector folklore, and it all comes down to proper communication with the client.  One of the most common arguments I hear for not doing 'additional testing' is when the topic of carbon monoxide testing comes up - do or don't?

Here's how the argument goes:   "I don't test for carbon monoxide on furnaces because as soon as I start doing that, the next thing you know someone is going to take me to court for not testing their gas water heater, gas dryer, gas oven, and whatever else!  The more you do, the more liability you have.  I like to keep it simple".   I've heard many home inspectors say something similar to this, and I even remember hearing one tell me (with pride) that he carries around a screwdriver and an outlet tester.  Nothing fancier than that.

This isn't limited to carbon monoxide testing - I've heard the same argument used for reasons not to use a gas detector, infrared camera, borescope, and other tools that are not required by the minimum standards of the home inspection industry.   I don't feel like I should have to say this, but the minimum standards are minimum standards!  They're not set in place to prevent a home inspector from doing a better job than they're required to do.

 I thought of this topic while doing an inspection last week.  I took one look at the furnace and was pretty sure I was going to find a serious problem with it.  The furnace was about 25 years old, and designed in such a way that I couldn't see inside the heat exchanger to evaluate for cracks or rust holes.  While inspecting heat exchangers goes beyond the minimum standards of my industry, I still do the best job I can, and I make this clear to my client.  I ran out to my truck and grabbed my electronic borescope (see video below), and was able to quickly find a 1/4" rust hole up inside the heat exchanger.



I reported the rust hole as a safety hazard and I told the buyer to replace the furnace - no need for a second opinion from an HVAC contractor.  Inspecting a furnace with a boroscope can be tedious, and I've only used my borescope on about half a dozen furnaces since I bought it two years ago.  The point of this story is that when I do use it, I make it clear to my client that my inspection of the heat exchanger is by no means exhaustive, I'm just peeking around to get a better look for any obvious problems.  Even if I don't find a problem, I don't give my client the impression that I saw every square inch of the furnace.

I've never heard of a single case where a home inspector was taken to court for providing a better service than they're required to perform.  I've heard many anecdotes about it happening, but I don't believe any of it.  The next time you hear someone say this, ask them to prove it.
Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Saint Paul Home Inspections

I'm Right, You're Wrong... You Win.

I had a ridiculously frustrating conversation with a building official from a local city the other day (I won't say which - I'm licensed in six cities).  I called him to argue about a permit that he approved, but I ended up backing down after I talked to him.   Here's the story.

While performing a Truth in Sale of Housing Evaluation at a property, I noted that the exhaust for the high-efficiency furnace was too close to the mechanical air intake.  The furnace had just been installed, and the owner hadn't even had the city out yet to inspect the furnace.  I showed the owner the installation manual for the furnace, which demonstrated exactly why it was improperly installed.

The owner called the installation company and told them about the improper installation, but the installers suggested he wait until the city inspector came out to look at the furnace.  The installers obviously knew something I didn't.  The city inspector came out, discussed the installation with the seller, and said the installation was fine.

The owner was now obviously stuck in the middle - I'm telling him one thing, and the building official is telling him another thing.   We're always supposed to be on the same page!  To get us on the same page, well, really to get him on my page,  I called the building official to convince him that I was right.

Unfortunately, he completely agreed with me.  I had the whole conversation planned out... and it didn't matter!  He told me about having the exact same conversation with his superiors a long time ago, but was told to back down on the issue.  There are so many houses that have this same improper installation, he was told to just let it go.

As a Truth in Housing Evaluator, I'm acting as a sub-contractor for the city.  I'm supposed to be calling out the defects that they want called out, not calling out what is right or wrong... so I let it go.  Instead of rating this defect as a "B" - Below Minimum Requirements, I changed my rating to a "C" - Comment.   When the home is sold, maybe the buyers will hire an inspector that doesn't like the installation either and tells them to change it.

Click here for details on the Improper Furnace Installation.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Saint Paul Home Inspector

Attic Problems On A New Construction Home In Edina

We recently inspected a new construction, custom built home in Edina.  We did a team inspection at this property, where Neil, Duane, and I all inspected the house at the same time.  We really went over this house with a fine tooth comb, but we didn’t come up with much that was wrong – it was a very well built home.  Towards the end of the inspection, we asked the buyer if they would mind us opening up the attic access panel, which had been sprayed shut.  The buyer was fine with that, as most buyers are.  What we found was quite surprising.

