Home Inspection in Kingwood, Texas 77339 (Reversed Polarity)

by | Aug 18, 2014 |

Reverse Polarity

Reverse Polarity

What is reverse polarity? Reverse polarity is when the hot wire (black)(small opening) and Neutral wire (white)(large Opening) are reversed. Which means the connection is improperly connected. This is usually an easy fix and should be done by a specialist by simply reversing wires properly. If not taken care can lead to to premature failure or shock. Most plugin devices are wired for devices to operate when hot wire is open

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

by | Aug 8, 2014 |

CFL Light Bulbs

CFL Bulbs use less energy and last longer than standard incandescent light bulb

Earning the ENERGY STAR means products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Lighting products that have earned the ENERGY STAR deliver exceptional features, while using less energy. Saving energy helps you save money on utility bills and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change.

An ENERGY STAR certified light bulb:

◾Saves money about $6 a year in electricity costs and can save $40 to $135 over its lifetime

◾Meets strict performance requirements that are tested and certified by a third party

◾Uses about 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb and lasts 10 to 25 times longer

◾Produces about 75% less heat, so it’s safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling

For more information you can visit www.energy.gov

New Construction Inspection, Houston, Texas

by | Nov 4, 2013 |

Wondering if you should get an Inspection on a New Construction Home?  Home Ready Inspections Highly recommends getting an inspection on what could be your Largest investment.  Most Builders welcome Home Inspector because we can provide a non bias evaluation of the home.  We often find things that they were not aware of and can bring back contractor to fix it before a larger problem occurs.  Builders and Project Managers are overseen about 101 things and sometime things are missed.

City of Houston Energy Third Party Testing

by | Nov 4, 2013 |

Call us today to schedule your City of Houston Energy Third Party Test (Blower Door and Duct Blaster).  We will have your results immediately and certificate within 24 hours.

Home Ready Inspections has been verified by the City of Houston to offer the Third party Energy Test.  We are a full service Inspection Group offering Residential Home Inspection, Energy Audits, City of Houston Energy Third Party Testing and Thermal Imaging.  We’ve been offering Blower Door and Duct Blast Test for New Construction and Existing Homes for over 4 years.  We work with both builders and Air Conditioning Companies.  Call today to schedule!

 

Home Inspections Re-Inspected in Katy, Texas

by | Oct 14, 2013 |

After inspecting this home in katy, Texas, there were multiple items found to be deficient. Recommending a roof specialist and a professional plumber to evaluate and repair necessary items two hot water heater were replaced and a hole patched on the roof. A $350 Home Inspection proved to be a help for both seller and buyer.  The seller did not even know that he had had a 3″ hole on the roof and from the roof leaking had damage the water heaters.

 Roof Inspection Katy, TexasRoof Inspection Katy, TexasHome Inspection Katy Texas

 

 

Air Conditioner Inspection, Humble, Texas 77346

by | May 22, 2013 | ,

HVAC Filter Drier

Rusted filter drier are often written as a deficiency in a home inspection report. Normally once rust start is does not stop.  You can slow the process but eventually it will rust through.  Drier Filter filters out moisture and small particle debris within the cooling Freon system.  It is normally exposed to the outside therefore it has a chance to corrode.  Once the drier has rusted through it will leak Freon.  Sometime very slow and not noticeable.  You will your home not cool as fast or not cool at all.  A lot of time a service call will cost around $300 after filling your unit up with Freon.  Everything is good until Freon leak out again.  It is very important that your service technician find the leak.  With prices for R-22 going up fast the last thing you want to do is pay a lot of money to temporary fix the problem.

 

