In plumbing system, a trap is located below plumbing fixtures to prevent sewer gasses from entering the building. You will see in the attached video from a recent home inspection that there is what is referred to as an “S” Trap. In many locations, plumbing codes do not allow “S” Traps as they are prone to siphon out the water seal even if properly vented, thus allowing sewer gassed to escape into the building. The accepted type of trap is called a “P” Trap.
There aren’t many things worse than walking across your basement, and suddenly getting your feet wet. Maybe the kids spilled something on the carpet or Fido had an accident. Then you realize there is a lot more water there than either could produce.
You realize you have a basement leak! Now What?
Sometimes it can seem like keeping your basement dry is a never ending battle, but, keeping your basement dry may not be as hard as you think. There are some simple steps you can take that will keep your basement dry and comfortable.
While it may sound like a little thing, as a home inspector I occasionally come across outdoor water spigots that were leaking. Even what you may consider a slight drip can develop into several gallons of water per day, running down the foundation wall. A simple fix could have prevented the problem.
Gutters and downspouts need to be kept clear of all debris. Check them for any damage that would prevent water from flowing properly through them. Rainwater spilling out on a concentrated area can create and erode low places in your grade and allow water to concentrate against your foundation wall and in time can deteriorate the concrete or concrete block joints. It will also start seeping through cracks in your basement wall and cause a basement leak.
Where the water exits at the bottom of the downspout is a critical area. It must be allowed to flow away from the foundation. This can consist of a simple splash block or a drain pipe extension as needed.
Make sure the grade around your house slopes away your foundation wall. Sometimes that is not an easy task, but is a must to keep the drainage water away from the foundation. Any low areas found next to your foundation should be filled and graded away from your foundation.
Fix any plumbing leaks as they happen. This may seem like a no-brainer task, but in some cases, these leaks are really hard to notice. Discoloration of flooring is sometimes the only indication of a possible leak.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
On a recent home inspection I came across what appeared to be a blocked chimney flue. Both the furnace and water heater were functioning properly with nice blue flames. I was however getting back draft Carbon Monoxide exhaust from both appliances. Carbon Monoxide does not smell or taste and can lead to death if occupants are over exposed. I recommended to the homeowner that they immediately get a qualified Plumbing & Heating contractor to resolve the condition. In addition, it was recommended that Carbon Monoxide detectors be installed on all levels of the home.
If you enjoyed this video, and would like to see more like it, please leave a comment.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com/
There's more than one way to fix a leaky faucey...
There’s more than one way to fix a leaky valve. In this particular instance the homeowner duct taped a sponge to the affected valve. As it leaked, the water dispersed through the sponge and evaporated, thus preventing a leak to whatever lay below…
Special thanks to Trent Martin at Mr Rooter Plumbing for providing the photo and story. Trent fixed the valve properly.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
At a recent Home Inspection I came across a hot water heater in a utility closet in which the vent flue had become disconnected at the ceiling. In addition to the exhaust and CO venting directly to the closet, you can see that the paper on the adjacent sheetrock is heavily charred from the exhaust heat.
The home owner stated that the water heater was professionally installed less than 6 months ago. Lucky for them, the door to the utility closet sealed fairly securely which slowed the flow of CO into the living area of the home. I recommended to the home owner that they contact the installer immediately for emergency repairs to the vent flue.
You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide (CO), but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes. It is the leading cause of poisoning death, with over 500 victims in the United States each year. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu but without the fever. They include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, disorientation, and loss of consciousness.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
The gray, (and sometimes pinkish), stains below the surface of the vinyl flooring around your toilet may indicate water damage. When there are stains around your toilet, there is probably a leak in the wax seal ring that seals the toilet to the plumbing flange at the floor. Continued leaking over a period of time will rot the flooring under your toilet and eventually leak into the ares below.
Try moving the toilet gently fron side to side. Your toilet should not move. If it is loose, you will probably need to have a new wax ring installed.
Sometimes a quick fix can be completed by tightening the nuts at either side of the toilet at the floor. Usually these nuts are located under a small plastic cap. You will need to be very careful in tightenening these nuts. Your toilet is made of porcelain that can break if you over tighten, have uneven pressure, or poor support at the flange. Turn only a quarter turn at a time. When the toilet will no longer move, it is tight enough.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
I came across this on three homes this month. Plumbers pressure check the plumbing system for leaks prior to turning the water on in new construction. As you can see, there is a yellow plug in the soils stack. Sometimes they forget to remove the soil stack plugs. One of the homes I found this on was 3 years old. Wonder if the previous owners ever has problems with drains draining?
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
During a recent home inspection I came across a power strip that was being used as permanent wiring. The power strip was twist tied and duct taped to a water line supplying an external hose faucet. The home owner was watering the lawn that day, the Air Conditioning was off and it was moderately humid. As you can see from the picture, the water line was dripping with condensation. Of course, it was recommended that this power strip be removed from the copper water line, and to insulate the exterior water lines to eliminate the condensation when watering the lawn.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
As part of the home inspection process I look at the water heater combustion chamber. The water heater is one of those systems in the home that is commonly neglected until it doesn’t work. Quite often I come across water heaters that are in need of a tune up. In this video I show how rust flakes and debris can build up in the combustion chamber over time, thus reducing the efficiency of your water heater. A simple tune up by your local Rochester or Southeastern MN plumbing contractor can help to save fuel and operating costs for your water heater.
Rick Erickson, Home Inspector. HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
Here is an example of a shower enclosure from a home inspection in a home near Rochester MN. Occasionally plumbing fixtures are not secured properly behind shower enclosures. This results in the potential for leaks due to cracked joints and/or water seeping between the fixture and enclosure.
Rick Erickson, HomePro Home Inspections, Serving Rochester and Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942
Very impressed with the inspection software. The walk through and quality of responses to our questions were better that expected. Highly professional.
Mark W, West Concord, MN
Very accommodating. Rick drove to Northfield on very short notice and worked around my schedule.
Beth H, Northfield, MN
We were very satisfied with our home inspection. The walk through not only confirmed what we had already knew, but pointed out many things we didn’t know about the home. We feel we now have a very good set of background information about our new home.
Tim & Carrie K, Rochester, MN