Atlanta Inspection News! Consumer information: October 2009

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The standard for newly installed air conditioners has changed from SEER 10 to SEER 13: a 30% increase in efficiency. However, for many with older homes (pre-1992), the increase in efficiency can be even greater than 30%, due to the older units much lower SEER ratings--usually around 6 or 7. Thus the "payback" will be even bigger, and faster, and the reduction in electricity costs will be even nicer!

Initially, the up front costs for the new SEER 13 units are going to be higher than the SEER 10 units. Talking with a well respected Atlanta HVAC firm who represents several well known brands, the representative noted the price difference between a SEER 10 and a SEER 13 two-and-a-half ton unit, including the cost of a matching evaporator coil (if needed) would range about $600 higher on average.

There may be additional costs for sheet-metal work around the new, larger sized evaporator coil at the furnace, possibly new copper tubing from the compressor to the evaporator. The new units require very clean plumbing, so the current plumbing may need to be cleaned or replaced. The new units required 40% more "freon".

There has been much speculation about how much larger the new outside units will be. Actually some manufacturers like Amana, Goodman and Bryant (and perhaps others) new units will be the same or smaller than their current SEER 10 units.

A new digital thermostat is recommended if your unit is an older, say 15 year old analog thermostat, for more efficient operation.

And, just like car a/c systems where the old R-12 was changed, in 2010 the current R-22 air conditioner coolant will be changed to the R-410A. At least one manufacturer, Carrier, already includes the new freon, so you‘ll already have an a/c that meets the SEER 13 requirements with the new coolant

Through the years we all get older...even our homes,cars etc. Proper maintainance on a home is a steady, and some times costy effort to keep up with. That brings me to this residential code I think all home sellers need to know.International Residential Code Council Ref {R102.7}- Provisions allowing the legal occupancy of a residential structure to continue without fully compling with current codes are grandfather-In.

The IRC provides such relief to home owners. To impose regulations to bring existing structures into current compliance would be impractical and unreasonable and penalized the owners. Since the structure was constructed in compliance with all applicable building standards at the time of construction.Of course, if due to lack of repair or improper repair and maintance,and the structure falls below generally acceptable threshold for sanitation,health,safety, and welfare, the IRC requires corrections in accordance with spefic codes.Additions,alterations or repairs cannot cause any portion of the existing structure to unsafe or affect performance by added excessive loads to exist on structural members,impededfire egress,overload the
electrical service, or exceeds plumbing capacity DWV system.If any of the affected elements would need to be brought into compliance with current codes.

There is a appendix J clause such as water heater replacement,heating or air system or componets will have to be installed to todays IRC Code standards. As a code inspector we don't perform code inspections when performing home inspection. But when safety codes are missed and somethings tragic happens all eyes seem to look at you.

The Georgia state mininum for residential structres are outlined.

The Uniform Codes Act is codified at chapter 2 of title 8 of The Official Code of Georgia Annotated. O.C.G.A. Section 8-2-20(9)(B) identifies the ten "state minimum standard codes". Each of these separate codes typically consist of a base code (e.g. The International Building Code as published by the International Code Council) and a set of Georgia amendments to the base code. Georgia law further dictates that eight of these codes are "mandatory" (are applicable to all construction whether or not they are locally enforced.

1.) International Building Code
2.)One and Two Family Dwelling Code (International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings
3.)International Fire Code
4.)International Plumbing Code
5.)International Mechanical Code
6.)Fuel Gas Code
7.)National Electrical Code
8.) Energy Conservation Code

As noted above, the building, one and two family dwelling, fire, plumbing, mechanical, gas, electrical and energy codes are mandatory codes, meaning that under Georgia law, any structure built in Georgia must comply with these codes, whether or not the local government chooses to locally enforce these codes.

So remember if you are trying to sell in this market have a pre-listing inspection to see what needs to be brought up to codes.It will help sell faster as well.

These fires typically cause an alarming 500 deaths and 2,800 serious injuries.Over $1 billion in property and personal possessions are destroyed.An additional 890,000 electrical related fires in homes go unreported every year!.                                                                                                                              

My home inspection lasted about 1.5 hrs. The inspector was from one of the larger inspection companies. A friend used the company and apparently had a very competent inspector.

At the time I thought my inspector was good. In hindsight he missed a lot of things that in my opinion an inspection should discover. He had a bad back and could barely bend down so he only looked in places in plain sight. He barely peeked behind the knee walls upstairs. He didn't look under the front porch. He claimed he looked at the roof with binoculars before I got there...

