Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

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Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

IMO the home inspectors stay in business because of the realtors & mortgage companies that require a home inspection, most are builders who do not have a clue about electrical, plumbing or mechanicals, I feel sorry for a homeowner who buys a house based on that home inspection report and then finds out after the purchase that the house has major problems.

was florida the state that somebody posted the chief electrical inspector did 19 electrical inspections in less than 2 hours, the home inspectors are the least of your worries
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

I'm not going to recommend that my clients stick anything other than the correct plug into a receptacle, but as noted above there is a logical reason for this modification, at least superficially it appears functionally equivalent to one correct repair (an ungrounded receptacle) and I understand where the inspector got the idea: I?ve seen this fix recommend to homeowners on web sites, for example the first GOOGLE hit is:

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/qa/qagfci.shtm

And I?m wondering: is this modifications in fact prohibited in the NEC, either specifically or under the rubric of some general prohibition against unapproved modifications?

Inquiring minds want to know...
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Wow ... I don't know what to say. OMG.


"""" Because portable GFCIs are generally used in hazardous situations... most are used by contractors and tradespeople on work sites... they should be used in grounded situations. Since GFCIs can and do fail, using a metal framed portable saw in the grass and compounding the danger by not providing a ground for the tool is dangerous! """"


My personal favorite.
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

By JP: While I cannot believe a home inspector (of which I R 1 ) would say that
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Well I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but this is wording in an actual home inspection report. The part that gets me is the person who paid for this home inspection IMO got ripped off $$$$, the morning I was there a foundation guy was there also to "further evaluate" the foundation, then I came in to "further evaluate" the electrical and the plumber was also going to "further evaluate" the plumbing :D :D :D :D :D . IMO home inspector are making "$mucho dinero$" at the expense of some trade ignorant homeowner.

By C. Tuna: i have been called to fix home inspector listed items and have come across items that were not code violations and when i pointed these things out -- guess who the new owners believed----------------the home inspector!!!
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And the goofy thing is these home owners and realtors have not caught on to this :p .

By MT: I'm not going to recommend that my clients stick anything other than the correct plug into a receptacle, but as noted above there is a logical reason for this modification
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Yea its called MONEY!

[ February 14, 2006, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: Jhr ]
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous!! it seems to me that the realtors use the home inspector's report as a selling point. and they do not want a three page list of items requiring repair, so they shop around and use the home inspectors who are not as critical as others! last month i looked at a house with my cousin and the realtor was waving this yellow report around and stating what good shape this house was in. "just look at this report"!!! and the report had comments like "oversized electrical service" (200 amp standard) and "copper wire throughout" --- "concrete walkways" --- "real fireplace" ! it almost sounded like an advertisment!! but, the report didn't mention the fact that the second floor bathroom ceiling was obviously replaced by the looks of the ceiling's drywall finish job. on either side of the bathroom were closets -- they both had black mold growing through the seams in the original drywall!! there was no mention of a mold problem or roof leak problem. there was an obvious code violation with 3/8 g.f stuffed into a piece of 1/2 g.f feeding the water heater in the garage. the outside a/c unit was fed by a piece of mc cable! then you hear of a old widow selling her house and the home inspector informs her that she has to have the aluminum wire replaced with copper to meet code before she sells her house??? and she forks out $5,000.00 to get it done?? this is after she payed $400.00 for the inspection. and what is the home inspector responsible for?? i think they don't want to be certified or a set standard of required knowledge since that might lead to a liability issue............ my nephew has gone through the training and was doing inspections when his wife was in real estate. he has no background in any facit of the construction industry and has never built a house. i joke with him about it and he laughs -- but he made some very good side money with it!!!
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

Yesterday I called my insurance company to set up a policy for the house my wife and I am about to buy. We've been renting it and living in it for about 6 months, so we know where most of its problem areas are located. We'll fix them in time.