Gutters, Humble, Texas 77346

by | May 15, 2013 |

  • Gutters Help Prevent Water Intrusion in the Basement: The majority of all water problems in the basements are due improper water shedding. Poor planning or the natural landscape of a location can slope toward the home and route hundreds of gallons of water toward the foundation. Overtime this can lead to cracks, leaks, flooding, and excess moisture resulting in expensive water, mold and mildew damage.
  • Gutters Protect Exterior Walls: Water dripping off the edge of the roof can splash dirt and moisture back up onto the exterior walls of the home and can lead to staining, rotting or premature weathering.
  • Gutters Prevent Soil Erosion: Properly routing excess water away from the home and reducing the energy created by falling water can prevent the erosion of the foundation backfill and surrounding soil.
  • Gutters Protect Landscaping: Excessive water channeled to landscaping around the home can kill shrubs, grass and other plants.
  • Gutters Protect Fascia: Properly installed gutters with the correct flashing, or apron, will stop water from running over the lip of the roof and sneaking back up under the roof or fascia which can cause damage.
  • Gutters Protect Decks & Railings: The drip-line created by a roof without gutters can prematurely weather deck boards and railings.
  • Gutters Protect Driveways, Concrete Slabs and Walkways: Not only can drip-lines from the roof stain and wear asphalt or concrete used around the home, excessive water can wash out the fill below driveways, slabs and sidewalks causing them to sink and crack.
  • Gutters Provide Winter Safety: Melting snow can freeze on sidewalks and driveways creating an icy hazard. In addition, the salts or other chemicals used to melt ice can reduce the lifespan of the concrete or asphalt being treated.
  • Gutters Help Keep You Dry: The drip-line created by a roof without gutters can create a sheet of water during rainstorms making it impossible to enter or leave the home without getting drenched.
  • Gutters Help Collect Rainwater For Irrigation: It is becoming increasingly popular in many regions to collect rainwater from the roof for use as irrigation on lawns and gardens lowering utility bills for those who use them.

Electrical Inspection Deer Park Texas 77536

by | May 15, 2013 |

Missing AFCI DSC00082

What is AFCI?  AFCI stands for arc fault circuit interrupter.  It is a safety device which are located in the main panel box to detect arcs.  Once it detect an arc, it trips the breaker.  Common building practices requires AFCI to be installed in all living areas, bedroom, libraries and family ect.  Basically in all room that don’t require GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter).

The outlet pictured belongs to my little brother.  Inspection company had mention that he was missing AFCI in his panel box but he thought nothing of it.  I’ve put on my report missing AFCI in panel and didn’t think much of it until now.  It not common for this to happen but it happens enough that the International Residential Codes requires that all living areas are protected with AFCI.  Arc causes fire, so important to take missing AFCI serious.  My brother was lucky and all he had to replace is an outlet.

 

HVAC Inspections and Tune-Up in Humble, Texas 77346

by | Apr 29, 2013 | , ,

What to expect when having a HVAC Tune-Up

A 15-point Cooling tune-up:

  1. Verify cooling performance, temperature drop and determine if adjustments are necessary.  (putting on gages to determine Super Heat and Sub Cool)
  2. Clean outdoor condenser coil and remove debris from unit. (Remove cover and acid wash condenser coils)
  3. Inspect condenser fan motor operation, and lubricate as necessary. (check balance and volt and amps)
  4. Check amperage of compressor for proper operation.
  5. Test operation and condition of compressor contactor.
  6. Inspect and tighten electrical connections.
  7. Inspect start/run capacitors and relays.
  8. Inspect for refrigerant leaks. (Use an approved Freon leak detector)
  9. Inspect indoor evaporator coil, if accessible.
  10. Flush condensate drain to protect against overflow. (adding an acid tablet)
  11. Inspect blower assembly operation, lubricate and adjust as necessary. (checking for balance)
  12. Evaluate condition of air filters and other indoor air quality accessories.
  13. Test all controls for proper operation.
  14. Calibrate thermostat and confirm proper operation.
  15. Evaluate overall efficiency of system and inform customer of equipment condition.

Be cautious when hiring a HVAC contractor to perform a tune-up.  I normally try to be positive but I have to be truthful.  I recently hired a contractor to perform a tune-up and received a scared tactic many use.  I was told that my system would stop working and I would need to replace it before the summer.  He spent the rest of the time trying to sell me a new system.  I heard him out and told him that I would think about it then paid the $24.95 and sent him on his way.

Little he knew that we work with HVAC contractor who perform HVAC inspection and tune-ups regularly.  We often shop for honest HVAC contractor to perform HVAC inspection so we can refer to our clients when needed.  Busy season comes and most Honest contractor are hard to find.  I guess paying $24.95 is worth finding out a poor HVAC contractor.

Garage Door Inspection

by | Apr 29, 2013 |

Garage Door Opener Inspection
Caution: The garage door is the largest moving object in the house. Its parts are under high tension. All repairs and adjustments should be performed by a trained garage door systems technician.

