Once a common practice for telephone companies was to install an auxiliary ground rod for their equipment. This has shown to be a bad practice and should be removed and the phone and/or communication systems should now be grounded/bonded to the homes main grounding electrode system or an intersytem bonding terminal.
Inter-system bonding is to create a low-impedance connection of grounding from different systems, which creates an equipotential plane during transient events (lightening or surges).
The National Electrical Code (NEC®) defines an Intersystem Bonding Termination as “a device that provides a means for connecting communication(s) systems grounding conductor(s) at the service equipment or at the disconnecting means for
buildings or structures supplied by a feeder or branch circuit.”
One of the primary purpose of the grounding electrode is to establish and maintain the electrical equipment and any grounded system conductor at the potential of the earth at the grounding electrode connection to the earth. For electricity to flow we need a difference in potential.
The other primary purpose of grounding electrodes is to dissipate over-voltages into the earth. These over voltages can originate from the electrical grid or from the home itself as well as lightning strikes in the area.
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NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
Instructor- Fundamentals of Home Inspection- Bellingham Technical College
Bats are beneficial animals but we do not want them roosting in or on our homes.
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is the fungal disease that is having a devastating affect on bats in North America. The name come from the white staining on the noses from the fungal growth. It affect the bats during hibernation.
In March 2016, the first case of the disease was confirmed in Washington, about 30 miles east of Seattle.
The disease is primarily spread by bat-to-bat contact, but bats can also contract the disease from an area where the fungus is present. White-nose syndrome does not pose a threat to humans, pets or other animals.
From Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife-
Washington bat species eat vast quantities of night-flying insects, including moths, beetles, mosquitoes, termites, and flies.
Most bats hunt in flight or hang from a perch and wait for a passing insect to fly or walk within range.
The pallid bat captures crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, scorpions, and other prey on trees or on the ground.
Bats locate flying insects primarily by using a radar system known as “echolocation.” The bat emits high-pitched sound waves that bounce back to the bat when they strike a flying insect. A b at locates prey by interpreting the reflected sounds.
Bats often capture insects when flying by scooping them into their tail or wing membranes, and then putting the insects into their mouth. This results in the erratic flight most people are familiar with when they observe bats feeding in the evening.
Bats will fly 1/2 to 6 miles from their roost to a feeding site, using temporary roost sites there until returning to their main roost.
A bat captures an insect by scooping it into its tail and wing membranes
Bats often capture insects when flying by scooping them into their tail or wing membranes, and then putting the insects into their mouth.
Often during a home inspection I will find electrical wiring not properly performed. This type of work is more prone to failure and potential fire.
When working on the home electrical system always perform the work according the code and rules. If you do not know what you are doing contact a licensed electrical contractor to evaluate and perform the repair or work needed.
” You can only teach someone, as much as they are willing to learn.”
Chris G. Varona
If you find any errors or have additional information that would expand on any code, building standards or manufacturer requirements please let me know.
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
Instructor- Fundamentals of Home Inspection- Bellingham Technical College
Performing to your Standards and Beyond- Electrical Systems
As a Washington State home inspector I certain obligations. One very important item is the reporting of certain electrical service panels.
From the Washington State Home Inspectors Standards of Practice WAC 308-408C-110 Electrical System
(1)The inspector will: (section (h)) Report on any circuit breaker panel or subpanel known within the home inspection profession to have safety concerns.
What the state is inferring to are the “Zinsco and Federal Pacific” service panels and sub panels.
Here is an investigational report from NBC Bay Area on Federal Pacific breakers
If your home inspector is not making a recommendation for further evaluation and/or replacement then they are not doing what is required by the Washington State SOP.
These are the known circuit breaker panels in the home inspection industry that have been reported to pose serious safety concerns.
“You cannot make an observation if you do not know what to look for”
D.L. Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service www.ncwhomeinspections.com 509-670-9572
Proper Landings-Are your stairs safe? Wenatchee and Quincy Home Inspections
One of the most common defects on home is stairs. Stairs often are not properly constructed to meet the requirements for safety. This can include width requirements, rail strength, proper handrails, or variation in height from one tread to another.
Another very important part is that the stairs land on a proper landing. If the ground is not flat and fairly smooth for 3 feet at the bottom of the stairs a proper landing is required.
The width of a stair landing must not be less than the width of the stairway served. Each landing needs to have a minimum of 36 inches measured in the direction of travel that is fairly flat and smooth. Landings should not be pitched, sloped, or damaged that can cause a trip hazard.
(There are other issues here)
Here we have an example of a stair landing that is a hazard. I actually almost twisted my ankle here.