But one question the insurance company representative asked me is whether we had a Home Inspector provide an inspection and a report. I said no, but that we did have an electrical inspection performed. Her only follow-on question was whether the house had Knob & Tube wiring (it does not). She didn't ask if it had any other problems (it does). But it did not occur to me at the time to ask whether the fact that no Home Inspection was performed was going to have an impact on my insurance rates. I'm not at all sure I want to call back and ask them that question now, as I am not sure I want to know!
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

My Arizona PE license is still current, though I don't think I will renew it next year. But earlier this week I received their monthly newsletter. It included a description of some changes that are taking place in the way that the exams are conducted for Home Inspectors. I infer that in AZ, at least, the HI is a licensed and regulated profession.
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

I have to say that whenever the subject of HIs comes up I end up embarrassed to be an electrician. :roll:

So many electricians seem to think that they are perfect and that all HIs suck.

I just can not comprehend the hatred that is aimed at HIs.

No one seems to be willing to admit that a great many electricians do hack work that should be questioned.

Maybe it's just me, maybe I am just nuts.

I have this desire for dangerous electrical installations to be seen, written up and fixed.
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

MPD to answer your question yes Florida was the state that happened the answer is YES.How do I know because I was with the inspector doing those inspections.As a matter of fact it was the counties chief electrical inspector that did them.
Keep in mind that these are all power off inspections,we gat a meter after the final.
To give you a synopsis of what is checked is simple
1-Meter connections tight and arrestor in place and leads cut to size and no contamination
2-Panel pretty much the same breakers tight,no open ko`s ,breakers for stove cook tops ovens a/c etc. checked for proper ampacity
3-All devices trimmed out and spacing is met
4-fixtures installed throughout
So basically after the panel and meter its a visual inspection.So if when the meter is set and main turned on if nothing works or the panel hums it falls on the EC to correct.
In 23 years in Florida there is little I haven`t seen happen.From all homeruns stolen to entire rough ins stripped clean.Appliances cut loose and taken.Vandalizim,theft and yes stupid installers .I even saw a crew come to work that said they could trim 10 homes in a weekend as long as they were paid on monday (Piece work)
Oh they trimmed them got paid and drove off.When power was put on nothing at all worked,why nothing was ever hooked up !!!!!!!!
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

Agreed. Many electricians do hack work. The number of "Master Craftsmen" in our ranks seems to be shrinking every year.
Agreed. There are some good home inspectors; I have met a couple.
Think about this. Termite damage will likely result in costly repairs, a bad roof will result in leaks and costly repairs, bad plumbling will result in wet floors, backed up drains, and costly repairs. Electrical problems and gas line problems can result in fires, costly repairs, severe property damage, and lest we forget DEATH!
Here a termite inspection is required separate from the home inspection. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to require other separate inspections as well.
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

All that would do is add to the already paper jungle that is sifted through every day.Existing is existing get a bonded and certified engineering firm pay the bucks and get the report.The cost is insurance just like title insurance.
The term home inspector gives me the willies,most have no trade experience and get paid for something that nobody stands behind.The home owner signs disclamers negating the home inspector of liability.Maybe if it was well regulated then that would be a start but to attend a course and not even get a test !!!!
That`s right no test in this state when taking the course just pay the fee attend and get certified.So much for certification :mad:
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

Originally posted by iwire:A bad electrician can burn down a house, a bad home inspector will cause what?
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Originally posted by charlie b:
damage caused by a pipe burst whose imminent occurrence had not been noticed by the home inspector.
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Bob a bad home inspector can get you watercuted just like Charlie said.
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

Bob (iwire),
I remember asking some time ago, "What's the difference between a car salesman and a home inspector?" (The car salesman knows when he is lying.)
Don't be embarrassed as being a perfect electrician. The same goes for building trade inspectors out there who have retired and gone into independent HI's. They do exist but are few and far between. If every State could adopt a consistant set of qualification rules & tests for any kind of certification, we would live in a mundane world to say the least.
Oregon incorporated high standards for HI qualifications about 8 years ago. Of the 985 applicants from HI companies in the state only a couple hundred passed the exams. Most were from independent trades and not franchised. So there are good inspectors out there.
rbj, Seattle
 
Re: Home Inspector "O MY GOD"

:) What scares me are the electricians, HI, electrical inspectors, and anyone else that think they know so much more than anyone else. I know more than some electricians, less than some, make as many mistakes as anyone I know. Try hard not to make same mistake twice. This much I have learned: whether it be a home inspector, electrical inspector, lawyer, doctor, or anyone from any walk of life; you will have some exceptionally good ones, some very bad ones and a whole bunch falling in the middle with people just like me.
 
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