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Archive for the ‘Health and Safety’ Category

Blackouts Are Unavoidable

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Its not a matter of if, but when…


Power outages don’t have to be inconvenient. You don’t have to lose all the food in your refrigerator or freezer. You don’t have to miss your favorite TV shows. And you don’t have to burn candles – if you don’t want to. There are alternatives.

In our latest video, home inspectors from The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company explore different options for providing power in the event of a power outage. The first part of our video discusses the pros and cons of portable generators and stand-by generators.

Portable Generators

Portable generators are small enough to move around. Some are not much bigger than a toaster oven. But to power several large appliances, pool pump, a well, lights, or even your air conditioner, you’ll need a bigger generator. The larger portables are typically mounted on wheels. With portable generators you will still need to physically run extension cords from whatever you want to power to the generator. Here are some pros and cons of portable generators.

Portable Generator Pros

Portable Generators Cons


Click here if you don’t see the video

Stand-by Generators

A more permanent and automated solution is to install a “stand-by generator”. These generators are permanently installed and automatically provide power in the event of a black out. Stand-by generators automatically detect the loss of power and turn on. Since they are permanently wired to the electrical system of your house, they can provide electricity to every item in your house – even your air conditioner or pool pump.

While some people think that an extended power outage is unlikely, all you have to do is look at the recent events in San Diego. In some cases the power was out for nearly a week. During the Cedar fire in 2003 the electricity was not restored for weeks in some cases. New procedures for SDG&E will allow them to turn power off if there is another fire or if Santa Ana winds become too strong. If you have a stand-by generator, you won’t have to worry about losing food, having your pool turn green, or simply being comfortable in your own home.

Another great benefit of a stand-by generator is that they are fueled by natural gas or propane. They are permanently plumbed to your gas supply. This means that you don’t have to store gasoline, and the generator can run for days or longer without refueling. While these systems are more expensive, it can be worth the cost in convenience. And if you run a business from your home, or have medical equipment that requires electricity, these generators can be a life saver.

Stand-by Generator Pros

Stand-by Generators Cons

Article written by Philippe Heller, President of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co. located in San Diego California. For more information, please visit www.sdinspections.com

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Why Don’t We Test for Radon in San Diego?

Saturday, January 7th, 2012

Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is present in varying amounts in the ground and in water. Radon is produced by the natural radioactive decay of uranium deposits in the earth. Prolonged exposure to radon in high concentrations can cause cancer. The EPA has set guidelines for radon levels in residential buildings.

The EPA recommends that mitigation measures be undertaken in residential buildings when radon concentrations are 4 picocuries per liter (4 pCi/L) of air and above. The radon concentration in a house varies with time and is affected by the uranium – radium content in the soil, the geological formation beneath the house, the construction of the house, rain, snow, barometric pressure, wind, and pressure variations caused by the periodic operation of exhaust fans, heating systems, fireplaces, attic fans, and range fans. Radon concentrations are variable and may be high in one house and low in an adjacent house. To determine if a house has a radon problem, it must be tested.

The EPA has mapped out Radon and divided to country into Zones. The map for California can be found by clicking HERE. San Diego is in a Zone with low amounts of Radon Gas. San Diego is in Zone 3 with predicted indoor Radon levels of less than 2 pCi/L which is less than the level at which the EPA considers it a hazard.

Therefore most home inspectors do not offer Radon testing in San Diego. According to the EPA, the test results would almost certainly come back negative. Inspectors would have to carry additional E&O insurance, which simply would not make financial sense. There are some home inspectors who will test for Radon.

Test: A long-term test is the most accurate method of determining the average annual radon concentration. However, because time is usually limited, there is a three- to seven-day test that uses a charcoal canister. It is available from most home do-it-your- self stores or through radon testing service companies.

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Disasters Happen

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

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Your Best Defense is Proper Planning

As fire season closes in on us, now is a good time to review or create your family’s disaster plan. If you are prepared, your family can avoid much of the heartache that affects some families when faced with turmoil.San Diego County Disaster Planning

When we perform your inspection, your safety is our biggest concern. The primary goal of our inspections is to ensure that your house is safe. We inspect the safety features in the house such as fire walls, smoke detectors, and the safetyfeatures built into the furnace among others. The safety features in your house are instrumental in protecting your family from fires that could start from a faulty item.

But there are some events that we cannot predict such as wild fires, earthquakes or worse. These are events which have happened in San Diego, and will happen again. When you move into a new home, it is a perfect time to establish a disaster plan. We strongly recommend that you set up a plan so that you are prepared in the event of an emergency.

