Furnace Certifications - Useless?

I don't think I'll be recommending any more furnace certifications.  Heresy you say?  No, I have good reason not to.  I started out meaning to write a blog about what's involved in furnace certifications and who does them, so I contacted 40 local HVAC contractors.
I was shocked at most of the responses I received.

An Easy Call


When I inspect a furnace and I find a serious problem, such as a cracked heat exchanger, it's easy for me to tell my clients what to do: replace the furnace.   The photo above shows a cracked heat exchanger on a furnace, looking at it from the back - this GE furnace had a removable back panel that gave me a good look at the back of the heat exchanger, and made finding cracks very easy.

Cracked Heat Exchanger

The Grey AreaUnfortunately, diagnosing a cracked heat exchanger is almost always a difficult if not impossible task.  Home Inspectors are usually only able to see the burner side of the heat exchanger, and this area is often dirty and rusty, making cracks very difficult to find.  The photo at right shows a crack as seen from the inside of a heat exchanger, and it's one of the most obvious heat exchanger cracks I've ever seen - yet it's still tough to see.  Home inspection standards disclaim the inspection of the heat exchanger just for this reason, but I still do my best to look for problems.  When I suspect a crack, all I can do is recommend an HVAC contractor come out to confirm or deny the presence of a crack.


What Excellent HVAC Contractors Do  Many years ago, I attended a seminar put on by a very reputable HVAC firm, where the speaker talked about what was involved with a furnace 'certification', which was the type of inspection they would do when a Home Inspector suspected a problem.  The guy leading the class talked about using mirrors, borescopes, smoke bombs, leak seek tests, and basically dismantling a furnace to get a good look at the heat exchanger to check for cracks.  He assured us that if there was a crack to be found, they were happy to go out of their way to find it, and that's what a furnace certification was all about.


What Other HVAC Contractors Do  To gather information for this blog, I contacted 40 different HVAC contractors (23 responded).  The price for a furnace certification varied between $135 and $219, and almost every contractor said that a furnace certification consists of an Orsat test.  That's it.  An Orsat test measures CO² and 0² in order to determine the efficiency of an appliance, and that's about it.  It won't have anything to do with a crack.  After making all of these phone calls and sending all of these emails, I don't think I'll ever recommend another furnace certification.  The efficiency of a furnace doesn't have anything to do with a cracked heat exchanger.


Saint Louis Park has it right  I guess the City of Saint Louis Park has had it right for a long time; when they do their Point-Of-Sale Evaluations, they automatically require a certification on furnaces over 20 years old, and they also require a smoke bomb or leak seek test, which is specifically designed to test for a cracked heat exchanger.  I think I'll be recommending a lot of leak seek tests.


Don't Call CenterPoint  The local gas company, Centerpoint Energy, offers safety inspections of furnaces for $89.  Can you guess why the price is so low?  Because it's not a certification!  They won't do certifications on furnaces, much less smoke bomb or leak seek tests.  Almost half the time I recommend a furnace certification, someone ends up calling the gas company instead, and to no surprise, the gas company says everything is fine.  I called CenterPoint to see how it was so easy for people to confuse a certification with a basic safety check, and I was quite surprised. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Hi, can I have my furnace inspected?
Centerpoint: Why, did an inspector suspect a problem with it, or are you selling your house?
Me: Yes, the people buying my house want to make sure it's safe.
Centerpoint: I'm sorry, we don't offer that type of service. You'll need to contact a private HVAC contractor.

The gas company was very clear about not offering certifications or anything close to that.  So how does the local gas company show up at the majority of houses that I'm recommending certifications on?  It's probably a communication problem.  I tell the buyer to get a certification, they tell their agent, that agent tells the seller's agent, and the seller's agent tells the seller.  The seller eventually hears "Get your furnace checked out".

From now on, I'll be recommending leak seek tests when I suspect a cracked heat exchanger.  One of the better companies that I contacted does certifications for $135, and they always do smoke bomb tests or leak seek tests when they suspect a problem.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Saint Louis Park Home Inspections

MAC Houses Are 'Green' Houses

If you hear about a house getting MAC’d, it usually means that some high-quality “Green” improvements have been done to a house near the MSP airport.  The purpose is to minimize noise issues with houses, and that’s great, but I think some of the best benefits of the MAC program have to do with energy savings.

