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Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc. |
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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER |
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Message prepared especially for Members of the American Institute of Inspectors® as well as Home Inspectors abroad |
GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.....
It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! The Olympics are now a successful memory. I hope that all of you enjoyed the events. I know that I feel a real sense of pride being from the host area. Maybe now I can get some sleep instead of staying up until the wee hours of the morning watching the replay of the days events. Here is a photo of my daughter Jessica (left) with her friends at the Soldier Hollow cross country venue.
WHY I LOVE CONFERENCES By Ron CloydI love to attend A.I.I. conferences! I have been attending A.I.I.'s conferences since 1994 when I first joined the American Institute of Inspectors. Conferences are like what I imagine a fix is to an addict. I always come away rejuvenated, upbeat and ready to grow my business using all the new materials and ideas learned at the conferences.
I also, almost always, come away with a knot in my stomach about, at least, one aspect of inspecting.
The first one I can think of was on siding and how all of them were falling apart and how inspectors have a great deal of liability, but could make a lot of money inspecting it. That feeling soon faded as members began talking about siding. We had more information about siding than most of us new what to do with it. At the time we didn't have the "hotline" or the "MMM" so we used the phone even more than today.
The next big scare that comes to mind was the EIFS "problem". That one really had me concerned for almost 48 hours after leaving the conference. Again, members communicated and we educated ourselves about EIFS. Now we had the MMM and the Hotline. Boy, what a difference they made. The interaction and sharing of information was plentiful.
For the past two to three years we have had, and probably will have for many more years, the hot topic of mold. Looking back on the past couple of years and even the last week on the AII Hotline, we are still kicking the mold around. It is the hottest subject in our industry and possibly a great source of future income, assuming you want to play the current mine field mold game.
The point I'm tying to make to all of you is that I would be hopelessly lost without these conferences. The classes are top notch and information filled. But even beyond sitting in the classes there is an immense amount of information flowing freely between between the participants in the halls, at the bar, and in the dinning room. What better way to charge up the old battery? I'll be 55 and getting my first retirement checks from a past job next month. I can't think of anything that can better help us in this profession than educational conferences. They help to motivate us while we spend time educating each other by attending the AII conferences twice a year.
I for one, have never missed a conference. I have given up fishing trips, vacations with my wife and even missed inspection revenu by attending, but this is nothing in comparison to what I have taken away to use and grow my business and self image. What a fantastic group of people we have in A.I.I.'s membership; willing to share anything and everything they have will each other.
I can't think of any better reasons to attend each and every one of A.I.I.'s conferences. We all grow and become better people and better inspectors by attending. Your business will also be better for it.
Why would any reasonable inspector miss a meeting? I know, there are good reasons, but I have been very lucky to have attended them all.
I hope to see you all at the April conference. And please, if you can make it, attend the Board meeting on Friday night. Your input and participation are greatly appreciated and need if A.I.I. is to continue being the best association in these United States of America.
Happiness and prosperity to you all,
Ron Cloyd - Chairman of the Board of A.I.I.
FHA UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS  |
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The yellow paint marks were places over the leaks in a residential storage tank.
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UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS: If I happen to find the signs of a buried fuel tank, or if someone gives me a heads-up I will look for the tank, and finding evidence, I will note it on my report. DEQ is not concerned about them, unless they are leaking. There is no directive from the State that tells me that I have to look for, or report buried fuel tanks. It is not a requirement in the AII SOP. Of course we don't want our client buying an undisclosed fuel tank especially if it is leaking. The VC Form simply says: "Surface evidence of Underground Storage Tanks (UST) Yes or No. If you have HUD 4150.2, look at page D-25 for the protocol on this.
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This photo shows the leak evidence underneath the leaking residential UST.
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I always look for old oil furnace feed lines in the crawl space. If they exist and there are no visible line ends outside the foundation, I report possibility of underground tank. Usually, the fill and vent stacks are visible above ground. I recently found these fill and vent pipes adjacent to a condominium driveway ( landscaped ), and the association knew nothing about any tanks! None of the units had oil heat! I referred them to an enviromental testing firm and have not heard about the results yet. I have heard rumors that after all the service stations are cleaned up, they ( deq. ) may start looking at residential UST,s. You won't win a popularity award with any realtors by noting possible USTD's, but like Ted, I always note what I see and don't see. Our clients should not be stuck with a clean-up bill for something they were unaware of when they purchased the property. And YES, they are a big deal if leaking. Reggie Ayres - Medford, OR
I was hoping that some of you had website links or info to better understand the topic, but mentioning UST's left most of you cold. I did some searching myself and found several sites that deal with UST's. I opted to sha First let's go straight to the EPA site at: http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/cat/index.htm
Why do UST releases need to be cleaned up?