Most people get used to their own odd variations of their stairs but if you are carrying groceries or items, these variations can cause you to fall. I think almost all of us have done this in our lives.
“They say any landing you can walk away from is a good one.”
Alan Shepard
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
Now I’m talking nipples- Need a pinch? Wenatchee and Quincy Home Inspection Services
Every once in awhile during the home inspection I run into some conditions that you have to wonder why. In this service panel we had fairly clean work.
But when I looked at how the wires enter the service panel we have an issue. In this case have multiple NM cables (Romex) that enter the service panel through electrical nipples. This is an incorrect installation of NM wires into the service panel.
For NM wires they must enter the panel through a fitting/clamp that is designed for the wiring. The wires (cable) have to be properly secured to the enclosure… pinched as you may say ; )
The codes states-
“All cables must be secured to the enclosure with fittings designed and listed for the cable [312.5(C)]. See 300.12 and 300.15.
Cable clamps or cable connectors must be used with only one cable, unless that clamp or fitting is identified for more than one cable. Some Type NM cable clamps are listed for two Type NM cables within a single fitting.”
Using the nipples may be easy- hey it maybe even fun- but it is incorrect.
There is an exception to this rule but it is for surface mount panels only. (See -Electrical Construction and Maintenance –Article )
“You cannot make an observation if you do not know what to look for”
D.L. Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service www.ncwhomeinspections.com 509-670-9572
Habitat for Humanity or Rodentity- Under the bathtub, air bypass. Wenatchee and Cle Elum Home Inspection Services.
It has become all too often that I find myself showered with rodent fecal pellets.
As a structural pest inspector one of my duties is to evaluate all plumbing drops that I can access. This requires me to move insulation back and look at the plumbing drops for leak, possible rot and insect infestation.
This brings me to the infamous gaping hole below the bathtub or in some cases showers. This seems to be perfect habitat for my little rodent friends.
This also is a major fault in the building envelope that allows unconditioned air to infiltrate the conditioned space. Washington State Energy Code builders guide actually states [502.4.3]: Drain traps penetrating floors over unconditioned spaces are often overlooked, but must be sealed.
I know plumbers will hate me here, but I really dislike those little black pellets falling in my face. This seems to be one of those items that never are checked by the local building inspectors, and maybe they scoff at it, but I would like to see them sealed.
It seems to me that we spend much time sealing around plumbing and electrical penetrations and one of the largest holes in the subfloor goes completely disregarded.
Okay I can live with a little air bypass but I still hate that shower of rodent poo in my face.
So if bypasses of the building envelop are not enough, exclusion of rodent habitat should be.
“I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results. “
Florence Nightingale
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
Are codes an end all of proper construction and safety? Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspection Services
In recent discussion board I let myself get into a bit of a debate about codes, appropriateness of the codes and how they affect building industry.
The main question was… “ if you build to code is it always sufficient for the application involved”?
My answer is no. I always have taken the stance that codes are a minimum legal requirement which may or may not be sufficient.
Codes and regulations are written minimum standards of practices and/or a prescriptive description that govern not just the building industry but almost all industries and professions.
As a former manager of chemical/radioactive waste processing and handling department , FDA/ISO compliant facility and shipping department that shipped hazardous materials that included radioactive, chemical and biological hazardous I was responsible for reading and applying codes and regulations to many of the functions under my supervision.
Codes and regulations in the most part are not an easy read. Understanding when a code is applicable and if there is an exception can be very convoluted.
This is true in the building industry also.
The codes alone are not and cannot be a substitute for an inspector to think, evaluate and ask themselves some common-sense questions about construction and safety. Just because something is build to code does not mean it will be sufficient in the application in which it is applied or is safe.
A perfect example is glazing. There are specific rules for when safety glass should be used (R308.4 Hazardous locations). Safety issues or concerns with glass can be found in areas of the home which are not regulated by codes or if a certain variable is present removes the requirement.
Here is an example from R308.4 –
Any glazing that is in an individual fixed or operable panel that meets all of the following conditions are required to have safety glazing:
The exposed area of an individual pane is larger than 9 square feet;
and the bottom edge of the glazing is less than 18 inches above the floor;
and the top edge of the glazing is more than 36 inches above the floor;
and one or more walking surfaces are within 36 inches measured horizontally and in a straight line, of the glazing.
So what if the window is 19 inches off the floor or an individual pane is 8.5 sq ft? Because of the rule requirement they are not required to have safety glass. Does this really remove the issue of safety here?
I know we have to define some set of rules but just because this is the minimum requirement does not mean we should not go to the next level if a concern is present.
Another example is that I deal with many residences in mountain locations where large snow accumulation is very common. I see many homes built without regard to how snow will affect the roof covering and will shed off the roof.