The builder had taken all of the necessary steps to seal all of the bypasses to the attic,  by doing something most builders never do.  Before blowing in loose-fill fiberglass insulation, he had a company spray foam the ‘lid’ to really make sure that any potential bypasses to the attic would be completely sealed.  This isn’t required, but it’s a great idea.  Unfortunately, the person doing the insulation had missed a few areas, and this allowed a ton of frost in to the attic!

The builder was very glad we found this, and quickly had the insulation company back out to re-insulate the areas that were missed.  This is a great example of why it’s so important to break the attic access seal, and why it’s so important to have even new construction homes inspected, no matter how good the builder is.

The best builders will encourage their buyers to have private home inspections performed, and they’ll welcome any feedback from home inspectors.  This will not only prove to the buyer what a good house they’re buying, but can also save the builder from major potential problems in the future.

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

RELATED POSTS

• Break Seal At The Attic Access Panel?  Yes.
• Photos of Attic Bypasses
• Frost in the Attic
• New Construction Inspections

Truth-In-Housing Pre-Inspections

If you need a Truth-in-Housing inspection but you’re worried about having 'The City' come through your house, have a pre-inspection done.  A pre-inspection is an inspection done by a private evaluator to let you know about the items in your home that would require repair on an official Truth-in-Housing inspection.   Instead of talking about the details of how a pre-inspection works, I’ll tell a story.  Hopefully this will make it easier to understand.

Jane is getting ready to sell her home in Minneapolis, and knows she needs a Truth-in-Housing inspection before she can list her house for sale, so she hires me, a licensed evaluator with Minneapolis, to inspect her house.  I spend about an hour walking around the house with Jane, making notes in my computer the whole time.

At the end of the inspection, there are a few things I’ve identified that require repair in Minneapolis; non-functional smoke detectors, missing CO alarms, and missing vacuum breakers.  These are rated on the report as RRE items – “Repair / Replace, Evaluator” – this means that an Evaluator (such as myself) needs to verify repair of these items.  Another item that requires repair is the water heater flue, because it’s backpitched.  This is rated as RRP – “Repair / Replace, Permit” – this means that a permit is required to do the repair, and an employee of the city of Minneapolis will need to inspect the repairs  A number of other items are rated as B – “Below Minimum Requirements”.  These are things like a missing handrail at the stairway, missing cover plates on outlets, and a broken window.  These items don’t require repair.
I explain these items to Jane, and tell her she has a few choices:

Get the final report. This is probably her least desirable option, because there will be a bunch of items on the report for anyone to see, making her house less desirable than another house with a ‘clean’ report.   The benefit would be that she can list her house right away.  If she gets the report, she has two more choices to make – fix the items and have them re-inspected, or sell her house as-is.  If she sells her house as-is, whoever buys the house will need to sign a responsibility agreement, saying that they’ll be responsible for repairing the RRE and RRP items, and have them inspected within 90 days of closing.  Most buyers aren’t interested in taking on other people’s repairs, so this is usually a last resort for sellers.

Get a pre-inspection.  This means that I will print an informal list of items that would show up on the final report.  Jane will have 35 days to complete these repairs and have me come back to verify they’re corrected.   I tell Jane that she needs to obtain a permit to repair her water heater flue, but I won’t be checking for permits when I come back; I’ll be checking to make sure the repairs are correct.  The only drawback to doing a pre-inspection is that she can’t put her house on the market right away.

Jane decides to go with a pre-inspection, and has me back out three weeks later.  The re-inspection takes about five minutes, and I verify that Jane has corrected all of the “RRE” and “RRP” items, and has even fixed all of the “B” items.  I give her a clean report, and she puts her house on the market that day.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Minneapolis Truth-in-Sale of Housing Evaluator


RELATED POST:
Truth-in-Housing Basics

Registered Vacant Buildings in Saint Paul

I’ve been getting a number of calls from potential home buyers asking about Saint Paul’s  recent changes to the way vacant buildings are handled.  The Star Tribune ran an article last year about the woes of a person who bought a Category III Registered vacant building in Saint Paul, and I can't understand what the big deal is... but I digress (I'll come back to this).  The reason I'm writing this is to help Saint Paul Realtors and home buyers.  The biggest question I’m getting is whether homes that I’ve done Truth in Sale of Housing Evaluations on need code compliance, or if they are registered vacant buildings.  These are important questions to ask if you’re buying a vacant building in Saint Paul.
To help understand the issue, here’s a quick summary:

