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High Water Pressure can Cost You Money

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Optimizing Your Irrigation System Can Save You Money

Much of the water used for irrigation is wasted in the form of over-spray. With water rates sky-rocketing, controlling waste is perhaps the easiest adjustment you can make to save money. The first step is simple; simply adjust sprinkler heads so that they

Sprinkler Over-Spray

 don’t water your driveway, sidewalks, or your house. Not only will you avoid damage to your siding, but you may avoid possible fines.

Sprinklers spraying on a house can cause thousands of dollars in damage. This is one of the most frequently listed items in our home inspection reports. Even stucco will become damaged by long-term exposure to sprinklers. Wood and hard-board siding are particularly subject to damage from over-spray. If you have sprinklers spraying directly on your house, fix it as soon as possible.

Most sprinklers have an adjustment screw on top which allows you to make small adjustments to the spray pattern. In some cases you may have to re-locate the sprinklers. A good option for correcting sprinklers located too close the the house is to convert the sprinkler heads to a drip system.

In addition to over-spray and possible fines, simply having high water pressure can waste water. This may not be obvious, but water forced out of a sprinkler at high pressure becomes atomized – like a fine mist. Instead of falling onto your garden, this mist can be blown away or evaporate quickly. Many parts of San Diego have very high pressure at the street. Often, the

Sprinkler Mist

irrigation system is plumbed directly off the water supply, and can have pressure as high as 130 psi. If this is the case, have a pressure regulator installed. It will pay for itself by reducing your water consumption. You won’t have to water as long to adequate coverage for your garden.

A well designed irrigation system can also save water and result in a healthier garden. Rain Bird has an excellent white paper on how to design a system. Consider converting some of your sprinkler heads to a drip system. Drip systems allow you to concentrate water directly at the root system. This is particularly beneficial for shrubs, trees, roses and bushes. This is particularly beneficial near the house.

The City of San Diego’s mandatory water restrictions went into effect on June 1, 2009.

Here are the Level 2 mandatory restrictions residents must abide by:

Landscape irrigation is limited to no more than three assigned days per week from June 1- Oct. 31. Those days are:

o Homes with odd-numbered addresses can water: Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday
o Homes with even-numbered addresses can water: Saturday, Monday & Wednesday
o Apartments, Condos and Businesses can water: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

* On your watering day, you may only water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

* Landscape irrigation using sprinklers is limited to no more than ten minutes maximum per watering station per assigned day (does not apply to drip, micro-irrigation, stream rotor, rotary heads, hose end sprinklers with timers or valves operated by a weather-based irrigation controller).

* Trees and shrubs not irrigated by a landscape irrigation system may be watered no more than three assigned days per week by using a hand-held container, hand-held hose with positive shut-off nozzle, or low-volume soaker hose.

* Irrigation of nursery and commercial growers’ products is permitted in the hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. or at any time when using a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle, hand-held container, or drip, micro-irrigation.

* Irrigation of nursery propagation beds is permitted at any time.

* Vehicle washing is permitted only in the hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. with a hand-held container or a hand-held hose with a positive shut-off nozzle for quick rinses, or at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash. Vehicle washing required for public health and safety is exempt.

* Water use by commercial car washes which do not use partially re-circulated water will be reduced in volume by an amount determined by the City Council.

* All leaks must be stopped or repaired upon discovery or within 72 hours of notification by the City of San Diego.

* Bird baths, koi ponds and any ornamental water feature using a re-circulating pump and which does not shoot water into the air are allowed under Level 2. Water fountains which discharge into the air a jet or stream of water are banned under Level 2 restrictions.

However, these fountains may be operated for maintenance purposes. Any water feature that does not re-circulate water is banned. * Use of recycled or non-potable water is required for construction purposes when available.

* Water use from fire hydrants is limited to fire fighting, City meter installation as part of the Fire Hydrant Meter Program, and for public health and safety reasons.

* Construction operations will not use water obtained by a fire hydrant meter for uses other than normal construction activity.

Specific supply reductions to local agencies may vary depending on how much of its total water supply each agency receives from the Water Authority. Urban water use restrictions may vary among local retail agencies. Most local ordinances generally reflect the Water Authority’s model drought response ordinance.

Info from the San Diego County Water Authority.

About the author: Philippe Heller is President of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co.

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New Law Regarding Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Home Inspectors will start checking for CO detectors after passage of new Disclosure Laws

California Senate Bill 183 was signed into law which requires the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors in rental units, and dwellings that are being transferred (sold) by January 1, 2011. It also requires that Carbon Monoxide detectors are installed in ALL homes by January 1st, 2013.

