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MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER

Message Prepared For Home Inspectors and Especially for Members of the

American Institute of Inspectors®

December 6, 1999

GOOOOOD MORNING, A.I.I.™

It's a great white day here in Northern Utah. The snow is on the ground and the temperatures may climb to the high 30's. More storms are predicted throughout the week. The only redeeming fact is that the ski resorts are putting the white stuff to great use.

The Leavitt family has been trying to get into the mood of the season. The lights are once again in place on the house and the kids have already made ginger bread houses. It is strange because their are only 19 days left until the great celebration of Christ's birth.

It is also the time of year that we get a chance to reflect on our blessings within our families and personal lives. Many around the world will reach out to friends both current and past with Christmas cards. What a great tradition...... Letting those you love know that you care. Wednesday night I will be saddened as a large gathering of Northern California Home Inspectors will be gathered at the home of Scott & Donna DeWitz to share the Christmas Spirit. Donna is a very special wife to pull off this annual event. I was extrememly close to making the trip for the party and inspecting my friend's home as well. Logistics, weather, and my own inspection schedule here in Utah has made me alter my plans...... So to all of you at Scott's home on Wednesday night please make a toast of "Peace on Earth good will towards men" and drink some egg nog for me and my family.

BANNISTER SPACING SAFETY

I received a call earlier this week from a past client who thanked me for the wonderful inspection that I had performed earlier this year. The mid 1980's home that they purchased had oak railings and banisters with the balustrade spacings being the typical 6". During the inspection I pointed out to them how the 6" spacing could be dangerous for their two little children.

I didn't think anything more about the young family until I listened to her message this past week. She shared with me the website of a children's catalog website that carried a product to increase the safety of widely spaced railings. The website is located at: http://www.onestepahead.com/shop/single_detail.asp?series=2 and features the acrylic sheets. The site says the following.......

BANNISTER SHIELD - Sometimes on purpose, but usually by accident, toys and other objects seem to "slip" through the banister posts to the floor below. More important, some openings are also wide enough to be a real hazard for very small children. Our solution is this strong, heavy duty, shatterproof, transparent shield. It's decor-smart because it's invisible, and it comes in your choice of 5 ft. or 15 ft. roll-lengths, so you can easily customize a barrier to fit your home with the hole-punch and cable ties, included. If you need a longer shield, just order additional rolls to extend your barrier as much as you wish. For indoor use. Rolls are 33 1/2" high.

The product comes in 5 feet rolls for $19.99 and 15 feet rolls for $39.95. They look to be a better solution than the plastic rolled webbing available at Toys R Us. The One Step Ahead catalog is full of great children's items and may be a good website to refer your clients who have or are expecting little ones..... This includes Grandparents, too.

WATER HEATER DIP TUBE REPAIRS

Jim Corbin from Bow, Washington, has written to share with us a cure all for the dreaded failed Dip Tubes on the water heaters that were discussed here in the MMM on February 15, 1999 (See Back Issues 2nd Year).

Hi Michael, Hope this finds you and yours ready for the "race to the finish" and the whole Holiday Season. We are trying to slow down the pace and enjoy the Season this year. Hope it all works.

Some time ago you wrote in the MMM about the dip tube failures on hot water tanks. I have experienced some comments from clients that the 'ole hot water tank is not putting out like it used to do, even though it is only four or five years old. I advise them of the recall and the failures of the plastic dip tubes.

I have experienced two dip tube failures on my own propane water heater. The first time I had the dip tube replaced in kind by the HVAC technician, with the company that handles my annual maintenance. This second time, I decided to provide another "fix" that, perhaps, would be permanent.

I discovered the failure just before this year's annual HVAC maintenance. When the technician arrived, I discussed the "fix" that I wanted to use. [The technician, by the way, was not aware of the dip tube failures and was interested in learning more to pass on to his boss.] We measured and cut a length of 1/2 inch copper tube, the same length as the plastic dip tube. I did not have a large enough flare tool for 1/2 inch pipe, so a coupling was soldered onto one end, then half of it was cut off. This half coupling gave a ridge to rest on, once the tube was installed, so it would not slide into the tank and, also, would allow the water inlet pipe nipple to seat. Piping was reconnected and no leaks were found.

