All of the house safety maintenance checklist items listed below are extremely important for household members, especially for children. While performing home inspections I’ve noticed that many home owners, parents of small children, are simply not aware about the critical safety issues in their homes.

They don’t realize that sometimes things need to be updated / replaced / maintained to perform as required, and to provide protection. Execute the following house safety maintenance checklist list as soon as possible and keep educating everyone in your family about hazardous conditions.

1. Prepare and review a fire escape plan with your family

• Make sure that everyone knows about hidden keys to locked doors leading to exterior.
• Maintain functional windows in areas that could provide safety escape route, such as basement windows – people sometimes replace safety escape type windows with regular ones or block / seal them permanently.
• Make sure that your basement windows and window wells guards / bars can be easily removed from interior.

2. Maintain functional GFCI outlets / Install GFCI outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, wet bar sink areas, garages, exterior, laundry area (within 6′ from the sink edge), crawlspace, unfinished basement – GFCI locations

If you don’t have GFCI protected outlet receptacles in any or some of those areas, you’re not obligated to update them (unless you’re replacing it for some reason). But… your life might depend on one of those devices and such a small investment is definitely worth considering. Learn how to install GFCI outlet and  GFCI outlet maintenance / testing procedures – recommended on monthly basis.

Put a reminder of this next house safety maintenance item (#3) in your phone calendar, tape a note to your refrigerator, computer monitor… whatever, just remember to do it often!

3. Maintain functional and properly installed smoke & Carbon Monoxide alarms on each floor of your property (including basement) and in each sleeping area (within 15′ from the sleeping area in some jurisdictions). Replace smoke alarms every 10 years (max) and CO alarms based on the manufacturer recommendation (usually every 5 years). Test the smoke and CO alarms once a week, clean their covers periodically from dust, and change the batteries twice a year.

For those life saving devices to perform properly they must be installed in the right location; check smoke alarm locations and Carbon Monoxide alarm locations.

4. Look behind your clothes dryer and immediately replace its vent pipe if it is plastic – it’s a fire hazard. Use a metal vent pipe, as short as possible, preferably solid / smooth wall, clean it often to prevent it from clogging – read more about clothes dryer vent requirements.

5. Clean your dryer filters after every cycle, check vent pipe and exterior cover for contamination on regular basis

6. Replace uncoated brass gas appliance connectors immediately. Those flexible gas connectors were banned decades ago but are still in use in many homes – it’s a serious safety / fire / explosion hazard. Check all house appliances utilizing gas as a fuel.

7. Make sure that stair handrails and guardrails (including balcony) are secured and safe for your children. You can find more in in  Stair handrails and guardrails safety and balcony safety.

8. Provide full covers for all exposed light bulbs in clothes closet areas. Another easy to correct but hazardous item of the house safety maintenance checklist. Stuffed animals, pillows, plastic and paper bags – you name it – your child can simply pull the chain and forget to turn that closet light bulb OFF…

9. Make sure that your laundry chute is not within the reach of a small child. I find this item completely neglected in many homes – it’s scary – make sure you check Laundry chute safety.

10. Install self closing device on a door between your home and the garage / make sure it is a solid and fire rated door. This will minimize possibility of carbon monoxide, fire, and smoke penetration of your home – check attached garage firewall.

11. Test the garage door opener auto reverse feature, make sure that the safety sensors are within 6″ from the floor, make sure that the overhead door can be operated easily without the opener – details in garage door opener safety posts.

I hope that you’ll follow this house safety maintenance checklist and that it will make your house a better place

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House roof asphalt shingles maintenance process can be divided into three steps and performed twice a year – fall, and spring (unless you notice something alarming in between the roof maintenance checkups). This will give you a more complete picture of the asphalt shingles roof condition, even if it is a brand new roof – trust me.

Put this task on top of your house maintenance schedule, as soon as you spot a problem, don’t delay any repairs – do it before you start remodeling interior of your property.

Step 1 – Asphalt shingles roof exterior evaluation
Step 2 – Asphalt shingles roof decking / house ceiling and attic evaluation
Step 3 – Asphalt shingles roof repairs and replacement

Amount of the required house roof asphalt shingles maintenance depends on the property surroundings, roof shape, shingle colors, quality of the workmanship, attic or cathedral ceiling ventilation, your geographical location, etc.

Step 1 – House asphalt shingles roof exterior evaluation

If you have a single story home, the safest (but limited) method of inspecting asphalt shingle roof surface would be from the ground, preferably with a pair of binoculars .

Inspecting asphalt shingle roof from the ground has significant limitations / because of the angle you’ll be looking at the roof surface, and detailed evaluation will not be possible. However, before you climb up the roof or start making any repairs, try to visually memorize any “out of ordinary” areas observed from the ground, continue to Step 2 to ensure that there’s a solid decking beneath the shingles, and come back outside to compare your observations.

Look for:

• broken / cracked shingles
• displaced shingles
• missing shingles
• curling asphalt shingles edges
• washed out protective granules from the shingle surface
• nails penetrating the asphalt shingle surface
• uneven house asphalt shingle roof surface – significantly sagging or buckling areas
• debris accumulating on surface
• discoloration of shingle roof surface
• loose, displaced, contaminated, corroded, leaking gutters

or anything that simply put – doesn’t look right.

Pay special attention to the valleys on your asphalt shingle roof because they tend to deteriorate much faster than open / flat surfaces. Especially if you let debris and leafs accumulate and decompose for a few seasons inside the asphalt shingle roof valley.

Also, carefully inspect flashing around the roof penetrations – this includes the chimney, plumbing vents, skylights, and anything that is attached to the roof or penetrates the roof asphalt shingle roof surface. There should not be any cracks / separations along the seams. Follow the roof edges looking for loose / displaced pieces of trim, rotten soffit, and fascia.

If you have a tall house and / or low pitch roof, it might not be possible to get a good observation angle even with the binoculars. In such case, you’ll need a professional roofing contractor to perform this evaluation, and if necessary, proceed with asphalt shingle roof maintenance / repairs… unless you feel 100% capable of doing it yourself.

If you decide to climb up the ladder;

1. make sure you’ve already followed Step 2 / attic evaluation – it’s very important to perform this 2nd step because it might save you from falling through your roof while working on its surface

2. check Ladder safety guidelines. It’s sometimes very painful not to follow the basics of safety.
Some important tips on using the ladder:

• Check your ladder for any damage before climbing, make sure it can support your weight
• Make sure it stands on a solid, flat surface to prevent it from tipping over – don’t use any small objects (stones, bricks, etc.) to level it
• Never lean the ladder against the chimney unless you’re are absolutely sure it can support it
• Avoid windy days
• Secure the ladder if possible to prevent if from sliding away from the roof when unattended
• read the Ladder safety guidelines again!

Some of the asphalt shingles might be loose, improperly secured, and even if they look OK, might slide out from under your foot – be extremely careful / watch your step – feel the area before you fully shift your body weight onto your  foot.

Loose shingles are common on multi-layer asphalt shingle roofs where the installer used shorter than required roofing nails – they need to penetrate old shingles layer(s) and the roof decking.
Never step on cables / wires left on the roof surface, they will roll under your foot and you may loose your balance. If your asphalt shingle roof looks suspicious / uneven, heavily deteriorated, it is wet, frost / ice / snow covered, or appears too steep – don’t step on it!

Stay away from the roof edges, especially along the gutters – decking surface might be rotten and won’t support your body weight.

So, you’ve noticed some problems on your asphalt shingle roof surface, checked the attic / house ceilings for water damage, and learned the ladder safety abc’s. Now it’s time to perform repairs if necessary and put a check-mark next to your house roof asphalt shingle maintenance entry.

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House exterior maintenance performed during the last days of summer and through the fall season should prepare your property for the cold weather extremes.

Follow the list and pick whatever applies to your property, don’t delay it until the next year.

1. Start your exterior preventive house maintenance by checking the roof surface for any damage and repair it if necessary, inspect flashing around penetrations, seal the gaps.

Remember that climbing the ladder and walking the roof is dangerous, you must be comfortable with it! Get a professional help if necessary – this also applies to some of the following list items.

2. Inspect chimney exterior walls for deterioration, ensure that its top is sealed around the flue, and has a rain cap installed.

Newer attempt to use a house chimney to support the ladder – it’s a general warning, but in many cases following it might save your life.

3. Examine / install protective screens around the chimney cap to prevent birds from falling into the flue during the cold season – use caution just like in the previous two paragraphs.

4. Secure, clean gutters and clogged downspouts, seal leaking seams, disconnect long extensions resting on the ground to prevent them from freezing.

Even if you have gutter guards / screens installed, check the areas close to the downspout to ensure that they are clean.

5. Soffit, fascia, house trim – check for moisture damage, scrape loose paint, caulk, and apply new coat of paint.

Surface temperature should be above 50F for painting, otherwise it will not stick properly, and you’ll have to re-do the whole thing in a season or two.

6. Check all penetrations – around the windows, doors, pipes, vents, etc. for gaps / cracks. I necessary, re-seal it with silicon (preferable) or caulking, fix windows glazing.

Always remove as much of the deteriorating compound as possible, clean surfaces and apply new sealant.

7. Make sure that all exterior vents / covers / dampers are functional and clean.

Clothes dryer vent will need to be cleaned more often and this should be definitely included in your routine house maintenance schedule – it’s a potential fire hazard. To determine frequency of cleaning you’ll need to monitor it for a few weeks. As soon as lint starts accumulating  around the discharge end, clean it, and mark your calendar.

I forgot one thing – make sure that the vent covers have not been installed up side down – just like on the picture.

8. Fix siding panels, seal gaps/cracks in stucco, Dryvit, brick, stone walls.

The consequences of neglecting Dryvit finishes maintenance can be devastating, and include mold contamination of the house structure. Assuming that it was properly installed – make sure that there are no open seams between the Dryvit sections and Dryvit to other material joint. Moisture / water that will penetrate open seams might become trapped under the finished surface, which usually results in mold growth.

9. Check weather stripping around exterior doors and adjust thresholds to prevent air drafts.

10. Remove, drain and store garden hoses, drain exterior water faucets.

Freezing water expands and will cause damage to you the hose fittings, spray nozzles, and valves. Replace your regular water faucets with a frost-free type for extra protection.

11. Sump pump discharge pipe – keep above the ground and sloped towards the ground, monitor long extensions or remove for the cold season to prevent them from freezing.

If the sump pump keeps turning ON more often during the cold season, this might be a result of a frozen or partially frozen discharge pipe.

12. Check electrical outlets for GFCI protection and weatherproof cover. If you have some old, not GFCI protected outlet receptacles, have them replaced by a professional with GFCI outlet receptacles or protect that circuit with a GFCI breaker.

13. Seal cracked sidewalks and driveways before the cold season to slow further deterioration.

Water trapped in those cracks could freeze up, expand them, and even cause displacement.

14. Winterize sprinkler system.

Draining it is not enough; you’ll need a compressor to blow out whatever water remains in the lines. Under the ground they might not always be sloped properly towards the drain valve and could freeze up / crack during the cold season.

