I love it when Clients call asking for help in locating a problem, especially if they already have had other experts out to try to determine what's going on. "CSI: Russel" is what one of my Clients told me after helping him -- LOL.
The most common problems I get asked to help with involve roof leaks, a heating and cooling system that isn't heating or cooling, and interesting noises coming from the attic.
In many circumstances, especially with roof leaks, depending on the slope of the roof and its construction, the leak can actually be many feet away from where the evidence is. The most interesting I ever found was about a 100 foot difference between the problem and the evidence. The water was leaking in by the chimney flashing on one side of the house, dripping on the heating and cooling system lineset that entered the attic at a high gable vent, and then flowing along that lineset all the way across the attic to the other side of the house. It doesn't require much slope for water to go where it wants to go.
If you've got a problem, try looking in a different area or from a different perspective.
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Water is fun and the evidence can pop up in strange area.... I had my humidifier spring a leak at the furnace in my attic, the leak popped up 2 stories below on the dining room ceiling.
Hey, Ralph - Oh, it can get really interesting sometimes. Another interesting one I had was a spot on the kitchen ceiling. There was nothing but a bedroom above the kitchen. Turns out that there was a small leak in the laundry washer drain, and the water was running down the drain pipe, finally falling off of it about 25 feet away, right over the kitchen.
Hey, Robert - Water is fun, yes, but only when it's in my swimming pool or other places where it belongs - LOL.
Hey, Al and Peggy - Albert Hammond released that song when California was in a severe drought, so it's only appropriate that it is being replayed here quite often since we're in the midst of a three-year drought right now.
Hey, Marilyn - I usually charge $100 for investigative work, but if the investigation is a really good one and lots of fun, sometimes I'll waive that charge, as I did on the roof problem that I discussed here.
I can add one to this: when the hurricane shutters were installed, the installers blocked the drain holes in the window frames and water then crept in the building through the windows since it couldn't drain off the sills... but only when the shutters were open! :) It took quite a while to figure that one out...
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I love it when Clients call asking for help in locating a problem, especially if they already have had other experts out to try to determine what's going on. "CSI: Russel" is what one of my Clients told me after helping him -- LOL.
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Russell,
Thanks for sharing that info. I hadn't realized that leaks could often be sourced from so far away from the water stains.
I'll share that with my clients.