FALL INSPECTION CHECKLIST (part 2)

LiveJournal Tags: Inspection,fall maintenance,plumbing,water heater

In the previous installment, I covered the exterior areas or the home. Now I will move on to the other systems.

Plumbing, including bathrooms, laundry and water heater:

Look at any piping that is exposed, both outside where it enters the house or in the basement area if that’s where your service enters.

• Look for any obvious leaks or sighs of leaks like rust stains on the walls or floors.
• Look for green staining on brass components like valves and pressure regulators or on copper piping. If copper comes in contact with dissimilar metals, a condition called “electrolysis” can occur that is very damaging to the copper and can eat away the pipe or fitting.
• Check the water pressure and flow rate. Low flow rate can be a sign of old galvanized piping getting near the end of its life or simply a clogged up faucet aerator.
• Check all the drains for proper “functional drainage”. This means does it drain away the water as fast as it is likely to come in. if not, you could have an overflow even if the drain is “sort of working”. Slow or bubbling  drains may need to be snaked and/or have the venting system checked for obstructions.
• Flush the toilets and make sure they are operating properly.  Remove the tank lid and examine the mechanism for damage or  deteriorating parts and cracked rubber components. Flush the toilet with the lid off and watch the operation. Do the parts all move freely? Does it refill to the proper level? Does it maintain that level without gradually creeping down and refilling? This is a common sign of a leaking flapper that should be replaced called “phantom flushing”.
• Look around the base of the toilet for signs of a leak. Does the toilet sit squarely on the floor or does it rock a bit? it should not move. if it does, the seal of the wax ring could be broken, causing a leak that may not be visible or noticed until the floor has rotted out and needs replacing.
• Water heater:
• Look at the exterior of the water heater and note any rusting of the outer casing. Look at the piping and the flue, checking for corrosion or deterioration.
• Remove the access door and look inside the burner compartment for excessive rust or sooting. Also look for scorched paint, sooting and corrosion around the door.  This could be signs of a malfunctioning system that is not getting enough air for proper combustion.
• Turn up the heat control or run some hot water in the house to cause the unit to fire up. (keep your face away from the opening when it fires!)
• Look at the flame.  It should be a nice even blue throughout.  There should not be any yellow flames. Yellow indicates incomplete combustion and excessive carbon monoxide production.
• This would be a good time to do the twice yearly service of the water heater that all manufacturers call for.
• Shut off the cold valve at the top of the heater, open the drain cock at the bottom. (you may need to put a hose on the end to drain the water to a safe place. Make sure it can stand the hot water.) Open the cold valve again slowly and let the hot water run full force out the hose or drain cock for several minutes, at least 5-8 minutes, until it has flushed any sediment buildup out of the bottom of the tank. Close the drain cock. That’s it, you are done with this service.
• Bathrooms and tiled areas:
• Look for cracked tiles and deteriorated grout or caulking.
• Gently tap on the individual tiles and listen for any that sound hollow.  They may have come loose and are telling you the backer material is deteriorating.
• look for signs of old or mildew where water tends to stand for a while.
• Operate any shower doors to make sure they are moving without excessive force. If they are hard to move, it is time to make repairs with new rollers etc. If there is ANY cracked glass, especially the old style “wired glass” it time to replace them.  This is a very dangerous condition that should not be ignored.
• Operate the shower and tub faucets and look for any leaks around the handle stems. do the valves turn off easily? you should never need to apply excessive force to turn them off.  If you do, it’s time to replace the washers and possibly the seats as well.
• Remove the shower head and clean out any accumulated debris.  Soaking it in vinegar over night can remove the hard water scale.
• Check any vent fans.  Clean out any dust and junk that builds up on them. It would be a good idea to make sure they are piped to the exterior and not just blowing into the attic area. This can introduce a lot of moisture into an attic and cause mold problems.
• Check out the washing machine supply hoses. Are they cracked and showing signs of age?  Time to replace them. I recommend the braided stainless steel type. They are less likely to burst. Did you know, almost every washer maker says to turn off the water supply to the machine when not in use? People rarely do this and end up with a flood when the hoses inevitably leak.
• Look at your dryer vent pipe. You know, that lint covered thing behind the washer/dryer where you never look?  Is it in good shape and free flowing?  Or like most, is it jammed against the wall and crushed?  If it is not free flowing, it can cause a fire! At minimum, it will take a lot longer for your clothes to dry and it wastes energy. Any dryer vent piping under the house or in the attic should be rigid aluminum pipe, not flex type.
• Wells and Septic systems.
• Look for signs of surfacing water in the leach field.  if it is doing this now, it will be much worse when the ground is saturated with rain during the winter months. have the septic tank pumped and the system checked by a qualified specialist.
• Make sure your well equipment is in good shape. Protect it from freezing and weather damage.
• Basement areas:
• If you have a sump pump system to handle water in the basement, test it to make sure it is functional.  Dump a bucket of water in the sump and see if the pump cycles.
• Okay, that’s enough for this time.  Next, the heating system