15. Seal or remove (and seal the openings) window or wall air conditioning units to minimize air drafts.

You should be OK for the cold season if you follow those exterior house maintenance procedures that are especially important during the fall.

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Anytime house maintenance explains a few of the house components that do not necessarily depend on seasonal preventive repairs. Of course, based on your observation of those components, and their quality, you can implement some kind of a schedule that will help in monitoring and servicing.

1. Change or clean your forced air heating / AC system filter every 1-4 months based on type and usage.

The reason to list HVAC filter replacement under the “anytime house maintenance” is that its performance depends on type (mechanical / media air filters and electronic air cleaners), quality, usage (amount of time you run HVAC system), cleanliness of your house, condition of the air ducts, etc.

There might be some longer periods of time your HVAC system is not running at all, and the air filter replacement per schedule or per its manufacturer recommendation would be just wasting of money. On the other hand, if your HVAC system runs very often, make checking the air filter a routine for a few months – after some period of regular monitoring you’ll be able to work out a schedule.

If you let the dust particles to accumulate on the air filter  surface, your HVAC system will have to run longer to condition the air within your house. Air conditioning coil icing might develop and clog your system / cause its damage.

2. Replace caulking / silicon around your tub, shower stall and sink whenever it starts separating from surfaces.

You could schedule this next anytime house maintenance item based on the caulking / silicone warranty label (25, 35, 50 years), but only if applied in… laboratory conditions. Real life applications don’t last that long, not even close.

Frequent cleaning, running water over it, applying pressure to the seams, structure contraction / expansion, and often improper application of caulking and silicon cause it to separate from the surface. This will eventually result in water / moisture penetration and by the time you notice some stains on the ceiling below or in any areas surrounding that leaking enclosure, there might be already a significant damage inside the wall (including mold contamination).

3. Inspect your bathroom tiled walls for cracks and missing grout – fill the gaps as soon as possible to prevent water penetration and tile backing wall damage.

This second bathroom maintenance item actually applies to all tiled and grouted surfaces through your house. However, tiled walls and floors in the areas often exposed to water have the priority. Properly applied and sealed grout between the tiles that are firmly secured to a solid and stable surface will last a long time.

While cleaning the bathroom or taking a shower; follow the grout lines and look for missing grout, hairline cracks. Pay close attention to the corners and seams – those are the most common areas for the cracks to appear and the grout to become loose. If it is cracked – cut / remove the old grout, clean the area well, and fill the joints with a new compound. I don’t recommend applying it over an old and contaminated grout – you’ll be wasting your time.

There is one grout type that has very low maintenance requirements, I have personally used it in my bathrooms and I highly recommend it because of its durability, and mold /stain resistance. It’s epoxy based grout – SpectraLock by Laticrete International, Inc., much more expensive than the regular grout, more difficult to apply, but performs perfectly (I’m not associated with this company in any way – it’s just my personal opinion).

4. Periodically check the main water shutoff valve and individual plumbing fixtures valves – might leak if left untouched for several years, might not operate at all and start leaking if you force them to turn. If it turns freely, open it all the way, and then back up a little – this helps to prevent the valve from being stack.

If this is the first time (in an older house) you’re trying to test your water shutoff valve – be prepared for a leak, and it could be a heavy one. That’s why routine house maintenance is so important; imagine your kitchen faucet seals start leaking suddenly, water spilling allover the floor, the handle on the water shutoff valve under the sink breaking (because it has never been turned / tested), and the main shutoff valve is frozen / stack in fully open position…

Be gentle on those valves, especially the plastic ones are extremely fragile, it is very easy to break the handle and the stem assembly, which could result in leakage. Before you start testing individual plumbing fixture water shutoff valves, make sure that the main water shutoff valve is fully functional so you can turn the water off in an emergency.

Just in case it leaks – prepare a tray or bucket (better have two than one), some towels to collect water, and have an emergency plumbing service number ready. The valve should turn freely, if it is frozen in place – I’d suggest calling a plumber. You can try to apply some pressure using a wrench, but the results are unpredictable if you overdo it… and I don’t know how much of that pressure is too much.

If the valve handle is missing, provide one if possible, or replace the valve so it can be operated.

5. Periodically check your house water heater for leaks, especially if it is beyond the warranty period. Watch for stains / dripping water on WH walls, inside the burner chamber (if accessible / some are sealed), under the appliance and on any accessible pipes.

There’s really no way of predicting the water heater failure; my own WH flooded the entire house floor the day after its 6 year warranty expired. However, during my inspections I often see 15 – 20 years and older water heaters that show no signs of corrosion or leakage.

Assume that it can happen suddenly and without any announcement, consider drip pan installation under the WH (plumbed to the drain) – a must have feature on above ground (upper floors) installations, and highly recommended in any location.

6. Observe and listen to your appliances during their cycles, if it doesn’t sound right – investigate.

Most appliances produce some distinctive noises  during operation, or some might be almost noiseless. If something changes in their behavior, act upon it, maybe there’s nothing serious, or it could be the beginning of some critical condition.

Maybe you have an idea of some “anytime house maintenance”, I’d appreciate your comment.

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Drip pan under the attic installed air conditioning coil falls under the IRC (International Residential Code) and UMC (uniform Mechanical Code) regulations.  Like with any building codes, check with your local building department if any or all of the following requirements apply in your jurisdiction.

Even if you don’t like rules, make that attic AC drip pan a part of your warm season house maintenance procedures before it will start leaking, and damage the ceiling.

The following industry standards apply to locations where accumulating / not draining properly condensate would damage building components, which includes the attic installed air conditioning coil. The rules listed below are based on 2006 IRC – International Residential Code [....], and 2006 UMC – Uniform Mechanical Code{….}:

Protection is required if condensate stoppage would damage building components[IRC] {UMC} :

•    Secondary drain to conspicuous point of disposal – you need to have a main drain from the coil tray located inside the coil compartment and a secondary drain in case the first one gets clogged [IRC] {UMC}.

Both AC condensate drains should discharge in different locations and that secondary drain to some easily accessible / conspicuous location so you can monitor it (code requirement). If you notice condensate dripping from the secondary discharge pipe, it means that the main condensate drain pipe stopped functioning for some reason.

The installers are sometimes tying together both – the primary and the secondary  drains, which installation negates the secondary drain purpose.

If the primary and the secondary pipe discharges in the attic, will you ever go there and check on them?

The areas that people install AC condensate secondary discharge pipe: above the kitchen window / through the roof soffit (not over or into the public way), sinks, toilet bowls (if you have some pictures and don’t mind emailing me them for posting online, please let me know).

• In case that auxiliary drip pan cannot be plumbed to some conspicuous location, it requires interlocked detector / cutout switch. The switch cuts off the power supply and stops air conditioning system operation as soon as the water starts accumulating inside the drip pan [IRC] – this is probably the most effective way of alerting the homeowner about the problem.

• There is an option you can use if there’s no drip pan or secondary drain installed under the air conditioning coil. In such case IRC calls for water level detection device with interlocked cutout installed in AC coil primary drip pan.

This particular requirement also applies to the down-flow type units (blower motor installed on top / blowing down) with no secondary drain and no means of installing auxiliary drip pan

• Primary AC condensate discharge pipe requires a trap installation (no traps on a drip pan secondary line )

A condensate trap purpose is to prevent air from being discharged from or sucked into the “A” coil compartment or air handler during system operation.

For the attic installed air conditioning coil, a missing trap on the primary AC condensate discharge pipe compromises system efficiency, and might be responsible for condensate drainage problems, internal leaks, mold contamination of the coil compartment wall liner.

The next step is to find a place to drain the primary discharge line and the secondary drip pan under the attic installed air conditioning coil. This is often a challenge for HVAC contractors, especially when dealing with remodeling projects, additions, alterations of the existing property.

There are a few, constantly broken rules that apply to the condensate discharge pipe and its terminations;

• AC condensate discharge pipe must be at least ¾” in diameter and the minimum required slope towards the drain should be 1/8”. This applies to gravity / natural drain with no condensate pump assistance. Make sure that there are no reductions in pipe diameter along the entire run. There’s always some dust, lint, corrosion that will eventually cause blockages, especially if a smaller size condensate line is being used.
• Types of materials that are permitted to be used as a condensate drain pipe: PVC, cast iron, galvanized steel, copper, polybutylene, polyethylene, ABS and CPVC.
• AC condensate shall not discharge over or into the public way: the sidewalk, stairs, etc.  You should also avoid areas where condensate might affect / damage house finishes, cause site erosion, or penetrate foundation / cause foundation settlement.
• Dripping condensation will eventually stain / cause discoloration of concrete, stone, brick, siding (and other materials), and by keeping them moist promote mold growth on their surface. Also, you have to keep in mind that some of those AC condensate discharge pipes might be responsible for condensing / high efficiency furnace drainage. In such case, house exterior wall termination (and sometimes attic installation that is not protected / insulated) of the  discharge pipe might freeze up in a cold climate. This will compromise high efficiency furnace operation and flood the heat exchanger.
• Direct connections of the AC condensate discharge pipe to plumbing system waste or vent pipe are not permitted. This is the most (at least from my experience) abused installation requirement.  Because it is easy and much faster than trying to do it right (especially in the attic), many installers of the air conditioning system connect the condensate discharge pipe directly.

There are two very important concerns associated with a direct connection of the AC condensate discharge pipe to the plumbing system waste or vent pipe;

1. It makes difficult or in most cases impossible to early detect any blockages inside the “A” coil compartment.
2. There is a possibility of bacteria growing back up the condensate line and / or sewer gases contamination of the air conditioning system

AC condensate might drain indirectly into the waste pipe – an example would be the tub overflow, the sink tailpiece, laundry drain. However, in all those examples, discharge pipe must be connected above the p-trap on the sink side, bathtub overflow side, laundry machine discharge pipe connection side – such connection is called “indirect” waste pipe connection.

Here are some of the other locations the AC condensate can discharge to, but under one condition – the lowest point of the condensation drain line must remain at least 2″ above the highest flood level rim of the indirect waste receptor;

What is that “indirect liquid waste receptor” – it is a plumbing fixture (like a sink) with a p-trap installed on its drain line that separates it from the sewer / waste system, and makes the connection indirect.

• Sinks  – if it has a safety overflow, condensate discharge pipe must be at least 2” above it, without overflow hole – 2” above the sink edge

• Floor drains are acceptable for condensate discharge, but NOT directly into the ejector pump pit the floor drain is connected to

• Sump pump pit is also acceptable
• Trap in the attic attached to the vent stack – if you use it to drain the primary and the secondary condensate drain pipe, your local building inspector may not approve it.
• However, it might work if combined with the water level detection device / interlocked cutout switch.Also, such drain will perform properly only if you keep the trap filled with water. Prolonged periods of time without operating  HVAC system will cause water to evaporate and allow sewer gasses to discharge into the attic.

