Home Inspector San Diego – The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company
Home Inspector in San Diego. Performing home inspections using state of the art test equipment. Only home inspector in San Diego using Infrared Thermal Imaging. Home inspection reports include color photos and are printed on-site.
Contact Us | 888-494-5150
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
- Affordable. Portable generators range from $400 – $1,500 or more depending on capacity.
- Portable. Small units can be carried. Larger units typically have wheels.
- Easy to use. Just start, and plug something in.
Portable Generators Cons
- Limited power. Small units can only power a few items.
- Require gasoline. You need to store gas which can go bad after 6 months.
- Manual operation. You have to be home to use it.
- Requires extension cords. You’ll need to move your refrigerator and forget about running your AC.
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
- Automatic. You don’t even have to be home. It will start automatically.
- Capacity. Can provide enough electricity to power the entire house.
- No extension cords. You don’t have to move your refrigerator. It works as it normally does.
- Unlimited fuel. You don’t have to store gasoline. It is fueled by your natural gas or propane supply.
Stand-by Generators Cons
- Not portable. These units are large and cannot be moved.
- Installation. You need a licensed electrician to install these and they require permits.
- Cost. The convenience comes at a higher price. It may cost $5,000 – $15,000 or more depending on the capacity and cost of electrician.
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
Posted in Health and Safety, Technology | No Comments »
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.
Tags: Radon
Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »
Disasters Happen
Saturday, September 3rd, 2011
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.
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.
Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »
New Circuit Breakers Prevent House Fires
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
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 
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)
Ground 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. The
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.
__________________
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.
To keep up with this story and more, please “Like” us on Facebook today!
Tags: Arc Fault, Ground Fault
Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »
Fire Season is Upon Us
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
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
- 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.
- A defensible space provides an accessible area for fire trucks to park and firefighters to work during a structure fire.
- 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.
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.
- 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
Tags: fire prevention, fire proof house
Posted in Health and Safety | No Comments »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Health and Safety category.
Categories
- Health and Safety (33)
- Inspection News (14)
- On the Job (15)
- Technology (4)
Archives
- January 2012
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- March 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- August 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
