August 2008

Now that we have your attention, we want to illustrate that there is more than meets the eye to flipping a light switch. We came to realize that this post’s approach may be helpful after reading a post over at Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

Clearly the electrical system is an extremely important aspect of any home inspection. The action of turning on a light switch and looking at the fixture may appear simple to most, however, much like in the natural world there are background complexities that are not immediately apparent. The operation of the humble light switch calls upon several of the home inspector’s physical senses including sight, touch, smell, and sound to identify clues that could indicate problems with the electrical system.

Some examples of what home inspectors check for while operating a light fixture are:

• 1) The switch plate cover was installed and in good shape. This is a good thing.  A missing   switch plate is dangerous for several reasons. One example would be someone touching the         exposed wiring and being electrocuted.
• 2) The light responded immediately. Clearly desirable.
• 3) There was no sparking at the switch or light fixture. Sparks in these locations are never good. Obviously this type of problem would need immediate correction.
• 4) No other lights within view of the room dimmed or flickered. This is a condition that if occuring would need further evaluation and possible correction.
• 5) The switch was not loose and the light fixture did not appear loose. A loose switch or fixture could pose a safety hazard.
• 6) The switch was not hot to the touch. A hot switch would need further evaluation by qualified others beyond the scope of a typical Home inspection.
• 7) No odor was noticed like smoke or electrical wiring burning. Clearly something needing immediate attention/review by appropriate professionals and correction.
• 8) No “buzzing” was heard at the switch when operated. Buzzing is scary it’s right up there with a Rattle Snake “rattling” call a qualified electrician for immediate further evaluation.

As shown by the examples above several mental check lists are implemented by the home inspector to consciously eliminate several clues that could indicate problems. Similar processes hold true for most aspects of a home inspection as well, like operating faucets or testing electrical outlets.

In a perfect world if nothing was verbalized or reported to the clients about a given system it would indicate that negative clues were not observed by the inspector during normal operation of that system.

We hope this post’s approach illustrated that the gathering of valuable information can be accomplished with seemingly simple actions on the inspector’s behalf. Don’t be shy about asking the inspector what they are looking for beyond the obvious. However be warned! You may encounter a lonely inspector who will bury you with an avalanche of information.

To learn about some common items that homeowners fail to maintain or that sellers often fail to correct before a home inspection go to www.beattheinspector.com

The humble light switch

Typically during the course of our home inspections we find 3-5 safety items at the water heater that need correction. In addition we frequently find damage due to unaddressed leaking that has been occurring for some time.

One reason for this is that water heaters are often located in a low traffic area or are in a closet and the homeowners have no idea that they area leaking or rusting away. It’s sort of an out of sight, out of mind situation. At a minimum make it a habit of looking at your water heater from time to time for leaking.  Granted it is not work of art but it needs to be monitored before it becomes an ugly situation.

To learn more about common items that homeowners fail to maintain or that sellers often fail to correct before a home inspection go to www.beattheinspector.com

Please note: Hot water at the faucets is not necessarily an indication that all is well with the water heater much less the associated components. For further evaluation of your water heater and possible safety concerns or to correct leaking you just discovered! we recommend contacting an appropriate licensed contractor.

SIMPLE FACT: A home inspection is not a property inspection: I have never in all my years in the Home Inspection business met a property inspector. Just what are they?, are they a surveyor? Do they even exist? Seriously if a client was buying an empty lot they would not call us.

The real problem with the misleading term “property” inspector is that the clients naturally enough often think we are going to inspect everything on the property. Sometimes the Real Estate Agent will aid and abet this idea with off the cuff statements to their clients like oh they inspect everything! Statements like this may be well intentioned but in fact they are promising more than we can deliver.

GOOD FACT: You as a client can put yourself in a more informed position. Ask your inspector what Standards of Practice they use? This will alert you to what the inspector does and does not do. The inspector should be able to direct you to a website or hand you a hard copy of their Standards of Practice. If they start to hem and haw you know what to do…find and inspector that uses recognized Standards of Practice.

REALLY BIG FACTS: Most States require Inspectors to use specific Standards of Practice and many States require inspectors to be licensed. On the other hand understand that some States do not require licensing or provide a way for an inspector to get licensed so at a minimum look for their Standards of Practice to determine what they do and equally important what they do not do.

Many Home Inspectors belong to Organizations that have Standards of Practice their members must use. Organizations like these- American Society of Home Inspectors, Californian Real Estate Inspection Association and National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. This is not a complete list. If you are interested or need to know more there are links for these particular organizations in the sidebar below the Blogroll.

Just one more observation to bug you “property” inspectors out there. Didn’t you kind of notice that the organizations so many of you belong to do not recognize that you exist? It is not the American Society of property Inspectors, or the California property Inspection Association or the National Association of property Inspectors, I’m just saying… Quit confusing people.

In Home Inspections VS Property Inspections Part 2 we will discuss some items often found on (properties that have homes on them) not inspected during a typical Home inspection. Items you might of assumed we would inspect but do not.