With attic installations you can try to use the plumbing vent chase or other vertical space between the attic and lowest level to drop the condensate carrying drain pipes down and discharge them to any of the listed locations. Just make sure that you seal the penetrations on both ends – at the attic floor and at the bottom – for example basement ceiling

Very bad choices for AC condensate discharge pipe terminations;

• Crawlspace – dumping any moisture into the crawlspace is always a bad idea, moisture attracts all kinds of insects, can contribute to differential settling and facilitate the growth of a variety of molds that can promote unhealthy conditions

• Discharging under the concrete slab – I see such installations sporadically, usually in older homes / basements, and I can’t even imagine the bacteria / mold growing under the concrete layer and contaminating condensate discharge pipe.

So how is your drip pan under the attic installed air conditioning coil doing…

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Check this list of child related product and toys recalls provided by CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). Items listed below are potential hazards, using them might result in serious injury or even death. Visit CPSC website for more recalled child related products including toys.

• Swing Sets Recalled by Kompan Inc. for Repair Due to Fall Hazard
  September 1, 2010
  The joint connection between the horizontal top beam and the vertical end bracket and support post system can crack and break, posing a fall and impact hazard to users.
• Magnetic Maze Boards Recalled by Lakeshore Learning Materials Due to Choking, Intestinal and Aspiration Hazards
  August 26, 2010
  The magnetic maze board's plastic wand can separate and expose a magnet that can be a choking hazard to children. Also, if a child has more than one of these toys and the magnets detach and are s …
• Baby Hammock Metal Stands Recalled by MamaLittleHelper Due to Fall Hazard
  August 24, 2010
  The C-shaped metal stand can break where the curved arm attaches to the leg of the metal frame, posing a fall hazard to an infant in the hammock.
• Baby Hammocks Recalled by MamaLittleHelper Due to Suffocation Hazard
  August 24, 2010
  The side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock's fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard …
• Williams-Sonoma Recalls Baby Bottle Warmers Due to Burn Hazard
  August 24, 2010
  The bottle warmers can overheat liquids and baby food, posing a burn hazard to adults and babies.
• Lan Enterprises Recalls Zooper Tango Double Strollers Due to Collapse Hazard
  August 19, 2010
  The stroller's frame latch above the front wheels can fail when the stroller hits an object, causing the stroller to unexpectedly collapse. This can result in minor scrapes, cuts and bruises.
• Circus World Recalls Wireless Video Baby Monitors Due to Overheating Hazard
  August 12, 2010
  Wiring in the baby monitor camera can overheat and emit smoke, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
• P. Graham Dunn Recalls Toy Rattles Due to Choking Hazard
  August 11, 2010
  The wooden dowels can be installed at an angle, allowing the metal rattle inside to become exposed. This poses a serious choking hazard to young children.
• Fisher-Price Recalls Little People Play 'n Go Campsite(tm) Due to Choking Hazard
  August 5, 2010
  The plastic Sonya Lee figure in the play set can break at the waist, exposing small parts which pose a choking hazard to young children.
• Pottery Barn Kids Recalls to Repair Madeline Bunk Beds Due to Entrapment Hazard
  August 3, 2010
  The end structure of the bunk bed can pose an entrapment hazard to young children, a violation of the Safety Standard for Entrapment Hazards in Bunk Bed, 16 C.F.R. Part 1513. Children can get their ne …
• Baby Matters Recalls Nap Nanny(r) Recliners Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards; One Infant Death Reported
  July 26, 2010
  Infants can partially fall or hang over the side of the Nap Nanny(r) even while the harness is in use. This situation can be worse if the Velcro(tm) straps, located inside the Nap Nanny(r) cover are n …
• Near Strangulation Prompts Recall of Roman and Roller Shades by Smith+Noble
  July 22, 2010
  The shades pose a strangulation risk to children.
• Pacifiers Recalled by Antonio Flores Due to Choking Hazard
  July 20, 2010
  The pacifier fails to meet federal safety standards. The nipple can separate from the base easily, the pacifier handle is too long, the mouth guard is too small and there are no ventilation holes on t …
• Child's Death Prompts Recall to Repair Portable Playard Tent by Tots in Mind Due to Strangulation Hazard
  July 15, 2010
  Clips that attach the tent to the top of the playard can break or be removed by a child. A child can lift the tent and become entrapped at the neck between the rigid playard frame and the metal base r …
• Pottery Barn Kids Recalls to Repair Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards
  July 14, 2010
  The cribs' drop-sides can detach when hardware breaks, creating a space into which a young child can become entrapped, which can lead to suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop s …

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The following is the newest list of outdoor products recalls and alerts announced by CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). All of the listed below items (more listings available on CPSC website) are potential safety hazards. You should stop using them immediately to prevent possibility of a serious injury or even death.

• Char-Broil Recalls Vertical Gas Smokers Due to Injury Hazard
  August 24, 2010
  When the temperature setting is in "low," the smoker's hose/valve/regulator (HVR) assembly does not allow sufficient gas to flow, causing the flame to extinguish. Gas continues to flow …
• Bed Bath & Beyond Recalls Solar Lighted Cantilever Umbrellas Due to Injury Hazard
  August 3, 2010
  A plastic connector which attaches to the arm of the umbrella can break, causing the umbrella to collapse. This poses a risk of injury to the user.
• Husqvarna Professional Products Recalls Riding Lawn Tractors Due to Fire Hazard
  July 27, 2010
  The fuel line on the rear-mounted fuel tank is too long and can come in contact with moving parts while the tractor is in use, posing a fire hazard.
• Atico International USA Recalls Bamboo Torches Due to Laceration Hazard
  July 21, 2010
  The fuel canister that holds the wick of the torch has a sharp edge inside the lip of the opening that poses a laceration hazard when consumers try to remove the wick.
• Snow Blowers Recalled by The Toro Company Due to Fire Hazard
  July 14, 2010
  Exposure to ethanol in gasoline can cause the carburetor needle to become corroded. A corroded needle can stick in the open position and allow fuel to leak from the carburetor, posing a fire hazard to …
• Super Lightning Rocket Fireworks Recalled by Big Fireworks Due to Risk of Burn
  June 29, 2010
  The rockets are overloaded with pyrotechnic composition, violating the federal regulatory standard for this product. This could result in a greater than expected explosion, posing a risk of burns and …
• Cummins Power Generation Recalls Portable Generators Due to Fire Hazard
  May 25, 2010
  Fuel can leak through the carburetor during normal usage, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
• Eastwind Industries Recalls Kuuma Stow and Go Grills Due to Fire Hazard; Sold Exclusively at West Marine Stores
  April 13, 2010
  If the fuel container is not completely threaded on the regulator during installation, the propane tanks can leak fuel. This poses a fire hazard to consumers.
• Agio International Recalls Outdoor Gas Fire Columns Sold Exclusively at Costco Due to Fire Hazard
  April 1, 2010
  Gas can leak from connections in the column, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
• Ardica Recalls Heated Jackets and Vests Due to Burn Hazard
  March 31, 2010
  Electrical connections in the warming components in the jackets and vest can overheat, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
• Outdoor Lighting Fixtures Recalled by American Electric Lighting Due to Shock Hazard
  March 3, 2010
  Improper wiring in the light fixtures poses a shock hazard to consumers.
• Gas Cans Recalled by No-Spill; Containers Can Leak and Create Fire Hazard
  January 7, 2010
  The gas containers can leak fuel at the black plastic collar where the spout connects to the can, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
• Sagittarius Sporting Goods Recalls Gas Grills Sold at Lowe's Stores Due to Fire and Burn Hazards
  January 6, 2010
  The flexible rubber hose on the LP gas tank can come into contact with burner box, causing the hose to melt and rupture when the grill is lit. This poses a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
• Verandah Patio Fireplaces Recalled by W.S. Badcock Corp. Due to Fire Hazard
  December 23, 2009
  A paint used to finish the exterior shell may catch fire, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
• JCPenney Recalls Cooks Outdoor BBQ Grills Due to Fire Hazard
  December 10, 2009
  The drip pan on the grill does not allow for adequate drainage, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

This outdoor products recalls and alerts list is updated on regular basis from CPSC website.

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The following list of household related recalls and recall alerts provided by CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) will help you to minimize potential household hazards awaiting for you and your family. Using some or all of the listed products might result in serious injury or even death – check CPSC website for extended list.

• 32-Inch Sharp LCD-TVs Recalled Due to Risk of Injury
  August 31, 2010
  The TV stand's neck support can break and cause the TV to tip-over, posing a risk of injury to the consumer.
• Slow Cookers Recalled by Sensio Due to Fire Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Kohl's Department Stores
  August 31, 2010
  The slow cooker's control panel can overheat and melt, posing a fire hazard.
• Television Wall Mounts Recalled by Milestone AV Technologies Due to Injury Hazard
  August 25, 2010
  The elbow joint components on the wall mount's arm do not fit together properly, causing the attached television to tilt and possibly fall when the television is adjusted. This could pose an inju …
• White Tiger Outdoor Folding Chairs Recalled Due to Fall Hazard
  August 19, 2010
  The wooden frame of the chairs can break, posing a fall hazard to consumers.
• Brigade Hickory Handle Sledge Hammers Recalled by White Cap Construction Supply Due to Risk of Injury
  August 18, 2010
  The head of the sledge hammer can loosen and detach, posing a risk of impact injury to consumerss.
• Electrical Wire Recalled by Cerro Wire due to Fire Hazard
  August 18, 2010
  While the actual electrical wire has "14 gauge" printed on it, the packaging incorrectly labels the electrical wire as 12 gauge. If used as a 12 gauge wire, it can overload, posing a fire ha …
• Asurion Recalls Counterfeit BlackBerry(r)-branded Batteries Due to Burn and Fire Hazards
  August 10, 2010
  The counterfeit batteries can overheat, posing burn and fire hazards.
• Additional Reports of Fires and Low Consumer Response Rate Prompt Reannouncement of Goldstar and Comfort-Aire Dehumidifier Recall
  August 10, 2010
  The power connector for the dehumidifier's compressor can short circuit, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
• Bosch Thermotechnology Recalls Boiler Survey Kits Due to Fire Hazard
  August 9, 2010
  The use of a silver-colored gas pipe adapter included in the service kit can lead to gas leakage, posing a fire or explosion hazard to consumers.
• Miami Breaker Recalls Counterfeit Square D Circuit Breakers Due to Fire Hazard
  August 2, 2010
  The recalled circuit breakers labeled "Square D" or "SQD" have been determined to be counterfeit by Square D and can fail to trip when they are overloaded, posing a fire hazard to …
• Near Strangulation Prompts Recall of Roman and Roller Shades by Smith+Noble
  July 22, 2010
  The shades pose a strangulation risk to children.
• Wire Feed Welders Recalled by Star Asia USA Due to Burn Hazard
  July 13, 2010
  The wire welder's torch does not have a cold contactor as erroneously stated on the packaging and instruction manual. Without this feature, the welder generates an electrical arc immediately upon …
• PDi Communications Recalls Televisions Installed in Healthcare Facilities Due to Fire Hazard
  July 8, 2010
  A capacitor on the television's power supply board can fail, posing a fire hazard.
• Marley Engineered Products Recalls Baseboard Heaters Sold at Grainger Due to Fire Hazard
  July 6, 2010
  The baseboard heaters are labeled for 240 or 208 volt use. However, some of the heaters have an internal heater built for a maximum of 120 volts. If the heater is connected to a 240 or 208 volt electr …
• Tekkeon Inc. Recalls MyPower ALL Plus External Laptop Batteries Due to Fire Hazard
  July 1, 2010
  The battery cell can short-circuit and overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

This household related recalls and recall alerts list is updated automatically from CPSC website.