• Saint Paul has three official categories of registered vacant buildings – I, II, and III. 
  • Category I - vacant buildings with no big problems, although buyers are responsible for paying any outstanding fees and complying with any outstanding or existing orders for legal occupancy.
  • Category II - vacant buildings that are condemned or have multiple housing violations - condemned doesn't mean it has to be torn down though.  The seller must obtain a code compliance report, and the buyer must complete the repairs.
  • Category III - vacant buildings with big time problems; these may be dangerous or condemned.  They're the worst of the worst.  These properties cannot be sold until the seller obtains a Certificate of Occupancy, Certificate of Code Compliance, or a Fire Certificate of Occupancy.  This means the bank has to do repairs!
    
• The requirements for Cat III buildings was recently passed on to the seller this November, under a new ordinance which is referred to as the Bostrom Ordinance, named after Saint Paul Council Member Dan Bostrom.
• Truth-in-Housing reports have a large area on the front page where I (the evaluator) need to specify if the property is a Registered Vacant Building, and I need to indicate the Category - I, II, or III.
• Truth-in-Housing reports are static - a report I did 11 months ago is still valid today, but nothing on the report changes, even if the status of the property changes (IE - a property might have been a Cat II when I did the report, and might change to a Cat III two months later, but the report will still show it's a Cat II).

Obviously, it's extremely important to get the most up to date information when buying a vacant building in Saint Paul.  You can't go by the Truth in Housing report.  Here's how to do it:  Go tohttps://www.stpaulonestop.com/AMANDA5/eNtraprise/StPaul/menu/menu.jsp .  Click on "Property info and Permits by Address" and look up the property in question.  Try 120 Elizabeth.  You'll see right at the top of the screen under "Zoning/Use", this is a Vacant Building Category I.  That's it, that's all.

As for the Star Tribune article, I can't understand what the big deal is. A guy bought a vacant building and thought it was a Category II, but it turns out that it changed to a Category III before he bought it.  So what?  He had to complete a code compliance inspection either way.  Now that he owns the property, what's different?  Comments are welcome!

Click here for a printer friendly pdf of Saint Paul's Requirements for the Sale of Registered Vacant Buildings.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Saint Paul Truth in Housing Evaluator


RELATED POST: How To Buy A Registered Vacant Building in Saint Paul

Frost In Attics

This Minnesota winter has been an especially problematic one for frost in attics, and it seems that most people don’t understand why it happens or how to fix it.  There is a lot of mis-information floating around about why frost gets in to the attic and how to fix it, but I’m going to give you the real story.

This winter we experienced an unusually long cold spell in Minnesota, with temperatures never climbing above freezing for about a month.  This means cold attics.  When moist household air is allowed to escape from the house to the attic, it condenses on the roof boards in the form of frost.  When this happens for a long period of time, a lot of frost can accumulate.  When the frost melts, it soaks the insulation in the attic, stains the ceiling, and can even leak out through windows (I talked to someone last week who was having this problem).

I’ve heard several homeowners tell me they called their roofer out because they thought the stains on their ceiling were caused by a leaking roof, and of course it wasn’t a roof problem.  Nevertheless, the roofers typically suggest adding more ventilation to the attic space.  This will not fix the problem.  To suggest adding more ventilation to a roof to fix frost in the attic is like telling someone with a leaking water pipe to install a dehumidifier.  Ventilation is not the way to fix frost in the attic.


The fix for frost in the attic is sealing attic bypasses – these are passageways from the conditioned household space to the attic.  Bypasses are what allow moisture in the attic to begin with, and this is what needs repair.  While bypasses are certainly the most common cause of frost, there are other ways it can happen, and these are much more obvious.  Disconnected bath fans can be particularly problematic, and disconnected furnace flues can be catastrophic.  The photo below is one of my favorites – when the roof was replaced, the furnace flue came loose in the attic, which quickly turned the attic in to a winter wonderland.


If you’ve had frost in your attic, wet insulation in your attic, or stains on your ceiling, find your attic bypasses and seal them.  If you're not sure how, read my related posts about attic bypasses or give me call.

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

Smoke Detector Basics

Everyone knows that smoke detectors save lives, and most people know you’re supposed to test them regularly and change the batteries every so often, but there’s more to smoke detector safety than just these items.  Smoke detectors should be located throughout the home, properly installed, and replaced every so often.