Manual Release Handle
Begin inside the garage, with the garage door fully closed. Check for a manual release handle or the means of manually detaching the door from the garage door opener. The handle should be colored red and easy to see. The handle should be accessible and no more than six feet above the garage floor.

Garage Door Panels
From inside the garage, with the door fully closed, check the condition of the door panels. There shouldn’t be any cracks, loose pieces, separations or damage.

Warning Labels
From inside the garage, with the door fully closed, look for the following warning labels: (1) A spring warning label attached to the spring assembly, (2) A general warning label attached to the back of a door panel, (3) A warning label attached to the wall in the vicinity of the wall control button and (4) Two warning labels attached to the door in the vicinity of the bottom corner brackets. (Aside note: Some newer doors have tamper-resistant bottom corner brackets that will not require these warning labels.)

Spring and Hardware
With the door still in the closed position, look at the springs for damage. Don’t operate the door if a spring is broken. Operating the door with a damage component can cause serious injury or death. Recommend that the door be not used until the damaged spring is replaced by a trained door systems technician. Visually check the door’s hinges, brackets and fasteners. If the door has an opener, the door must have an opener reinforcement bracket that is securely attached to the door’s top section. The header bracket of the opener rail must be securely attached to the wall or header, using lag bolts or concrete anchors.

Door Operation
Close the door fully. If the door has an opener, pull the manual release to disconnect the door from the opener. Without straining yourself, manually lift and operate the door by grasping the door in a safe place where your fingers cannot be pinched or injured. If the door is hard to lift, then it is out of balance. This is a hazardous condition, and correction by a technician should be recommended.

Raise the door to the fully open position. Then close the door. The door should move freely without difficulty. But it should not open or close more quickly than the force applied. If the door is difficult to open or close, the door should be inspected by a trained door systems technician.

The rollers should stay in the track. If any rollers fall out of the track, the door system should be repaired by a trained door systems technician.

After conducting this check, reconnect the door to the opener, if present. This is generally done by activating the opener until is reconnects itself to the door.

Spring Containment
The counterbalance system is usually comprised of torsion springs, mounted above the door header, or extension springs, which are usually found next to the horizontal track. When springs break, containment helps to prevent broken parts from flying dangerously in the garage. Torsion springs are already mounted on a shaft, which inherently provides containment. If the door has extension springs, verify that spring containment is present. Extension springs should be contained by a secure cable that runs through the center of the springs.

Wall Push Button
Locate the push-button on the wall. Measure the vertical distance between the button and the floor. The button should be at least five feet above the standing surface and high enough to be out of reach of small children. Press the push button to see if it successfully operates the door.

Photoelectric Eyes
Federal law states that residential garage door openers manufactured after 1992 must be equipped with photoelectric eyes or some other safety-reverse feature. If the garage door has an opener, then check to see if photoelectric eyes are installed. They should be near the floor, mounted to the left and right sides of the bottom door panel. The beam of the photoelectric eyes should not be greater than six inches above the floor.

Non-Contact Reversal Test
This check applies to door systems that are equipped with photoelectric eyes. Standing inside the garage and safely away from the path of the door, use the remote control or wall button to close the door. As the door is closing, wave an object in the path of the photoelectric eye beam. The door should immediately reverse and return to the fully open position.

Contact Reversal Test

 

In some rare instances, a contact reversal test could damage the door system when the opener’s force-setting has been improperly set or when the opener reinforcement bracket is not securely or appropriately attached to the top section. If you have any concerns that a contact reversal test may cause damage, don’t conduct the test. This check applies to doors with openers.

Begin this test with the door fully open. Under the center of the door, place a 2×4 piece of wood flat on the floor, in the path of the door. Standing inside the garage, but safely away from the path of the door, use the wall push button to close the door. When the door contacts the wood, the door should automatically reverse direction and return to the fully open position.

Garage Door Inspection

by | Apr 29, 2013 |

Garage Door Opener Inspection
Caution: The garage door is the largest moving object in the house. Its parts are under high tension. All repairs and adjustments should be performed by a trained garage door systems technician.

Manual Release Handle
Begin inside the garage, with the garage door fully closed. Check for a manual release handle or the means of manually detaching the door from the garage door opener. The handle should be colored red and easy to see. The handle should be accessible and no more than six feet above the garage floor.