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There are three reasons for which I put together this Whole House Fan ShutterCover Trim to Fit Review;

1. The ShutterCover Trim to Fit manufacturer contacted me with some information about his product and I decided that it is worth to mention it on my website.For your information – I’m not affiliated with the manufacturer, nor I’m profiting from you reading this fan Shuttercover™ Trim to Fit review – it’s my personal opinion without any influence, even if it sounds like a sales pitch .
   
2. During the cold season, I inspect many homes with black mold contaminated attics and in some of them, a simple thing like a whole house fan Shuttercover™ Trim to Fit I’m going to review would have prevented most of the house’s conditioned air from penetrating shutters.
   
3. Installing the whole house shutter cover appears to be an easy task to perform and a valuable item to put on your house maintenance schedule list.

I have always suggested that my clients purchase or “manufacture” a cover (box) that you can install over the whole house fan from the attic side. I still highly recommend this solution, but it sometimes requires a lot of effort, and for many home owners, it might not be even possible to implement.

Because of the size and/or location of the attic access hatch, transferring an assembled whole house fan box cover or assembling one in the attic is simply not an option. There are, of course, flexible/soft types of whole house vent covers, but you are still required to enter the attic before and after the cold season.

The whole house fan Shuttercover™ is a completely different story. It really can’t get any more simple than it already is. Let me just list some of its benefits:

• Easy to trim so it fits any size whole house fan (up to 48”x48”)

• Easy to apply / install over the fan shutters from within your house

• Simplicity of the Shuttercover™ allows you to install it in seconds, and not only during the cold season, but also between the whole house fan without even entering the attic

Despite the fact that whole house fans use significantly smaller amounts of energy than air conditioners, the entire assembly provides very little insulating value. During the cold months, while you are heating your home, the whole house fan shutters allow the heated air to escape into the attic, which sometimes results in condensation and attic black mold growth. At the same time, cold air from the attic migrates into your home.
During the warmer months, whenever air conditioning is running, or even without the system operating, the whole house fan shutters become very hot. They either transfer the heat into the much cooler house or let the cool/conditioned air out (usually into the attic). Don’t believe it?

Touch the whole house fan shutter surface (assuming that there is no insulating cover installed in your attic) during the summer and during the winter.

• Another huge benefit – by covering your whole house fan shutters with Shuttercover™, you’ll reduce your energy expenses.

Look at it this way – what’s going to happen when you open your window during the winter, or while operating an AC on a hot day? You’ll be dumping your money through that window, dollar after dollar.

An unprotected whole house fan shutter is the same as that – an open window into the attic. For every proud whole house fan homeowner, they are just increasing the energy usage and cost.

Let’s get into some Shuttercover™ Trim to Fit cover details:

• It is made of ¼-inch thick, Low-E reflective foil insulation.  This type of insulation adds significant energy savings by stopping up to 97% of radiant heat transfer.

• To fulfill your aesthetic expectations, one side of the Shuttercover™ has a white coating that blends in perfectly with the surrounding ceiling.

• The square piece of insulation can be easily trimmed to fit any whole house fan shutter size up to 48 inches by 48 inches.

• A trimmed-to-fit Shuttercover™ section attaches to the whole house fan shutters frame with a self-adhesive Velcro tape. That allows you to easily remove the cover before turning on the fan and re-apply it after it has been turned OFF – no more duct tape, plastic foil or (the most convenient part) more trips to the attic…

However, I’d still highly recommend to examine your attic periodically, or have someone do it for you.

• One more benefit of having the whole house fan Shuttercover™ installed – In many of the homes I’ve inspected that included a whole house fan installation, the heating/cooling system thermostat was installed in a very close proximity to the fan. Without some type of a cover installed over the whole house fan, this area will always have a “micro-climate” – hotter or cooler than the rest of the house, affecting the thermostat directly and resulting in a false activation of the system. Shuttercover Trim to Fit can help prevent it from happening.

Since I personally don’t have a whole house fan installed in my house, all that rambling above is based on observation of many attics, conditions that resulted from uninsulated fans / fans shutters, and information from the Shuttercover Trim to Fit manufacturer of this product.

I think, that you can’t really go wrong with such a simple “gadget”, and my Whole House Fan Shuttercover™ Fit to Trim review will help you a little, but let me know if you already have one and how is it performing. 

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Before I explain recommended CO alarm locations and show you where to  install Carbon Monoxide alarm in your home, let me list a few areas where CO alarms are not required. The following exemptions are from City of Chicago, Illinois, Carbon Monoxide Detector Code, and you should check if they also apply in your jurisdiction:

• in residential units that do not relay on combustion of fossil fuel for heat, ventilation or hot water
• in residential units that are not sufficiently close to any ventilated source of carbon monoxide – exemption doesn’t apply if there’s an attached garage, in which case CO alarm is required
• in residential units heated by steam, hot water or electric heat, which are not connected by a duct-work or ventilation shafts to any room containing a fossil fuel-burning boiler or heater

Fossil Fuels – coal, natural gas, kerosene, oil, propane and wood

Where to Install Carbon Monoxide Detector – CO alarm locations in residential units.

For Carbon Monoxide / smoke alarm combo, please follow smoke alarm installation locations. They are all good for combo and CO alarm only installations.

• At least one CO alarm is required on every floor of the multi-story residence including basement, and within 15 feet from a sleeping area. This is to ensure that its siren can be heard inside that slipping area, behind the closed doors.

Some jurisdiction might require additional CO detectors installed in every bedroom – check it with your local building and / or fire department.

• While choosing location, make sure that Carbon Monoxide alarm is not closer than 5′ from all fuel burning appliances or near the cooking or bathing areas.
• CO alarms equipped with digital display can be placed at eye level. This will allow easy monitoring of the display.

DO NOT:

• Never place an alarm in so called “dead space” (same as for smoke detectors). Dead space is an area that projects 4″ onto the wall and ceiling from the point they’re joint together. Dead space also applies to peaks of vaulted ceiling and gable roofs.

• Avoid installing plugin type carbon monoxide alarms in areas easily accessible by children – educate them about hazards of CO poisoning.
• Do not use extension cords to supply power to the carbon monoxide alarm
• Do not place a Carbon Monoxide alarm close to the ceiling fan, air supply vents, and doors / windows opening to exterior.
• Do not obstruct CO alarm with furniture or curtains
• Do not install the alarm in areas where the temperature is below 40°F (4.4° Celsius) or hotter than 100°F (37.8° Celsius).

After you install or verify / correct Carbon Monoxide installation location, there’s one more, extremely important thing to remember – CO alarm maintenance.

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Where to install a smoke detector and its positioning are as important as having this life saving device installed at all. Placing a smoke detector in a wrong location might delay its response to smoke or even prevent it from sounding an alarm at all.

Although, you should install smoke alarms by following device manufacturer’s guidelines, and the NFPA standards (National Fire Protection Association), your local jurisdiction might have a different idea. This idea is usually LESS smoke detectors – Chicago is one of the examples.

Since it is your life we are talking about, following just a minimum requirement is not enough – for literally a few dollars more, you can get maximum protection.

Proper Placement of a smoke alarm based on IRC (International Residential Code), IBC (International Building Code) and NFPA:

New construction:

• Smoke detectors must be hard wired (power supply from the electrical panel) and require battery backup. Your jurisdiction might require a dedicated circuit for this purpose – if such isn’t required, make sure that you smoke detector hasn’t been installed on a circuit / tapped to the wall switch controlled ceiling light fixture or outlet receptacle. Putting a smoke alarm on a GFCI protected electrical circuit also isn’t a good idea.

Do not use rechargeable type batteries for smoke detectors, good quality alkaline type battery is the right choice. Smoke alarms shall emit a signal when the batteries are low – replace the battery with a new one as soon as you hear that repeating sound.

• Smoke detectors are required in each sleeping area and adjoining bedroom. Like I’ve mentioned before, some jurisdictions require less – Chicago is one of the examples where smoke detectors are not required inside the bedroom / sleeping area. Instead, you have to install a smoke alarm within 15’ from the bedroom entrance. In larger homes / apartments, where bedrooms are located more than 30’ apart, two or more smoke detectors might have to be installed.
• At least one is required on each story of the house and in the basement. Crawlspaces and uninhabitable attics do not require a smoke detector installation. However, in case your attic or crawlspace contains a furnace, water heater, or any appliance that could become a source of fire (gas, oil, electric), have a smoke alarm installed as well (required by some jurisdictions and highly recommended if not required).
• Smoke detectors must be interconnected – one triggered smoke detector activates all of them. Not all types of smoke alarms have the “interconnection” feature, which is extremely important – smoke developing in one section of the house would activate the closest device and automatically all of them at the same time.

Existing construction:

While remodeling, hard wiring and interconnection of smoke detectors is not required if finishes would have to be removed. However, you can still achieve maximum protection by using an interconnected wireless smoke alarm system.

• The smoke alarm shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms over the background noise levels with all intervening doors closed. That’s why regular testing of the smoke detector siren is so important – just like any mechanical / electronic device – sometimes they fail.
• Enclosed interior staircases also require a smoke detector, and one shall be installed on the ceiling of the top floor. Staircases act like chimneys and smoke rising from the lower floor would activate the device giving you an early warning.

Smoke detector placement – rules apply to all of the locations described above.

This is extremely important and at the same time quite simple, unfortunately very often done completely wrong. It’s probably because we don’t like to read the manuals and often assume that we know what we’re doing.

Before placing a smoke detector on the ceiling or wall, consider checking the house insulation. Older homes might be missing a ceiling (if open to the attic) or exterior wall insulation. This would allow extreme heat or cold transfer from exterior into the house, creating a thermal barrier, and prevent smoke from reaching / activating the alarm. If this is the case (you can simply touch the wall or ceiling during very hot or cold days), mount a smoke detector on an interior wall of the house.

• Install smoke detectors in each section of the room / area that has been divided by a partial wall. The wall might be coming down from the ceiling (at least 24”) or up from the floor.
• Install smoke alarms on a tray-shaped ceiling (also called coffered ceiling) on the highest portion of the ceiling or on the sloped portion of the ceiling within 12″ (30.5cm) vertically down from the highest point.

DO NOT install smoke detectors in following areas to minimize possibility of false alarms :

1. Areas where combustion particles are present (Combustion Particles – the by-products of burning process)

• garages
• poorly ventilated kitchens
• close to furnaces and water heaters – I wouldn’t agree with this one, because presence of those particles would be a sign of combustion process problems

If you decided to have one installed in those areas, photoelectric type smoke alarm might be less annoying.

2. Damp or very humid areas such as bathrooms. The humidity levels after taking a hot shower could result in a false alarm.