Carbon Monoxide Detector

Expect to see this new inspection item in your home inspection report. Home inspectors will be required to report on the presence or absence of a working Carbon Monoxide detector just like they report on Smoke Detectors, and water heater strapping.

Home Buyers and Sellers will also see this new requirement on Transfer Disclosure Statements. In addition to Smoke Alarms and strapped water heaters, sellers will be required to disclose the presence or absence of a working Carbon Monoxide detector starting January 1, 2011.

Details of SB 183

This bill requires that a carbon monoxide device be installed in existing dwellings intended for human occupancy that have a fossil fuel burning appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage, provides that the exclusive remedy for failure to install a device is actual damages not to exceed $100, exclusive of any court costs and attorney’s fees, revises the statutory Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement to require the seller of a one-to-four residential property or manufactured home to make certain disclosures regarding carbon monoxide devices, smoke detectors, and water heaters, and requires the owner of a rental dwelling unit to maintain carbon monoxide devices in the unit.

This bill revises the statutory transfer disclosure statement as follows:

1. Requires the seller to check off whether or not the property has one or more carbon monoxide devices.

2. Adds a footnote to the statement advising buyers that installation of a carbon monoxide device is not a precondition of sale.

3. Requires a seller to certify, as opposed to checking off as under existing law, which the property is in compliance with laws requiring smoke detectors and the bracing of water heaters.

This bill requires that a carbon monoxide device be installed in existing dwellings intended for human occupancy that have a fossil fuel burning appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage beginning January 1, 2011 for single-family dwelling units and January 1, 2012 for all other units.

This bill provides that failure to install a carbon monoxide device is an infraction. Under the bill, an owner must first be given a 30-day notice to correct the violation and, if it is not corrected within that time period, the owner is subject to a fine of $200 for each offense.

This bill requires a property owner to maintain carbon monoxide devices in a rental dwelling unit and would require that the devices be operable at the time the tenant takes possession of the unit. This bill requires a tenant to notify the landlord if the tenant becomes aware that the device is inoperable or deficient and would require the landlord to correct the reported inoperability or deficiency. This bill provides that a landlord is not in violation if he/she has not received the notification from the tenant.

This bill provides that a landlord may enter the dwelling unit for the purpose of installing, repairing, testing, and maintaining carbon monoxide devices pursuant to the requirements of Civil Code Section 1954.

Be sure the home you are buying is safe. A qualified home inspector will provide the information you need to feel confident about your home buying decision. Don’t compromise when choosing a home inspector. Be sure to ask if they will check for this.

The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company feels that Carbon Monoxide detecors are as important, or more, than a traditional smoke detector. We will will add this as an inspection item effective immediately. We want to get this information out to buyers and sellers.  Most Carbon Monoxide detectors cost $30 or less.

Tags: Carbon Monoxide, Disclosure
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The Care and Feeding of your Disposer

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Simple tips to extend the life of your food waste disposer

There are a few misconceptions about disposers. First, they are not “Garbage Disposers”. They are “Food Waste Disposers”. You would be surprised at what we sometimes find in the disposer which prevents it from working. For some reason we find a lot of rocks in disposers. If you have a fish bowl, please wash it in another sink.

One of the most common items we find during a home inspection is a failed or failing disposer. It is one of the most over-looked, and under-appreciated appliances that we use.

These are the most common defects:

• Damaged or worn rubber strainer
• Rust at the cutting plates
• Rust at the mounting flange
• Rust at the body of the disposer

The rubber strainer is a safety item. It prevents items such as a fork or knife from falling into the disposer, or worse being eject from the

Rusted cutting plate

 disposer. The rubber strainer is a replaceable item that should be in good working order. The picture at right shows a worn rubber strainer, and rusted cutting plate. If this reminds you of your disposer, you should consider having it replaced. This disposer is on its last legs, and could actually be dangerous. When the plate is spinning, a utensil could fall into and be ejected from the disposer causing injury.

The cutting plate is the part you see if you look into the disposer. It is a spinning plate with blades on it (1 in picture). When the disposer is turned on,

Rust at the mounting flange can be caused by a poor installation or a torn washer or strainer. Water is actually leaking from the sink to the outside of the disposer. A ruste mounting flange can eventually fall apart, and becomes difficult to remove when you need to replace the disposer.