Locations: The Minnesota State Building Code requires smoke detectors in every bedroom, in the hallways outside the bedrooms, and at least one on every level of the home.  I’d guess that about 50% of the homes that I do Truth-in-Housing Evaluations on in Minneapolis and Saint Paul have working smoke detectors on each level, and maybe 10% have working smoke detectors in each bedroom.  There is a lot of room for improvement in these cities.

Installation: Smoke detectors need to be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations to operate properly.   This typically means that if a smoke detector is installed on the ceiling, it should be at least 4” away from any wall.  If a smoke detector is installed on a wall, it should be 4” to 12” down from the ceiling - no more, no less.  The diagram at the right helps illustrate this.  This is required so the smoke will reach the detector and set it off in a timely manner.  How important is this?  Watch the video below to get an idea.  The best place to put a smoke detector is on the ceiling in the middle of the room.

Replacement: Smoke detectors should be replaced according to the manufacturer’s requirements.  Typically, this is about once every 10 years.  You can usually find the replacement date on the back of your smoke detector.  The photo below is from the back of a smoke detector which was manufactured in 2007.


Testing: Test the smoke detector using the built-in test button.  This is the preferred method, and will accurately test the unit’s operation as required by Underwriter Laboratories.  Again, follow manufacturer’s requirements for how often to test – the smoke detectors I have in my house are supposed to be tested weekly.
Batteries: Smoke detector batteries should last at least a year.  There’s nothing wrong with replacing the batteries annually, but you can also wait until the low battery indicator starts going off – this usually consists of an annoying chirp every 30–60 seconds.


Hardwired Detectors: Unless you live in Saint Paul, this isn’t required in older buildings.  Saint Paul requires at least one hardwired smoke detector near the sleeping areas on all existing homes, even on old homes that didn’t require this at the time of construction.  For the rest of Minnesota, if remodeling occurs, smoke detectors need to be hardwired and interconnected if there is access to wiring.  If there is no access to the wiring, battery operated smoke detectors are acceptable.

The following link has more specific information on Minnesota Smoke Detector Requirements.


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

Vampire Loads

A few ‘Green’ buzzwords I’ve been hearing about lately are ‘Vampire Loads’, ‘Vampire Power’ or ‘Phantom Power’. They all mean the same thing. If you haven’t heard about these yet, just wait, you will. Wikipedia defines these terms as “the electric powerconsumed by electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode.” Simply put, this is power that electronic devices use while they’re not really in use, such as cell phone charges, printers, computers, etc. I have a tendency to question the validity of these types of things when I hear them, and I really started to question this when my wife started unplugging her cell phone charger when not in use to save electricity.


After I saw a television commercial sponsored by GE Electric where a guy unplugged his toaster to prevent vampire drains, I was fed up because I didn’t believe it for a second. I knew that computers, monitors, and printers use a fair amount of electricity, but I was skeptical about toasters and cell phone chargers.  I decided to take my electrical tester around my house to measure how much electricity actually gets used by all these so-called ‘Vampires’. I threw in a 60 watt light bulb for comparison. I used an electrical tester that measures as little as 1.1 Watts. Here are the results:



The last items on the list used less than 1.1 watts. Any surprises? I was right about the toaster not using anything, but I was surprised at the amount of electricity saved by putting my computer in standby mode. This only saved a couple watts! After doing this test, I’m going to leave my cell phone charger plugged in, and I’m going to start putting my computer in to hibernation mode when I’m not using it.


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

Whole House Humidifiers Harm Houses

Whole house humidifiers can cause serious problems, especially in Minnesota.  Sometimes, they even destroy houses.  This topic gets a lot of people whipped up, and I always hear the same arguments for having a humidifier: they prevent your hardwood floors from cracking and splitting, they make the house more comfortable, you’ll get nosebleeds if you don’t… etc.  I admit, those are all valid arguments.  Nevertheless, the damage caused by an improperly used humidifier can far outweigh the benefits, and humidifiers are almost never used properly.  From all the houses that I inspect in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas, I know this.  


A whole house humidifier gets installed in the furnace ductwork, adding moisture to the air that gets distributed throughout the house.  The amount of moisture that's added is manually controlled with a dial that is usually located next to the thermostat, or next to the furnace.  To maintain the proper level of humidity, you need to know what the temperature is going to be, and then adjust the settings on the humidifier accordingly.  This is why I have such a problem with whole house humidifiers!  Here’s an excerpt from an owner’s manual:  


"it is important to anticipate a drop in outdoor temperature and reduce the setting  accordingly to avoid excessive condensation. For example, with an outdoor temperature of 20°F the correct setting will be 35% RH. If the temperature is expected to fall to 0°F that evening, then merely reduce the setting to 25% several hours prior to the temperature change."  