3. Within 3’ from the forced air heating and / or cooling system air supply vents, in a direct airflow area, close to the whole house fan locations. High air flow could blow smoke or shift it away from the detector preventing it from responding properly or at all.

4. Near fluorescent lights, where electronic “noise” may cause nuisance alarms.

5. Dusty areas, where particles of dust could cause smoke alarm failure or false alarm

6. In areas where air temperature may fall below 40°F (4°C) or rise above 100°F (38°C)

7. Avoid areas near the doors and windows while installing a smoke alarm

If you got that far, I hope you have more than a general idea on where to install smoke detectors in your house, and what is the optimal smoke alarm placement, last thing to remember is smoke alarm maintenance.

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There is a common misconception about GFCI without ground installations, so let me clarify it for you.

You might have an older house with electrical wiring that hasn’t been updated. You decided to replace an existing electrical outlet receptacle in your bathroom, kitchen, garage, etc. with a GFCI outlet. However, there are only two wires inside the electrical junction box – no ground, and no easy way to install additional conductor, which would provide grounding.

Whenever you’re replacing an electrical outlet receptacle in an area currently requiring GFCI protection, such protection must be provided by using a GFCI outlet receptacle or by protecting this particular circuit by a GFCI breaker – it’s mandatory.

Find out 2008 NEC (National Electrical Code) GFCI required locations.

Lack of a grounding conductor is definitely a negative, but good thing about GFCI outlets is that: equipment grounding is not required for their installation and for the device to function properly. The grounded person becomes the equipment grounding conductor, and the current going through them creates the imbalance that trips the GFCI.

So, in our “equipment ground missing” case, those installed GFCI receptacles (if wired properly – get GFCI installation manual) will perform as required by code when tested with their push-buttons. A testing device used on such GFCI outlet will show “open ground”, and it would not trip the device.

Be extremely careful while testing a GFCI outlet or any receptacle with a metal trim plate. If grounding is not present, the circuit not properly (or at all) protected by a GFCI device,  and you accidentally touch that metal plate while pushing test button, you might get shocked.

By depressing the test button, the metal cover plate would be energized, and if by any chance you are touching another grounded surface…, it’s going to hurt.

However, to fully comply with NEC requirements in cases where no equipment ground is present, the installed GFCI outlet receptacle MUST be marked “No Equipment Ground”.

Any receptacles down the stream from it / protected by this GFCI, must have two labels on its face-plate: “GFCI Protected” and “No Equipment Ground”.

Below are the 2008 edition NEC (National Electrical Code) requirements for the GFCI without ground installations.

Non–Grounding-Type Receptacles.
Where attachment to an equipment grounding conductor does not exist in the receptacle enclosure, the installation shall comply with the following:

1. A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with another non–grounding-type receptacle(s).
2. A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with a ground-fault circuit interrupter type of receptacle(s). These receptacles shall be marked “No Equipment Ground.” An equipment grounding conductor shall not be connected from the ground-fault circuit interrupter-type receptacle to any outlet supplied from the ground-fault circuit-interrupter receptacle.
3. A non–grounding-type receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be replaced with a grounding-type receptacle(s) where supplied through a ground-fault circuit interrupter.

Grounding-type receptacles supplied through the ground fault circuit interrupter shall be marked “GFCI Protected” and “No Equipment Ground.” An equipment grounding conductor shall not be connected between the grounding type receptacles.

If you need more explanation on GFCI without ground installations, let me know, and Be Careful!

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Attic moisture is a very common problem in cold climates. Let’s answer the question below (from one of the website visitors):

I have an extreme amount of moisture in my attic, I recently had my roof re-shingled and had the roofer add 2 more vents for better ventilation. There is a build up of frost in certain areas of my roof, it has been an extremely cold winter, would lack of insulation cause this and how deep should the insulation be?

Lack of insulation on the attic floor (house ceiling) is definitely one of the most important reasons for migration of warm air into the attic, and moisture condensation on the roof framing / decking. Although, properly designed attic ventilation would most likely remove this  warm air without causing any problems – we’re still loosing expensive energy.

Installation of additional roof vents helps under one condition – they have to be distributed properly in order to maintain air circulation between the lower and upper section of the attic, or sideways (between gables). Those two additional roof vents (I’m assuming on top of the roof) won’t help much if there’s nothing or not enough vents (air intakes) along the bottom edges of your roof.

Depending on the roof design, installation of  “lower” vents could become a challenge – the best example would be a roof with no overhang /soffits to accommodate vents. In such case, you have 3 passive vent options:

1. Drip edge vents installed along the bottom edge of the roof / right above the gutter
2. A few regular vents on the roof surface, within 1/3 of the distance between the bottom and top section of the roof plane
3. Hip vents – the same as a ridge vent (almost)

Unfortunately, any significant amount of snow and / or ice accumulating at the lower portion of the roof, inside the gutter (for a drip edge vent) will most likely compromise the air flow. It sounds like there’s no solution… well, if you combine a humidistat controlled attic power vent, with any of the above described passive vents, you’ll have much better chance of removing moisture and preventing frost and condensation from building up in your attic.

Now, the insulation issue / how deep the attic insulation should be.

It all depends on your geographical location and type of the insulation installed. The most commonly used for the attic floor are blown-in types of insulation: cellulose and fiberglass.

For attic insulation amounts and sample calculations please visit – attic ceiling insulation

You can also find more information about your attic on my website under “attic problems”

Please, let me know if you have any other questions, and please – take care of attic moisture and condensation issues before it gets moldy…

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Lack of the floor attic insulation (house top floor ceiling), or inadequate amount of the insulation are definitely some of the most important reasons responsible for migration of conditioned (hot or warm) air into the attic.

During the cold season, missing attic floor insulation or low levels of it might be devastating, result in excessive condensation, attic mold growth, ice dams, and deterioration of the roof decking surface.

With sufficient attic ventilation, conditioned air that has penetrated ceiling surface into the attic would be discharged from the attic into the house exterior, sometimes without even causing any problems.
However, your heating and / or air conditioning system will operate much longer and more often in order to keep up with the thermostat settings – that’s more cost to you.

The amount and R-value of your attic floor insulation depends on your geographical location / zone.

The R value or R-value is a measure of thermal resistance (ability to resit heat traveling through it) used in the building and construction industry. The higher R-value – the better insulation performance. (Full Wikipedia definition).

Some states, do not have building codes regulating energy efficiency at all, and each existing municipal code might be different. Therefore, you may want to check with your local building department before you start a project.

Use the US map and the chart below to determine recommended attic insulation R-values in your area (source – Energy Star website ).

The attic floor insulation thickness will depend on the insulation type / each one has a different R-value, so you’ll need more or less of the particular insulation type to achieve the same thermal protection.

Attic floor insulation thickness calculation example:

The average R-values of two most popular attic floor insulation types are (you’ll find the exact R-values on the insulation packaging material:

• Loose fill cellulose  3.2 to 3.8 per inch
• Loose fill fiberglass  2.2 to 2.7 per inch

For a home located in #4 zone, without any existing attic floor insulation, recommended minimum R-value is R38.

R38 divided by R3.2 (cellulose) = 11.875″  loose fill  insulation thickness
R38 divided by R2.2 (fiberglass) = 17.27″  loose fill  insulation thickness

I hope that the above map and tables will help you determine how much of a floor attic insulation you should have to prevent many serious problems from happening, and to keep your monthly energy bills as low as possible.

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Fitting New Condo Safety Issues and defects into the Top 10 list is going to be a little tight, but you can find out about many other bad things from the Chicago condos by checking entire Chicago Condo Inspection Manual.

You would think that after such a spectacular real estate meltdown, something would change in the Chicago construction business. I’m talking of course about some kind of an improvement, a positive reaction from the Chicago building department inspectors who have magically disappeared for several years now.

With less construction going on, they now have a chance to re-emerge again; they can do some good by checking the major safety issues in those new condos and help buyers walk into much safer homes … make-up for what they didn’t do in the last few years.

Unfortunately, nothing good is happening. The Chicago building inspectors must be somewhere else because I’m seeing the same serious problems on brand new construction sites.

It’s depressing and it doesn’t look like any help is coming our way, unless they are planning some undercover action against all those properties.

My Top Ten List of the Chicago New Condo Safety Issues / Life Threatening Conditions!

Non-functional self-closing feature on condo entrance doors from the building staircases and missing weather stripping – those doors must automatically and fully close and must not have gaps along all 4 edges to prevent fire and smoke penetration. Fire feeds on oxygen and fresh air leaking from withing your unit will cause it to spread out further, and smoke to contaminate your living quarters.

Gas furnace and / or water heater closet combustion air requirement – all fuel burning appliances require oxygen to support complete and clean combustion. Unless the appliances are designed to use exterior air only, there must be air-supplying ports installed within the closet.

In many condominiums, there is either no combustion air vents provided, installed vents are too small, or they’re improperly located. All of these items could cause Carbon Monoxide to develop and contaminate the residence.

Furnace and water heater vent pipes are loose, unsupported, or not secured with screws / or glued (only for PVC pipes) at joints. With limited storage space in condos, occupants often use the furnace / water heater closet to store … well, everything.

With loose, unsupported vent pipes, it’s easy to displace them without even noticing it. When that happens, exhaust gases will be discharging into your apartment instead of the chimney.

Condo firewall penetrations – I can assure you that nobody cares about it. Not a developer, heating contractor, plumber, drywall installer, and certainly not a Chicago building inspector. It’s a celebration when I see a condo with properly (or at all) sealed fire wall penetrations.

In case of a fire, all those openings create an escape route for smoke, and might allow flames to spread out / consume framing of the structure

Improper type / shape of a connector used between the natural draft water heater and an induced draft furnace vent pipes. Pipes must be joined together with a “Y” shaped connector instead of a “T” type to prevent the possibility of the furnace exhaust gases being pushed back into the water heater vent pipe.

Ungrounded Jacuzzi / hydro-spa pump motors – unless the motor is double insulated (rarely), it has a ground terminal attached to its metal body. This terminal must be bonded with a water pipe using #8 solid copper wire and a special clamp, which is almost NEVER done. In some cases, correcting this problem after the tub has been installed, and access to water pipes blocked with tiles, might be quite expensive

Improperly wired GFCI outlet receptacles (bathrooms, kitchens, laundry if required, exterior, and/or garages) – if the contractor uses newer devices, they simply won’t work unless correctly wired. However, older GFCI receptacles (some electricians must keep a load of them, because they still use it) have a defect and even if tripped, the power remains ON. Make sure that you test all your GFCI outlet receptacles on regular basis – GFCI testing

Missing tempered type glass in bathroom windows located within 60” from the shower stall or tub standing surface – there must an etched label in one of the corners of the window pane confirming that it is tempered. Some custom made windows might not have this etching or label attached, and in such case you should contact the manufacturer

Missing furnace bottom closing plate – new furnaces are often delivered with an open bottom for the connection of a return duct. Whenever this isn’t used (air return connected to the side of the furnace), there must be a special metal plate installed over the opening to prevent bi-products of combustion from being sucked into the circulating air

The wiring of high voltage lighting under the kitchen cabinets installed inside the wall cavities without conduit protection

If anyone you know has recently purchased a new or newer (within the last few years) condo in Chicago, share this Top Ten List of the Chicago New Condo Safety Issues with them.