Garage Door Panels
From inside the garage, with the door fully closed, check the condition of the door panels. There shouldn’t be any cracks, loose pieces, separations or damage.

Warning Labels
From inside the garage, with the door fully closed, look for the following warning labels: (1) A spring warning label attached to the spring assembly, (2) A general warning label attached to the back of a door panel, (3) A warning label attached to the wall in the vicinity of the wall control button and (4) Two warning labels attached to the door in the vicinity of the bottom corner brackets. (Aside note: Some newer doors have tamper-resistant bottom corner brackets that will not require these warning labels.)

Spring and Hardware
With the door still in the closed position, look at the springs for damage. Don’t operate the door if a spring is broken. Operating the door with a damage component can cause serious injury or death. Recommend that the door be not used until the damaged spring is replaced by a trained door systems technician. Visually check the door’s hinges, brackets and fasteners. If the door has an opener, the door must have an opener reinforcement bracket that is securely attached to the door’s top section. The header bracket of the opener rail must be securely attached to the wall or header, using lag bolts or concrete anchors.

Door Operation
Close the door fully. If the door has an opener, pull the manual release to disconnect the door from the opener. Without straining yourself, manually lift and operate the door by grasping the door in a safe place where your fingers cannot be pinched or injured. If the door is hard to lift, then it is out of balance. This is a hazardous condition, and correction by a technician should be recommended.

Raise the door to the fully open position. Then close the door. The door should move freely without difficulty. But it should not open or close more quickly than the force applied. If the door is difficult to open or close, the door should be inspected by a trained door systems technician.

The rollers should stay in the track. If any rollers fall out of the track, the door system should be repaired by a trained door systems technician.

After conducting this check, reconnect the door to the opener, if present. This is generally done by activating the opener until is reconnects itself to the door.

Spring Containment
The counterbalance system is usually comprised of torsion springs, mounted above the door header, or extension springs, which are usually found next to the horizontal track. When springs break, containment helps to prevent broken parts from flying dangerously in the garage. Torsion springs are already mounted on a shaft, which inherently provides containment. If the door has extension springs, verify that spring containment is present. Extension springs should be contained by a secure cable that runs through the center of the springs.

Wall Push Button
Locate the push-button on the wall. Measure the vertical distance between the button and the floor. The button should be at least five feet above the standing surface and high enough to be out of reach of small children. Press the push button to see if it successfully operates the door.

Photoelectric Eyes
Federal law states that residential garage door openers manufactured after 1992 must be equipped with photoelectric eyes or some other safety-reverse feature. If the garage door has an opener, then check to see if photoelectric eyes are installed. They should be near the floor, mounted to the left and right sides of the bottom door panel. The beam of the photoelectric eyes should not be greater than six inches above the floor.

Non-Contact Reversal Test
This check applies to door systems that are equipped with photoelectric eyes. Standing inside the garage and safely away from the path of the door, use the remote control or wall button to close the door. As the door is closing, wave an object in the path of the photoelectric eye beam. The door should immediately reverse and return to the fully open position.

Contact Reversal Test
In some rare instances, a contact reversal test could damage the door system when the opener’s force-setting has been improperly set or when the opener reinforcement bracket is not securely or appropriately attached to the top section. If you have any concerns that a contact reversal test may cause damage, don’t conduct the test. This check applies to doors with openers.

Begin this test with the door fully open. Under the center of the door, place a 2×4 piece of wood flat on the floor, in the path of the door. Standing inside the garage, but safely away from the path of the door, use the wall push button to close the door. When the door contacts the wood, the door should automatically reverse direction and return to the fully open position.

Katy, Texas Home Inspection

by | Apr 9, 2013 | , ,

Katy

This is a home in Katy, Texas built in 2008.  The exhaust flue pipe is from a fireplace in the living room.  This poses a major safety hazard because it is set under the soffit overhang.  Exhaust (CO) can re-enter into the attic space then enter the home.  Bad workmanship and horrible builder for allowing this.  This home was purchase new at one time and the owner failed to hire a third party inspector.  A good realtor and builder welcome third party inspection because they are extra eyes without their expense.

Home Ready Inspections will work and communicate with your home builders to achieve one goal, to satisfy our clients.  We are, by no means, a code enforcer but we certainly let you know if something is not right.  If you are in the market to buying a new home please request for a third party energy rating and home inspection.  Home Ready Inspections can perform both.

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