Get out!  Nobody does this!  Ok, one person does.  A buyer’s father attending an inspection got defensive about humidifiers when I told his son that I don’t recommend them.  When I explained that most people don’t use them properly, he said he adjusts his humidifier twice a day.  My jaw dropped and I told him I was impressed.  This is definitely the exception, and if you’re one of the few that use a humidifier properly, give yourself a pat on the back.  


The biggest problem with whole-house humidifiers is that too much moisture gets added to the air, and the moisture condenses on the windows, walls, and especially in the attic.  Excessive moisture in the home causes mold growth.  Excessive moisture on the windows stains the finish and damages the wood.  Excessive moisture in the attic causes condensation, which can rot the roof boards.  I’ve inspected many attics with rotted or delaminating roof boards, and in every case there was a whole-house humidifier present.  


If you've read my previous blog about attic bypasses, you know how moisture gets in to the attic. My recommendation is usually to not use whole house humidifiers unless you’re an extremely ‘type A’ homeowner, which means you’ll check the weather forecast and adjust your humidifier all the time.  I do have a bit of good news about humidifiers though- the newest ones come with automatic humidity controls, so you don’t need to adjust the settings all the time!  I learned about these at Aprilaire’s web site, and I think they’re a great idea that will probably save a lot of homes from damage.  If you must use use a whole-house humidifier, use one of these.  

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

    

One More Ice Dam Removal Method - Blowtorch

This is a follow-up to my blog post on How To Remove Ice Dams. Several people suggested using a blowtorch, and I thought it would be easiest to just follow up with a video. Sorry for the lousy sound quality - I didn't want to use my good camera on the ladder.



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



RELATED POST: How To Prevent Ice Dams

Water Heaters Don't Need Insulation Blankets

If you own a newer water heater, you don’t need an insulation blanket.  Many generations of water heaters ago, insulation blankets helped to retain some of the heat that water heaters would lose through poorly insulated tanks, but today’s water heaters are insulated well enough to not need extra insulation. The US Department of Energy recommends installing an insulation blanket if the insulation value of your water heater is less than R-24, but they also say that if you don’t know the R-Value, touch the outside of your water heater. If it’s hot, you should insulate it.

I did some research on my own water heater, which is a 2005 GE 50 gallon (manufactured by Rheem). From everything I’ve read, this water heater has an insulating value of somewhere between R-8 and R-16. I have the temperature set so the water comes out at 120 degrees, which is as hot as you should have your water heater set to prevent scalding. As you can see from the photo below, the outside temperature of the tank is at about 68 degrees, and the temperature in the room is about 66 degrees. According to my test, and according to the manufacturers recommendations (Rheem, AO Smith), an insulation blanket is not necessary.

If you have an old water heater that actually does get warm to the touch at the exterior, be very careful installing the insulation. Most water heaters are gas fired, and there are many areas that need to be left uncovered; the warning labels, the top of the water heater, the pressure relief valve, the control and access panel, and any bottom air inlets. Out of all the water heaters that I’ve seen that have been insulated, not one has followed these instructions; the warning labels are always covered, the pressure relief valves are almost always covered, and the tops of the water heaters are frequently covered.
The bottom line is that insulation blankets for water heaters are mostly a thing of the past, are difficult to install properly, and are generally not recommended.

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

How To Get Rid Of Ice Dams

Last year at about this time I wrote a blog about ice dams, covering what needs to be done to prevent ice dams from happening, both on the inside and outside of the house.   This year I'll discuss a bunch of different ways to get rid of ice dams.  The methods involve axes, ice picks, pantyhose, salt, and heat cables.

Axe

The most obvious way to get rid of ice dams would be to just take a blunt instrument and hack away at the ice dams.  I tried an axe.

Pros: Fast results - I hacked through several feet of six-inch thick ice dams in a matter of minutes.
Cons: Unsafe and cumbersome.   I had a set up a ladder on the icy ground and swing an axe while standing on a ladder.  The ice also really flew in my face - I should have been wearing goggles!  I was only able to remove the ice down to the gutter, and only able to get close to the surface of the roof without risking damage to the shingles.
Verdict: This is a high risk, but fast and effective way of getting rid of a lot of ice, but leaves the job incomplete.

Ice Pick

Sounds like a natural choice, doesn't it?  I actually used my awl, but close enough.