For more details on each of the items above, many other new condo issues, and how you can inspect most of your condo by yourself / without any tools or special knowledge, check the Chicago New Condo Inspection Manual.

It won’t cost you a penny and might save your life, or at least some money that you have already invested in that not so perfect home. Go ahead, start investigating and let me know about your new condo safety issues.

Related posts:

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2. Looking for a New Gut Rehabbed Condo in Chicago | Inspect it! If you are looking for a new gut rehabbed condo...
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Do you have a balcony and small children running around the house? If so, before you start reading about the balcony railing safety code, make sure that they are not playing alone.

My children are already older and I don’t have to worry about them fitting in between the balcony railings. However, every time I inspect a property with guardrails that a small child can simply walk through or climb up, I get goose bumps.

Many associations / management companies responsible for older multi-unit condominium buildings and townhouses with balconies on upper floors have never upgraded them to the current safety standards.

Money is probably one of the issues; ignorance must be the other … until the accident happens. You can try to fight the association, but depending on their budget and local building code (some jurisdictions grandfather old railings despite their safety compliance problems), and this might not get you anywhere.

Upgrading the balcony railing on your own is usually out of the question – simply because one of the rules in such communities is that you cannot change the exterior appearance of the structure.

So here are your options:

• Start with talking to the building association representative

• Check your local building department to see what they have to say

• If none of the above will help, go for the clear Plexiglas sheets (install it on your side of the railing) and hope that it will go unnoticed (the thicker you get, the better).

Depending on your balcony railing type and design, you can secure it by drilling small holes in a Plexiglas sheet that correspond to the railing components and using plastic wire ties.

Elevated walkways, balcony and stairs with open sides railing / guardrail requirements (the most important ones / might slightly vary between jurisdiction):

• The top of the guardrail for walkways and balconies shall not be less than 42 inches in height (measured from the floor surface).

Exception: For single-family and two-family dwellings, and within individual dwelling units in other Class A-2 occupancies which are primarily permanent in nature, guards whose top rail also serves as a handrail shall have a height of not less than 34 inches and not more than 38 inches

• Open guardrails shall have balusters or ornamental patterns such that a 4-inch-diameter sphere cannot pass through any opening up to a height of 34 inches.From a height of 34 inches to 42 inches above the floor, spaces (bars or patterns) cannot allow an 8-inch sphere to pass

• No horizontal or ornamental design / pattern that would provide a ladder effect / climbable

• The top of the guardrail for stairs shall not be less than 42″ high with handrails placed not less than 34″ nor more than 38″ above landings and the nosing of treads.

On top of the above items:

• Make sure that the railings / guardrails are secured and resist pressure. Strength along the top must resist 200 lb point load in any direction.

• Don’t place any furniture, boxes or other items next to the balcony railing – children love to climb, especially before they start walking.

• Never let children play unattended on any elevated areas like staircases, balconies, and high porches – this is the best action you can take.

Get a measuring tape and if there is a problem – do something about it! Deal with the balcony railing safety issues seriously, because your child’s life might depend on it.

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Garage door sensors, also called photoelectric sensors, are designed to protect people and their belongings (not just cars) by constantly checking for an obstruction in the path of an automatically closing overhead door. As soon as something is detected, the garage door sensors send a signal to the garage door opener to reverse its movement and open the door.

A single pair of the garage door sensors includes a transmitter that emits an infrared beam and a receiver. In order to operate effectively, both of them must be properly aligned – the receiver eye must see the transmitter eye.

Each of the devices has a small “status” light that stays ON at all times on the transmitter side, and turns ON at the receiver side only if there’s a clear path between them. You might also have a receiver with a light that instead of turning OFF changes color to red or starts blinking when the infrared beam is broken.

Height of the garage door sensor

You should install each of the overhead door opener safety eyes (top of the lens) no higher than 6” from the garage floor surface. This is critical for small children or any individual lying down on the garage floor in the path of a closing garage door.

I would not recommend installing the garage door photoelectric sensors very close to the floor surface.

• Placing the sensor within and inch or two from the floor might result in leafs or other small debris triggering the overhead door opener false responses.

Under no circumstances should you install the garage door sensors anywhere else. Sometimes I see them taped together on top of the garage door opener or secured to the roof/ wall framing, which creates a serious safety hazard – do not do it!

Overhead door opener sensor troubleshooting

Problem

• When you push the garage door opener button, the door starts traveling down, but as soon as you release the button – it reverses automatically. The following are just the most common issues under the assumption that the safety eyes itself and the garage door opener are not mechanically damaged.

Things to investigate

• Check for any obstruction in the infrared beam path, it might be a spider web, leaf, etc.

• Check the garage door sensor lens and clean it if necessary (transmitter and receiver)

• Check alignment of the sensors / make sure that both of the status lights are constantly ON. If they are not, try to slightly adjust the transmitter or receiver – if this works, secure them in place.

• Wave your hand in the path of an infrared beam to see if one of the garage door sensors status lights turns OFF / changes color to RED / starts blinking

If there’s no status light on either of the garage door sensors, make sure that the wires at the garage door opener terminals and at the sensors (if not permanently attached) are secured / wiggle them slightly to see if none of them have separated / broken at the screw that is holding them.

• It is also possible, that the wire between the overhead door opener and the sensor got accidentally damaged / cut – check the entire length.

If none of the above helps to correct the garage door closing, you may need to call a professional to investigate the problem.

I hope this will help you in troubleshooting of the garage door sensor / you can also check the overhead door opener post for more information about the garage safety issues.

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I’ve been running into this particular GFCI outlet safety issue quite often lately, and since it can easily stay undetected creating serious safety hazard, I’ll explain it for you.

This GFCI outlet safety problem applies to older receptacles, manufactured before 2003 – the year when “Smart Lock” type GFCI receptacle has been introduced by Leviton. GFCI receptacles equipped with the “Smart Lock” feature include a small padlock sign on the face of the device.

So, if you have any GFCI outlet receptacles without the “Smart Lock” logo, make sure that you test them properly / don’t just assume that they are functional.

The GFCI outlet hidden safety issue

GFCI outlet receptacle has two pairs of terminals to connect wires. One of them is called LOAD, and second pair of terminals LINE. For the outlet to protect you from a ground fault, power-supplying wires (hot and neutral) must be connected to the LINE side of the device.

• What is Ground Fault?
  If you touch an appliance with some failing electrical components, the electricity might pass through your body to reach the ground, instead of following its normal safe path.

With an old GFCI outlet receptacle that does not include the “Smart Lock” technology misplaced power supplying wires (hot and neutral power supply installed on the LOAD instead of a LINE side) would not prevent the device from operating.

Improperly wired GFCI outlet would still provide power to any device plugged in into its socket, and it would trip when tested. The dangerous part is that after it tripped, which should disconnect the power to its socket, the power actually stays ON.

Notice on both pictures that GFCI testing device shows two orange lights ON with RESET button in up & down position.

Such condition could be also a result of a high-voltage power surge or corrosion / damaged device, in which case the GFCI outlet receptacle would have to be replaced. However, start from checking the wiring, and test it properly – just follow the instructions in my GFCI outlet installation post.

GFCI outlet safety issue post wouldn’t be complete without you going and checking all of your GFCI receptacles – good luck .

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House attic black mold is one of the most “popular” items in my property inspection reports. I’ve already covered why is black mold growing under the roof, and how to prevent or stop attic black mold from growing in my previous posts.

Now is time for explanation of how to kill mold and / or how to clean mold in the attic.

But before I explain attic black mold killing and / or cleaning, let me give you a little advice, something to consider before you sign a  few (if you lucky) thousand dollars contract agreement with a mold remediation company.

Attic mold remediation TIP (to consider):

• Let’s assume that you are in the middle of a real-estate transaction, and the home inspector just revealed to you, that your entire house attic is contaminated with black mold. If you have a brand new roof, you can only blame yourself or try to blame the roofing contractor for not checking the attic before replacing the roof (he’ll laugh at you unless you’ve actually asked the guy to check the attic before the roof replacement). If you have an older roof, the importance of this advice is even greater.

• Call at least 2-3 mold remediation companies for an estimate – specify to the representatives, that you not only want to have the mold removed, but also attic ventilation system corrected / installed if necessary / ask if the attic insulation requires replacement. With the numbers from the mold remediation contractors, call 2-3 roofing contractors and ask them for a quote on the roof replacement cost including decking boards / plywood (ask the roofer to check the attic area), and your attic ventilation improvement.

Be cautious if they only suggest humidistat controlled power vent installation – without properly functioning soffit vents, any type of vents along the lower portion of the roof, or gable vents, this might not be an adequate solution.

• If the attic insulation replacement is not required (it most cases it will not be possible to tell without laboratory testing), make sure it’s sealed with plastic foil before the roof and its decking replacement. Fold the foil sealing its contents after the contaminated decking has been removed, and dispose of as a regular waste (EPA recommendation)

• If you only have a small area of attic contaminated with black mold, the roof replacement option would be more expensive. But with an entire attic that needs black mold remediation, it might be cheaper (or even much cheaper) to remove all contaminated decking, install completely new roof and correct ventilation issues. I’ve seen $3,000.00 – $10,000.00 invoices for the attic black mold remediation process in approximately 1000 square feet of attic area.

Benefits of the roof / decking replacement over the attic black mold removal:

1. roof and decking replacement might be cheaper than cleaning of an entire black mold contaminated attic
2. the house attic black mold that was killing your real-estate transaction is gone
3. attic ventilation improvement is much easier during the roof replacement and often handled with no additional or insignificant cost
4. the buyer gets a brand new roof

Even if the roof replacement price is slightly higher than the mold remediation process, it is still worth to take it under the consideration because you’re gaining a valuable house update (new roof), that will be disclosed on a real-estate listing.

In some cases, the roof decking and framing are contaminated, and decking replacement only would not entirely solve the problem. In such case, you’d have to clean contaminated joist or trusses.

How to kill attic black mold and how to clean it.

This isn’t a black mold killing or mold cleaning case study, it is just an explanation based on my observations and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommendations.

Even if you’re dealing with a small mold contaminated attic area – 10′ x 10′ is the maximum area recommended by the  EPA to be treated by non-professionals, forget about killing mold with spraying it with bleach or other disinfectants. It ‘s been confirmed by laboratory testing that it doesn’t kill all of the spores and in most cases you’ll be just making a mess.

• The best way to kill the attic black mold (just like any other mold)  is to remove it from the surface it’s growing on, or remove the contaminated surface!

EPA recommends four mold cleanup methods and all of them can be applied in the attic, assuming that it is a small area (up to 10 sq. feet).

1. You can clean the mold contaminated surface by using a wet vacuum – the type you can fill its tank partially with water to contain mold residue from the contaminated surface
2. Wipe the surface with a damp sponge or rag – use clean water or wood cleaner
3. Use high efficiency HEPA vacuum cleaner on thoroughly dried surfaces, and dispose of the picked-up contents in well-sealed plastic bags
4. Remove all contaminated material, seal it in plastic and dispose of as a regular waste. They recommend using HEPA vacuum after this, but in the attic you’d most likely have to remove the floor insulation (if contaminated). You can also cover the insulation with plastic foil, and fold the foil sealing its contents after the cleaning process.