The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services has created a wonderful FREE disaster plan which we recommend. You can get your own free copy by clicking on the picture at right, or by visiting the San Diego County website.

We include a link to this book with every report. Your safety is our biggest concern. If you have any questions about what is important when selecting a home inspector, please feel free to contact us. The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co. Is a multi-inspector firm that has performed thousands of inspections since our founding in 2004.

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New Circuit Breakers Prevent House Fires

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

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Various Types of Circuit Breakers

Definition: A Circuit Breaker “Opens” or disconnects an electrical circuit when certain conditions are met. 

History

The first circuit breakers, called fuses,  were developed as a result of house fires. Actually, many current building codes were created to reduce the occurance of fires, or to help prevent death due to fires in residential and commercial structures. 

If you ever lived in an old house built prior to 1950, you may recall Fuse Box those round fuses that are screwed into the fuse box like a light bulb. A fuse is nothing more than a thin element that burns away if it gets too hot. If too much electricity is demanded from a circuit the sacraficial fuse element melts, and thus terminates the flow of electricity. This prevents the wires in the walls from over-heating and starting a fire. 

There are two main causes for excessive draw of electricity. The most common is having too many electric appliances plugged into one circuit. Think about when a hair dryer is turned on while someone is using a microwave. 

The second is a “short circuit”. This is where a hot energized wire comes into contact with a neutral or ground. This can happen when rodents chew on wires, or a poorly connected wire becomes exposed and touches a pipe or other grounded item. When this happens, there is a sudden excessive draw of electricity which exceeds the amperage rating of the fuse and causes it to burn up. The “blown” fuse would stop the flow of electricity. 

One problem with fuses was that when they blew, you had to buy another one before that circuit could be used again. This was very inconvenient if the homeowner did not have a box of fuses laying around. People did many dumb things to work around this such as wrapping the blown fuse with foil, or sticking a penny into the fuse socket to get the lights back on. The problem is that those work-arounds defeated the protections offered by the fuse. If a short circuit existed the modified fuse offered no protection, and wire could easily over-heat and cause a fire in the walls. 

Cars still use fuses. Older style fuses are cylindrical glass tubes with a thin filament. Newer cars have “blade” style fuses which are colored plastic (to identify amperage rating) and work on the same principals. 

Circuit Breakers

 

In a modern home there are three basic types of circuit protection; Circuit breakers, Ground fault Circuit Interruptors (GFCI’s), and Arc Fault Circuit Interruptors (AFCI’s). Just like fuses, Circuit breakers are mechanical devices that “break” a circuit if too much current is drawn through it. Circuit breakers are there to protect the house from fire caused by over-heated wires. They are not going to prevent electrocution! A person can be electrocuted with just a few AMP’s, far less than is required to trip a traditional circuit breaker. Remember, a circuit breaker is there to protect the house, and the occupants, from fire. Not electrocution. 

Ground Fault Circuit Interruptors (GFCI’s)

 

GFCI ReceptacleGround Fault Circuit Interruptors also known as GFCI’s (or GFI’s) were developed to prevent electrocution. These devices monitor the flow of electricity and if it detects too much electricity flowing to a ground, it immediately breaks the circuit. An example would be in a bathroom where someone might be touching a faucet while plugging in a hair dryer or other device. If there is a frayed cord or other exposure to electricity, a person can be electrocuted by having electricity flow through them to the faucet (which is grounded). A circuit breaker would probably not trip in time to save someone, but a GFCI would. 

Please keep in mind that older homes are not required to have GFCI’s where they are now required. TheGFCI Location Chart 

Building Code does not demand retrofitting older homes. For safety, your home inspector may recommend upgrading certain receptacles to GFCI receptacles, but a home seller is not required to do this. (Do it for your own safety). To see the location requirements for GFCI’s and the year in which they were mplemented, please see our blog entry on Where and When GFCI’s Were Required

Arc Fault Circuit Interruptors

 

There is a new type of circuit breaker that adds protection from another common cause of house fires. In this case it is not over-heating, but sparking. Frayed wires or poor connections that cause arcs or sparking. Often these sparks are not great enough to cause a curcuit breaker to trip. But sparks from a wire near curtains or atop insulation in the attic can be enough to ignite a fire. 

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AFCI’s have been required on bedroom electrical circuits since 2004. A home inspectors must check for the presence of AFCI’s which are located in the electrical panel. Just like GFCI’s a home seller does not have to retrofit or upgrade the circuit breakers in their house. But you can always have a licensed electrician install AFCI’s for added safety. We highly recommend AFCI’s particularly in houses with older wiring, or where wiring modifications are a cause for concern.