When the body of the disposer is rusted, you need to replace the disposer. If it isn’t already leaking, it will shortly. Check that the rust isn’t coming from another source, but most often the disposer is at the end of its useful life.

Cleaning

Everbody has had a disposer that smells. It is really unpleasant. Often people will put a wedge of lemon down the disposer to mask the odor. We recommend against this. The lemon rind is too tough for the disposer to deal with, and you can actually damage the blades. The smell is caused by old food debris that is stuck to the inside of the disposer. The best thing to do is to use a still brush to clean the inside of the neck of the disposer. Use a disinfectant, and really scrub the inside. You’ll notice an immediate improvement.

Philippe Heller is the president of The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company which provides home inspections to the greater San Diego county area, Temecula and Murietta.

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Avoiding Property Damage From Plumbing Leaks

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Ever since the first indoor plumbing system was installed, homeowners have had to deal with leaks. Early drain lines were made from metal, often by black smiths, out of lead, steel or brass. Little was

Old toilet

known about hydrolics, venting, or drainage. But indoor plumbing was seen as such an advancement in sanitation that people put up with the poor functionality.

Fresh water delivery systems were next. After all, we needed some way to bring fresh water into the house to wash away the waste and bathe. This introduction of a constant source of water has been the frustration of countless homeowners ever since. Pressurized systems often fail causing major property damage.

Believe it or not, water can be very corrosive. This is especially true in Souther California. Most of our water comes from far away – either the Colorado River or the Sierra Nevada Mountains via hundreds of miles of aquaducts – that are very similar to the aquaducts of ancient Rome. It slowly eats away at our pipes until, with the help of the pressure, a leak develops. If you don’t take care of the plumbing system in your house, you will pay a very high price.

30 year old angle stop valve - ready to burst!Old Pressure Regulator

Home inspectors often see plumbing systems and fixtures that are on the brink of failure. In the example here you see an angle stop valve from a 30 year old house. These valves are installed under bathroom and kitchen sinks, and at toilets throughout the house. This one is about as close to failure as you can get without an actual leak occurring. This is the most common item that goes into an inspection report. One slight tap on this valve and water will be pouring into the house. This same corrosion is also frequently observed at the top of water heaters where the water enters the tank, and where it leaves the tank. This is another common source of leaks. Corrosion at the top of water heaters can be easily ignored.

Most water heaters are installed on a platform, and you really have to go out of your way to see the top of the tank. You should do this at least once a year. Most of these visible defects are detectable if you just take the time to look. It’s pretty easy to see corrosion or rust. But you have to take the time to look for it. A bigger danger is less obvious. Just like high

Corrosion at Water Heater

blood pressure, excessive water pressure in your plumbing can be hard to detect. But it is very likely to cause damage.

Most fixtures in a house are built to withstand a maximum pressure of about 80 psi. But the street pressure in many neighborhoods in San Diego are up to 120 psi. To maintain a constant pressure in your house, and prevent excessive pressure, most haouses have a pressure regulator installed. This is the bell-shaped device that is typically located at the front exterior wall of your house, or in the garage in newer homes. The regulator allows you to set the pressure, and it maintains that pressure for you. But just like all mechanical devices the regulator can fail. The rubber components inside the regulator deteriorate. When they do, the water pressure in your pipes can spike.When buying a house, it is critical to have your home inspector check the water pressure. And you should check the pressure periodically on your own.

Old Pressure Regulator

filling after a flush. This is due to the high water pressure. Another sign will be faucets that suddenly start to drip when they did not drip before. Or you may hear a watter happer when the dishwasher or clothes washer turns on and off. This is because thes appliances turn on and off abruptly. High pressure will cause a water hammer when a valve is slammed shut.

Cracked washer hose

washer. Remember that these hoses are under pressure 24 hours a day.  They are only rated for two years. Most people never change them. You should change these for braided steel washer hoses just to be safe.  

Tags: old plumbing, plumbing inspection
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Knob and Tube Wiring

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Home inspectors should always report knob-and-tube wiring during their inspections as a safety hazard, and advise replacement.

Facts About Knob-and-Tube Wiring:

• It is not inherently dangerous. The dangers from this system arise from its age, improper modifications, and situations where building insulation envelops the wires.
• It has no ground wire and thus cannot service any three-pronged appliances.
• While it is considered obsolete, there is no code that requires its complete removal.
• It is treated differently in different jurisdictions. In some areas, it must be removed at all accessible locations, while others merely require that it not be installed in new construction. Inspectors should be sure to know the codes in the jurisdictions in which they operate.
• It is not permitted in any new construction.