The Metropolitan Airport Council (MAC) implemented a Residential Sound Insulation Program in 1992, and since has gone through thousands of homes near the airport making improvements in sound insulation. This partial list of home improvements comes from the MacNoise web site:

• Reconditioning or replacing existing doors and windows
  • Adding acoustical exterior storm windows and storm doors
  • Replacing weatherstripping
• Adding wall and attic insulation
• Adding baffles to mail slots and chimneys.
• Adding central air conditioning if not existing

Every ‘MAC’ home I’ve inspected has had professional work performed – these aren’t just quick handyman home improvements.  They’re high quality improvements that make houses much more comfortable and save money in energy costs.  The average cost of the improvements done to homes has averaged a low of $17,300 in 1995, and a high of $45,000 in 2001.  In 2003, homeowners were asked asked if they were satisfied with the quality of the improvements, and 100% answered yes.

Window and door improvements are pretty easy to understand – a better insulated window means less noise, as well as less heat loss.  Insulation in the attic is also pretty obvious, but the one thing I’d like to point out is that MAC does an excellent job of adding insulation.  They seal up attic bypasses, they add ventilation when needed, and they get the vapor barriers right.  Seeing all this insulation done properly on an old one-and-a-half story home just gives me the warm-fuzzies.

Central air often gets added if it isn’t already present, and while this alone doesn’t do much for energy efficiency, it often means that other stuff has to be done in order to get central air – like replacing gravity furnaces!  If you’ve read my blog on gravity furnaces, you know how inefficient they are.  In order to add central air, old gravity furnaces need to be replaced with forced air furnaces, and this is a HUGE improvement in energy.  Adding central air also requires room in the electric panel for a major appliance, and most of the older fused panels don’t have room for this.  This means an upgrade of the electric service too.

Chimney Fan

MAC houses end up getting much 'tighter', they also take air changes in to account, and additional steps are taken to ensure all of the fuel burning appliances in homes will still operate properly in tighter conditions.  Sometimes this means the installation of a direct vent furnace, a powervent water heater, or even a forced draft fan at the top of the chimney, as shown at right.  A combustion air duct is always installed.  MAC houses also usually get some sort of whole-house fan installed to make sure the air in the house gets changed out several times per hour - sometimes it's an HRV, other times it's a fan installed in a central location that constantly exhausts at a very low speed.

If you’re shopping for a home near the MSP airport, don’t be afraid of houses that have been MAC’d – it’s a good program.  To learn more about the program, including future improvements, visit http://www.macnoise.com/noise_programs.

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

Commonly Mistaken and Misused Terms, Part II

Below is a list of commonly misused or mistaken terms that I hear every day - sometimes from other home inspectors, but mostly from clients.  This will hopefully clear up some misused or mistaken terms.  Feel free to add to the list.

Direct Vent A direct vent gas appliance takes all of it's air for combustion directly from the exterior.

• Furnace For a furnace, you'll see two plastic pipes running to the furnace - one for air coming in, one for combustion gases going out.   A condensing furnace with only one plastic pipe is not a direct vent.
• Gas Fireplace For a decorative gas appliance (aka - gas fireplace), you'll typically see a metal termination at the exterior of the home, where the outer 'ring' brings air in, and the inner ring exhausts combustion gas. The photo at right shows the termination for a gas fireplace.
• Water Heater Direct vent water heaters are not common in Minnesota - I think I've seen two in my life.  Powervent water heaters are.   A powervent water heater will have a single plastic pipe to force the exhaust gases to the exterior.

Attic - Attics are defined as "The unfinished space between the ceiling joists of the top story and roof rafters".  Many people refer to attic spaces as 'crawl spaces', but 'attic' is a much more specific term.

Fuse Box Most people are referring to the main panelboard when they say this, and most have circuit breakers, not fuses.


