Termites

A termite inspection is typically an expense borne by the buyer, but it's worth the price. Most home purchase agreements are contingent on the results of independent inspections like termite inspections designed to reveal hidden problems and dangers:

• Termites eat wood from the inside out. That means they leave very little evidence of their presence until an infestation is pretty far along. Because the warning signs can be subtle, it will probably take an expert to recognize them.
• A large termite colony feasting on the wood in a home can consume a pound of cellulose a day but it's usually much less. That can lead to structural damage you won't want to deal with. The presence of termites doesn't necessarily mean a home is unsound, though, especially if the infestation is relatively recent. An expert will know the difference.
• A termite inspector can help decipher more than just the warning signs of termites. Most inspectors are trained to recognize the presence of other wood-destroying pests like carpenter ants, too.If an inspection does reveal termite activity, it might not all be bad news. The signs may be leftover from a previous infestation that has already been dealt with. A qualified termite inspector will recognize the difference between current and past termite activity and provide a guarantee or written statement to that effect. If the home has been treated for termites, the seller should also be able to provide documentation of past termite treatment and any structural repairs that have been made (or may be needed) to fix termite damage.

If there's current termite activity on the property, it still might not be a deal breaker. In some areas of the country, termites are so prevalent that having had a minor problem with them isn't all that uncommon. If an inspection reveals that termites are present but the infestation is minor, and the seller is willing to have the home treated for termites at his or her expense and pay for repairs, the property may still be worth considering.
All termite damage can be repaired, all termite infestations can be controlled.







For questions about performing a termite inspection and a home inspection, please call the Jardine Office. 314-308-6489

Microwave Maintenance

Many people use their microwaves every day without giving a second thought to the maintenance they should be performing or the damage they might be causing. Unfortunately, the way you use and care for your microwave can have a significant effect on its longevity.

The good news is that a few good habits can make a substantial difference. On average, microwaves typically last between 5-10 years, and you can expect a similar — or even better — lifespan from yours if you start doing the following things.

1. Keep It Clean

One of the easiest ways to extend the longevity of your microwave is by cleaning it regularly. Many people do not realize that food and liquid spatters can absorb energy, leading to burn spots and even causing damage to components of the microwave. Most foods and liquids can be removed with warm soap and water or a specialized microwave oven cleaner.

For stubborn spots, you can try heating a cup of water in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds; the steam should help loosen the grime. You can also easily prevent most microwave messes by purchasing a microwave cover or simply using materials such as paper towels or wax paper to cover your dishes during the heating process.

2. Choose Dishware Carefully

Materials that are not microwave safe can cause fires or explosions, so for the sake of safety and the longevity of your microwave, you should only use microwave-safe dishware. You should never put the following items into a microwave:

• Aluminum foil
• Metal
• Dishware with silver or gold accents

Typically, ceramic, glass, and plastic items are safe to microwave, but there are exceptions. Instead of making assumptions, look for the microwave-safe label on a piece of dishware. If there is no label, you can conduct a simple test to determine whether a dish or container is microwave safe. Put the item in the microwave, along with a microwave-safe cup or bowl containing water, and heat everything for one minute. If the container or dish is extremely hot, it has absorbed too much energy and would not be recommended to use in the microwave.

As a final tip, if you are microwaving food and notice that a container or piece of dishware becomes significantly hotter than the food, you should avoid using that item in the future.

3. Prevent Door Damage

Doors are among the most widely abused parts of a microwave. At some point, most people have slammed a microwave door, pushed it shut with an elbow for lack of free hands, or pulled the door open without first turning off the microwave.

All of these actions may cause gradual damage to your unit. Microwave latches are more complex than many people appreciate; some latches have as many as three switching mechanisms that must close in the correct order. Closing the door carelessly may damage these switches. Pulling the door open while the microwave is running, meanwhile, can result in a blown safety fuse.

4. Avoid Running on Empty

Running a microwave without anything inside it can cause serious damage. When a microwave is empty, the energy the microwave produces must be absorbed by its own components, such as the glass or the magnetron that produces the energy. These components are not designed to withstand this kind of exposure, and repairing or replacing them can be expensive. If you like to use your microwave as a timer, most microwaves have separate timer functions that count the time without producing any internal energy.

5. Try Preprogrammed Cooking Times

Many people use preprogrammed microwave cooking times rarely, if ever. However, these times are designed to make the most efficient use of the microwave, by minimizing energy loss and heating the food as effectively as possible. Give these preset cooking modes a try, and you may find that your food not only comes out better, but you’ll also help prevent some of the other issues that can cause microwave damage, such as messes that lead to burn spots.

