Home Inspection Informational Blog

Another announcement... please welcome...

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:20:46 -0500

I truly have been busy lately with the new baby, a growing business and now a new employee, a home inspector.

Please help me to welcome Jimmy Zazueta as he joins Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection.

Jimmy and myself grew up as cousins. Though we're not blood related, our moms were best friends since junior high school. Because of that, I can attest to Jimmy's work ethic, dedication and customer service; all traits that are vital to my Pillar To Post home inspection business. He has the sane desire to provide the best home inspection possible as he also realizes that we are not only just performing home inspections, but a vital service for someone's future home and family. This is more improtant than ever with so many forclosures and the unbknown condition of the home. We will work for you to provide the best insight and home inspection around.

Jimmy and myself will be performing home inspections as a team until things are set in place and ready for Jimmy and myself to perform inspections independently and thus provide twice the opportunity and time slots for home inspections.

As you see Jimmy in the field, please welcome him and introduce yourself.

Hopefully soon I will be able to get back in the swing of things and post blogs more often. I thank you all for your support and kindness!

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Announcing...

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:05:13 -0500

It is with great joy and pleasure I can announce the birth of my 4th child, and 1st daughter:

Gianna Marie

July 9, 2008

6-lbs., 13-oz.

19-in. long

She's another blessing in my life and mommy and baby are doing well. As I reflect on the important things in life, there's nothing more improtant than family. Her brothers (James, Joseph and Johm Paul) are truly excited she's here and love to hold her and give her kisses. There's nothing like a baby.

When it RAINS, it Pours

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:38:45 -0500

Well... it finally happened... the big crash...

I've heard of it many, many times but never have personally experienced it... until now.

Old Betsy (I guess I'll call her), my computer, finally crashed. She's gone, nothing left of her, zip, zilch, nada, nothing. The hard drive crashed and everything's gone. Luckily I had backed it up a few weeks earlier (of course I should had done it more frequently). So I hooked up the external hard drive to my laptop to get the info. Nothing would pop up. So I called tech support. They said there was a problem with the drive, so they put me through to warranty and data recovery. I can send in the hard drive for replacement, but it would cost a minimum of $700 to recovery the data (which isn't covered by the warranty). So goodbye to literally thousands of pictures I had stored there.

Then within a week, one of my laptops crashed... WOW! Of course the desktop and laptop that crashed were both over 4-years old... I guess that's considered old for a computer.

So why did I share this with you? One reason is to vent, that always feels good. But the other is that age old reminder to always back up your data on your computers. Maybe use two different methods? An external hard drive and cd's.

Anyway, I have replaced the computers and everything is fine now. And of course all this happened while business has been booming. Luckily my work laptop was not effected. But I have learned to back that up daily now.

Take care out there... and don't forget, back up your computer data!

And if you have a good method for backing up data, please share.

It's Been a While

Thu, 29 May 2008 21:43:29 -0500

I first want to apologize for the long break since my last blog. Well, actually I haven't had much of a break at all. I've been the busiest I've ever been and have little time left over after work and family. So of course my time for blogs also gets limited.

However I want to announce that I have a trainee right now. He'll be with me until June 15, then will be going through the official Pillar To Post training. Once he returns he will ride-along for a few weeks more before he finally gets out on his own. I'm very excited but of course it's a lot of work and time right now with everything happening.

I will give him an official introduction later. Thanks to everyone who subscribes to my blog, everyone who reads it and all those who support my Pillar To Post franchise through their loyal business. I, and my employee, will always strive to give you 110%. Take care and feel free to browse though my previous blogs for various home inspection information.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Remodels Should also be Inspected

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:49:26 -0500

Last month I had an owner call me and wanted me to inspect her house because she might be selling it down the road and because she had a bathroom remodeled and had some concerns. Luckily the worse of her concerns were not an issue, however, it reminded me of a point I wanted to share.

When I inspect an older home I don't expect it to be up to "code" because of the era it was built. I still mention many items I think should be upgraded, but I inform them it was not required when the house was built and I don't expect to see certain upgrades. However, when a remodel is performed, everything must be done to current "code," even if the house was built in the 1950's. Now I'm not a code inspector and have no jurisdictional authority as such, therefore I don't usually reference "code" and is why I put it in quotes. Only a local code enforcement, or other duly authorized agent, has that jurisdiction. But that's another issue and topic.

So back to my inspection. The supervisor for the contractor was there who did the remodel. We went under the house and he stated, "Perfect, everything looks good and is up to code." I held my words and proceeded with my inspection. Here's what I saw:

The contractor did do a good job, however, current requirements indicate proper connectors are needed at piers and posts. Since this pier and post was specifically altered during the remodel, it needed to meet current requirements. The connector would be a "T" type metal plate that would connect the post (above the concrete pier) and the beam above, then it would need to be properly anchored or bolted.