Fire Wall This is a term that only applies to commercial properties.  Most people are referring to the fire separation wall between the house and garage at a single family dwelling when they use this term, but this is not a fire wall.  A true fire wall completely separates parts of a building so that one portion may collapse and burn to the ground in the event of a fire, while the wall remains intact.  You won't find a fire wall in a single family home unless you're referring to the internet connection.


Sheetrock®, Durock®, Romex®... They're all brand names, just like Kleenex®.  Better terms would be gypsum board or drywall, cement board, and NM (non-metallic) wire, respectively.





Overflow Pipe I've heard many people use this term to refer to the pipe that gets connected to the temperature and pressure relief valve on a water heater.  I really don't know what the best term for this pipe is, but it's certainly not an overflow pipe.  I awkwardly refer to it as the "temperature and pressure relief valve discharge pipe" or "relief valve discharge pipe".
Joyce Joist
Acrost Across
Heighth Height  (thank you to Matt for this addition)
Footer Footing
House Geek Home Inspector

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


RELATED POST:  Houses Don't Need CO2 Alarms

Don't Remove The Panel Cover? Yeah Right!

Today I'm going to share a bit of home inspector folklore, and I'm going to set the record straight on electrical inspections.

We Can't Remove Panel Covers?  I've heard from several other home inspectors in Minnesota that we're not supposed to remove electric panel covers.  Yes, that's right.  They say that only a licensed electrician is allowed to do this, and we as home inspectors have no business removing panel covers.  This means that the inspection of the electrical panel is limited to looking at the outside... and that's about it.  It would be like inspecting a house, but not looking inside.


Where Does This Information Come From?  The closest document I've ever seen that could possibly comment on a home inspector removing a panel cover in Minnesota is a document called THE LAWS AND RULES REGULATING LICENSING OF ELECTRICIANS AND INSPECTION OF ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS. There is a section in this document on page 15 that reads

Subd. 12. Unlicensed individuals. (a) An unlicensed individual means an individual who has not been licensed by the department to perform specific electrical work. An unlicensed individual shall not perform electrical workrequired to be performed by a licensed individual unless the individual has first registered with the department as an unlicensed individual. Thereafter, an unlicense individual shall not perform electrical work required to be performed by a licensed individual unless the work is performed under the direct supervision of an individual actually licensed to perform such work. The licensed individual and unlicensed individual must be employed by the same employer.

So what is electrical work?  This same document actually defines electrical work:

Subd. 17. Electrical work. "Electrical work" means the installing, altering, repairing, planning, or laying out of electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment for electrical light, heat, power, technology circuits or systems, or other purposes.

Clearly, removing a panel cover to inspect the inside does not constitute electrical work.  The next time you hear someone say that home inspectors in Minnesota aren't allowed to open electrical panels, have 'em prove it.

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

This Radon Test Is Useless

While doing a Truth-In-Sale of Housing re-inspection, I noticed a radon monitor present in the crawl space.  This home didn't have a basement, just a trap door that led to a 5' x 5' crawl space with a water heater, water meter, and gas meter.

 

My first thought:

Huh, someone is doing a radon test.  Great!  Must have sold the house.

My next thought:

What the heck is that test doing in a crawl space?

Radon will enter a home through the basement or crawl space floors and walls, so the lower areas in a house will always have the highest concentrations of radon.  This particular home had an uncovered crawl space, which is typically a good indicator that the radon test will come out high.

In this particular case, the radon test was completely useless.

The EPA protocol for radon testing during a real estate transaction requires the test to be placed in the lowest level of the home that could be used regularly.  In other words, where someone might actually spend some time.

A crawl space is the place in the home where someone would be least likely to use regularly, if at all.  If someone regularly spends time in their crawl space,  they have bigger problems than radon to worry about.   Even if the radon level for this particular test is very high, the numbers are meaningless.  The test needs to be done in the living area to be of any use.

Another requirement for radon tests is that the seller maintain closed-house conditions for 12 hours prior to the test and throughout the duration of the test, which means keeping the windows and doors closed, except for normal traffic.  When I arrived at this house, most of the windows were wide open, and the owner didn't have any idea that his windows were supposed to be closed.  The owner should have been notified about the radon test a day ahead of time, and the inspector should have left a form at the house for the owner to fill out, stating that the EPA protocols for testing would be adhered to.