You may or may not have any allergic reactions to the attic black mold. However, always use protective equipment, especially while working in the attic area where you are exposed to the insulation fibers and dust.

As a minimum protection EPA recommends: Gloves, N-95 respirator and eye protection (preferably fully enclosed goggles). As an additional protection you can add half face respirator or full face respirator with HEPA filter, disposable full body clothing, head gear, and foot coverings.

How to clean attic black mold if large section or an entire attic is contaminated.

I personally wouldn’t even attempt to do it myself, so my suggestion is:

• Use a professional mold remediation company – check their background and check it manually by calling their clients! Ask for clients who had their attic mold remediated approximately 1-2 years ago – it usually takes a winter for the mold to start growing again if the job wasn’t fully completed.

Insist on removing the attic black mold completely instead of encapsulating it (Media Blasting methods give the best results). Encapsulation is simply a process of covering the mold contaminated surface with paint (paint like product) that contains (or at least some of them do) mold killing chemicals.

The video below explains soda blast mold remediation, and you can clearly see the results of this process.

If your attic black mold is properly removed and all of the issues responsible for its growth corrected, which is even more important than mold removing, it will not re-grow / no need for encapsulating.

• Hire a different contractor for mold testing and mold remediation to eliminate conflict of interest
• Make sure that you perform an independent clearance test after the mold remediation process completion. Clearance test is to determine if there are any mold spores remaining in the previously contaminated area.

Extremely important! - personally examine the attic (or have somebody you can trust do it for you) after the mold cleaning procedure is finished. I’m not exaggerating – I’ve seen several attics after “professionally performed remediation”.

The wood surfaces should be perfectly clean (like brand new), unless there was some rotting that resulted from leaking roof or extremely humid conditions in the attic – those sections of wood should be either replaced or reinforced from underneath. You don’t want anyone to fall through the roof while servicing it or just inspecting.

This concludes attic black mold, how to kill mold and how to clean mold post, but I highly recommend to go a little deeper into the “attic” subject by reading my other posts concerning attic ventilation, and attic mold.

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Well, there’s no specific building code requirement for the bathroom vent location / exhaust fan installation. You can have it anywhere on the ceiling or wall … I guess the floor would be also OK , but I’ve never seen such installation. The one you see on the picture is slightly above the floor level, and I personally guarantee that in this location works like a charm (this bathroom has one more above the shower stall).
Building code paragraphs concerning bathroom ventilation based on 2006 IRC (International Residential Code):

• Every bathroom requires an openable window that provides at least 1.5 square ft of air flow area when open – 2006 IRC [303.3] OR mechanical type ventilation: 50 CFM intermittent or 20 CFM continuous operation – 2006 IRC [303.3X]

CFM – cubic feet per minute – general term used to specify the amount of air that the bathroom fan (in our case) is able to move within one minute of its operation.

• Air must be exhausted directly to the outside – 2006 IRC [303.3X]
• May not discharge to crawlspace or attic – 2006 IRC [1506.2]¹³
• Outdoor openings screened _1/4” – _1/2” mesh – 2006 IRC [305.5]

However, in general, placing the vent in the areas other than the ceiling or upper sections of the wall will compromise one of its main purposes – moisture removal. Proper bathroom exhaust vent placement becomes critical if you have any sources of hot, moist air in the bathroom area (tub, shower, steam room, etc.), and the best strategic vent location would be directly above or as close as possible to that source, but still high up.

• Warm, humid air is less dense than dry air and it will rise to the ceiling, cool down, and condensate on its surface, unless there’s a powerful enough exhaust fan to suck it out of the bathroom.

If you install the bathroom fan directly above the tub or shower, it must be listed as suitable for such locations and must be installed on a GFCI protected circuit – this is every manufacturer’s (not the code’s) requirement.

Very important thing to remember is to properly size your bathroom exhaust fan, and the formula is very simple … actually there are three simple methods to do it.

Calculations are based on the size of your bathroom and you can do it manually or use my Bathroom Vent Calculator – enjoy it.

For more bathroom fan information and installation requirements, visit Bathroom Exhaust Fan GFCI Protection

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Bathroom vent CFM calculator uses 3 stage formula located below. It is based on HVI (Home Ventilating Institute) guidelines that recommend approximately 8 room air exchanges per hour  for a bathroom under 100 square feet of area.

CFM – cubic feet per minute – general term used to specify the amount of air that the bathroom fan  is able to move within one minute of its operation.

• First you have to measure your bathroom dimensions to calculate room volume (length x width x height of the room = … feet³)

• Divide the number of … feet³ by 60 minutes (fans are sized based on the number of recommended air exchanges per hour / 60 minutes)

• Multiply the result by 8 (eight is the recommended number of room air exchanges per hour)

Any result smaller than 50 CFM would still require minimum 50CFM exhaust fan (building code requirement). HVI ventilation rate recommendation for bathrooms larger than 100 square feet is slightly different and based on the number and type of plumbing fixtures within the bathroom area.

Each fixture (toilet, shower stall , bath tub) requires 50 CFM, Jacuzzi / hydro spa / whirlpool – 100 CFM. All you need to do is add number of fixtures and multiply by the required CFM.

Example of a calculation for bathrooms with over 100 square feet of area:

Toilet (50 CFM) + shower stall (50 CFM) + Whirlpool (100 CFM) = 200CFM bathroom exhaust fan.

Building code does not specify bathroom vent locations but in any size bathroom it is the most logical to install it over or as close as possible to the plumbing fixture that requires it. You can also install two or more individually controlled bathroom exhaust fans over different areas (with combined CFM’s equal to your calculation).

This would be the most efficient way to control moisture and bathroom odors (enclosed toilet rooms require separate exhaust fans).

• Remember: bathroom vent GFCI protection is required for installations over the shower and tub areas.

Based on the final results of the bathroom vent calculator or bathroom exhaust manual calculations – pick the bathroom exhaust fan and install it in the most appropriate location.

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House attic vent chutes (also called baffles or rafter vents) play an important role in your attic ventilation system. They serve three functions:

1. provide unobstructed air passage between the soffit and the attic
2. allow installation of attic floor insulation close to the soffit, without worrying about clogging the soffit ventilation ports with insulation
3. allow for sufficient accumulation of insulation right above where your house ceiling meets the exterior wall, thus limiting air exchange between the living space and the attic

However, your attic can also have a perfect air circulation without the vent chutes, in some cases they might be even useless (houses with no soffits or no soffit vents don’t have any use for vent chutes) – it all depends on the attic ventilation design and insulation of the attic floor.

• Soffit - the exposed underside of the roof section overhanging house wall

So, how do you find out if your attic is properly ventilated, and if you need any vent chutes?

Unfortunately, you have to have it examined (not that this is the only reason to visit your attic periodically), and if your climate includes a cold season, pick one of the coldest days for this purpose. This way, you’ll be able to spot many more attic problems than while doing it on a warm day. For attic issues other than vent chutes, please visit the rest of the  house attic problems category posts.

Attic vent chutes come in two popular flavors – cardboard and foam (looks like a compressed Styrofoam), and variety of colors. Most typical sizes are 16″ and 24″ to match open space between the roof framing members. They are shaped in such way that can be stapled to the roof decking along its edges, which is an easy task if installed on a new construction, without the ceiling drywall below.

Vent chutes can be also installed by sliding them between the insulation and the roof decking, which might be hard in some cases because of the roofing nails sticking out of the decking, low clearance, and insulation of course.

• Attic vent chutes are very useful with a blown-in type insulation.

Blown-in or any loose / poured type of the attic floor insulation isn’t as easy to control as blankets and other compacted / formed into a shape insulation types. Without vent chutes, the insulation can fall into the soffit, or it is often blown by air drafts from the area near the soffit deeper into the attic. This exposes attic floor, and allows warm air from the living area below to migrate into the attic and condensate on the roof decking surface (cold season).

This situation can be avoided by placing short pieces of batt insulation in the area closest to the soffit, and then filling up the rest of the floor cavity with blown-in type insulation, or by installing a vent chute.

With already installed blanket, batt, rolled type of attic insulation stuffed to far into the soffit, you’d need to pull it back into the attic so you have enough room between the roof decking and the insulation for sliding the vent chute into that space.

• Don’t push the vent chute all the way down into the soffit, this is not necessary, it just has to go slightly deeper than the insulation directly beneath it. After placing the vent chute against the roof decking (staple it if you can), push the pulled insulation firmly back into the space, but without crushing the vent chute.

• Attic vent chutes in cathedral ceilings – this is a subject I’ve already covered in the cathedral ceiling ventilation post. If there are no vent chutes installed and the insulation has been packed tight into the rafter space, you’ll most likely end up with mold, and not much can be done without serious remodeling.

In some cases, installed vent chutes might create problems – a very common issue is when the bathroom vent discharges into the soffit (International Building Code does not allow it, but some jurisdictions do … for some unexplained reason). With the vent chute installed close to the bathroom vent discharge register, the warm and humid air will always find its way back into the attic and often result in condensation + mold growth.

How many vent chutes do you need?

If you go to your attic, and against all odds everything looks perfect:

• there’s no moisture stains on roof decking and framing
• no corrosion or roofing nails sticking through the decking
• no dripping condensation stains on the attic floor insulation
• no mold residue

you most likely don’t need any vent chutes.
If you did notice any of the problems listed above, you’d have to start investigating, and attic vent chutes installation might be a way to solve your problems. You can start from installing them only in the areas where you observed some obvious ventilation issues.

You can also fill every single rafter / truss space with a vent chute just to be on a safe side, but before you do that, make sure that your house has a soffit with existing and open vents.

No matter how many vent chutes you’ll install, they won’t work if the soffit vents are clogged or if they don’t exist at all – seeing a soffit vent register on the house exterior does not necessarily mean that it is open. It might be sealed with several coats of paint, clogged with dust / lint, clogged with insulation from attic, or there might be no cut-out above the exterior register – check this first.

Whatever you’ll do about the attic vent chutes, always remember about your safety first, don’t attempt to do anything you are not felling 100% comfortable with, avoid performing attic work in hot weather, be extremely cautious on the ladder, and always wear protective gear.

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Looking at some condo gas furnace installations in compartments or closets above the ceiling makes me laugh, cry, and scream at the same time. I can’t even imagine what the installer of the furnace was thinking … or if he was thinking at all.

In HVAC trade, just like in any other, there are some basic rules that anyone performing the job should follow. Not because somebody wrote them down, but because there’s a reason to follow them. Many of the rules are common sense. Some must be just taken for granted, but all should be followed if you (the installer) are being paid for it.
This short story is just another proof that Chicago’s new condos are rarely (if ever) inspected by the city building department inspectors.

• The access to the furnace closet, located directly above the bathroom ceiling, was quite comfortable and served as an air combustion supplying port – this is the good part and where it unfortunately ends.

