It's a great day here in Orem, Utah! Halloween is tomorrow and the Leavitt clan is all fired up. We've got the 50's poodle skirt girl, the dinosaur, Cinderella, and Tigger ready for action. School parties and the big night await. Our neighborhood is very inviting for Trick-or-Treaters and it is much more of a night of seeing all of the neighbors out on the sidewalks. It amazes me that any candy gets given away because it seems that everybody is out on the pavement. I hope that your evening goes well, too. If you have any family pictures in the costumes, please forward one along for the MMM readers.
PLEASE NOTE: This edition of the MMM is much longer than I originally planned. When good information is found, I like to share it...... I hope that you enjoy it and I am looking forward to your responses.
Let's flash back to Halloween 1998 and relive the now fabled inspection story about The Old Lady In The Parlor......
...... I had an inspection yesterday the likes of which you wouldn't believe. The agent said she couldn't meet me at the house, but the house was vacant and I could pick up the key at her office.
I arrived at the house to find a big 100+ year old Victorian. From the street it looked like it hadn't been lived in for 80 of those years. Even though, I rang the doorbell (which didn't work), then knocked several times before using the key. As I normally do in this situation, as I opened the door I called out to announce my arrival just in case someone was home and didn't hear me.
I made a quick tour of the house to get a general idea of what I was in for, then headed back to the entry . . . when I almost had a heart attack! Sitting on a sofa in the front parlor was a frail looking old lady stroking a cat. I apologized to her for the intrusion and explained that I had knocked on the door, etc., but either she was deaf or didn't care. She just sat there with the cat, staring at me.
This was rather unnerving, but I had to get my inspection underway.
As with most Victorians, the roof was high and pretty steep, but I was able to get my ladder to reach and accessed it at a lower-pitched section. I was on the opposite side of the roof when I heard the unmistakable sound of a ladder sliding along a gutter and crashing to the ground! Sure enough, my ladder was laying in what used to be a flower bed. I was so sure that I had set my ladder securely. It took some creativity, and it wasn't very smart, but I did find a way to the ground without breaking my neck.
I proceeded with my inspection of the exterior. At the front porch I saw through the window that the old lady was still quietly sitting in the parlor. I walked around the corner, and looking up I saw the lady standing in the window of a bedroom, staring down at me, the cat in her arms. A small smile creased her lips. I smiled back and moved on. At the back of the house was an enclosed service porch. There she was again! Just staring at me. I called to her not to be nervous about me, I was just making routine comments, checking things out, etc., but she didn't respond to me. (Then I told myself not to be nervous about her!)
As I finished looking at the last side of the house I saw the lady standing at the dining room window, and then it seemed like a half a moment later she was at an upper level window. Just standing there with the cat in her arms. I went back around to the front, entering the house again, calling out to her as I did. But she didn't call back. So I went to the kitchen.
I won't tell you everything strange about this inspection, but for example when I turned on the gas range the flames went out at each burner two seconds after turning them on. I re-lit them, and they'd go out. This happened three times. Have any of you ever had this happen? I made note of it and moved on. As I checked the cupboards I couldn't help but notice there was no food in any of them. What did this old lady eat?
I hadn't heard anything, but I got this strange feeling of someone watching me, and I turned to find the old lady with her cat standing at the kitchen doorway. Just staring at me with that hint of a smile. It was clear to me now that she wasn't going to chat so I just went back to my business of making notes . . . "disposal DNF, faucet leaks, window cracked . . . "
I opened the door to the pantry next. I heard a scuffling noise, reached for the light switch, and when the light came on a small pack of rats came scurrying out, a couple of them running over my feet before I could jump out of the way. They ran across the kitchen floor and right by the old lady standing in the doorway. She didn't even flinch! My eyes must have been big as silver dollars. She just stared back at me as if this was a normal thing to happen.
The rest of the inspection through the house was just as strange. A couple of times I would turn on a light and when I turned around the light would go out. I'd look back at the switch, and it would be in the OFF position. Was this my imagination playing tricks on me by now?
One time I was in a bedroom when I heard the loud slam of a door down the hall. When I whirled around I found the old lady passively standing in the doorway of the room I was evaluating, the cat in her arms. I asked, "What was that!", but she said nothing. It was as if she didn't hear it. I figured by now that she really was deaf.