I was clueless at the time and really depended on him to seek out anything that may be a long term issue. Every single system he looked at he wrote a disclaimer to have someone else inspect it. When the inspection was complete I needed a builder to look at the structure, an electrician to look at the electrical, an exterminator to look for any bug damage. The list went on and on.

His disclaimer would have required me to hire someone from pretty much every trade out there to look at the house. The whole inspection report was one big CYA for him and his company.

I hired accurate inspection of atlanta the next time to perform another inspection because I wasn't satisfied. He found things that were electrical code violation and one circuit had oversized wiring and had started melting the insulation. The chimney was pulling away from the structure. Luckly I hired him to perform this warranty inspection. If not I would have been out a lot of money.I think I will and never go with one of the big inspection firms.

When a heat pump is operating in the heating mode or heat cycle, the outdoor air is relatively cool and the outdoor coil acts as an evaporator.Under certain conditions of temperature and relative humidity, frost might form on the surface of the outdoor coil.  The layer of frost will interfere with the operation of the heat pump by making the pump work harder and, therefore, inefficiently. The frost must be removed. A heat pump has a cycle called a defrost cycle, which removes the frost from the outdoor coil.  
 
A heat pump unit will defrost regularly when frost conditions occur.The defrost cycle should be long enough to melt the ice, and short enough to be energy-efficient.
 
In the defrost cycle, the heat pump is automatically operated in reverse, for a moment, in the cooling cycle.This action temporarily warms up the outdoor coil and melts the frost from the coil.  In this defrost cycle, the outdoor fan is prevented from turning on when the heat pump switches over,and the temperature rise of the outdoor coil is accelerated and increased.  
 
The heat pump will operate in the defrost cycle until the outdoor coil temperature reaches around 57° F.The time it takes to melt and remove accumulated frost from an outdoor coil will vary, depending on the amount of frost and the internal timing device of the system. 
 
 
Interior Heating Element
 
During this defrost cycle with older heat pumps, the indoor unit might be operating with the fan blowing cool air.  To prevent cool air from being produced and distributed inside the house, an electric heating element can be installed and engaged at the same time as the defrost cycle.  In defrost mode, this heating element will automatically turn on, or the interior blower fan will turn off.  The heating component is wired up to the second stage of a two-stage thermostat.  

 
The Typical Cycle
 
The components that make up the defrost cycle system includes a thermostat, timer and a relay. There is a special thermostat or sensor of the defrost cycle system, often referred to as the frost thermostat.  It is located on the bottom of the outdoor coil where it can detect the temperature of the coil.  
 
When the outdoor coil temperature drops to around 32° F, the thermostat closes the circuit and makes the system respond.  This causes an internal timer to start.  Many heat pumps have a generic timer that energizes the defrost relays at certain intervals of time. Some generic timers will energize the defrost
cycle every 30, 60 and 90 minutes.
 
The defrost relays turn on the compressor, switch the reversing valve of the heat pump, turn on the interior electric heating element, and stop the fan at the outdoor coil from spinning.  The unit is now in the defrost cycle.  
 
The unit remains in the defrost cycle (or cooling cycle) until the thermostat on the bottom of the outdoor coil senses that the outdoor coil temperature has reached about 57° F. At that temperature, the outdoor coil should be free of frost.  The frost thermostat opens the circuit, stops the timer, then the defrost cycle stops, the internal heater turns off, the valve reverses, and the unit returns to the heating cycle. A typical defrost cycle might run from 30 seconds to a few minutes.  The defrost cycles should repeat regularly at timed intervals.  An inspector should not observe a rapid cycling of the defrost operation.  
In summary, certain conditions can force a heat pump into a defrost cycle (or cooling cycle) where the fan in the outdoor coil is stopped, the indoor fan is stopped or electric heat is turned on, the frost melts and is removed from the outdoor coils.  When the frost thermostat is satisfied or a certain pre-set time period elapses, the outdoor fan comes back on, and the heat pump goes back into the heating cycle. 
 

All air conditioners and heat pumps are specifically designed to work with matched indoor units (furnace or air handler) for optimum efficiency and performance.While an outdoor cooling system may "work" with indoor units, including older systems, it will only operate at its peak potential when it's paired with the right sized system for your home.

Bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to heating and cooling systems. A system that is too large for your home will frequently cycle on and off, which wastes energy. Plus, it won't run long enough to remove humidity from the air, which can impact the comfort and health of your home. A system that is too small can't do its job of making you comfortable. In this case, it will run continuously to keep up with the thermostat setting, costing you more on your utility bills and potentially shortening the system's life.