So though the contractor performed "good" work, it did not meet current building requirements. It just goes to show you why a contractor doesn't always make a good home inspector and why even remodels can benefit from a home inspection. My client could have been left footing the bill when she sold the home if I wasn't contacted.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Rude and Uninformed Agent "Educating" a Home Inspector

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:27:08 -0500

The other day I was at a home inspection and arrived early. I knocked on the door and asked the seller if I could start early. He was very nice and said yes. I always start on the roof, and that day was no different. It was a concrete tile roof and I have been trained to walk on and inspect tile roofs.

After the roof I began inspecting the exterior. The seller's agent arrived and began to talk to me as if I was her 10 year old son. She starts by saying, "My client called me and dais you were walking on the roof." I said, "Yes, how else do you inspect a roof?" She said, "Unless you're a roofing contractor you can't walk on roofs." I said, "I've been trained by the nation's largest tile manufacturer, MonierLifetile, as to how to walk on and inspect tile roofs." She said, "My inspector goes to the roof edge and you can see everything from there." At that point I had to hold in the laughter and my desire to say a few choice words about the inspectors she's using, but I held my tongue. She then said, "If there's any roof problems you'll be in a world of hurt." She turned and walked in the house and I said, "Good morning." She had a very condescending and rude tone the entire time.

I wasn't so surprised by her rudeness as I have encountered that many times before. But I was quite upset about her ignorance on the subject and the fact she thought she knew something that she didn't. Despite me explaining to her my qualifications, she continued on her rant.

So here's my point, the home inspection industry only gives minimum standards as to the inspection process. So therefore there will be quite a variance to inspection styles and processes between inspectors. How can an agent that's been around over 10-years (supposedly) not know that? I know that not much is known about home inspections in the general public, but I would hope that someone in the profession of real estate would be more informed.

How do agents learn about home inspections? Are agents familiar with the standards of practice within their local state guidelines (if licensed) or the national or local home inspection associations? What can we do to improve this?

By the way, here's my qualification to walk on and inspect tile roofs (issued by the nation's largest roof tile manufacturer). Thanks, I just had to get this off my chest.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Enter at Your Own Risk

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:59:28 -0500

The other day I inspected a house over 4,000 sq. ft. that had a crawlspace. I finished the inspection and was explaining the report to the buyer. Here are some of the items I found in the crawlspace.

This support member was notched (where it meets the wall). Someone put in a concrete pier and anchor, but never installed the post for support. Obviously a structural issue, but not too bad to repair.

This post was not properly set in the anchor so that the holes on the left of the anchor could not even be used to nail in the post.

This is how the front porch and back deck looked. The subfloor was saturated (as confirmed by my moisture meter) and though technically a lab test is needed to verify mold and which type, I'll let you take a wild guess what it is.

On a side note, I was very happy I was wearing my respirator (read my post Extreme Makeover - Home (inspector) Edition)

There were also two carcasses in the crawlspace, a small rodent and what looked like a small dog. I do have pictures but decided not to post them.

After I went over the report with the buyer, she told her husband, "I'm sure glad we didn't go with that guy who said he didn't go in crawlspaces." I was amazed! I guess you get what you pay for.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Don't Rock the Boat (or the House)

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:23:27 -0500

Last week I inspected two houses built in the 1930's. One of the houses had unreinforced cripple walls and the sill plate was not bolted to the foundation, which is typical for the age of the home. The other home had some retrofitting done to the foundation. Here's a picture.

The plywood is the reinforcement for the cripple wall. The smaller metal plate bewteen the plywood and the concrete foundation wall is retrofitting that bolts the sill plate to the foundation wall. This is done in California to protect houses shifting from the foundations during earthquakes. I haven't seen it done very often but was very glad to see it done here. I informed my clients that this was done and the benfit of such.

I often have to call out defects and probelms in a house. It was nice to also pass on some good news and what an added bonus this was for the home.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

An 8-ft Tall Child, Dog or Cat?

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:29:26 -0500

I love to laugh and my job as a home inspector provides many opportunities for this. Last week I came across this in a garage.

If you look above the spring you'll see the laser sensors for the garage door. I wrote about laser sensors in The Eye of the Tiger. The laser sensors cannot be any more than 6-inches above the floor for child and pet safety. I even had a friend of a client once tell me she knew someone's child who was killed by a garage door, so it's a very serious safety issue.