The house was very big with two full living levels and a full basement/cellar, as well as the attic. It seemed like it was going to take forever to get through this inspection, but there has never been an inspection I was more anxious to complete. The house was very cold and musty. The furniture looked like it all dated from when the house was new. Very few of the double hung windows worked, but I had to swipe away cobwebs from every one of them to find out. One door fell off its' hinges when I opened it, it seemed every other one creaked and groaned. When I turned on the furnace a cloud of dust literally came blowing through the registers.
And almost every time I turned around there was the old lady with the cat in her arms, watching me with her small smile. Then there were other times I'd turn around expecting to see her but she wasn't there. This was getting too weird.
When it came time to check out the attic I must admit I was feeling a little uncertain. I was sure by now that if I didn't encounter more rats, I would at least have bats swirling around me, or worse. The attic was accessed from a spring-hinged hatch at the end of the hallway. I pushed the hatch cover back and secured it with a bungee cord to a nail in a rafter and prepared to climb up. As I did this I saw the old lady at the other end of the hall with her cat in her arms. Smiling.
I took my time getting accustomed to this attic before climbing all the way in, shining my flashlight around and letting my eyes take in the general layout and construction. After a minute of this it started to look like any of the hundreds of other attics I had been in and I scolded myself for allowing my imagination to get the better of me. There was nothing at all unusual about this attic, (after all, most attics of this vintage are criss-crossed with cobwebs and have layers of dust over the ceiling), and I proceeded through it routinely to the far end . . . .
.. . . . . when there was a loud WHAM behind me. I must have jumped two feet in the air. The trouble was, there was only one foot to the rafters and I slammed my head and tumbled down onto the ceiling joists. I was lucky I didn't go through the ceiling. But I did flail around and kicked up a cloud of dust. As I coughed my lungs clear and rubbed the bump on my head, (no blood), all I could hear was the thumping of my heart. Then, being the professional home inspector that I am, I made the mental note that the attic was inadequately ventilated. I knew this because my eyes were wide open but all I could see was black. I had lost my grip on the flashlight when I was startled and had heard the crack when it struck the nearby brick chimney, shattering the lens and bulb.
I looked back towards the end of the attic that I had come from and quickly figured out that the bungee cord holding the access hatch open had come loose. No wonder it made such a loud slam. No wonder there was no glow from the hallway to light my way back. I sat very still and listened. I heard nothing but blood rushing through my temples, felt nothing but my heart thumping in my chest for several minutes. I slowly calmed down, telling myself over and over that there was nothing to be afraid of, this was all very logical, and that I was in control.
It was no easy task finding my way back to the access hole. There is nothing creepier than crawling through a pitch black attic, feeling your way across ceiling joists, cobwebs brushing across your face. It took several minutes, and then there was the struggle of trying to open the spring-hinged access cover from the top side! I won't go into that, but 30 minutes later I was stepping back onto my ladder. (At this point I was surprised to find it was still there for me).
Taking my ladder downstairs and out to my truck, I passed the old lady and her cat sitting in the parlor again. She looked at me as if nothing unusual was going on, that it was no big deal that some guy banged around in her attic for an hour. She just looked at me with that weird little smile.
I keep a spare flashlight in my truck, so I didn't have an excuse to not inspect the basement. At least I was getting close to finishing this job.
This house being the ancient Victorian that it was, the basement, (or cellar), was accessed from a pull-up door in the floor of the kitchen with a recessed handle that flips up. I bent down and grabbed it and pulled. It lifted a few inches and then I felt a resistance that made it difficult to keep opening and I let it down. I felt the old lady's presence, and sure enough, she was standing off to my left with her cat. Smiling.
I pulled up again on the door. This time it came up about a foot before something stopped it. It almost felt like someone on the other side was trying to pull it back shut. I allowed it to close. I looked over at the old lady. She had the same expression as always. I grabbed the door handle again and pulled up. This time it again hesitated when I got it partway open, but instead of letting it go back down, I pulled harder. Then the resistance increased. It definitely felt like someone on the other side pulling it shut. I yanked hard and got the door open a little more before the strong tug from the other side stopped it. It went like this for a few more tugs.
I was curious and determined now to get this door open. I'd pull, and the pull would come from the other side. I'd yank, and an equal yank would come from the other side. Back and forth, back and forth. The old lady just watched, the hint of a smile now moving into the corners of her eyes.
With a final growl and firm grip, I pulled up as hard as I could on that handle. Unbelievably, the door slammed shut faster than I could react, and I went sprawling onto the floor. At this, the silent old lady went into a gale of laughter, a laugh that was more cackle and screech than anything else.