• The condo furnace had been suspended from the ceiling in a far corner of the closet space. It had been positioned in such way that any attempt of servicing it would require a person to levitate horizontally in approximately 16” of clearance between the furnace front panel and the chimney wall. It appears that furnace installation was performed before the bathroom ceiling drywall went up – set it and forget it…

• For the furnace to vent efficiently, its vent pipe must be pitched up at least ¼” per linear foot of an entire run – this one drops down a few inches before connecting to the chimney. Another basic requirement for the gas appliance vent pipe installation, and an important safety issue.

• The gas supply line at the furnace had been installed without the required drip leg (this is Chicago, and it might not be required in all jurisdictions), and the flexible CSST pipe was missing straps along its run.

• Protective drip pan under the furnace and A/C coil had been plumbed together with the coil main condensate drain pipe – two separate lines are requires to provide drainage in case one of them fails.

Another option is to install a drip pan condensate overflow safety switch which disconnects power to the air conditioning system in case the drip pan condensate level approaches overflow (not everywhere approved as a replacement for the drip pan separate drain pipe).

• Furnace service door was missing.

• No air filter installed.

It wouldn’t take much effort and time to make this condo furnace installation work from the beginning. It’s just pure stupidity and a waste of time to whoever did it and will ever have to service.

Is your gas furnace installed above the condo ceiling? Look up there, and imagine yourself crawling and performing any type of maintenance on it.

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Making seasonal inspections of your furnace and air conditioning system makes sense, and I’d highly recommend having it done on a regular basis on any age furnace and AC units.

The question is – do you trust your HVAC guy?

Most people do, because they are always very happy to announce at the beginning of a home inspection that their heating and air conditioning system was JUST serviced by a professional, and it is in a perfect condition.

This statement always makes me suspicious of some hidden issues, and in most cases, I end up delivering a rather unpleasant message to the home owner …that he just dumped a $100.00 HVAC checkup fee into the drain.

This has happened many times already and I always feel sorry for the homeowner, but in a particular home inspection, I finally got proof that I can present to you. In this case, the HVAC guy taped his invoice to the front of a 20 year old furnace with an explanation of his work.

“Check furnace and A/C and found no problems, I cleaned the evaporator coil + drain. Tested operation – Good.
Unit look good for its age and operates normal.”
$89.00

The appliance was a direct vent forced air furnace with a cooling unit, everything in one box. It was installed in a townhouse utility room with its back compartment open to the building exterior. I’ve seen many of those units, usually in condominiums, and I know from my experience that heat exchangers in this particular type of a direct vent furnace / AC combo often fail within 15 years, and 20 is a significant stretch.

There are usually two service panels: one gives you access to the air conditioning coil and air filter, the second is for the burners. The filter and AC coil behind the first panel looked OK, but the condensate pan and condensate drain tubing was leaking, there was standing water on the floor underneath the coil / floor heavily contaminated, and black mold covered the air return compartment – old stuff, something that accumulated there over the years.

I already had a huge headache, because my sinuses suffer in a moldy environment, so I moved over to the furnace’s second compartment to finish the job. Unfortunately, it took a while to remove screws holding this access panel (one was severely corroded) and I’m 100% sure that nobody even attempted to open it for a long time (certainly not 3 days ago).

As I expected from this 20 year old direct vent furnace, areas around the burner chambers showed severe corrosion but no visible holes or cracks.

• Direct vent type furnaces utilize air from the house exterior for combustion (gas burning process) purposes. Because exterior air usually contains more moisture than conditioned air from the house interior, it accelerates corrosion of the furnace internal components – heat exchanger.

• The gas furnace heat exchanger – it is a metal separator between two areas inside the furnace. One area is where the fire is burning; the second area is where the air stream is pushed by the blower fan into the air ducts and registers (some very old furnaces operated without blowers). When that separating piece of metal cracks, Carbon Monoxide, which is a bi-product of an incomplete combustion, might leak into the air stream … and cause your death.

The good thing about most of those direct vent type furnaces is that you can easily access the heat exchanger for evaluation – as long as you can remove all of the corroded screws holding the furnace heat exchanger compartment access panel.

It was not easy, but I was finally able to lift the panel a few inches and take some pictures from the furnace heat exchanger interior. No surprises there, corrosion and several cracks along the edges of the metal tubes that serve as the heat exchanger.

Lets summarize our findings and compare them with the verdict from the HVAC professional:

1. Furnace / AC compartment contaminated with potentially hazardous mold, distributed through the house every time the system is turned on – visible from the furnace air filter access panel / no comment from the HVAC service person
2. Heavily leaking condensate drain pipe, water accumulating on the floor inside the air return compartment, water soaked framing of the compartment – HVAC professional claims cleaning the AC coil condensate drain pipe, not mentioning leaks and standing water
3. Furnace heat exchanger severely corroded and cracked in many places – potential life threatening hazard / possibility of Carbon Monoxide poisoning – there’s not even one word in the HVAC service description mentioning severe corrosion and dangerous cracks of the furnace heat exchanger …

And the owner paid almost $90.00 for a statement that everything is OK

Before you hire a contractor:

• do some research on the internet to find out the basic “How To” for whatever type of service you need
• ask friends for recommendations
• check credentials of the contractor
• ask if there’s any warranty to cover performed work
• follow the servicing person if possible (not invading his work space of-course)
• ask him to explain what is he doing.

This poorly performed furnace / AC inspection is not just a single accident, it happens very often, and remember – it’s your money that ends up in somebody else’s pocket.

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To start your Chicago new condo water heater inspection you have to determine what type of a water heater you actually have.

Below are 4 most common types of water heaters installed in Chicago new condos:

1. Natural draft, tank type water heater with a metal vent pipe (galvanized steel – no aluminum)
2. Power vent / induced draft tank type water heater with a PVC vent pipe
3. Electric type water heater
4. Tankless type gas water heaters – depending on manufacturer and design it might be plastic or metal vent pipe

Water supply line for your Chicago condo water heater – it must have a shutoff valve so in case your water heater or any hot water line starts leaking, you can  turn it OFF.

Main water shutoff (to turn off water for the entire apartment)  is usually installed close to the water heater valve. If you can’t see it, ask for it because it might become handy in some situations.

Water heater hot and cold water supply lines in your new condo will be most likely made out of copper (no flexible connectors permitted in Chicago). Because water inlet and outlet of the water heater are galvanized steel, there must be some kind of a separator installed between copper and galvanized – in most cases dielectric union connector (pipe union connector with a plastic insert). Without it, the pipes will eventually corrode and start leaking.

• Check union connections for leaks

• Water heater temperature settings – this is of course totally your choice, but most experts recommend staying below 125°F (48,88°C) – even that temperature could cause second or third degree burns if the child continuously exposes skin to water at that temperature.

1. Chicago inspection of a natural draft, tank type water heater with a metal vent pipe

Check if the water heater metal vent pipe is the same diameter as the draft hood collar diameter (at connection). Some draft hoods are designed for 3″ and 4″, but if it is only 3″ diameter, and 4″ pipe installed – vent pipe requires reducing coupling. If the draft hood has a 4″ diameter connection – do not reduce it to 3″ because it will compromise proper venting.

Water heater vent pipe should never be downsized along its run!!! If your water heater draft hood was designed for a 4″ vent pipe, it cannot be downsized along its entire run.

• Every single wall vent pipe connection must be secured with 3 sheet metal screws / no tape of any kind. It’s not because the tape doesn’t seal the connection, it’s because you can’t see through the tape. This sometimes prevents early discovery of a corroding pipe, holes, leaking condensation – they are all signs of a draft problem, which should be spotted as soon as possible and corrected by a professional.

Double wall water heater vent pipes use twist and lock design / no screws on connections.

If your water heater has a single wall vent pipe, it must change to double before wall or ceiling penetration

• Minimum 6” clearance to combustible materials is required for a single wall pipe, never inside the wall or ceiling

Natural draft water heater vent pipe and an induced draft motor equipped furnace vent pipe must be connected together and to the chimney flue with a WYE shaped connector

“T” shaped connector installation poses safety hazard, because furnace induced draft motor could push exhaust gases back into the water heater vent pipe and contaminate your condo.

2. Chicago inspection of a tank type water heater equipped with a power vent / induced draft motor and a PVC vent pipe

All water heater PVC pipe connections must be glued / air tight (with PVC pipe cement / not silicon), secured at power vent with metal clamp on rubber connector (unless differently specified by the manufacturer)

• PVC vent pipe size (2″, 3″ or 4″) – you have to check that in water heater manual, it will depend on the water heater size (how many gallons), BTU input, and vent distance from the water heater connection to the exterior wall termination
• There are louder and quiet water heater power vents but all should be tolerable – if the noise is annoying, there’s usually something wrong with it

Tank type water heater drip pan

Water heater drip pan is required where leakage could cause damage (basically every floor above the basement installation)

• Water heater drip pan must be plumbed to the floor drain or other approved location – check if drain pipe connection to the pan is tight and sealed to prevent leakage

• Any water heater installed in a cabinet, under the counter must have a drip pan

Water heater TPR valve  (Temperature Pressure Relief valve)

There must be a safety discharge pipe attached to the TPR valve, same size as the valve discharge end (usually ¾”)

• TPR valve discharge pipe must never be downsized or run uphill

There must be no threads at the pipe discharge end

• Water heater safety valve pipe must be made out of copper, galvanized steel or CPVC (no PVC pipe permitted – temperature rating too low) – there’s usually marking along the pipe wall

TPR valve discharge pipe must terminate within 6” from the floor surface or continue into the floor drain

• No white Teflon tape is permitted on water heater gas pipe connections – small pieces of tape can get shredded during assembly, break off, and flow downstream to block a gas valve. There is a special yellow Teflon tape and compounds / paste available for gas pipe joints.

No flexible gas appliance connectors for water heaters are permitted in Chicago (and Illinois). Peoples Gas allows CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) as a final connector for permanently installed appliances, such as water heater or furnace but I’ve seen only a few in many years.

Water heater gas supply line must have an emergency shutoff valve and so called drip leg
installed to collect moisture from gas lines before it contaminates water heater gas valve (where you adjust temperature)

Extremely important and already covered in a different part of this Chicago condo inspection manual. Don’t miss it – just follow the link to “Water heater combustion air“.

3. Chicago condo electric water heater inspection (tank type)

Water heater Drip pan, TPR valve and discharge pipe requirements are the same.

Electrical conduit should be secured to the water heater with a connector and all wiring concealed inside the water heater connection box / other side of the conduit is usually attached to an electric junction box. There should be no loose conduit, exposed wiring, loose connection box / junction box covers.

• Check electrical panel for a breaker marked “WH” or “water heater – it will look like two single breakers with handles connected together (for 220volts)

4. Chicago condo tankless water heater inspection

If you have a tankless water heater installed in your condo, you will need a manual included with this appliance. There are too many variables involved / different requirements from different manufacturers.

Let me know if you can’t find a manual,  maybe I’ll be able to find it for you, and don’t forget to check other posts from my:

Chicago Condo Inspection Manual

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