Pros: Very fast results, very little effort.  It's as though this tool was made for picking at ice.  Oh, wait...  Still, I was genuinely surprised at how fast and accurate this method was.
Cons: Unsafe.  Again, I was jabbing at ice dams while standing on a ladder, which was sitting on the icy ground.  I also had to be very careful to not damage the roof.
Verdict: This is definitely my method of choice.  Nothing else worked nearly as well.

Roof Tablets

Yes, this is a product designed specifically for preventing damage from ice dams.  Contrary to the name on the container, the product doesn't actually melt your roof (whew).  The instructions say to toss the tablets on to your roof and they'll melt through the ice dams, allowing for "water to drain safely".



I tried tossing the tablets on the roof like the instructions said to do, but it didn't work out very well.  I consider my tablet tossing skills to be above average, but I still couldn't get the tablets to end up in a good location - they all just slid together in one place.  If I didn't get a ladder out to take pictures, I never would have known that the tablets didn't end up a good spot.

Just to give the roof melt tablets the best possible chance for success, I hand-placed them on the ice dam and I used about four times as much as the directions called for.

By day two, I had some pretty dramatic results - the tablets had melted all the way through the ice dam.  btw - for anyone in a southern climate that might be reading this blog, that white stuff on the ice is snow, from a very light snowfall the night before.

By the third day, not much change.  There were definite holes in the ice dam, and some channels had formed for water to drain through, but the majority of the ice was still there.
 
Pros: If you had perfect aim and tablets didn't move after you tossed them on to the roof, this would be very safe.
Cons: The tablets don't stay where they land, which negates the whole safety thing - I still had to set up a ladder on the icy ground and move the tablets around myself.  This method was also pretty ineffective - it created a bunch of holes in the ice dam, but so what?  Most of the ice dam was still there in the end.
Verdict: This might be a nice way to get down to the roof surface, and it would be nice to follow up with an ice pick after a day or two, but the tablets alone aren't great.  Sure, it's safe... but so is sitting inside a warm house.  Neither gets the job done.

Salt Filled Pantyhose

This is a simple, straight-forward approach.  Take off your pantyhose, fill 'em up with ice melt (calcium chloride or something similar), and toss 'em on your roof.  The idea is that the salt will leak through the pantyhose and eventually melt the ice dams away to nothing.   This is supposed to work better than just putting salt directly on the roof, because salt applied directly to the roof will just melt a bunch of tiny holes, much the same way the tablets melted large holes.

By day two, there were several tiny holes in the ice dam.  Whoop-de-doo.  Salt alone would have done this.

By day three, the pantyhose had started to melt in to the ice dam, and had completely melted down to the roof.   The part that hadn't melted down to the roof basically had a hard, crusty layer of salt(?) formed on the bottom of the pantyhose, and nothing else was happening.  I picked up the pantyhose, broke up all the chunks of stuck together salt, and placed it back down.
 
On day four, I tried moving the pantyhose again to loosen up the stuck together chunks of salt, and the pantyhose ripped apart, leaving a big mess of salt on the roof.  Yuck.


Pros: This is pretty safe.
Cons: Took way too long and didn't do much.  Waste of time.  I wonder if I can return the pantyhose to Walgreens?
Verdict: Better than nothing.

Heat Cables

For the record, heat cables aren't supposed to be placed directly on ice dams, but some people might try it anyway.  My friend did this at a house he owns in Saint Louis Park... so I took pictures.  These photos all show the heat cables after about one day.

Note the creative way of keeping the cables from touching each other.  Pretty cool, huh?



Pros: Gets the job done, and will prevent the formation of ice dams throughout the rest of the year.
Cons: Heat cables aren't made for this, and I'm sure the manufacturer would tell you that this poses some type of safety hazard.  Stringing up the cable was also very unsafe.  It's a good thing my friend owns a jet pack.
Verdict: Don't do this.

Summary

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  My favorite method was definitely the ice pick, but this was also very unsafe, and there's a good chance that the roof surface could get damaged this way.  I'd rather not have to deal with ice dams at all.

After a good snowfall, rake the snow off your roof.   This definitely takes the least amount of effort and it's safe.  I've been asked whether a roof rake will damage the roof, and the answer is definitely no.  A good roof rake will have little wheels at the bottom of the rake , which prevents the bottom of the rake from even touching the surface of the roof.  Rake away.



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

    


RELATED POST: How To Prevent Ice Dams