I gathered myself together quickly and bolted for the front door. I had enough presence of mind to lock the door behind me, but I was in my truck in a flash. As I backed quickly out of the driveway I looked at the house one last time to see the old lady standing at the front window, still laughing hard. I thought I could still hear her cackling as I put the house in my rearview mirror.
Twenty minutes later I was at the real estate office to return the key. The agent happened to be there and asked me how the inspection went. As calmly as I could, I first told her I was surprised to find the old lady living there after being told the house was vacant. She looked at me with surprise and said that the house was indeed vacant, had been for over a year since the old lady who owned it had died, had actually died right at the house. In the front parlor.
She then asked how I was feeling, because I didn't look well. I hesitated to answer, then I said, "You're right, I'm not feeling well at all and I wasn't actually able to complete the inspection. Why don't you call J__ H____ to do this inspection."
"Why would you recommend J__ H____? Every time I see him he has nothing but nasty things to say about you."
"Well", I said, "I think he should know there's no hard feelings on my part, and he's the right guy for this house."
HAPPY HALLOWEEN ALL !
Scott Merritt Spooky Nevada County, CA
Bill Loden from Alabama passed along this almost too incredible news story. Maybe some of you California Inspectors like Tom Walther or Walt Van Dien can confirm or deny the story. I have had the article for a couple of weeks now and at first I thought it was too far fetched for reality. After getting over the shock, I think it sounds plausible.
In the second such incident in the Southwest, a San Diego woman purchased a large cactus during the redecoration of her home. The huge cactus was a fitting centerpiece for her "New Southwest" look, and she was quite happy with her $3,000 purchase--for a while. A few days later, she noticed that the big cactus seemed to be swaying ...and....humming.
Bewildered and not knowing where else to turn, she dialed 911 and, fortunately for her, got an operator who knew what this uncactus-like behavior meant. She was told to clear it out of the house immediately like "right now" and wait for an emergency team. The responding five-man team had just enough time to move the huge cactus into the backyard before it burst wide open, scattering about a 1,000 tarantulas in all directions.
The nursery where she had purchased the cactus refunded her $3,000 and paid for exterminator service for the entire block. When asked later how her plants were, the lady replied, "Plastic and silk, thank you!"
The fashion of using cacti for home decoration is fairly new, but tarantulas have been using them for mass-breeding farms for a long, long, long time.
HELP WITH DRUM TRAPS & MOLD
Jon Larsen sent along a couple of questions that I want the readership to address. The first dealt with old drum traps.....
Hello Michael, I've attached a photo of a drum trap. I see these all the time but usually they are installed in the other direction. I have never taken one of these apart or given it a good look through, but, I am curious. If this trap were still in good shape and didn't have all the other defects, can it be installed in this manner or is the other direction wrong?
What Say Ye? What should an Inspector look for when evaluating the old drum traps???
Your Name: Please include your name or else I don't know who it is from.
Then Jon continued with.....
Your mold issue was very timely. I did a home that same day and noticed mold growth in the attic. It definitely changed the way I reported it. I sent a photo of this also. The home had 1300 square feet and was built in 1920. I didn't think there were going to be enough hours in a day to cover this home. I'm sure looking forward to inspecting a home that was built after the 1950s. One day it might even be a welcome sight to inspect a new home (I think 1950 was the last year they built homes here in rural Utah).
With more correspondence, I asked Jon to elaborate on the conditions related to the mold in the attic, to which he responded......
I did find what I believe was the culprit of the mold. I do not believe it was one thing, but a combination of conditions. First, was poor venting (the only ventilation was a power vent that was not working). Second, there were also two bathroom exhaust fans that terminated in the attic just feet away from this. Thirdly, and the biggest culprit I believe was the lack of insulation on the suction line for the central air and the amount of condensation on the line passing through the attic.
I did not even touch the mold. Just looked, took pictures and referred it to an Environmental consultant with specialty in this area. They will be able to further evaluate the health and safety of the occupants and recommend further procedure for proper removal. Jon Larsen - Ephraim, UT
What Say Ye? Do you think the A/C lines are the culprit or just a contributor?