So back to the story. Here's a close up of the laser sensors above the garage door springs.

At first, this is hilarious. Maybe the contractor comes from a line of 8-ft tall kids or maybe he had an 8-ft tall cat or dog growing up. Because that's about how tall someone would have to be for those laser sensors to trip. But then the laughter fades and you realize how completely ignorant and foolish the person was who installed those. I think of the story I related earlier where a child was killed by a Garage door. It's not much of a laughing matter.

So please check your garage door laser sensor eyes and confrim they're about 4-6 inches above the floor (not the ceiling).

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Flippin Out in the Attic

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:21:09 -0500

This weekend I inspected a home built in 1931. It had a flat roof, so the attic was only about 16-inches tall. I popped my head in the attic (one of very few I couldn't enter) and had to chuckle at what I saw.

Isn't that hilarious? Okay, you're probably thinking, "This guys gone a bit wacky." Don't worry, I guarantee every home inspector thinks it's funny. Let me explain.

The paper you see on top of the insulation is a vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is supposed to be on the bottom (flipped over) so it is against the ceiling below. If it is left the way it is, moisture can get trapped between the ceiling, insulation and vapor barrier and casue serious issues. The vapor barrier would essentially trap the moisture in the insulation instead of preventing it from contacting the insulation.

The solution? Someone needs to flip over all the insulation, and of course make sure there's no moisture damages. Easy solution, though probably not very fun. You may very well be "flippin out" after you spend hours flipping over the insulation.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Comparing Apples and Oranges

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:01:54 -0500

Have you ever heard that saying, "comparing apples and oranges?" It means you can't compare two things that really aren't comparable, for whatever reason. Well the same thing is true for homes.

Specifically this is true when talking about electrical wiring. There is aluminum wiring and copper wiring. The two are definitely different in many ways. But what I want to focus on today is the wire sizes for copper and aluminum wiring.

I came upon this the other day during a home inspection.

Look closely and you'll see the two outside wires are aluminum and the two inner wires (black and white) are copper. This picture reminded me that many people don't seem to know that copper and aluminum wiring need different sized wires for the same breaker size. Aluminum wiring is not as conductive as copper wiring, so a thicker gauge wire is needed.

If you use undersized wires, the wire can melt or scorch before the breaker ever trips, thus causing a fire hazard. So it is a serious concern that the correct sized wire for the stated breaker is used.

Here is a sample of some proper wire sizes for copper and aluminum branch circuits for certain ampacities:

Amperage Copper Wire Size Aluminum Wire Size

15-amps #14 #12

20-amps #12 #10

30-amps #10 #8

40-amps #8 #6

50-amps #6 #4

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

My Cousin Vinny's Home Inspection

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:02:17 -0500

I remember the line from the movie "My Cousin Vinny" where Vinny is examining a witness in court and states, "Well, I guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove."

Well it appears I encountered this during the weekend.

If you look right above the microwave, the bottom of the cabinet is about 1 1/2-inches higher, there is a gap in between. There should have been two bolts in the cabinet that secures the top of the cabinet to the microwave. If you've ever seen one of these units installed (above the stove) there is a metal plate that is secured to the wall that the microwave rests on. The metal plate provides support for the microwave vertically, but not horizontally. It looks like the only thing keeping this microwave from tilting forward is the exhaust duct connection (and that's not a very secure connection, I can guarantee that). So just as Vinny stated in the movie, "It appears the laws of physics cease to exist above that stove."

I pointed this out the my clients and we were all amazed that the microwave had not fallen over yet. Luckily it is in a vacant house. But it is a serious concern that should be taken care of immediately.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Argghhh Matey, Walk the Plank!

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:06:06 -0500

It's quite common to see the furnace located in the attic in this area. When the furnace is in the attic there should be a light in case someone needs to work on the unit and there should be a platform so you can get to the unit and have access easily.

The other day I was in an attic and came across this.

That's what a platform to access the furnace looks like in an attic. However, if you look closely at the very left part of the plywood you'll see it's not secured to the truss. They evidently cut the plywood about 3-inches too short and just decided to leave it. If someone stepped there with full force, they just might be "walkin' the plank Matey," and take a plunge below. By the way, this was the same attic with the notched truss in my post Another Notch in the Belt. I guess Bubba gets a little trigger happy with that sawz-all.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Another Notch in the Belt

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:22:38 -0500

Well let me say that another notch in the belt is just fine (except for when there are no notches left and you have to just buy a bigger belt). But that's not what this post is about. It appears that some people treat trusses just like they do a belt... just add a notch.

