What You Should Expect On Your Gas Furnace Inspection by Your Home Inspector

Basic info: will explain about the furnace, what type, age, location, size, etc












Basic info: will explain about the furnace, what type, age, location, size, etc
The infrared thermal imaging camera is a very important tool in many professions. A few of the top uses would be during a home inspection and first responders. Thermal imaging detects coolness or heat and helps located issues not visible with the naked eye. This tool should be in every home inspector's tool kit when inspecting homes as it gives a much more detailed and thorough view of the condition of the structural components.
Here are the Top 9 Uses for the Infrared Thermal Imaging Camera:
2. Circuit Boxes and Wall Outlets
Thermal imaging is a great way to detect overheated circuit boxes or wall outlets which is a sign of potential problems that can arise.
3. Plumbing Issues
Thermal imaging can provide a better way to detect the flow of water in the pipes as well as clogs within the pipes.
You can actually watch in real time as you work to loosen a clog while flowing hot water through the pipes.
4. Roofing
Roofs are on the the most expensive structural components of a home and it's important to maintain repair before issues arise. This isn't easy to do with the naked eye. With an Infrared Thermal Imaging Camera, you can inspect your roof from ground level and look for areas where heat may be escaping or cools spots where water may be accumulating due to shingle damage.
5.  Home Use for Homeowners
If you love technology and a home in good repair, you'll love to have this tool! You can find studs in your walls, located cool spots in your oven and stove and check the temp in your fridge (and yes, check the temp on that bottle of beer you'll be having later). You can also look for possible leads around your toilet, showers and sinks. Infrared thermal imaging is also a great tool for anyone with radiant floors or ceilings! So many possibilities!
6. Water Leaks
Water damage can wreak havoc on homes from roofs to foundations to flooring and within walls.  Water leaks can show up as both hot and cold and the infrared thermal imaging camera can pick up both. It's sometimes impossible to find water leaks behind walls or to spot water leaks on your own. With thermal imaging you can easily spot inconsistencies with water flows, pinpoint puddles that you'd otherwise not see and spot leaks coming down walls.
7. Security
Thermal imaging was mostly developed by the military, so it makes sense that it's very useful for security purposes.
Take it with you camping, for example, to spot intruders at night like people, bear, raccoon, etc.
8. First Responders
Infrared thermal imaging can help first responders located people trapped inside a structure and help them find their way around dense smoke.
9. Auto Repair
As in HVAC, using the infrared thermal imaging camera can help mechanics spot overheating in the electrical system.  It can locate the issue at the precise point of the problem in the engine.
These Top 9 Uses For Infrared Thermal Imaging Camera written by Suzanne Martin with Coastal Property Inspections in Orange County CA
www.CoastalPropertyInspect.com
Telephone:Â 949-401-8996
Almost all air contains water vapor, the gas phase of water composed of tiny water droplets. The molecules in warm air are far apart from one another and allow the containment of a relatively large quantity of water vapor. As air cools, its molecules get closer together and squeeze the tiny vapor droplets closer together, as well. A critical temperature, known as the dew point, exists where these water droplets will be forced so close together that they merge into visible liquid in a process called condensation.
Double-pane windows have a layer of gas (usually argon or air) trapped between two panes of glass that acts as insulation to reduce heat loss through the window. Other types of gas used in this space have various effects on heat gain or loss through the window. Some windows also have a thin film installed between panes that separates the space between the panes into two spaces, further reducing heat loss and heat gain through the window. If multiple-pane windows appear misty or foggy, it means that the seal protecting the window assembly has failed.
A desiccant is an absorbent material designed to maintain dryness in the space it protects. In a double-paned window, silica pellets inside the aluminum perimeter strip absorb moisture from any incoming air that enters the space between the panes. If not for the silica desiccant, any moisture in the space between the panes would condense on the glass as the glass cools below the dew point temperature.
Silica gel has an immense surface area, approximately 7,200 square feet per gram, which allows it to absorb large amounts of water vapor. As the sealant protecting this space fails over time, increasing amounts of moisture-containing air will enter the space between the panes, and the silica pellets will eventually become saturated and will no longer be able to prevent condensation from forming. A double-paned window that appears foggy or that has visible condensation has failed and needs to be repaired or replaced.
Over time, the constant pressure fluctuations caused by thermal pumping will stress the seal. Eventually, the seal will develop small fractures that will slowly grow in size, allowing increasing amounts of infiltration and exfiltration of air from the space between the panes.
Failure Factors
Windows on the sunny side of a home will experience larger temperature swings, resulting in greater amounts of thermal pumping, seal stress and failure rates.
Vinyl window frames have a higher coefficient of expansion resulting in greater long-term stress on the double-pane assembly, and a higher failure rate. Windows also experience batch failure, which describes production runs of windows, especially vinyl windows, that are defective, meaning that the pane assemblies have been manufactured with seals that have small defects that will cause the window to fail prematurely.
The Nature of Damage
If it’s allowed to continue, window condensation will inevitably lead to irreversible physical window damage. This damage can appear in the following two ways:
Detecting Failure
Condensation is not always visible. If the failure is recent, a failed window may not be obvious, since condensation doesn’t usually form until the window is heated by direct sunlight. Windows in the shade may show no evidence of failure, so inspectors should disclaim responsibility for discovering failed double-paned windows.
Infrared Thermal Imaging as a Detection Tool
Under the right conditions, it’s possible to use an infrared (IR) camera to detect failed windows. IR cameras are designed to record differences in temperature.Â
InterNACHI provides a thermal imaging course that includes information on using IR cameras for this purpose, and has a message board forum devoted to IR.