I just had to share this e-mail with the readership from Richard Grisham in Las Vegas, NV. Richard is a long time MMM reader and his computer frustrations are obvious. I share it with you because each of us has had similar feelings during our learning curve of computer usage...... If computers haven't left you frazzled at least a time or two, then you are not awake.... Pinch yourself..... There, that's better. If you haven't crashed a hard drive, count your blessings. Are you backing up your valuable information??? If not, start today. Richard's venting came as I, too, was going through an Operating System dilemma. I recently upgraded to the new Windows Millennium Edition which is the latest greatest thing since Windows 98. Glitches and software conflicts have made my machine crash several times a day. With crossed fingers, I have just had the hard drive reformatted once again and had the Windows ME installed a second time....... Here is Richard's frustrating, frazzled, gibberish mixed with intelligent observations.....
Michael: Sorry I was off line for a week or so. For one thing I have been so busy that the dues check for AII™ sat at the bottom of my Action Folder for weeks, waiting for me to address an envelope and send it in, so I lost a week's worth of mail! For another, my computer just got so bad I had to totally reformat and reinstall (a two day process) after trying numerous, time consuming, fixes over a period of a couple of weeks. Things worked, but there was a 60 second maddening delay every third or so command, closing of a program, or opening of another program. Finally gave up, but at least I've been saving and backing up all my files, so it was just a whole lot of time wasted. Was also late getting out my reports, but as you know my computerized reports are all titled: "Review and Follow Up," because I copy my inspection reports ("Raw Data") on the spot. I do not trust my data to any spiteful computer and I think anybody that does, needs his head examined. I am in the process of catching up on my mail and all the reading involved in this. Oh yes, almost forgot about the Photo Challenge #28: I can't tell for sure from the picture, but it looks like that green wire is connecting the neutral and the ground which is a hazardous (and reportable) condition. Sub panels have a separate neutral and ground! By the way, speaking of pictures, I lost my Olympus D-450 digital camera - can't get exactly the same model anymore - had to pay a little extra and get a new D-460. Sometimes life just sucks! Hope you and the family are well (I now have my son helping me to get my web site back up and running). Oh, by the way, I don't really want any cruise to Alaska, and I'm sure somebody else has already spotted this!:-) Richard, Las Vegas
Did you get all of that??? Richard crammed 6 or more topics into 1 paragraph. We understand your frustrations, Richard, and feel your pain. It just hit me that you LOST your digital camera...... How did you lose it??? Is it laying in the insulation of a hot Las Vegas attic??? I look forward to seeing you in Portland next week.
It's a great day at The American Institute of Inspectors!
I was invited to Portland on Tuesday to assist in designing a pilot project to promote the testing of forced air heating system safety and efficiency during home sales. The Oregon State University Extension Energy Program and The Oregon Office of Energy asked me to represent AII™, participating on an Indoor Air Quality Home Sales Advisory Committee. The Committee was made up of HVAC technicians, an attorney for The Oregon Association of Realtors, mortgage brokers, Fannie Mae representatives, Electric Utilities, the Oregon ASHI President and myself. We were advised that studies of homes in Oregon indicate that many forced air heating systems are inefficient and potentially unsafe. Although they said forced air systems, they were really referring to any type of fuel fired heating system, including wood burning stoves and fireplaces.
They are hoping to implement a program that requires all systems to have a combustion analysis performed on it with the use of a recommended instrument called the Fyrite Pro Combustion Analyzer (approx $995). Also, all ducted and vented systems will need to have an analysis to determine the amount of duct leakage having an effect on back drafting of the combustion fuels. Recommendations will need to be made to seal all leaks, thus reducing energy consumption and potential dangers of backdrafting. For this you will need access to a Blower Door ( approx $1500) Both of these instruments will need to be recalibrated every three to six months.
They were hoping the Home Inspectors would take this on as part of the home inspection process. I reminded them that Oregon has standards for Home Inspectors to follow and this is all above the recommended standards. This is also outside of The Umbrella Policy of The American Institute of Inspectors and falls under technically exhaustive inspecting. The ASHI inspector, also a 'gadget oriented' fellow, also did not lend support to the program. The Fannie Mae representatives and Mortgage Brokers were absolutely against requiring this on their loans. The OAR Attorney was is in favor of this type of inspections but he wanted to see no more barriers to the home sale transaction. The Electric Utility Representatives would be happy to perform these tests even outside of their jurisdictions for a fee.