EPA's federal underground storage tank (UST) regulations require that contaminated UST sites must be cleaned up to restore and protect groundwater resources and create a safe environment for those who live or work around these sites. Petroleum releases can contain contaminants like MTBE and other contaminants of concern that can make water unsafe or unpleasant to drink. Releases can also result in fire and explosion hazards, as well as produce long-term health effects.
How many UST releases are there?
Over 418,000 USTreleases had been confirmed as of September 30, 2001. Steady cleanup work has progressed for over a decade and more than 268,000 contaminated sites have been cleaned up. While much good work has been and continues to be done, there are about 150,000 UST sites remaining to be cleaned up. You can go to our corrective action measures archive to see periodic reports on the number of releases and cleanup actions taken (data displayed by state, EPA Region, and Indian Country).
Are all contaminated UST sites equally dangerous or costly to clean up?
Contaminated UST sites vary considerably. Some are very contaminated sites at which groundwater resources have been adversely impacted and may involve years of cleanup activities that can cost over $1 million. Other sites may involve relatively minor or no groundwater contamination that may allow cleanup contractors to restore the site more quickly and at less cost. Some contaminated sites have impacted only surrounding soil and have not involved groundwater—these are generally easier and less expensive to clean up. The average cleanup cost for a contaminated UST site is about $125,000.
What cleanup methods are available?
Several methods have been successfully used for over a decade to clean up thousands of sites. Often the specific characteristics of the site (its type of soil, proximity to groundwater, and so on) make it a better candidate for some cleanup methods rather than others. A contaminated site will need a site characterization (also referred to as "site assessment" as the terms are used interchangeably) that can help professionals choose the best cleanup method. Professional cleanup contractors base their decisions on site-specific investigations and with local environmental agency approval. In some cases, state or federal regulators take the lead at a contaminated UST site and will make all the cleanup decisions.
Are there ways to control the cost of these potentially expensive cleanups?
EPA is committed to helping state and local agencies make cleanups faster, more effective, and less expensive. EPA is working with states to encourage the use of expedited site assessment and alternative cleanup technologies. We are also encouraging state and local agencies to incorporate risk-based decision-making and pay-for-performance agreements into their corrective action programs. EPA also has an USTfields Initiative that encourages both environmentally effective cleanups and the redevelopment of these areas.
The Oregon State DEQ provides this information found at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/tank/factsheets/HomesWithHeatingOilTanks.pdf
1. What do I need to do if my home uses oil heat? Nothing, if both of the following are true: · The oil tank isn't leaking or hasn't leaked; and · You don't know of any old, abandoned underground heating oil tank on your property. But be aware that there may have been multiple small oil spills around the fill pipe when fuel was delivered or the tank could have had problems in the past that you are not aware of. Keep in mind that you are responsible for cleaning up any contamination from a leak. DEQ recommends you check your tank for leaks before listing your home. You may want to consider having a licensed service provider test the soil underneath to determine whether or not it has leaked. This service may cost about $200-$300.
2. What do I need to do if my home used to be heated with oil? You must do all of the following: · Ensure that any abandoned (i.e. unused) heating oil tank on your property is empty of oil; · Provide documentation to the buyer showing that the tank has been emptied; and · Leave the vent line in place unless you "decommission" the tank (see #6).
3. What documentation do I need to show that my tank is empty? · Dated receipts from the company that pumped the oil out of the tank; or · Receipts from the oil recycling company if you pumped the tank yourself.
4. What if I don't know if there is an abandoned tank on my property? DEQ recommends that you check for a tank before listing your property. You can: · Look for an oil fill pipe. It is usually close to the ground and close to where the furnace is located in your home. · Look for a vent pipe. You can usually see it attached for two to eight feet up the side of the house. It is 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter with a small vent cap on it. · Hire someone to look for an underground tank; this costs about $100. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Tanks." · If there has been a leak, you as the property owner are responsible for cleaning it up to DEQ standards. If you believe the leak happened before you bought the property, you may want to seek advice from an attorney regarding recovering costs from the previous owner.