Recommendations for Failed Windows
According to industry experts, the glazing assembly can be replaced  approximately 75% of the time.  Occasionally, the sashes must be replaced, and only about 5% of those cases require that the entire window be replaced.
Inspectors should be aware that there are companies that claim to be able to repair misty windows through a process known as “defogging.”
This repair method proceeds in the following order:
Inspectors should know that there is currently a debate as to whether this process is a suitable repair for windows that have failed, or if it merely removes the symptom of this failure. Condensation appears between double-paned windows when the window is compromised, and removal of this water will not fix the seal itself. A window “repaired” in this manner, although absent of condensation, might not provide any additional insulation. This method is still fairly new and opinions about its effectiveness range widely. Regardless, “defogging” certainly allows for cosmetic improvement, which is of some value to homeowners. It may also reduce the potential for damage caused by condensation in the form of mold or rot.  Some skepticism exists about the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of this method of repair.
In summary, condensation in double-paned windows indicates that the glazing assembly has failed and needs repair or replacement. Visible condensation can damage glazing and is the main indication of sealant failure
Coastal Property Inspections
Chris Knappett
InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector
Cell:Â 949-396-9595
News for California Home Inspectors: California Energy Commission Adopts Solar PV Requirements for New Construction in 2020
by Nick Gromicko, CMI® and Kate Tarasenko
As goes California, so goes the rest of the country. The state has become the first in the nation to require the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on new single-family homes, starting in 2020. This effort will reduce energy use in new homes by half, compared to new homes without solar features.
The California Energy Commission voted unanimously on May 9, 2018, to add the solar requirement to the state’s building regulations, the details of which will be rolled out sometime in 2019, although the process has already begun in earnest. This step helps address the increasingly urgent problem of climate change and global warming.
A headline in USA Today’s May 17, 2018, edition blared: “Earth just had its 400th straight warmer-than-average month, thanks to global warming.” The crisis is no longer up for debate, so leaders in the U.S. and around the world are scrambling to institute workable solutions.
According to the Energy Commission’s press release, California Building Industry Association CEO and President Dan Dunmoyer said, “With this adoption, the California Energy Commission has struck a fair balance between reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while simultaneously limiting increased construction costs.”
While the short-term cost of these PV installations may add around $40 per month to the average 30-year mortgage, the energy savings for lighting, heating and cooling is estimated to be around $80 per month. Couple that with the overall goal of reducing harmful carbon emissions and harnessing the renewable energy of the Sun, and it’s a clear win for Californians.
InterNACHI® spoke with Amber Beck, Public Information Officer for the California Energy Commission. We asked her how these new solar requirements and energy regulations will affect the building trades.
Ms. Beck said, “Builders, contractors and architects will need to coordinate throughout the process to build a new home that incorporates solar PV. A building inspector will need to verify that the solar PV installation meets all code requirements before signing the Certificate of Occupancy.”
She continued, “Inspectors in areas where builders are already constructing new homes with solar systems should already be familiar with these types of inspections. As with every code cycle,” she said, “the Energy Commission will create training materials and hold webinars.”
Some excellent resources for inspectors and builders alike are the Commission’s Online Resource Center, and the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which provide periodic updates.
Ms. Beck also encourages people to read their quarterly Blueprint Newsletter. It’s “aimed at giving guidance to building inspectors and builders. These tools will help home inspectors once the standards take effect in 2020,” she said.
Professionals are also invited to join their lists to be notified of classes and new training materials.
InterNACHI’s Education Department is already hard at work developing online and video courses related to inspecting solar PV panels. We are also coordinating directly with the California Energy Commission to create training materials, classes and webinars to explain the new construction solar requirements. Stay tuned! www.NACHI.org for future announcements on new construction solar requirements and more.
Posted By Coastal Property Inspections in Orange County
contact us at 949-401-8996
We are a boutique home inspection business offering high value, personal experience and believe in quality over quantity. When you hire Chris to do your Oceanside home inspection, you get Chris, the owner, not a random inspector employee.
Coastal Property Inspections offers the best Oceanside home inspections! Certified Drone Pilot for the best roof inspections around! And, Chris is an infrared thermal imaging certified specialist giving you an added value of being able to determine if there is water damage or excessive heat that cannot be seen with the naked eye! Both of these services are included in our Oceanside home inspections. Now, that’s extra value.
Home buyers and home sellers! Certified InterNACHI Oceanside Home Inspector will inspect your new home, condo or multiplex or contractor progressive inspections in a thorough and detailed manner. Every inspection includes a drone inspection of your roof and exterior AND an infrared thermal imaging service to uncover any hidden water issues the property may have at no additional charge! Contact us today to schedule your Oceanside Home Inspection.
We at Coastal Property Inspections challenge the status quo! Our goal is to provide the real estate community, home buyers and sellers the best and most comprehensive home inspection services in the industry. We go above and beyond the typical inspection by including infrared imaging, drone inspections, a fast 24 report turn around with a high level of passion, communication, knowledge and engagement with our clients. You’ll feel content when you’ve had your home inspection with Coastal Property Inspections. Â
When buying a new home, home buyers want to make make sure they are not buying a money pit, so hiring an inspector who is thorough, detail oriented and a good communicator is vital. Chris Knappett, home inspector in Laguna Niguel with Coastal Property Inspections, is just that inspector. He has been certified by InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors), so he is properly equipped to do your inspection. Many inspectors are not certified here in CA, so beware!
​Chris’s vast knowledge and understanding about homes along with his ability to calmly discuss the results of his findings with you, make him a great person for the job. Plus, you will walk away with a summary list of items you may need to repair on the spot. He’s also available to discuss any questions you may have about your inspection and is only a call away. 949-396-9595