6. Respect Weight Limitations

In most cases, there is no need to worry about the weight capacity of a microwave, since many foods and dishes are well below this capacity. However, if you are microwaving heavier dishes or large frozen items, make sure to check the weight capacity of your unit. It is usually printed on the microwave door; if not, the information should be available online or in the owner’s manual. An item that is excessively heavy can mechanically strain the turntable and its motor, along with central components such as the magnetron. All of this can lead to a damaged unit and food that isn’t properly cooked.

7. Guard Against Surges

Power surges can be caused by all kinds of events, including lightning, downed power lines, and grid switching. Unfortunately, out of all the appliances in the kitchen these surges can be especially damaging to microwaves. You can unplug your microwave oven between uses if you want to save energy, or you can simply plug it into a surge protector. A surge protector is the most convenient solution for most homeowners, since you will not have to worry about a forgetful moment that eventually leads to your microwave becoming damaged.

8. Keep Up With Easy Replacements

Basic maintenance reduces wear and strain on your microwave oven, and there are many forms of maintenance that you should be able to perform independently. Replacing parts such as light bulbs, door latches, turntables, turntable motors, and charcoal filters is safe and affordable. Most of these problems should be relatively easy to diagnose, too. The charcoal filter is one of the only simple parts that can be easy to forget about. If your filter appears greasy or if your microwave vents strange odors, this usually indicates that grease has built up and a new filter is needed.

9. Know When to Call for Help

It is important to remember that microwave ovens use complex electrical systems and store large amounts of power. The capacitor in a microwave oven may even maintain a large charge after the microwave has been unplugged. This means that you should never try to repair any electrical microwave parts on your own — you may cause additional damage or seriously hurt yourself. Instead, call a professional to inquire whether it would be worth repairing or just replacing the unit.

Enjoy Years of Use

These tasks and habits are all simple and affordable, but they can make a huge difference over time. If you make a small effort to use your microwave properly and maintain it well, you can expect that effort to pay off noticeably for several years.

Learn More:

• 10 Easy Ways to Organize Your Refrigerator
• 12 Red Appliances to Help Brighten Up Your Kitchen
• 10 Ways to Improve the Efficiency of Your Fridge & Freezer
• Pressure Cooker vs. Slow Cooker: Which One Is Right for You?

Plumbing Vents andTraps

Once again, The Word invites you to travel into the dark realm of subjects that are sometimes misunderstood by home inspectors. The Word hopes you will find this trip informative and maybe a little entertaining.

The Word's subject this month is plumbing vents and traps. The Word finds this subject interesting because these components often don't get the full attention they deserve as protectors of our clients' health and safety.

Remember, when reading all The Word columns, that we're discussing general principles. Something you see in the field isn't always wrong just because it doesn't comply with a general principle. Local building codes, manufacturers' instructions and engineered designs trump general principles.

Why traps?

Traps keep sewer gas out of the home. So, what's the big deal about an occasional obnoxious odor? Well, sewers contain all sorts of nasty organisms that make people sick, and a dry trap provides a path for these organisms into the home. This is a health hazard. Sewers also contain methane, the same stuff that flows through the gas meter. Try sticking your combustible gas detector into a sewer pipe; your detector might go off. While unlikely, sewer gas can explode and cause a fire. This is a safety hazard. So, traps are a good thing and protecting them is important. That's where vents come in.

Why vents?

When stuff flows through the drainpipes, the air pressure in the pipes increases in front of the stuff and decreases behind the stuff. The air pressure increase can blow sewer gas through the trap's water seal and even force water out of the trap. The air pressure decrease can suck the water seal from the trap. Both can happen in homes if the venting system isn't properly installed. Vents admit air into the pipes that helps equalize the air pressure in the pipes to prevent blowback and siphoning of the water seal in the trap.

The trap

All fixtures need one, and only one, trap that is set level. Fixtures with an internal trap, like a toilet, do not need and should not have a separate trap. One trap provides the water seal to keep out sewer gas. Two or more traps impede flow and are more likely to become clogged.

Between the fixture and the trap is the tailpiece. This pipe should be smooth-walled material that is compatible with the trap material. The flexible, ribbed material available at big-box retailers isn't allowed because the ribs hold unsanitary materials, and this material is prone to clogging. The vertical distance between the fixture and the trap should be less than 24 inches. This helps prevent stuff from building enough force to blow out the trap's water seal.