It looks like the HVAC contractor that installed this began to notch the truss (inside the red box) to fit the furnace in the attic. Maybe he realized what he was doing and then stopped? Regardless, a truss cannot be modified without a Professional Engineer's approval. Of course with me coming in years after the house was built, who knows if it was ever approved by a Professional Engineer? Maybe the original home owner might know? But of course this was a bank repo and the seller was not around anymore.

And in case I made a presumption that you are familiar with trusses, let me explain. A truss is the major support for the roof, therefore it's a serious issue.

On a side note, it's another reason to make sure the home inspector you hire will enter attics (when possible).

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

A Dam on a Roof?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:48:45 -0500

Most people realize that the purpose of a roof is to get water off of it. You simply don't want water up there any longer than it has to be. Seems like a simple concept, right?

Well, some in the roofing industry don't seem to get it. Look at the picture below.

The clay colored metal under the curves of the roof tiles is called a bird stop. As the name indicates, it is to stop birds from nesting under the curves of the roof tiles. However, there is a problem. If you look at the very right of the roof, there is a metal flashing from the roof to the wall. This flashing will usually accumulate a lot of water and have it drain off the roof. The problem is that the bird stop is acting like a dam. It needs to be trimmed as indicated by the red box with the white box inside that says "remove." Once the bird stop is trimmed it will allow the roof-to-wall flashing to drain properly.

It is not a complicated or expensive remedy, however it will deter future (and possibly serious) problems.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

My First Home Inspection in the Amazon

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:59:36 -0500

It sounds amazing, but I did a home inspection in the Amazon. Heres' the picture to prove it. I don't know why they needed electricity in the Amazon?

Okay, okay, you got me, I wasn't really in the Amazon, but it sure felt like it when I had to access the main electrical panel. Can you imagine trying to get to this panel in an emergency?

Just a friendly reminder to keep the proper clearances to your main electrical panel. There should be clearances of at least 30-inches wide and 3-feet deep to allow proper access to the electrical panel.

I hope this gives you a little more information about home inspections and their value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

A Water Fountain in the Cabinet?

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:07:12 -0500

Sometimes as a home inspector you see things that make you laugh and really wonder what people were thinking when they installed something. Here's a great example.

I was inspecting a house the other day and was in the kitchen. I was looking for the air gap for the dishwasher but couldn't find it. The dishwasher was on the kitchen island. I finally did find it here:

The air gap is the white plastic piece. It does not go up through the counter (like it should). Here's the problem, sometimes this happens:

The line from the air gap to the garage disposal gets clogged and causes water to emit from the air gap. When the air gap is properly installed the water leaks into the sink. Can you imagine what would happen if the water leaked under that cabinet? Someone certainly didn't think out that location before they did it.

While we're on the subject, another thing I see is that people turn the air gap around because they don't want to see the slot in it, they only want to see that nice shiny stainless steel looking air gap. The problem is that if the air gap gets backed up it will spray water away from the sink and not in it. Please check your today.

I hope you learned a little more about home inspections and their value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Bracing for the Big One

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:08:34 -0500

Another earthquake safety item in California are braces for the water heaters. The braces keep the water stationary during an earthquake to prevent the unit from falling over or from a gas line, water line or electrical line from breaking. Most people are familiar with earthquake braces and that two are required.

However there is one aspect that few people seem to be aware of. A water heater between 53 and 75-gallons requires a 3rd earthquake brace at mid height. This is due to the extra weight of such a large water heater. However many builders and plumbers don't seem to be aware of the requirement for those size water heaters.

The water heater in the picture above is 75-gallons. The silver straps attached to the wall are the earthquake braces. As you can see, there are only two.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and their value. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

Automatic Gas Shut Off Valves for Earthquakes

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:53:40 -0500

I still don't see very many of them but there is a relatively new safety item called an automatic gas shut off valve. It is a valve that goes on your gas line, near the meter, that will automatically shut off in case of an earthquake (obviously a California issue). Here's what it looks like.

The shut off valve is the red box near the wall.

I have heard that some insurance companies are now requiring them when someone buys a home. If you're looking into buying a home you might want to check on that. I've heard the minimum price starts at $300 to have one installed. I still haven't heard anything about reliability, nuisance tripping or what size earthquake sets one off. I've also heard that some municipalities might start requiring them.

I hope this gives you a little more information about your home. Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

"Green" with envy

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:38:47 -0500

Sometimes during a home inspection you get to see some very interesting things. I saw this from the roof. Nothing looked too unusual to me. It was overcast that morning.

I then remembered that there was a pool but for some reason my calling center didn't have the extra fee for a pool. I was a little upset... that is until I got closer.

It was the greenest pool I have ever seen.