There is no licensing requirement for radon testing in Minnesota, but seeing a test performed like this makes me think there should be.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Detailed Home Inspection Reports

"How Much Do You Charge?"

Would you call a retail store and ask “How much do you charge for a TV?”  Probably not.  You’d have to do research and decide what you want to buy before asking for prices.

One of the toughest calls that I get as a home inspector is “What do you charge for a home inspection?”

Home buyers ask me this because they’re trying to find the inspector that offers the best deal.  When buyers are only concerned with price, they have already made an assumption that all home inspectors offer the same thing, and they assume they’re comparing apples to apples Sony Bravia 32" LCD HDTVs to Sony Bravia 32" LCD HDTVs.  This just isn’t true.



Here are a few key things to research before deciding on a home inspector, and to help make sure you’re making a fair comparison when it comes down to price.  This is all information that home inspectors typically list on their web site (yes, I’m assuming they have a web site).

• Find out how long they've been in business for.
• Read client testimonials.  Are they from clients or real estate agents?  Do they have testimonials from three delighted clients, or thirty?
• Read about their qualifications and experience.  Look out for clever wording like “10 years of industry experience.”  This doesn’t equate to 10 years of “Home Inspection” experience.
• Most importantly, view a sample inspection report.  If there isn’t one available or you need to send the inspector an email to request one, it’s probably for good reason.  Home Inspectors like me that are proud of their reports practically want to push the report in to your lap.  See, look, I'm doing it right now.

When reviewing a sample report, there is much more to look for than just photos and illustrations.  Watch out for useless report writing that is designed to cover the home inspectors butt, not yours.  A bad report would contain a lot of phrases like “This was observed, recommend further evaluation and correction by a licensed blah blah blah”.  When I first started inspecting, I was told by a professional home inspection instructor that this was the best way to write a report.  As I’ve written more and more reports over the years, I’ve come to realize that home inspection schools teach this style only to protect the inspector.  This doesn't provide a service for the client.

If you want an example of a good looking report that was poorly written, just Google “home inspection report” and click on the first sample that comes up.  You'll find more than a DOZEN recommendations for additional inspections.  Is the buyer really supposed to follow this advice?  That's ridiculous.

When picking out a home inspector, spend some time researching inspectors, even if you receive three different names of inspectors from your real estate agent.  Many agents give out three names because they don’t want to assume liability if their client isn’t happy with the inspection, not because they have three companies that do great work.  For more tips on finding an inspector on-line, read this post by one of my favorite bloggers:  How hard can it be to find a good Home Inspector?

After you've decided on an inspector, book the inspection.  If you've narrowed it down to two inspectors and you just can't decide, go with price.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Detailed Home Inspection Reports

Problems With James Hardie Siding Installations

James Hardie lap siding is great product, but it only performs as well as it's installed.  I've heard a few complaints about this product from various home buyers, mostly anecdotal evidence about how the material deteriorates, but I've found improper installations on every damaged section of siding I've ever seen.  James Hardie siding is a fiber-cement product that comes with a 30 or 50 year warranty, but any warranty will be void if the product is improperly installed.  Listed below are a few of the most common installation defects that I find.


Improper Clearances

• Must be kept 2" away from roof surfaces, decks, driveways, steps, and other similar hard surfaces.
• Must be kept 6" above the finished grade.
• Gutters must be kept 1" away from the siding, and kickout flashing needs to be installed.
• Must be kept 1/4" above flashing above windows, and not caulked here.

Improperly Attached

• Must be blind nailed or face nailed, but not both.  The photos below show blind nails and face nails used together, and clearly shows what happens.
• The proper size nails must be used (6d or siding nails).  Framing nails (16d) were used in the photos below.
• The nails must be driven in straight, and must not be over-driven or under-driven.  The nails pictured were driven at an angle or driven in too far.