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Fire Season is Upon Us

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

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Don’t Lose Your House to a Wildfire

As we watch Arizona burn, it brings back vivid memories of the Cedar and Witch Creek fires we had in San Diego. These huge wind-driven fires are so over-whelming that fire fighters cannot possibly defend ever house. Sadly, too many houses are lost. But what makes ita real tragendy is that many houses could be saved with a little preparation.

Defensible Space 

Defensible space refers to the area surrounding a building that is mitigated to protect it from wildfires. Along with the quality of a building’s roofing material, adequate defensible space is one of the most important factors in determining a building’s ability to survive a wildfire. Inspectors should be know enough about defensible space to educate their clients, particularly in fire-prone regions. 
 
Defensible space performs the following functions:
  1. Ideally, a carefully maintained defensible space will not contain enough fuel to allow a wildfire to reach a house. Even if the space is breached, the fire will have been slowed and weakened, helping firefighters to defend the house.
  2. A defensible space provides an accessible area for fire trucks to park and firefighters to work during a structure fire.
  3. If there is a pond near a burning house, it can be used to replenish a fire truck’s water supply. The perimeter of the pond should be thinned of trees and brush sufficiently so that firefighters can access it.
The size requirements for defensible space vary by jurisdiction because the potential for wildfires varies by region. Buildings in forested areas of the Southwest need a much larger protective space than in New Jersey, for instance. As of 2006, California state law mandates a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space for houses in rural locations. Trees and shrubs surrounding a house should be trimmed and spaced apart a safe distance from one another. Chainsaws can be used to remove trees and branches, pruning shears to trim plants, and rakes for removing pine needles and other ground-level combustibles. Trees that are very close to the house should be removed because this is where fire-prevention is most critical. Vegetation can be plentiful towards the perimeter of the space if it is green and pruned.

Colorado State University divides defensible space into three categories in the following manner:

Zone 1 – The first 15 feet from a home should be devoid of all flammable vegetation. Firewood and other flammable materials should not be stored in this region.

Zone 2 – This area of fuel reduction should extend from Zone 1 outward to between 75 to 125 feet from the structure. Trees and large shrubs should be no less than 10 feet apart, especially in steep terrain. Trees must also be pruned to a height of 10 feet from the ground, and any “ladder fuels” (vegetation with vertical continuity) removed from the base of the trees. Grass, trees and shrubs in this region should be green and adequately spaced. Pine needles, dead leaves, branches, dead or dying vegetation and other flammable debris on the ground should be removed whenever they appear.

Zone 3 – This region of traditional forest management is of no particular size, although it normally extends to the property limits. More trees are permitted here than in Zone 2, although their health and vigor should be maintained.

Precautions That Inspectors Can Pass on to Their Clients
  • Homeowners should obey all environmental protection laws while creating and maintaining defensible spaces. In particular, removal of vegetation should not interfere with the well-being of endangered species, air and water quality, or archaeologically significant resources. Homeowners may need to obtain a permit to cut down trees over a certain size, depending on local jurisdictions.
  • Vegetation removal can cause soil erosion, especially in steep terrain. InterNACHI advises that in areas that are prone to wildfire and soil erosion, it can be helpful to replace highly flammable plants and trees with less-flammable alternatives.

 

Fire Retardants

If you live in a rural setting, the responsibility to defend you house may be yours alone. Fire fighters simmply cannot reach every house. There are affordable products you can use to reduce your risk of loss. One such product that we came across is called the FireIce(R) Home Defense Unit. It is a simple water-based solution which you spray onto your house that will greatly reduce the likelihood that it will catch fire.

 

Nothing can absolutely prevent your house from burning down. But please don’t be in denial. It has happened, it is happening at the time of writing this article, and it will happen again. If you take the proper precautions, you can protect your house. Please consider setting up a defense plan and a disaster plan for your family.
Disclaimer: The San Diego real Estate Inspection Company has no relationship whatsoever with the GelTech company. We do not benefit from promoting this product. This is a public service to let people know these products exist. If you have questions or comments about this product, plese contact the manufacturer directly.
In summary, buildings can be spared from wildfire damage through the removal of surrounding flammable vegetation. Defensible spaces are critical in hot, dry, forested regions, although their presence is recommended everywhere.
About the author: Philippe Heller is the president of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company. It is one of the largest inspection companies in San Diego County with highly trained home inspectors. Please contact the company with any questions you have about home inspections, and be sure to “Like” the company’s Facebook page by clicking the link at the top of this post.

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