We all found it interesting that there was no representation from the Gas Utilities (an oversight) but the OAR Attorney planned to contact them with regards to this. The Gas Utility in our area use to offer gas appliance inspections to their customers as a free service. They no longer do this, but instead refer their customers to call an HVAC technician. Thus removing the liability and the expense. We use to have a comment on our inspection report for our company, Buckley's Home Inspections, Inc. that referred our clients to the gas utility for a possible free inspection. At the request of the local gas utility we have since removed that comment.
There will be pilot programs in the two Oregon towns of Ashland and Corvallis to try this program on 10 homes in each town. They realize this will not be a representative amount of homes, but feel it will give them some additional insight. This information at present is specific to Oregon and nothing may come of it. But, I hope all of you will consider that Oregon was one of the first states to legislate Certification of Home Inspectors and this may be a step toward mandating a whole house inspection on the sale of every home sold. I was pleased they thought AII™ to be a valuable asset on this Advisory Committee. This was the only in-person meeting. The rest of the information will be shared through on-line and conference call meetings.
On another note; while I was in Portland I visited the Red Lion to go over our Annual Meeting details. Starting at the Portland Airport I took the Hotel shuttle(it runs every 30 minutes). Arriving unannounced at the Red Lion I was greeted warmly by our representatives that I have worked with for the last few months. I had taken my meeting notes and went over every detail we could come up with. My criteria when looking for a place for our meeting was: clean rooms, good service, adequate meeting rooms, a restaurant on the premises and a good room rate. I was pleased to see all of these things. I wasn't necessarily interested in paying for a waterfall in the lobby.
The Red Lion Hotel is right on the Willamette River which for the most part is a working river with various boats and barges moving up and down. A bridge very close to the hotel rises quite often for the large vessels to move through. A walkway outside of our meeting rooms allows us to go outside for fresh air and interesting viewing on our breaks. The folks at the Hotel are very much interested in making our stay a good experience. With two weeks left I am really getting excited and looking forward to seeing you all. Only a few last minute challenges so far!!
Sincerely, Betty Buckley - Executive Director
Last Week's Photo Challenge was a little unfair for all of you that did not have the opportunity to attend the Questar Gas Company all-day training. It turns out that this was unfair for those that attended the training as well. The Utah Inspectors didn't respond to the Photo Challenge either. This is a classic situation of how we each learn different tidbits of truth at the trainings we attend. As for the photo, I reported last week that "I never thought to even look back there." I then asked... "What is this a view of and what do you evaluate in respect to this view???"
Richard Grisham shared the opinion I had before the Questar training....
Michael: This is the gas control valve and pilot lighting device found on gas appliances using pilot light ignition. If you want to be "technically exhaustive," brush a concentrated solution of dishwashing soap on all the threaded connections, and look for bubbles of escaping gas (or just sniff carefully - the nose knows). I'm not sure what you mean when you say " I never thought to even look back there." These have always been close to the front of any appliances I've ever seen that uses a gas pilot light (even under the gas log fireplace, they're still up front). And you're right, I didn't attend the Questar training, so I don't really know what big possible hazard to look for. I'm hoping your explanation will enlighten me in such a way that I will always remember to check for this hazard. Richard Grisham - Las Vegas, NV
Jim Corbin gave the following stab at the challenge.....
It looks like the gas/pilot control valve for a gas appliance. There is corrosion at the outlet which will eventually leak. Potential hazard requiring HVAC or Gas Appliance tradesperson to evaluate and repair. Interesting shot. I will look closer. Who did you contact to learn about this training and what was the fee involved? Have a great day...see you at the annual meeting. Jim Corbin
The training was for a Utah Non-Denominational all-inclusive chapter of Home Inspectors with strong ASHI overtones. We were fortunate to take advantage of a strong public backlash to the August 1, 2000, Questar decision to no longer enter homes unless there is a current gas leak hazard. On the 31st of October they are laying off 280 service technicians..... Did I say laying off???....What I really meant to say is that they are providing an early retirement. They brought in 28 of us Home Inspectors to their training facility and gave us a day long training on what to look for in relation to combustion air ducting and venting. They did this for free and it was a great day of information training.
SO WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR? It turns out that gas fired water heaters have a cut-off switch. Note the red wires that run behind the standard gas valve on a gas fired water heater. The warning is to look back there and make sure that the wires have not been tampered with. The Questar trainer cautioned us about the repair method that some all- knowing Plumber types will do when their unit stops working. They will pull the wires from the sensor, strip the ends, and twist them together. This bypasses the safety and allows the unit to work again..... They cautioned that this is an extreme hazard and is identified by looking behind the valve with your mirror. I don't have a picture of a tampered-with unit, but I am now on the lookout during each inspection.