Blind Nailed and Face Nailed

Wrong Nails, Faced Nailed and Blind Nailed, Nailed at an angle

Overdriven Nails

Angled Nail

What Do These Defects Mean?
If you're buying a house with improperly installed James Hardie siding, be aware that damage caused by an improper installation will not be covered by their warranty, and your siding will be subject to premature damage and deterioration. If the proper clearances haven't been met, they can often be fixed.  If the siding has been improperly attached to the house, there isn't any practical way to fix this.  You'll have to take your chances and hope it doesn't turn out like the photos above, or you'll need to have the siding redone.  For a full list of installation requirements for the HZ5 plank, click here.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Home Inspector Saint Louis Park

Foggy Glass? You Don't Need A New Window.

Fogged Glass

Fogged windows can be a real... nuisance (no bad puns today).   Fogged glass makes windows look constantly dirty, and some windows get so cloudy that you can't even see through them.  These windows will also have a lower insulating value, but not by much.  While replacing the window is usually most people's first instinct, this isn't always the best approach.  A couple other options would to replace just the pane or have the window serviced to make it look clean again.

Replace The Pane

Rather than replacing the entire window, you can replace just the defective pane.  Most newer double-hung windows have sashes that can be easily removed without any tools.  Major manufacturers such as Pella, Anderson, and Marvin all have 20 year warranties on their glass.  If a window less than 20 years old develops foggy glass, contact the manufacturer.  If the window is older than 20 years, you can still replace the pane for less money than it would cost to rip out and replace the window, but you'll need a window specialist to do the work.

Service The Pane

Some window repair companies, such as Window Medics, will repair alter windows with broken seals to make them look good again.  This process consists of drilling a couple tiny holes in the glass, washing out the inside of the window panes to clean up the 'fogginess', and then installing tiny vents in the holes to allow the window to breath.  The window will no longer be foggy, and it will stay clean.  The downside to this repair is that the window will have a slightly lower insulating value than it had before the glass fogged over, but this will cost much less than replacing the window.

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

The Buyer Should Be There

The question I get from home buyers that always makes me chuckle: "Can I be there for part of the inspection?"

I want the buyer there for the whole thing!  Whenever possible.   It allows me to focus on their particular concerns, it lets me tailor the report to their needs, and it helps them to understand everything a little better.

Client Concerns

I encourage my clients to attend the entire inspection so we can go through everything together.  I try to give myself a quick tour of the house and inspect the roof before my clients show up.  This eliminates some  'down time' for my client.  After that, we talk about any particular concerns they have with the house, and I try to get a sense of what's important to them... the stuff they might not know to tell me.  Some clients are very concerned that the house is safe for children, some are concerned with security,  others are planning a big remodel and don't care if the windows in the back of the house are rotted.

The Report

Having my client attend the inspection helps me to write a much more customized report.  I make suggestions about ways to fix things,  and sometimes I suggest upgrades they could do to the house.  My clients will often ask me to put those recommendations in the report, and I also include hyperlinks in my reports to web sites if I know what my clients are interested in.  For instance, just yesterday I inspected a home for a client who was thinking about replacing his entire boiler system with a forced air furnace, so I included a link in his report to my blog about furnaces vs boilers.

When my client's don't attend the inspection, I end up having to write a report with my pickiest client in mind - you know, the person that expects every house to be perfect, and gets worried about hairline cracks in the basement floor.  I end up taking photos of a lot of things that aren'tproblems and I document that they aren't problems, because it saves worried phone calls later.  A good example is something call 'checking' in old wood beams, which is something that happens to old timbers as they dry out.   If my clients aren't there to go through everything with me, they might confuse the checking with 'cracks' in their wood beams and think it's a structural defect, when it's really just something that happens to wood over time, and has no effect on the structural integrity.

Understanding

When my clients attend the inspection, we talk about the importance of repairs.  Some problems have little impact on the home as a whole, such as a rotted storm door or a deteriorated driveway.  On the other hand, a disconnected furnace vent in the attic is a SERIOUS defect that could cause a ridiculous amount of damage over a period of just one heating season.  Without discussing these items or seeing them firsthand, it's difficult for buyers to prioritize these repairs.

If you schedule an inspection and the inspector doesn't want you to attend, this is a big red flag.  Find another inspector.

Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections - Email - Detailed Buyers Inspections

RELATED POST:  Should Agents Attend The Inspection?