I now enjoy uninterrupted hot water...I don't run out after a load of washing. So far, the function appears to be the same as with the plastic dip tube, but I don't think the copper dip tube will fail until the whole tank fails. I am not sure it would be the same for an electric water heater, but I believe it would. A check of the cross section drawing at the plumbing dealer would show the placement of electrodes. I was asked to call the HVAC company, after a few months operation, to let them know how it works. So far, so good.

Anyway, this copper tube "fix" may help others. Hot water supply failures may be due only to the failure of the dip tube and not the tank. This fix would, I believe, outlast the tank. If anyone else tries this, let me know of the results. It will be interesting. The plastic tubes just do not last. Mine lasted about 4 years each. The tank, burner and controls are all in good shape. I also blow down thetank at least once per year, usually twice, since I am on a community well.

Have a Happy Holiday Season for you and yours, Michael. Thank you for all that you do for the good of the group. I appreciate all that you accomplish and pass on to all of us.

Regards, Jim Corbin - Bow, WA

Since Jim spent a good portion of his life as a Mechanical Engineer for Texaco I do not question his repair. But I wonder why they don't just go ahead and make them out of copper if it is actually better than plastic. It is obvious that the hot water makes the plastic brittle, but how does it affect the copper? Since their is also a sacrificial anode rod inside the tank, how does it react to the addition of a copper dip tube? The electrical hazard of inserting a copper tube into the water that could connect the upper and lower electrical heat coils is obvious, but I can see little risk at all with a gas fired unit. I wonder how the different pH levels in different geographic locations would affect copper. Jim's repair just seem all too simple...... If it works as a long term solution, then why haven't they done it this way all along???

HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!?!

There have been dozens of times in my Inspecting career that I have had an owner or tenant come home to find me doing an inspection. This is not an issue unless the communication breakdown has occurred and the occupants have had no prior warning that I was to be in their home. There have been several occassions where the occupants have been very irate after being startled into thinking that there might be a robber in their home.

I inspect a lot of rental properties each year. Provo is the next city south from my home base and a lot of the homes I inspect are situated near and around Brigham Young University. It is rare when I get to park directly in front of the home or condo being inspected. I generally gain access with my Board of Realtors Affiliate Members Key Card. This is a great convenience factor for myself and the agents, but I rely heavily on the listing agents to do their job and notify the occupants. This works smoothly 95% of the time, but it is the 5% that makes life difficult.

In an effort to alert the owners that I am inside the home, I just designed a door card to hang on the outside on the front door knob. I can't believe that I waited so long to make it. I used it twice this past week and it accomplished the needed feat. One can be placed on the front door and another on the garage passageway door.

This simple door hanging sign could have saved me some grief when I tripped the supposedly disconnected burglar alarm on the vacant home a couple years back in Pleasant Grove, Utah. I was inspecting in the Master Bedroom listening to my headphones when I turned around and their was one of Pleasant Grove's finest with a gun drawn on me. I arrived in an unmarked vehicle and the officer had no idea why the alarm had been tripped. Things were very tense until I could show him my ID and inspection work order. Had the sign been placed on the door it might have kept the officer's revolver in his holster where it belonged.

Another situation that it would have been great for was when the coed came home during my inspection and didn't realize that I was there. She proceeded straight to the shower and that is when I realized by the sound of running water that I was not alone. The door hanger would have let her know of my presence inside. This would have prevented the extremely awkward encounter of the towel-clad coed in the hallway fresh out of the shower as I purposefully had my back turned making a lot of noise in another room so as to avoid a huge potential lawsuit from her Father who was probably a lawyer.

I created a custom tag with my company logo and my name on it. In the process, I thought that my Christmas gift to all of you would be to make a few modifications for the rest of you. Just click on the door hanger image above to download a full-sized, 2-to-a-page, door hanger template. All that is required is that you download it, print it out, copy it onto bright colored cardstock, then cut them out. If you want them to last a long time you could also have them laminated..... I hope that you find them useful.