The Home Inspector

Should I Get My Ducts Cleaned?

Q: I have seen advertising for duct cleaning. Should I get my ducts cleaned?

 

A: Not under normal circumstances. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) does not recommend duct cleaning unless there is visible evidence of contamination in the ducts. That might include mold, rodent or insect contamination, dust, debris or other particles.

There is no evidence that routine duct cleaning will prevent health problems or that light normal household dust in air ducts are a risk to your health. You may see dust accumulate on the return air grill in your home. That too is normal. On the other hand, if the duct cleaning contractor is inexperienced, or inadequately trained, he can cause air quality problems by dislodging dust and dirt that previously was no hazard. That is because many accumulations of dust and dirt adhere to the duct surface and do not enter the breathable air. Many qualified duct cleaners are members of NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) or other professional organizations.

The ducts that are the best candidates for cleaning are ducts which are hard and smooth on the inside, such as metal ducts. Very few homes locally still have metal ductwork. If you have metal ductwork, it would be wise to consider replacement for energy efficiency reasons.

Most local homes have insulated site-built ductboard fiberglass ducts. Typically, these ducts have exposed interior fiberglass surfaces. If this type of duct has been severely water damaged and/or mold infested, cleaning may not be possible and replacement may be necessary. If you choose to clean this type of ductwork, the contractor should adhere to the cleaning standards of NAIMA (North American Insulation Manufacturers Association), which is the authority on this type of ductwork and its cleaning.

By far, the majority of local homes have flexible insulated ductwork. These types of ducts can also be cleaned. However, flexible ductwork is inexpensive to buy and install. In many cases, replacement of these ducts is comparable to cleaning them. Before you contract to clean them, get an estimate on replacement first.

Prevention is the best defense against indoor air quality problems. Duct joints should be well sealed. Older systems should be resealed using mastic products.

What Do Filter Ratings Mean?

Q: I went to the store to buy a filter for my air conditioning system and there were so many types to choose from that I couldn’t decide. Can you advise me?

 

A: There are a variety of air filtration options available to consumers. There are electronic or electrostatic air cleaners, gas phase adsorption systems, and mechanical air filters. Then there are other more exotic systems like ozone, UV light, and ion generators. We will limit our discussion to mechanical filters. Mechanical filters are the ones you see on your ceiling air return or in your air handler. With an apparent increase in asthma and other respiratory illnesses, air filtration is an increasingly important part of our health maintenance.

 

One of the most helpful guides to come along recently is the MERV rating system. This rating system was created by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers). Most filter manufacturers print the MERV rating of their product on the exterior packaging. The following table will give you an idea of the relative effectiveness of various mechanical filters using the MERV rating system.

 

MERV	RECOMMENDED APPLICATION
1-4	Minimal residential, commercial and equipment protection
5-8	Commercial, industrial, better residential, paint booth, finishing
9-12	Better commercial & industrial, superior residential
13-16	Health care, general surgery, superior commercial, smoke removal
17+	Industrial clean rooms, high risk surgery, hazardous materials, etc

 

As you can see, a MERV rating of 9-12 is good filtration for most residential needs. Higher is better.

 

 

What Does This Mean?

Q: My home inspection report says that the inspector only tested a representative number of electrical outlets. Shouldn’t he have inspected them all?

A: Your inspection report is in accord with the published Standards of Practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors and with the standards of most home inspection associations. This standard requires inspection of “a representative number of installed lighting fixtures, switches, and receptacles.” It is usually impossible to inspect all electrical receptacles due to stored items, furniture, appliances and sometimes, big dogs.

 

Most inspectors make a diligent effort to test all the receptacles that are accessible. If an untested receptacle is later found to be deficient, the repair is usually a minor one. Home inspections never find each and every deficiency a home has, but inspectors do their best to discover as many as they physically can.

Another Reason Your Inspector Should Walk the Roof

Some home inspectors will not walk a roof. When shopping for a home inspector, ask if the inspector gets on the roof. This loose solar panel could not have been discovered from the ground. The first good summer storm could have lifted it like a sail. Also by being on the roof, the inspector could check the panel for leaks.

Here's Why Condominiums Should Be Inspected

 

 

 

Sometimes buyers fail to have condominium units inspected, reasoning that there aren't too many things that could be deficient.

Above is a thermal and a digital image of a leaking master bathroom shower pan in a three year old luxury condominium. The water is flowing out under the wall and ponding below the living room carpet. This leakage was likely there since construction; a good argument for inspecting new construction as well. Repair cost? $4,500+. Inspection cost? $325.

Plastic Plumbing Vrs. Copper Plumbing

Q: I have read that homes with plastic plumbing have serious leakage problems. When buying a home should we look for houses with only copper plumbing?

A: You are likely referring to polybutylene plumbing. This type of plastic supply plumbing is the subject of ongoing class action suits against the manufacturers alleging leakage problems. There is continuing debate as to whether design or installation flaws are to blame. Locally, this is usually a grey colored pipe.