5. Do I have to do all of these things before I can sell my house? Although you may choose not to look for a tank or have your soil tested, some buyers may require these things be done before the sale. Doing them ahead of time may save you time in selling your home. In any case, you must do items Number 2 and 3 if applicable, and you will be required to give the buyer either: · A disclosure stating whether you know about any underground storage tanks or any contaminated soil or water on the property; or · A disclaimer stating the property is being sold "as is" with no claims about the condition of the property. Contact your Realtor for more information on disclosure requirements or further obligations you may have if you will be giving the buyer a disclaimer.
6. Should I have my tank decommissioned? Once the tank has been emptied of oil, actual decommissioning is voluntary.* "Decommissioning" is a generic term for taking a tank out of service by cleaning it, then removing it or filling it in place with an inert material. If you - or the buyer - would like to have the decommissioning performed in compliance with state standards, you must: · Have the decommissioning project certified by a licensed service provider, and soil samples collected to confirm that no oil contamination was detected; and · Submit the certified report and documentation to DEQ with a $50 filing fee to have the project registered. DEQ will send you a letter that confirms the decommissioning project is complete.
* Note: For example, you may choose not to clean the tank and remove it or fill the tank with an inert material or to have soil samples collected. However, be aware that some buyers or lenders may want the tank decommissioned to state standards so they do not assume liability for any problem found in the future.
7. What should I do if I know the tank has leaked? You must notify DEQ within 72 hours of discovery, if you haven't already done so, and clean up the leak to DEQ standards. To report the leak, call 1-800-742-7878. Then contact a licensed Heating Oil Tank Service Provider for information on cleanup options. All Service Providers are required to report leaks when they are discovered. For Buyers: What should I know about buying a home with a heating oil tank? · If the homeowner/seller knows of any tank on the property, which is no longer in use, he or she must ensure that the tank has been emptied of oil. · The seller must also give you, the buyer, documentation that it has been emptied, as explained under the "For Sellers" section. · A tank that has only been emptied of oil has not been "decommissioned" (see #6 above).
If the owner doesn't know if there is a tank on the property, DEQ recommends that you, the buyer, hire a qualified expert to check for one. · If a tank is present on the property, DEQ recommends you have a service provider check to see if it has leaked if either of the following are true: · The tank is abandoned and has not been decommissioned, including soil sampling; or · The tank is active and has not already been checked for leaks. · The current owner of the property is responsible for any necessary cleanup even if the leak happened before he or she bought the property. If you buy property knowing that a tank is present and no work has been done to determine if it has leaked, you also become responsible for any leaks discovered in the future. You then would have to contact an attorney for advice if you wanted to recover any costs from the prior owner.
On another Oregon DEQ page http://www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/tank/hotbull2.htm I found the following.......
FOR BUYERS:
What should I know about buying a home with a heating oil tank?
FHA INSPECTIONS PT. 2 By Ted HarrisCRAWL SPACE CLEARANCES: As I mentioned last week, the handbook 4150.2 had hardly come out than it was being revised. The revisions, for the most part, have been and will continue to be by way of “Mortgagee Letters”. I have the feeling that the very nature of Mortgagee Letters gives the precedence over the manual, since most of them are issued to announce new policies or changes in polices, rules etc. Other notices of changes are given through “Frequently Asked Questions” on other FHA web pages. More on that in a minute.
A good example is foundation crawlspace. Quoting from the manual here (page 3-13, and headed: General Acceptability Criteria For FHA-Insured Mortgages).
11. Crawlspace To insure against conditions that could cause the property to deteriorate and seriously affect the marketability of the property, it is required that:
This all seems proper. We shouldn’t have any problem here. However, in my experience, the houses that are in the category that allows them to be candidate homes for FHA loans were, more often than not, built in the era that did not necessarily require 18 inches crawl space clearance. Quite often you can crawl under the joists, but there could be a problem pulling a 12-inch flex duct under with out it being on the ground. Taken literally, this could very easily disqualify an otherwise acceptable house.