The only reliable way to determine the size that best matches the needs of your home is to have a load calculation, which takes into account the square footage of your house, the insulation value of your windows, the amount of insulation in your walls and roof and many other factors.A load calculation is required to ensure proper sizing of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) calculation is required by Georgia's energy code. Common rules-of-thumb, such as 1 ton of air conditioning per 600 square feet, are not acceptable because there are many factors, other than the size of the home, that affect the size of heating and air conditioning equipment required.

A correctly sized cooling unit is critical for providing proper dehumidification, comfort,and efficiency.accounts for details such as orientation, window-to-wall area ratio, window type, insulation levels, air infiltration, duct losses and internal heat sources. All are significant factors that affect the load of a home.

A duct design is required to ensure proper sizing of the duct system. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) recommends.determining the size of the duct system. A duct sizing calculation takes the size of the HVAC equipment, the corresponding air handler, the air requirements for the rooms and the
type of ducts being installed (hard pipe or flex duct) into account. The common rules-of-thumb for duct sizing such as an assumed friction rate of .1 per 100 feet of ductwork are not acceptable. The air handler, required air flow and duct length and fittings used all contribute to the friction rate and static pressure of a particular system.

To repair or replace, that is the question that likely comes to mind whenever your heating or cooling system stops working like it should. Although repairing may be the most affordable solution now, it might not be the best choice over the long run.When the cost of repairs approaches 50% of the value of your heating or cooling system, it's generally time to replace the system.Even if needed repair costs aren't quite as daunting as 50%, you might want to replace your system if it's more than 12 years old or you've had a history of problems with it.

The BTU from the furnance entering the flue ARE less on a on a induced draft when compared to a gravity draft.A foraced draft even less but this type of furnace would have a plastic vent. Usually two sources of water can cause the corrosion, condensation or rain water. (sometimes Plumbing leaks).

Some condensation is normal at startup. A flue is checked with a micro-manometer after it is at a operating tempature (aprox 10 min.) At this point it should draw. If there is not a draw than there is a venting issue. It can have various reasons: Indueced draft into a masonary (usually exterior) chiminey (this is called a cold cap in some areas) , inducer fan isssues (craks or leaks), flue and/or connecter issues (bird nest, T-connector vs Y a water heater). Bottom Line- testing is beyond the visual home, But visible installation issue are within the scope of a HI , such as a induced drat into a masonary flue (wrong at some geographacial areas) , connecter issues and some inducer fan issues, these should be reported.

As a Inspector I see where poor maintance from keeping gutters clean or installing gutters guards could have saved the deterioration damage caused. Water is your worst enemy to a home.

I do not think that I ever inspected a hauted home.Although some hauted me with fire code and electrical workmanship that it would haunt you in your dreams.

Green building material are the wave of the furture.Putting an energy-efficient heating system into a drafty, poorly insulated house will not lower your energy bills. But youâ€^TMll notice a more dramatic increase, and even create even geater problems.If you want to make your entire house more energy efficient. How? Let a atlanta home inspector do a affordable energy efficient inspection.

• Weatherstrip and caulk to seal air leaks. You may have to replace uncontrolled sources of air with designed sources to ensure proper ventilation.
• Increase insulation levels where appropriate (such as in the attic or walls) to reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
• Open drapes on south-facing windows on sunny winter days so that the sunâ€^TMs energy can help heat your home, and close them in summer to help keep your home cool.
• Choose energy-efficient products when replacing windows and doors.

By making your house more energy-efficient, your heating and cooling systems will work less, and you may reduce the capacity needed when you replace your systems, which means more savings for you.  

This is great consumer information

Atlanta Home                                                                                                                                                                                                     Environmental Testing    www.findmeaninspector.com

It was first introduced to the US in 2001. At its peak the toxic Chinese drywall was used in new or remodeled homes in the US between 2003 and 2007. (But it is still being imported to the US). Houses with toxic Chinese drywall may, or may not have a sulphur, or rotten egg smell. The actual symptoms
of toxic Chinese drywall are upper respiratory issues, nose bleeds, severe headaches, rashes, combined with air conditioning unit failures, copper, or silver corrosion, and/or corrosion of other metals. Light bulb failures or electric device failures may also be related to exposure to toxic Chinese drywall.

Is this toxic Chinese drywall problem just limited to Florida? No. The number of homes with toxic Chinese drywall has been grossly understated, there are at least 150,000 new or remodeled homes in Florida. Other states with significant quantities of toxic Chinese drywall include, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, Virginia, Connecticut, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, California, and Colorado.

Note the biggest tragedy in all of this is that literally thousands of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas that have been restored because of hurricane damage will have to be rebuilt again, because the contractors doing the storm damage repairs used toxic Chinese drywall.

