Summary Page
|
Property Inspection Report by Frank P. Newman for | |
| Client(s): | Sample Inspection |
| Property address: | 123 Anystreet Dublin, GA 31021 |
| Inspection date: | 7-4-2008 |
Concerns are shown and sorted according to these types:
 | Safety | Poses a risk of injury or death |
 | Major Defect | Correction likely involves a significant expense |
 | Repair/Replace | Recommend repairing or replacing |
 | Repair/Maintain | Recommend repair and/or maintenance |
 | Minor Defect | Correction likely involves only a minor expense |
 | Maintain | Recommend ongoing maintenance |
 | Evaluate | Recommend evaluation by a specialist |
 | Monitor | Recommend monitoring in the future |
 | Serviceable | Item or component is in servicable condition |
 | Comment | For your information |
- The front porch deck is approximately 55" above ground level. Porches and decks more than 30" high should have appropriate railings to prevent accidental falls.
- One or more outdoor electric receptacles appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all outdoor receptacles within six feet six inches of ground level have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.
- An extension cord was being used as permanent wiring to supply power to a storage building. They should only be used for portable equipment on a temporary basis. Using extension cords as permanent wiring poses a fire and shock hazard, and is an indication that wiring is inadequate and should be updated. Extension cords may be undersized. Connections may not be secure, resulting in power fluctuations, damage to equipment, and sparks that could start a fire. Extension cords should be removed as necessary, or a qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, install additional circuits and/or electric receptacles.
- At the property entrance, a portion of the driveway has been removed for installation of other buried equipment. This section should be repaved.
- Handrail at back door in garage stairs is loose. This is a safety hazard. A qualified contractor should make repairs as necessary. For example, installing new fasteners and/or hardware so handrail is securely attached.
- The auto-reverse mechanism on at least one of the (3) vehicle door openers is inoperable or require too much force to activate. This is a safety hazard, especially for small children. A qualified contractor should evaluate and repair as necessary. For more information on garage door safety issues, visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/523.html or http://www.ohdstl.com/safety.html
- One or more garage electric receptacles appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all garage receptacles, except for one for use with a refrigerator or freezer, have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.
- Wire splices are exposed due to not being contained in a covered junction box. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, install securely mounted junction boxes with cover plates where needed to contain wiring splices.
- The garage-house door poses a fire risk because it's not fire-rated (metal or solid-core construction). A qualified contractor should replace this door with a fire-rated door.
- Cover plate(s) are missing from one or more electric boxes, such as for receptacles, switches and/or junction boxes. They are intended to contain fire and prevent electric shock from exposed wires. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of fire and shock. Cover plates should be installed where missing.
- The power supply for the sprinkler system had been connected to the disconnect for the upstairs heat pump. While the two wires have been disconnected for now, leaving the sprinkler system inoperable, a new source of power will have to be established in order to rehabilitate that system. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- A splice box was installed on the outside wall to facilitate the splitting of the service conductors to two service panels. The latches on the splice box are not secured and could be easily opened by a child or other person who could come in contact with live components inside. One or more locking devices or seals should be installed.
- Neutral wires are doubled or bundled together with ground wires on the neutral bus bar. This is unsafe due to the potential of unintended voltage excursions during service activities. Each neutral should be terminated separately from ground wires. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- Neutral and equipment ground conductors are combined at the sub-panel. This should only occur in the main service panel, and is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. Neutral conductors should be attached to a "floating" neutral bar not bonded to the panel, while grounding conductors should be attached to a separate grounding bar bonded to the sub panel. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary.
- One or more screws are missing from the main service panel cover and should be replaced. Because energized wiring may exist behind the holes with the missing screws, recommend that a qualified, licensed electrician replace these screws, or that care be taken to ensure that the new screws do not come in contact with wiring inside the panel when they are installed. Stock screws from the panel manufacturer should be used, or their equivalent.
- The estimated useful life for most water heaters is 8 to 12 years. This water heater appears to be at this age or older and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future.
- The estimated useful life for air conditioning compressors is 8 to 15 years. This unit appears to be approaching this age and may need replacing at any time. Recommend budgeting for a replacement in the near future.
- The inspector was unable to determine if the woodstove and flue are installed safely, and in accordance with the manufacturers' specifications. Recommend having a qualified stove and/or chimney service contractor evaluate to determine if the woodstove and flue are in installed in accordance with the manufacturers' specifications, and make repairs and/or modifications if necessary.
- Some wiring is loose, unsupported, or inadequately supported. Standard building practices require non-metallic sheathed wiring to be trimmed to length, attached to runners or to solid backing with fasteners at intervals of 4-1/2 ft. or less. Fasteners should be installed within 12 inches of all enclosures. A qualified, licensed electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary. For example, trim wire to length and/or install staples as needed.
- One or more electric receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of a sink appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of sinks have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.
- The kitchen sink drain uses an unacceptable trap arrangement, rather than a vented p-trap. Water seals (the water lying in the bottom of the u-shaped pipe) may be lost when discharges occur in the system, resulting in sewer gases entering the structure. Recommend having a qualified plumber evaluate and replace the existing trap arrangement with a vented p-trap.
- One or more electric receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of a sink appear to have no ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate to determine if GFCI protection exists, and if not, repairs should be made so that all receptacles that serve countertop surfaces within six feet of sinks have GFCI protection. For example, install GFCI receptacles or circuit breaker(s) as needed.
- One or more open ground, three-pronged grounding type receptacles were found (in rooms where the bottom half of the receptacle is switched). This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary.
- A light fixture with an exposed bulb is installed in the laundry room closet. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of fire. Flammable stored items may come into contact with hot bulbs, and hot fragments from broken bulbs may fall on combustible materials. Standard building practices require closet lighting to use fluorescent light fixtures, or to use fully enclosed incandescent fixtures. Installing a compact fluorescent lamp in a lamp holder is not an acceptable practice. A qualified electrician should replace closet lights as necessary and as per standard building practices.
- Batteries in all the smoke alarms should be replaced after taking occupancy, and annually in the future. "Chirping" noises emitted from smoke alarms typically indicate that batteries need replacing. For more information, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5077.html
- Non-metallic sheathed wiring is routed in one or more areas so it is subject to damage, such as on wall or ceiling surfaces. The insulation can be damaged by objects coming in contact with it and/or it being repeatedly moved. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and repair as necessary. For example, rewire using conduit, or re-routing through wall cavities.
- Wire splices are exposed due to not being contained in a covered junction box. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of shock and fire. A qualified electrician should evaluate and make repairs as necessary. For example, install securely mounted junction boxes with cover plates where needed to contain wiring splices.
- Cover plate(s) are missing from one or more electric boxes, such as for receptacles, switches and/or junction boxes. They are intended to contain fire and prevent electric shock from exposed wires. This is a safety hazard due to the risk of fire and shock. Cover plates should be installed where missing.
- THE WELL, SOFTENERS, AND RELATED EQUIPMENT WERE NOT IN OPERATION, SO COULD NOT BE FULLY EVALUATED; HOWEVER ALL PORTIONS OF THIS SYSTEM APPEAR TO BE IN VERY POOR CONDITION. RECOMMEND EVALUATION AND REHABILITATION BY QUALIFIED WELL AND WATER TREATMENT CONTRACTORS.