So lets go to the web page for FHA Appraisers: FHA Single Family Appraisal System (SASS) FAQ’s:
23. Handbook 4150.2 indicates that the crawlspace must be 18 inches. Please clarify.
The handbook will be clarified, as follows: “A minimum distance of 18 inches from the ground to bottom of the joists is highly recommended but not mandated.” The appraiser will enter the crawl space (at a minimum entry of the head and shoulders) to observe conditions except when access is obstructed, when entry could damage the property, or when dangerous and adverse situations are suspected. In any event, the crawl space size and accessibility dictates the level of entry. However, the appraiser will examine the crawl space for inadequacies.
So, what does that mean to us home inspectors? We, of course will call them like we see them. Whether the house qualifies or not will be the appraiser’s call. I will share with you the way that I would report it. I offer this only as one example. If the circumstances make it necessary, I will report the average clearance from the ground to the joists, and call out the areas where there is no access due to height. I might mention that 10 ½ inches is my minimum clearance to crawl. I could name a couple of you that may require little more clearance than that, but that’s another topic. If, in a low clearance situation, and I see uninsulated metal, fiber or plastic ducts are installed, and are off the ground, I will note it on the report. If the ducts are not insulated, I will report it. I might mention that insulated heat ducts are not an FHA requirement, however we should let the client know if they are not going to have room to insulate the ductwork. This includes not only the clearance to keep the insulation off the ground, but adequate working space to do the job. (Hence the 18 inch requirement in the first place). The FHA appraiser won’t do this.
We cannot ignore the fact that a WDI/WDO inspection will be required. If you are doing a WDI/WDO as part of your inspection, then, of course you are going to have to have clearance enough to view the interior foundation and floor framing. Here is where your individual crawling clearances come in.
So, to summarize: An eighteen-inch clearance is not required. There is a slightly smaller clearance that will allow access for inspection or for installing or adding insulation to ductwork. But not much. If you are inspecting a house with the heat distribution in the ceiling, then the clearance requirements would be much less. The main point is, from the FHA Home Inspector’s standpoint, the 18-inch clearance does not have to be strictly adhered to. Report the conditions as they are, drawing from you past experience, and using your judgment.
PHOTO CHALLENGE #93 FEEDBACK
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Dan Back was courageous enough to answer with the following....
Industry standards require the metal pump motors to be bonded with > than or equal to #8 copper wire. Plastic double insulated motors with internal grounding via the grounded plug/outlet should not be bonded.
If I can see that the motor is powered with a grounded plug to a grounded functioning GFCI outlet, I believe that having a bonded motor is redundant because should a ground fault occur, the GFCI will trip. Also the ground in the plug/outlet is connected to the ground in the motor.
Pool pump and sweep motors, and pool heaters are required to be bonded. There are also bonding requirements for components near pools such as, metal: (pool latters, fences, carports, awnings etc.) Oh, if the motor is metal, I look for the bonding clamp and at least a #8 copper wire. If its a plastic double insulated motor, no bond required. Dan Back - Yuba City, CA
This answer still left me unsure of what to report so I took my search for the answer to another forum and presented my challenge to Douglas Hansen. I believe that the following discussion is one of those precious gems that few completely understand in the inspection industry. I posed the following question......
I need to re-visit the topic of bonding of the massage tub equipment. We had a chapter meeting with an electrician the other night and I am almost clear on the topic, yet I am still so unsure. Let me run by you my thoughts and then you can shred the different points so that I can finally get this topic straightened out.
Now the part that I am real cloudy on…….
The IRC reference is: E4109.4 Bonding. All metal piping systems, metal parts of electrical equipment, and pump motors associated with the hydromassage tub shall be bonded together using a copper bonding jumper, insulated, covered, or bare, not smaller than No. 8 solid. Metal parts of listed equipment incorporating an approved system of double insulation and providing a means for grounding internal nonaccessible, noncurrent-carrying metal parts shall not be bonded.
Douglas, please do not give me the line that only the GFCI is needed because we are operating on the IRC which specifically requires bonding. Can you set me straight with the different scenarios of plastic PEX supply pipes, copper pipes, plastic spouts and valves, as well as metal spouts and valves. The truth is, I never gave any thought to the need to bond metal spouts and valves. Is it ever okay to look at the motor of a hydromassage tub and NOT see a bonding wire connected to the bonding lug? I promise not to ask about this anymore if I can just get it straight in my head. Thanks, Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
Michael, I thought we had cleared this one up.