PLEASE NOTE: I have sent off requests for further explanations of the nature of the hazard to both A.O. Smith and Bradford-White. I'm interested in what the wires go to and what really can happen if they are bypassed. I'll let you know when they respond.
The following CPSC notice is a great public awareness notice. I know that it is not our responsibility to identify freezers that can lock and trap kids inside, but we do encounter them. Whenever I see them I notify the owner and/or my clients of the potential hazard. The last one I saw was turned on its side and buried in the backyard. It was being used as a root cellar...... Talk about a potential death trap. The Buyers had 4 kids under age 12, while the current owners were an older set of grandparents. This was the perfect hiding place in a game of Hide-n-Seek.
For Immediate Release Chest Freezer Recall Hotline: (800) 267-3138 .......October 24, 2000
CPSC Contact: Jane Francis or Ken Giles....... Release # 01-016
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and its refrigerator/freezer manufacturing members are announcing a voluntary recall initiative to prevent suffocation deaths to children who become trapped inside non-working chest freezers in homes.
Up to 9 million chest freezers were manufactured between 1945 and 1970 before voluntary safety standards went into effect allowing freezers to be opened from the inside. Although some manufacturers had freezers that were in compliance prior to the 1970 standards, most old chest freezers have latches that can trap a child. Children playing "hide-and-seek" have found the non-working freezers a deadly place to hide. When the lid closes, children can become trapped inside and suffocate - usually in less than ten minutes.
Consumers should properly dispose of these non-working freezers immediately or disable the latch if disposal is impossible. AHAM has set up a special toll-free number (800) 267-3138 from which consumers will be sent detailed information on identifying the affected units and how to dispose of them or disable the latch. Even if a consumer has a pre- 1970 chest freezer that is working, they should still call the toll-free number to get information on what to do when the freezer is no longer working. Consumers also can receive information at http://www.aham.org/freezer_safety.htm.
Tragically, 27 children have died from suffocation between 1980 and 1999 after becoming trapped in the freezers. The deaths occurred in non-working freezers stored outside, in basements or garages. Victims ranged in age from two to fourteen. In many cases, more than one child suffocated inside the freezer.
The freezers that are part of this program were made before 1970 by more than 40 manufacturers, a number of whom do not exist today. Consumers can determine if their chest freezer poses a hazard by trying to open the freezer without using the handle. If the freezer can be opened by pulling up on sides of the lid, it is not a hazard. If the lid only opens by using the handle, it needs to be properly disposed of or disabled.
"Many of these old freezers are still sitting in people's basements or abandoned in backyards," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "This is an innovative cooperative effort that helps get safety information to consumers and saves lives."
"We are hopeful this partnership between manufacturers and the government will help save children's lives. We urge all consumers with an affected freezer to dispose of the unit as soon as possible," said Joseph M. McGuire, president of AHAM.
This CPSC warning is one that we will find useful on every inspection. Do we test every unit? "NO"...... I have yet to bring in a ladder to check a unit place 14 feet off the ground on a vaulted ceiling. Do we give warnings to our clients about the need for smoke detectors and the changing of their batteries?..... "Hopefully so!"
For Immediate Release October 26, 2000 Release # 01-020
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, October 29, so most of the country will gain an hour when we turn our clocks back. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggests consumers spend part of this extra time testing to ensure that their smoke alarms work properly.
Fire is the second leading cause of unintentional death in the home. Each year, nearly 3,200 people die in residential fires, and there are more than 390,000 residential fires serious enough to be reported to fire departments.
About 90 percent of U.S. households have smoke alarms installed. However, a CPSC survey found that the smoke alarms in 20 percent of those households -- about 16 million -- were not working, mostly because the battery was dead or missing.
"Smoke alarms can save lives, but they won't work if they are not maintained," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "They should be tested monthly, and the batteries should be replaced at least once a year or when they make a 'chirping' sound."
Long-life smoke alarms with 10-year batteries have been available to consumers since 1995. These long-life alarms also should be tested monthly.
CPSC recommends consumers place a smoke alarm that meets the requirements of Underwriters Laboratories' (UL) standard on each level of multi-story homes outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms. CPSC has worked to strengthen smoke alarm performance and installation requirements.
What is this mess???
Today's photo challenge is from the underside of a sink. Would you report anything, or is everything "Okay" and no comments are necessary?
Your Name:
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