 

Most supply plastic plumbing used locally in new construction or re-plumbing is PEX (cross linked polyethylene) or CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride). There are no known deficiency issues with these types of plumbing and they have a good track record locally.

One great feature of some plastic plumbing systems is the availability of a central plumbing manifold whereby the homeowner may shut off any plumbing fixture for repair or maintenance much as you would shut off a breaker in your electrical panel. This is far more convenient than having to shut off the water supply to the entire home to do a repair.

In-slab copper supply plumbing has been increasingly troublesome in southwest Florida and in other geographical pockets throughout the country. Pinhole leaks develop in the copper piping which is notoriously difficult and expensive to repair buried as it is within the concrete slab. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict these failures, though some neighborhoods appear to be more susceptible than others. Nor is there any consensus as to whether poor quality copper, acidic water, installation defects or some sort of galvanic or chemical reaction, or a combination thereof, is causing the ever escalating leakage problems in copper supply piping.

In view of the above, many well informed consumers actually prefer PEX or CPVC plastic plumbing to the traditional copper supply plumbing systems. I do too.

Should We Get This Inspected?

Q: We are in the process of purchasing a home. The sellers have filled out a disclosure form and everything seems to be in good order. The sellers seem to be knowledgeable and honest. I can’t see any advantage in having the property professionally inspected.

                        

A: In my experience, sellers, even those who are knowledgeable and meticulously honest are not fully informed of their home’s condition. When was the last time the seller walked the roof, crawled through the attic or traveled the crawl space? Is the seller qualified to evaluate electrical systems and air conditioning? Does he have the tools to do so, such as circuit testers, and infrared thermometers? Compare the home inspection experience of the seller to a home inspector. Some local home inspectors have inspected five, six, seven thousand or more properties in their careers. Inspectors who are members of ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) and FABI (Florida Association of Building Inspectors) are required to take continuing education classes to stay up to date on new construction techniques and are conversant with emerging problems of older home systems and construction materials. Well informed, honest and sincere sellers are often surprised to learn of deficiencies and safety hazards in their home. A professional inspection is still recommended.

Should the Inspector Walk the Roof?

Q: When calling to arrange a home inspection, I was informed that the inspector would not walk the roof. Is that normal?

A: No. The American Society of Home Inspectors Standards of practice do provide this limitation, "Inspectors are NOT required to: 1. perform any procedure or operation that will, in the opinion of the inspector, likely be dangerous to the inspector or other persons or damage the property or its systems or components." However, this would typically be applied to a roof which is covered in snow or ice, which almost never happens in southwest Florida or to a very steep roof which is also a rarity. Occasionally a roof is in such poor condition that is dangerous to walk on.

The photograph above is a good example of a deficiency that inspector would miss. This was invisible from the ground, but a potentially serious problem.

 

FPE Breaker Panels. Why the Concern?

Q: My home inspector identified an FPE breaker panel in the home I am buying, and although he could not find any problems, recommended that it be further evaluated by a qualified electrician. Why did he do that?

A: Your home inspector has made a recommendation that is becoming increasingly common with regard to FPE (Federal Pacific Electric) ‘Stab-Lok” electric panels. This in spite of the fact that no regulatory authority has stated that these panels are unsafe and that they have never been recalled.

Federal Pacific Electric was a major manufacturer of electrical distribution products for three decades, from the mid 1950’s to the mid 1980’s. There are many millions of FPE breakers in use today. Many homes in Charlotte County have them.

There is increasing evidence from the field as reported by home inspectors and electricians throughout the country that FPE breakers fail to trip when a short circuit occurs or in an overcurrent situation. These are the two conditions electric breakers are designed to protect us from. In both instances fire, death or injury could be the result. There are an abundance of authoritative studies of this product by third parties confirming these reports which can be found on the internet.

In 1984, the Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted an investigation into FPE breakers that did not answer safety questions to the satisfaction of most observers. The Commission’s report is easily found on the internet. Understandably, the manufacturer made a defense of its product. The report states that “The Commission staff believes that it currently has insufficient data to accept or refute [the manufacturer’s] position. . . Based on the Commission’s limited budget . . . the Commission has decided not to commit further resources to its investigation of FPE’s circuit breakers.”

One claim that the Commission did not have the financial resources to refute is a representation by the manufacturer, “. . . that FPE breakers will trip reliably at most load levels . . .” Read that statement carefully and decide if that is sufficient protection for your home and family. Most home inspectors have decided that it is not. Would you drive a car in which the brakes work reliably in most situations? Or would you climb a ladder that the manufacturer certifies is safe most of the times you climb it?  It is the exceptions that cause injuries.

Therefore, many home inspectors are recommending further evaluation by a qualified electrician. Home inspectors are general inspectors and refer the specialized inspections to the experts. When they identify potential hazards, they recommend further evaluation. They believe that this is in the best interests of their clients.