A trap may serve more than one sink, but only if the sinks are less than 30-inches-on-center apart. The horizontal distance between the fixture outlet and the trap inlet also is limited to 30 inches. These limits also help avoid trap seal blowout. Figure 1 demonstrates this rule. These distances sometimes are exceeded in bathroom remodels when one sink is replaced with two sinks.


Figure 1

Trap size

The trap serving most sinks and separately-trapped dishwashers should be at least 1½ inches diameter. Bathroom (lavatory) sinks should be at least 1¼ inches diameter. Clothes washing machine standpipes should be at least 2 inches diameter. Bathtub and most shower traps should be at least 1½ inches diameter. This is a recent change for shower traps, which used to be at least 2 inches diameter. Shower traps may need to be up to 4 inches diameter depending on the flow-through multiple shower heads and body sprays. Most of us rarely, if ever, will see this type of shower, so the 1½ inch diameter trap is a good number almost all the time.

Prohibited traps

Several trap configurations that once were allowed no longer are allowed. You may see these traps in older homes. Drum traps were used for bathtubs. You still can get them. The problem with these traps is that they are prone to clogging, and they are less sanitary than the modern P trap. Bell traps were used for floor drains. They also are prone to clogging and are less sanitary. These traps are a reportable deficiency in newer homes. In older homes, The Word just advises clients that these traps are prone to problems and should be replaced if and when it's convenient.

Then there's the S trap. (Cue Darth Vader's theme.) You'd think from all the negative talk about these traps that they are some evil product from the dark side of the force. S traps are used in other parts of the world and there's nothing wrong with an S trap if it is properly installed and vented. Note the caveat. S traps often are not properly vented. The problem with the S trap is its sensitivity to proper installation and venting compared to the P trap; thus, it is more prone to losing its seal. Like drum and bell traps, S traps are a deficiency in newer homes, but can continue to serve in older homes. You might want to make your clients aware of the potential problems. Figure 2 shows the drum, bell and S traps.


Figure 2

The fixture arm
The fixture arm (also known as the trap arm) is the pipe that connects the fixture trap to its vent. Figure 3 demonstrates this. Most amateur plumbers, and a few professionals it seems, don't realize that the length and slope of the fixture arm is important to avoid siphoning the trap. It makes sense when you think about it. If the fixture arm outlet is below the trap outlet, it's like putting a hose in a gas tank to siphon some of the gas into a can. The trap will be siphoned and lose its seal. Figure 4 demonstrates this.

Figure 3



Figure 4

Pipes smaller than 3 inches diameter should slope at least ¼ inch per foot and ideally not much more. At ¼ inch per foot, a 1¼-inch fixture arm for a bathroom sink will be below the trap outlet after 5 feet. This, coincidentally, is the maximum allowed length for a 1¼-inch fixture arm. The maximum length for a 1½-inch fixture arm is 6 feet and a 2-inch fixture may be no longer than 8 feet. Remember, rules may be different in your area.

Vents

Unless you're performing a pre-drywall inspection, it's unlikely you will be able to inspect most of the vent system. There's no point in going into the details of venting systems, but a quick summary may give you some perspective. There are many ways to configure a vent system to protect multiple traps with one vent pipe. Wet vents protect multiple traps by using one strategically placed vent near the beginning of the vent system and by using an oversized drain/vent pipe to let stuff flow while providing enough air to protect the traps.

Figure 5 shows a horizontal wet vent. 


Figure 5

Branch vents are dry vents that connect two or more individual or common vents above the flood-rim level of the highest fixture served and let one vent pipe serve several traps. These are some of the most common vent systems protecting multiple traps.

Air admittance valves are an alternative to extending multiple vents outdoors. Air admittance valves can be used to protect one trap. They also come in types for protecting multiple fixtures. You should see the listing ANSI/ASSE 1051 on single fixture and branch AAV or ANSI/ASSE 1050 on stack AAV. If you don't see this listing information, call for evaluation by a licensed plumbing contractor. You may be looking at a check vent.

Beware of a device that looks like an air-admittance valve but really is a check vent (also known as a cheater vent). Check vents are approved for use only in manufactured homes and recreational vehicles. You should not see them in site-built homes. They usually don't last as long as air-admittance valves and are more prone to failure. Look at the label on the device.