This is why Americas Watchdog is calling on President Obama, and the US Congress to enact emergency funding to help these homeowners rebuild their homes, so they are safe to live in. This is another reason why the US EPA is so desperately needed, in what is about to become the absolute worst environmental disaster for homeowners in US history.

It was first introduced to the US in 2001. At its peak the toxic Chinese drywall was used in new or remodeled homes in the US between 2003 and 2007. (But it is still being imported to the US). Houses with toxic Chinese drywall may, or may not have a sulphur, or rotten egg smell. The actual symptoms of toxic Chinese drywall are upper respiratory issues, nose bleeds, severe headaches, rashes, combined with air conditioning unit failures, copper, or silver corrosion, and/or corrosion of other metals. Light bulb failures or electric device failures may also be related to exposure to toxic Chinese drywall.

Is this toxic Chinese drywall problem just limited to Florida? No. The number of homes with toxic Chinese drywall has been grossly understated, there are at least 150,000 new or remodeled homes in Florida. Other states with significant quantities of toxic Chinese drywall include, Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, Virginia, Connecticut, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, California, and Colorado.

Note the biggest tragedy in all of this is that literally thousands of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas that have been restored because of hurricane damage will have to be rebuilt again, because the contractors doing the storm damage repairs used toxic Chinese drywall. This is why Americas
Watchdog is calling on President Obama, and the US Congress to enact emergency funding to help these homeowners rebuild their homes, so they are safe to live in. This is another reason why the US EPA is so desperately needed, in what is about to become the absolute worst environmental disaster for homeowners in US history.

The Environmental Protection Agency released new information from recent tests conducted on the materials used in Chinese Drywall. The EPA reports that drywall produced in China contains sulfur, and two other organic compounds which are generally used in the production of acrylic paint. These materials are
not used in the production of drywall made in the United States. The EPA also found that Chinese produced drywall contains 10-times the amount of strontium (a metallic element) than that of American made drywall.

While these tests help to understand what has caused the catastrophic disasters in more than 100,000 US homes, the EPA has said that more tests are needed. In future tests, the EPA plans on including air samples in homes which contain the Chinese drywall in order to determine whether the drywall is the cause
of the corroded wiring and appliances, as well as the reported health problems, like many currently believe.

The first congressional hearings on Chinese drywall are set for tomorrow, Thursday May 21, 2009. The Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance will investigate health and product safety issues associated with the drywall. Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the EPA, the Consumer Product and Safety Commission and homeowners who have been affected by the drywall are expected to testify as witnesses at the hearing.

Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

It's usually considered an advantage to have a tight home; limiting air movement through the building envelope means you don't lose the air you've paid to heat, right?But what about all those sweaty, smelly bodies, human and dog, especially wet dog? Easy answer! Just take a shower/put him out ‘til he's dry,
Jeez, some people! But wait... people, showers, dish and clothes washers and cooking put moisture into the air and a number of activities put odors into the air. This means for the home to have clean, comfortable air, stale air must be ventilated to the outside and be replaced with clean air. But I paid to heat that stale air! Too bad.

There are different methods used to recover the heat from the stale home air before it's ventilated to the outside. One way is with a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV). Wherever did they get that name? HRV's work by passing outgoing warm air past incoming cold air.

A good portion of the heat is transferred to the incoming cold air, which means you heat less air and save more money                                                     

Inadequate number of air exchanges per hour can result in...

Excessive humidity
unpleasant odors
Increase in mold spore concentrations
Control of moisture around the home increases efficiency and comfort.Consistent moisture levels are more easily maintained inside the conditioned space when surrounding areas are dry.
Crawl spaces may be susceptible to bulk moisture in part because there are no waterproofing requirements for "uninhabitable" under-floor areas. Crawl vents allow airborne moisture air contact with framing, pipes and ducts.

Basements require deeper excavation than crawl spaces. Their floors are "closer" to seasonal high water tables and are subject to higher soil and moisture loads. Measures to reduce bulk moisture around the perimeter of the home include:
1) Maintain roof drainage: Keep gutters clean and properly pitched, pipe downspouts away from foundation walls.
2) Create a positive slope away from foundation walls. Install drains, swales, or retaining walls, add soil where backfill has settled. Fill voids under walks, stoops and patios.
If bulk moisture (visible signe of water) is controlled airborne moisture can be reduced by closing crawl or basement vents.

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CONTROLLING MOISTURE INTRUSION-Moisture entry into crawlspaces can be controlled in a number of ways...