The hydromassage tub motor only needs to be "bonded" if there are copper pipes going to the tub jets. If the pipes are plastic, there's nothing to bond to. When I asked Bob Milatovich (chairman of the code panel, author of this section of the code) - he said that the reason he put this in the code was to specifically target some cheapo manufacturers who used metal, which he says is vastly inferior to plastic. The only reason it's in the IRC is that the IRC copies the text of the 99 NEC.
Now, about the GFCI for the pump motor. It is required by all electrical codes, not just the IRC, and going back quite a few years. There are no exceptions. Douglas Hansen - Palo Alto, CA
Alrighty then Douglas. Please let me think out loud again...... Now are there any requirements for the spout and valves to be bonded? I would think that just by being connected to copper piping that they are bonded by the water system and that they don't need anything further. If they are connected to PEX supply piping, then they have no contact with anything that could pick up voltage so they don't need to be bonded, right? Now to go on to the cheapo units with copper piping, why do they need to be bonded?....... Because they are separate and isolated from the copper water supply system yet connected to a pump motor that has voltage, right?
So are there any installations that require a bonding wire to be connected to the hydromassage motor? From what you have explained Douglas the answer is NO if the jet piping is plastic, right? The bonding lug would be used IF the motor was used with copper piping, Right?....... Am I finally starting to get this? Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
All interior metal piping systems must be bonded. An individual spout or valve set isn't a system. How many fixtures can be connected together with metal piping before you call it a system? There is no definition.
Excellent reasoning Michael. However, you are mistaken if you assume there is a rational safety explanation for this code. Your protection from the voltage at the motor is provided by the GFCI. In general, the idea of bonding around pool equipment is to protect you against voltage gradients that are present even when there is no power turned on to the pool equipment - in this case the hydromassage motor. The one freak case that Milatovich used as the excuse to get this into the code involved someone who received a shock when she stepped in the tub and touched the drain with her foot and the metal faucet with her hand. The service neutral had broken, and the subpanel grounds and neutrals were tied together and bonded to the water piping, which didn't make it to earth. The drain did. Several things had to be wrong at once for her to get this shock. The tub motor was not on at the time, and the issue of bonding the tub piping was moot. In other words, there is no relationship between the code change and the event that was used to justify it. I think the real reason for the code change is to discourage them from using copper because it's more likely to leak. Oh - one last thing. The woman wasn't even injured.
You got it. Douglas Hansen - Palo Alto, CA
Douglas: So how do I retract the hundreds of times that I have created grief for this condition, or lack thereof? I have previously met with the largest hydromassage tub manufacturer in our area as well as two different building departments to get clarification and I have yet to get the answer that you have provided. Is there some written commentary on the topic, other than our conversation, to help me provide info back to the inspector officials and manufacturer/installer? I know that I am being a pain about this, but I am left wondering what percentage of home inspectors have also been muddled on the issue. Any info that you have would be great. Michael Leavitt - Orem, Utah
Having been out of the trenches now for close to 7 years, I cringe when I think of all the nonsensical stuff I used to try to get people to do, and the incredibly important stuff that I didn't understand at all. Maybe the reason I am having such a hard time leaving the world of home inspectors is that I just can't think of a job more challenging, or one that demands so many skills and has so many examples of true excellence, such as yourself. All my way of saying "Don't worry about it." If I didn't serve on a committee with the chairman of the code making panel, I would never have been able to figure this one out for myself. I can guarantee you that the real reason will not be found in writing, other than here.
For what it's worth, we start off my Wednesday night class with an open discussion among the building inspectors (city guys) on "gray areas of the code." This topic was first on everyone's list. Douglas Hansen - Palo Alto, CA
I want to thank Douglas Hansen for being patient with my questions on this topic. Finally after 7 years of doing this I have the straight scoop on hydromassage bonding. I appreciate the response from Douglas because he provides background information that gives me the foundation for the "Code" and he always lets me know when there is no logical reasoning. I hopw that his explanations and my questions covered the topic for you readers as well. Did I leave anything out?
PHOTO CHALLENGE #94This is a typical photo from my area. The home has EIFS stucco with a lower brick trim.
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HAVE A GREAT WEEK! Michael Leavitt & Co Inspections, Inc. The Most Qualified Inspector in Northern Utah! |
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