Air-admittance valves should be installed at least 4 inches above the fixture arm and should be installed within at least 15° of vertical. An air-admittance valve installed too close to the fixture arm might be damaged or leak if the fixture arm backs up. An air-admittance valve that isn't level might not open and close properly. Air-admittance valves should be installed at least 6 inches above the flood rim level of the highest fixture served and at least 6 inches above insulation in attics. Air-admittance valves should be accessible for replacement.

Air-admittance valves are great for situations where extending a vent outdoors is impractical or undesirable, but they have some use restrictions. They are not allowed in some jurisdictions. They should not be used to vent any sump or sewage ejector. They should not be located outdoors. At least one vent in every home must terminate outdoors.

The bottom line

Sewer gas needs to be kept in the sewer for health and safety reasons. But don't assume that a foul smell is evidence of a problem. Frequently, it's nothing more than a trap where the water seal has evaporated due to lack of use. The Word sees this frequently in foreclosed homes and sometimes in his own home where the shower in the hall bathroom is rarely used. Running water in seldom-used fixtures solves that problem.

Fixing real problems with traps and vents can be simple or it can be difficult and costly. The Word hopes that you now have a better handle on how to inspect the visible parts of these components.

Memo to Poseidon and the other water gods: The Word does not reside on Mt. Olympus (just at its base) and welcomes other viewpoints. Send your lightning bolts or emails toBruce@DreamHomeConsultants.com. The thoughts contained herein are those of The Word. They are not ASHI standards or policies.

From the ASHI Reporter 

Dryer Vent and You

What we want to focus on in this tutorial is showing you how to remove dangerous lint build up in your dryer and dryer venting. Excessive lint build up occurs slowly and gradually. You don't realize it is happening. You think that by cleaning out the lint filter after each use you are doing your job and maintaining the dryer. Not quite!

A full load of wet clothes contains about a half gallon of water.Lint is created from the clothes as water is removed during the drying process. This lint will build up in crevices deep down inside the lint filter trap, and all along the dryer vent hose. At the end of the day, your dryer is the number 1 source of fire in the home.

In 1999 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPC) developed a report called the “Report on Electric and Gas Clothes Dryers.” In that report they determined that of the 15,000 fires studied in one year, electric dryers were over 2.5 times more likely to be the cause of the fire than gas dryers. Fires originated most frequently from two places: dryer venting and the lint trap.

What are the warning signs that dangerous lint build up is occurring in your dryer and venting system? Well, the symptoms may include:

• Clothes take longer and longer to dry;
• Clothes don't fully dry;
• Clothes are hotter than normal at the end of the drying cycle;
• The outside of dryer gets very hot;
• The outside exhaust vent flapper does not open very much indicating low exhaust velocity;

• Laundry room becomes more humid than it is usually;
• Burnt smell is evident in the laundry room.
• 
  
• Dryer Vent Cleaning Brush Kit
  To effectively clean your dryer and dryer vent hoses / venting system, you will need a special brush for this dryer repair. Vacuum attachments alone do not work as well because they do not agitate the lint to separate it from the duct and it is this physical agitation that is important.
  There are a few different dryer duct cleaning brush kits or tools out there, but I've found the best value to be a great little kit called the LintEater® Jr.

Remove the Lint Trap FilterThis is the step you are most familiar with and probably do on a regular basis such as after each load. As a matter of fact, this step is probably all you have ever done, just like 90% of the population. Although this step of cleaning the lint filter is important, it does not solve the problem of lint build up in the dryer or in the ducting. However it is important as a first line of defense and we need to do it, so:

• Remove the lint screen by pulling it straight out;
• 
  
• Clean the screen of any lint by gently brushing it with the fine bristled cleaning brush.

Vacuum Lint Trap Housing CavityOK, now we start getting to areas of the dryer where you're going to find all kinds of lint hidden away. The next area you want to clean is the lint trap housing cavity, the cavity from which you pulled the screen out. You'll need the long flexible fiberglass handle of the brush kit to get into this area.

• Extend the brush all the way into the bottom of the cavity;
• Using a gentle and slight twisting motion, pull out the brush to expose the clumps of lint it has removed;
• Using a household vacuum cleaner or shop vacuum, vacuum the brush head clean of any lint;
• Repeat this process until there is no more lint that can be removed from the cavity.

This can be a DIY project...but we recommend a professional inspect and clean. They have the tools and experience to do this right.

We recommend DUCTZ of West St. Louis