How Knob-and-Tube Wiring Works:           

K&T wiring consists of insulated copper conductors passing through lumber framing drill-holes via protective porcelain insulating tubes. They are supported along their length by nailed-down porcelain knobs. Where wires enter a wiring device, such as a lamp or switch, or were pulled into a wall, they are protected by flexible cloth or rubber insulation called “loom.”

Advantages of Knob-and-Tube Wiring:

• K&T wiring has a higher ampacity than wiring systems of the same gauge. The reason for this is that the hot and neutral wires are separated from one another, usually by 4 to 6 inches, which allows the wires to readily dissipate heat into free air.
• K&T wires are less likely than Romex cables to be punctured by nails because K&T wires are held away from the framing.
• The porcelain components have an almost unlimited lifespan.
• The original installation of knob-and-tube wiring is often superior to that of modern Romex wiring. K&T wiring installation requires more skill to install than Romex and, for this reason, unskilled people rarely ever installed it.

Problems Associated with K&T Wiring:

• Unsafe modifications are far more common with K&T wiring than they are with Romex and other modern wiring systems. Part of the reason for this is that K&T is so old that more opportunity has existed for improper modifications.
• The insulation that envelopes the wiring is a fire hazard.
• It tends to stretch and sag over time.
• It lacks a grounding conductor. Grounding conductors reduce the chance of electrical fire and damage to sensitive equipment.
• In older systems, wiring is insulated with varnish and fiber materials that are susceptible to deterioration.

Compared with modern wiring insulation, K&T wiring is less resistant to damage.  K&T wiring insulated with cambric and asbestos is not rated for moisture exposure. Older systems contained insulation with additives that may oxidize copper wire. Bending the wires may cause insulation to crack and peel away. 

K&T wiring is often spliced with modern wiring incorrectly by amateurs. This is perhaps due to the ease by which K&T wiring is accessed.

Building Insulation:

K&T wiring is designed to dissipate heat into free air, and insulation will disturb this process. Insulation around K&T wires will cause heat to build up, and this creates a fire hazard. The 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that this wiring system not be covered by insulation. Specifically, it states that this wiring system should not be in…

hollow spaces of walls, ceilings and attics where such spaces are insulated by loose, rolled or foamed-in-place insulating material that envelops the conductors.

Local jurisdictions may or may not adopt the NEC’s requirement. The California Electrical Code, for instance, allows insulation to be in contact with knob-and-tube wiring, provided that certain conditions are met, such as, but not limited to, the following:

• A licensed electrical contractor must certify that the system is safe.
• The certification must be filed with the local building department.
• Accessible areas where insulation covers the wiring must be posted with a warning sign. In some areas, this sign must be in Spanish and English.
• The insulation must be non-combustible and non-conductive.
• Normal requirements for insulation must be met.

Modifications:

• Many homeowners adapted to the inadequate amperage of K&T wiring by installing fuses with resistances that were too high for the wiring. The result of this modification is that the fuses would not blow as often and the wiring would suffer heat damage due to excessive amperage loads.
• It is not uncommon for inspectors to find connections wrapped with masking tape or Scotch tape instead of electrical tape.

K&T Wiring and Insurance:

Many insurance companies refuse to insure houses that have knob-and-tube wiring due to the risk of fire. Exceptions are sometimes made for houses where an electrical contractor has deemed the system to be safe.

Advice for those with K&T wiring:

• Have the system evaluated by a qualified electrician. Only an expert can confirm that the system was installed and modified correctly.
• Do not run an excessive amount of appliances in the home, as this can cause a fire.
• Where the wiring is brittle or cracked, it should be replaced. Proper maintenance is crucial.
• K&T wiring should not be used in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms or outdoors. Wiring must be grounded in order to be used safely in these locations.
• Rewiring a house can take weeks and cost thousands of dollars, but unsafe wiring can cause fires, complicate estate transactions, and make insurers skittish.
• Homeowners should carefully consider their options before deciding whether to rewire their house.
• The homeowner or an electrician should carefully remove any insulation that is found surrounding K&T wires.
• Prospective home buyers should get an estimate of the cost of replacing K&T wiring. They can use this amount to negotiate a cheaper price for the house.

In summary, knob-and-tube wiring is likely to be a safety hazard due to improper modifications and the addition of building insulation. Home buyers need to be wary of this old system and be prepared to replace it. 

Tags: Knob and Tube
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