Evaporation:
A vapor barrier is a waterproof membrane such as plastic which is spread out across the soil to help prevent moisture in the soil from evaporating into the crawlspace air. This waterproof membrane is also called a "soil cover" or "ground cloth".

Groundwater
A sump pump is a float-activated water pump which is installed in a pit dug into the floor of the crawlspace. As groundwater enters the pit, the pump is activated automatically and water is pumped through pipes to the outside of the home. More than one pump may be installed.

Ventilating Crawlspaces-Passive Ventilation...Passive vents are simply ventilation holes installed in a crawlspace. Passive ventilation depends upon natural air movement to move moisture-laden air outof the crawlspace.Advantages to installing passive vents are...The system is simple and requires no electricity or maintenance.Air movement can carry off hot air during the summer.Disadvantage to ventilating crawlspaces. In moist climates, warm moist air entering the cool crawlspace will condense and the resulting moisture will be absorbed by wood framing and insulation. Under certain conditions materials may absorb enough moisture for fungi (mold) to become active.

Mechanical ventilation...-A humidistat is a device similar to a thermostat, except that it monitors humidity levels and activates a fan when moisture levels in the air exceed the humidistat setting. The fan pushes crawlspace air to the outside. This air must be replaced, and replacement air must come either from
the great outdoors, from inside the home or from out of the soil. Pulling replacement air from inside the home can create a whole new set of problems such as Negative pressure- Low pressure in the living space can suck toxic combustion gasses from water heater and furnace vents into the living space. Sounds nasty

Air temperature- Replacement air coming into the living space may need to be heated, cooled, humidified or de-humidified depending on the climate and time of year.

Crawlspace Recommendations-Insulate heating ducts- You can lose up to 35% of the heat from uninsulated  heating ducts in an unheated crawlspace. Insulate water supply pipes- Insulating pipes helps keep them from freezing in especially cold weather and helps save money on your hot water heating bill.

 
Plastic soil cover vapor barrier- helps prevent moisture from evaporating out of the soil into crawlspace air.
Insulate crawlspace walls rather than the home floor- This will help prevent damage from pipes freezing. The idea is that conditions in the crawlspace will be easier to control if the crawlspace is treated as indoor space.

Moisture in the Living Space
Moisture enters the home living space from various sources...
1)Moisture (humidity) levels inside the home are raised by...
2)Water-using appliances such as clothes and dishwashers.
3)Plumbing fixtures such as showers.

Moisture in its liquid form comes as a result of leakage from plumbing fixtures and pipes and from the roof. Living space air lost through ventilation, leakage and combustion is replaced by moist crawlspace air.

Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta: Georgia Premier Inspector www.findmeaninspector.com

The recent heavy rains in Atlanta's low lying areas as well as near creaks,rivers where completely flooded. What a nightmare for those in low lying areas with no flood insurance. What can you except when getting back into your home? What are some of the problems you could face.

Wind and water can cause a house's structural components-the struts, studs, and foundation-to shift or warp. Tilting walls or a shifted roof also suggest dangerous structural damage that could signal an imminent collapse. Flood victims should check the their homes for cracks before venturing inside.

Inside the house, ceilings may sag under the weight of trapped water or soggy drywall. Wet floorboards bend and buckle, and the roof may leak or break altogether. Flooding in the basement can be especially dangerous; if the water is removed too quickly, pressure from the soaked earth outside can push inward and crack the foundation walls.

Brick and masonry houses will suffer less exterior damage than those made of wood. In all types of housing, though, flooding will most likely destroy the interior walls. Soaked wallboard becomes so weak that it must be replaced, as do most kinds of wall insulation. (The higher the water gets, the more interior walls must be replaced.) Studs will eventually dry out and return to their original shape, but any plywood in the walls is likely to swell and peel apart. Water can also dissolve the mortar in a chimney, which creates leaks and thus a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning once the heat comes back on.

Structural hazards account for only one category of water damage. Floods often deposit dirt and microorganisms throughout the house. Silt and sediment can create short circuits in the electrical system as gunk collects in walls and in the spaces behind each switch box and outlet. Appliances, furnaces, and lighting fixtures also fill with mud, making them dangerous to use.

Anything that gets soaked through with water may contain sewage contaminants or provide a substrate for mold. A long-lasting flood provides more time for the mold to grow and requires more cleanup after the fact. Carpets have to be thrown away, along with mattresses, bedding, and most upholstered furniture. Kitchen items, clothes, washing machines, and dryers must be disinfected with bleach, and all surviving interior surfaces should be cleaned to prevent mold growth. Standing water in a house can also serve as a breeding ground for insects and other animals.