If you have ever seen how snow comes off a roof in locations like this you will become very aware of the safety and damage concerns that snow can produce. There is no code for snow shedding provisions in residential construction.
A roof in these types of locations needs to be designed to avoid ice dams, sliding snow and drainage onto traffic areas. A common sense approach is to keep the roof as simple as possible, avoiding excessive valleys, crickets, dormers, mechanical roof penetrations and create shed planes away from walking and home access areas. This is easier said than done in many circumstances but should be considered during the building process.
In many homes architectural design may override function which will subject the structure to unusual circumstances and stresses of the environment they are in. They may be built to code standards but will not function well in the given environment which will result in materials not performing as intended or lasting as long as they should and almost always will require a higher degree of maintenance.
As home inspectors we are not code enforcement authorities. Almost all of us will refrain from using the term “Code” in any written report. But we can be a barometer of common sense and advocates for better practices in the industry.
“True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.”
Winston Churchill
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service
It may not be what is seems- Cle Elum and Crescent Bar Real Estate Inspections
When you are looking at home you wish to purchase there will be many things going through you head. Can I afford this home, what repairs will be needed, does have enough bedrooms and bathrooms, what shape are the appliances in etc, etc…
But for most we take for granted that the home is what is being sold as. If it is a traditional stick built home or a manufactured home we can make that observation fairly easily.
On a recent home inspection my client was looking at a bank owned property. I was just finishing the exterior evaluation which left me with a few questions on why they did some things with the exterior finishes. The basement was partially finished so I was going to be able to further evaluate my observations.
I was taking a picture of the EPA well head tag for my client’s report when a neighbor drives by and starts asking some questions. She asked is the home being purchased? I give some very vague answers then she informs me that they were thinking that their daughter may want the home, but they had questions if the Kitchen addition had been permitted. I said I did not know. Then she informs me they were curious because when they brought the home in on a truck the kitchen was not like it is now.
Sometimes it is very good to be friendly with the neighbors because you can glean some very interesting information from them. Well this information just answered a whole lot of questions I had.
I went into the home talked to my client went downstairs and sure enough there was the final evidence.
This home was being listed as a conventional home but in actuality it was modular home.
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
Scientific Basics of an Insulator- Quincy and Crescent Bar Home Inspections
The basic principle of any insulator is its ability to limit the transfer of heat energy.
Heat is the energy exchange between two thermodynamic systems which differ in temperature. Like the Sun to the earth or your bare body to snow. The transfer of thermal energy will always go from the system of higher temperature to the colder system. When the two systems have reached a thermodynamic equilibrium (same temperature) they will cease to exchange thermal energy.
Heat moves by three basic ways: conduction, convection, and radiation. The first two mechanisms need an intervening medium to work and this is where insulation plays its major role. Insulators can be any material or means by which any or all of the three heat transfer mechanisms can be interrupted.
Conduction
Heat energy is stored in molecules as vibrations. The more the molecules vibrate the higher temperature. In some materials, it is easy for one molecule to make its neighbors start to vibrate. The neighbor molecule then makes more molecules vibrate. Before long all the molecules are vibrating (is a party!). Now the whole object has a higher temperature. This is heat conduction. Metals are very good at this as well as many liquids.
Convection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids (i.e. liquids, gases) and rheids (a solid material that deforms by viscous flow like lava).
For convection, warmed atoms and/or molecules which are free to move about like those in a gas or liquid circulate through the medium in a rather predictable route. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids
Radiation
In radiation is heat energy that is transmitted via electromagnetic waves. The radioactive process requires no medium. In other words, radiation (for example, light and heat) can move through empty space (like between my ears ; ).
How Insulators Work
For conduction the best insulator is a vacuum, completely empty space. If there are no molecules, there can be no vibrations. A very good insulator is air. Gasses such as air do no transfer heat very well because the molecules are so far apart from each other.
With convection heat we want to use a poor heat conductor with as many dead air spaces we can create. Things like cellulose, fiberglass and foam board insulation work well because they interfere with the convective flow essential to that mechanism. The tiny air (or gas) filled spaces in the insulator limit heat flow because they greatly extend the time necessary for convective and conductive flow to occur.
For heat to move through these materials each cell, which there are millions, must relay the heat across it. The longer it takes, the slower the heat flow.
In the case of radiation we want heat radiation to be bounced off a substance rather than being absorbed by it. This is how a thermos bottle works or those shiny emergency heat blankets work. The shiny mirrored surface reflects heat (electromagnetic waves) back toward the source. Hot things in a thermos stay hot because heat is reflected back toward the hot contents and cool things stay cool because the heat from the outside is reflected away from the contents.
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
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