Now I knew why the fee for the pool and spa wasn't included. As I was walking around the pool I was thinking how freaked out I'd be if I fell in. Can you imagine?

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

You Should See the View From Up Here

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:55:59 -0500

The other day I was looking at my camera and remembered I had a panoramic view option. So I was on a roof during an inspection and it had a beautiful view. So I thought, "Lets try that panoramic view option." It's pretty neat, you take up to 4 pictures and the camera "stitches" them together. The picture below was 3 pictures stitched together.

Here's another I took back in February.

Does anyone want to claim I don't walk on roofs? I don't think so.

I think the pictures look pretty cool. What do you think?

See if your camera has a panoramic view options and experiment. But please don't go up on the roof and try it :-)

Does the Right Hand Know What the Left Hand is Doing?

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:17:43 -0500

I came across this the other day during a home inspection. Air Conditioning condensers have a data plate which has various information on it. One part being the maximum and minimum breaker or fuse size allowed. This particular data plate indicated the minimum size was 30-amps and the maximum size was 50-amps. So what did the builder do?

The builder put in a 50-amp breaker. No problem, right?

However, as can be seen better at the A/C disconnect box, the wires are only rated for a maximum 30-amp breaker. What happened? Maybe one contractor started the job and another finished it (improperly), thus the name of the post. Or maybe a 50-amp breaker was all that was left in the truck at the end of the day. We may never know exactly why it happened.

But what I do know is the danger of using undersized wires. The wires could basically melt, scorch or cause a fire before the breaker tripped. I advised my clients of this and explained that there were two choices:

1. Put a 30-amp breaker in the main panel. This would be within the range as indicated on the data plate. HOWEVER, when the minimum recommended breaker/fuse is used, nuisance tripping can occur. That means that when the A/C us being used during the summer, it might randomly or consistently trip off the breaker. You then have to go out to the main panel and trip it back on. Hence the name "nuisance" tripping.

2. Replace the wires with the proper rated #6 AWG copper wires and run conduit from the main panel to the A/C condenser. Conduit would have to be used since the original wires are in the wall and therefore the wall would have to be opened up to access them (not an easy task).

I hope this gives you a little more information about home inspections and their value. Be safe out there.

Chim Chim-e-ney Chim Chim-e-ney Chim Chim Cha- OUCH!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:32:03 -0500

I couldn't help but think of Mary Poppins and good old Dick Van Dyke when writing a post about chimney vents. Unfortunately this is not a funny situation. The silver cylinder is the vent for the chimney.

Of course fires burn in a fireplace and the combustion gases, heat and smoke come out of the chimney vent. The chimney vent therefore gets very hot and can potentially burn someone and the combustion gases could be inhaled. Of course this is where you have to wonder why the builder made the chimney vent so close to the ground that even a small child could touch the vent.

Obviously I pointed out the situation and alerted my clients.

I hope this gives you a little more information about home inspections and their value. Be safe out there.

Do You Have a Tired Evaporative Cooler?

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:06:19 -0500

Sometimes during a home inspection I see things that just make me laugh. I came across this and just had to share it with everyone. I guess the evaporative cooler was overworked and underpaid and just had to sit down and take a rest. We all need that every once in a while, right?

Would you like some Marshmallows with that Furnace?

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:06:28 -0500

Well I encountered another one just last week. The infamous recalled horizontal attic furnace (isolated to California from what I've read). Here's the issue (in a nutshell):

The Torrance Fire Department noticed they were going to fires that seemed to start in attics. They then realized that certain furnaces were located in the houses with these fires. The investigated it and sent their information to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC reviewed it and announced an official recall of certain horizontal attic furnaces. The furnaces have NOx rods that are problematic and can catch fire, obviously a serious concern.

The list the Consumer Product Safety Commission gives for the recall is much more limited than that on the Torrance Fire Department's website. I'll stick with the Torrance Fire Department to stay on the safe side (after all, they are a fire department).

Of course the companies involved in these recalled furnaces are mostly bankrupt at this point. The Torrance Fire Department advises replacement of these furnaces and not repair.

Now keep in mind that in Southern California attic furnaces are very common and many have no problems at all. Please click on the following links to get the date, brand names and serial numbers of the furnaces involved as given by the Torrance Fire Department and the CPSC. The furnaces were made between 1983 and 1994 but might be in houses a few years after 1994 if they sat in a warehouse before they were installed.

And by the way, the first house my wife and I bought had a recalled attic furnace and the home inspector didn't even know about the recall (part of the reason I got in the business).

Click on any of the underlined words above to go to a website with further information.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a home inspection and its value. Be safe out there.