Beware of the DIY'er!

A Dash of Honesty

I must confess that in the past I have fallen victim to three day binges of HGTV of which I resurfaced with an overwhelming desire to upgrade an area of my home. This was coupled with a new found confidence that I could manage the project on my own, complete it in only a couple hours, and remain well under budget.

This generally was not the case and hindsight always presented a more realistic picture. The Do-It-Yourself'er is a brave soul.

A Bit of Caution

When performing a home inspection, I often find what appears to be the work of a DIY'er. Some of the time the work is fine and not a concern but sometimes it is worth mentioning. Common issues are usually found with water heaters and electrical installations. The pictures show a 14/3 NM-B (Romex) electrical wire connected to a 12/2 NM-B (Romex) wire in the attic of a Tallahassee home - clearly the work of a DIY'er. 

The red wire (hot) was not connected and was exposed which was one issue. I traced it to the panel where I  found it unconnected as well. It appears that the 14/3 wire was used until it ran out, and then 12/2 was used during the rest of the installation - likely because it was available. 

Another concern is that none of the connections were inside junction boxes. There were about 4-5 recessed lights found which were wired this way. The home buyers were happy to learn about this issue and were able to have it repaired before moving into their new home!

Thomas Ailstock, CPI - FL# HI9155

Blue Bear Home Inspection, LLC

Tallahassee Home Inspector

Dedicated to providing the Best Service Possible

Where does the heat go?

Heat pumps are generally found in warm and mild climates such as the ones we enjoy here in Florida. The systems work pretty efficiently in regions which rarely endure temperatures below 40 degrees or so. It is highly likely that you currently have a heat pump system installed in your home. Your Blue Bear Tallahassee Home Inspector is certified and trained to inspect heat pump systems. 

The units generally consist of two parts. One is found outside and is commonly referred to as the compressor or condensing unit. The other unit is generally found in the center of the home in a closet or in the attic. This unit is often called the central unit. 

The heat pump in your home works much like your refrigerator and your vehicles air conditioner. The system uses refrigerant which boils at very low temperatures. The refrigerant flows through the line as either a gas or liquid. 

The compressor (outside), compresses the gas and then condenses (cools) it before sending it back to the central unit. The central unit pulls air from inside the home, through the air filter, and over the refrigerant line. The heat in the air is absorbed by the liquid as it boils, and the refrigerant becomes a gas again which is sent back to the compressor to be condensed. The cycle is repeated until the thermostat is satisfied and the air in the home is cooled.

Basically speaking - the heat in the air inside the home is absorbed into the refrigerant and then exhausted outside - cooler air remains in its place. The process is reversed during the winter season. The heat in the outside air (yes there is still heat in 50 degree air) is brought inside and the cooler air is exhausted outside the home. 

One of the most important things you can do to extend the service life of your heat pump system is to change the filter regularly. Your Blue Bear Tallahassee Home Inspector will gladly answer all of your questions regarding heat pumps and HVAC. Contact Blue Bear today. 

Thomas Ailstock, CPI - FL# HI9155

Blue Bear Home Inspection, LLC

Tallahassee Home Inspector

Dedicated to providing the Best Service Possible

Monsters in the attic...

Okay, so maybe there is no such thing as monsters - but there may still be scary things going on in your attic. The attic space is an important feature of your home and serves more purposes than merely a place to store decorations.

The attic space serves to ventilate the roof structure. Many homes in our region of North Florida use a soffit and ridge vent combination to ventilate the structure. This is a great and efficient system which uses naturally occurring temperature and pressure differentials to passively move air. The stale air in the attic is warmer than the air outside, warm air rises through the ridge vents at the top of the roof, and new cooler and fresh air is pulled into the space. This occurs on its own and helps to cool the roofing material.

So what about the monsters?

There can be scary little things in attics. Typically in the form of air and water leaks. I routinely find HVAC leaks in attics. My least favorite monster are the bathroom and kitchen ventilation systems. These guys are supposed to move moist air out of the home's interior, through the attic space, and outside of the building envelope. Unfortunately this is not always happening.

The picture to the right shows a bathroom vent that was disconnected. Unknowingly, when the homeowner turned on the fan, the warm wet air went straight into the attic. Water in the attic is never a good thing. Warm and wet wood breeds another type of monster - mold.

The good news is that Tallahassee has a dedicated home inspector that climbs into the attics and looks for these creepy crawly monsters which could be living in your home. If they are in there - I will do my very best to find them.

Thomas Ailstock, CPI - FL# HI9155

Blue Bear Home Inspection, LLC

Tallahassee Home Inspector

Dedicated to providing the Best Service Possible