Home inspectors are fun

[electricmanscott]

Went out to look at some work the other day. Home inspector was there at the same time. Grumpy sob litteraly tossing all kinds of stuff around in the basement that was in his way.

Anyway, I was giving an estimate to replace some knob and tube and such and add some receptacles (not a fee estimate, a $200.00 one). I give them the run down of the dangers and hazards of the knob and tube and what we can do to correct some of it.

No sooner am I finsihed that the HI starts his schpiel about how it all has to come out, fire this fire that balh blah blah right in front of me. Mostly nonsense but some truths. Then he goes into what he looks for electrical wise during an inspection. Lots of bs and some not even correct. ex= GFCI receptacles within 6 feet of the kitchen sink...

So I just ignore him and do my thing and go on my way.

Just got a call from the lady....Home inspector recomends AFCI circuit breakers for all circuits especially the knob and tube.



This guy has the lady scared out of her mind and in my view for no good reason.

 

[roger3829]

Well don't you know the code requires AFCI's for ALL circuits? Even ranges and dryers.

Also receptacles within 6' of kitchen sink are supposed to be both AFCI and GFCI protected and have WP covers too.

I hope he also told them that they have to upgrade to a 200amp service because that's code now too.

It's obvious that the HI is more knowledgeable than you with the code.:smile:

It really is amazing how much people will believe from these HI's. Especially over contractors in the field.:-?

 

[growler]

Then he goes into what he looks for electrical wise during an inspection. Lots of bs and some not even correct.

I really hate to say this again but a home inspection is not a code electrical inspection.

A home inspector is allowed to list anything of concern. They can use whatever criteria they wish when doing a home inspection.

I have went round and round with some of the local home inspectors but I finally learned what they are doing. They are hired to give an opinion and if the homeowner believes them that's all that matters. If the homeowner chooses to then they can disregard all this information because it doesn't mean anything.

Home inspectors are the Chiropractors of the Real Estate industry. They have official sounding titles but their opinion really means nothing unless the customer truely believes they are being helped. :grin:

By the way there is more scientific evidence for acupuncture than there is to back up Chiropractic Medicine but that doesn't stop them from practicing.

 

[iwire]

Nice post Growler, that sums it up.

 

[LarryFine]

One thing HI's never seem to miss: the dreaded "double-tapped" breaker. Horrors! That's among the least dangerous of improper wiring issues. What do they miss? Let's see:


A) A 100a service drop, line-side cable, and meter, with a new 200a MB panel, 4/0 on the load side of the meter. Obviously a never permitted-or-inspected upgrade, part of an equally never-permitted-or-inspected central-AC installation.

Opened panel reveals missing cable clamps, especially on the new home-run for the new electric furnace, but no home run for the AC compressor. :-? I found it, tapped into a nearby baseboard-heat unit. The HI gave the electric a rave report.

How did I get involved? The young couple with a new houseand a new baby called me because the POCO cut their drop at the eyebolt, because a line-side terminal on the 100a meter base burned open, because the new load addition was too much.

They had partical power for about 2 weeks and no power for another 2 weeks. I had to get a permit and inspection as if I was doing the service upgrade myself, as well as just about the same amount of work. It was among the sloppiest of panels I've seen.


B) This one was also shortly after a glowing HI report. A QO MB panel with no, and I mean no cable clamps, no grounding at all, and likewise 4/0 from a 100a meter base with a 100a service drop. I believe this was also part of an illegal HVAC installation.

The 10/2 NM cable to the water heater caught on fire; the EGC was the only connection between the service neutral/panel ground and the copper water system and earth. It took me a while to figure out why the water-heater breaker never tripped.

A storm energized the incoming neutral somehow. Why the triplex neutral did not cause the primary fuse to pop I can't say. I was told that the POCO guys measured well over 120 volts even after the meter was pulled. I'm not sure what the measured it to.


Just like us, there's good and bad. The point is that someone professing to be an inspector that looks for safety issues ought to be qualified to look for stuff that really matters, or can cause fire or electrocution. Who cares if there are 2 #14's on a 15a breaker?

Why don't they know that part of an upgrade includes proper and compliant grounding, properly-sized cable on both sides of the meter, and the use of cable clamps? Why don't they know that existing installations need not be updated if originally compliant?

 

[LarryFine]

To add: I've heard that some inspectors will not disclose major issues for fear that they might get sued because their information may interfere with the sale of a home.

Well, if it's a major issue, it should interfere with the sale! What's the point of hiring an inspector who is compelled to keep the really important stuff to himself?

"Gee, I can't tell them about the genuine, impending dangers, so I'll just mention the superficial stuff."

 

[bradleyelectric]

Went to look at a pool install yesterday. The #2 seu service cable was wrapped with tape, a full fairly new 12 circuit CU MLO panel with a FP 2 circuit disconnect with a 230 marked water heater under it for a service. Guy said he bought the house 2 years ago and the listing advertised upgraded electric. There was nothing in the home inspection report about it.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I told a realtor that the HI was "mistaken" about an item that he swore needed to be corrected. She told him what I said and he told her that I must be an idiot and that he was going to his HI group meeting and let them all know it. So she calls me again, I give her the code section and the exception and the path to the correct answer and then told her that when she speaks to him again, she should ask him how long he had been the Chief Electrical Inspetor and what city he works for and then if he had any futher questions he should give me a call.

Never heard from him.

 

[mtec]

We should not bit--complan HI's give us extra work for stuff that is no big deal. I just don't get why h.o'.s will take the word of a Home Inspector over a EC. ( 5 to 8 years to be a EC 3 to 6 mo's at the comunity collage to be a H.I.) Here a Home Inspector ( for $200 will come back out and insrect the work done to see if it is up to his standerds.

 

[aline]

We should not bit--complan HI's give us extra work for stuff that is no big deal. I just don't get why h.o'.s will take the word of a Home Inspector over a EC. ( 5 to 8 years to be a EC 3 to 6 mo's at the comunity collage to be a H.I.) Here a Home Inspector ( for $200 will come back out and insrect the work done to see if it is up to his standerds.

You want to know why the homeowner takes the word of the home inspector over the EC?

Because the home inpspector charges hundreds of dollars to give the homeowner the information an EC will give out for free.

To the homeowner the home inspector must know what he's talking about. After all he's charging hundreds of dollars for the information. People equate things that are free as not being worth much. The free information couldn't possibly be worth more than the information they had to pay a professional to provide.

If you want people to view something as valuable you need to charge for it.

I read somewhere that a company was doing free seminars. When they decided to charge for the seimnars they actually had more people come to the seminar.

 

[480sparky]

...If you want people to view something as valuable you need to charge for it.....

"No sir, you don't really need to do that. That will be $150, please."

 

[c2500]

We should not bit--complan HI's give us extra work for stuff that is no big deal. I just don't get why h.o'.s will take the word of a Home Inspector over a EC. ( 5 to 8 years to be a EC 3 to 6 mo's at the comunity collage to be a H.I.) Here a Home Inspector ( for $200 will come back out and insrect the work done to see if it is up to his standerds.

mtec,

We have a similar problem in SC. Depending on the company doing the inspecting, it is very easy to manipulate the inspection. When I say manipulate, I mean make sure all is right with what he will look at, not anything unethical or illegal. I have seen them write up a bad GFCI but miss the fact 2/3's of the wood floor in a room be cupped terribly. (Obvious leak in the master shower above coming down the wall). There are some that are good, but as of late, they seem to be getting worse and letting alot of stuff slide. And I still want to wring the neck of the bozo that inspected the house I used to live in (sold it, then new owners sold it, then the inspection came). He was spouted off alot of things that were never located in the IRC. However he is a licensed home inspector. Ironically, the testing I took was a whole lot more involved than his.

c2500

 

[cowboyjwc]

The ones that you really have to look out for are the ones that hand out a report and then just happen to have the business card of a guy they know that can fix it.

 

[c2500]

The ones that you really have to look out for are the ones that hand out a report and then just happen to have the business card of a guy they know that can fix it.

In SC, that would be illegal. (As I would guess elsewhere). However, I am sure it goes on alot.

c2500