I would not say that this is a frequently seen problem on my inspections, but it certainly is not uncommon either. This is a new house and nobody bothered to put in a barrier to keep someone from accidentally running into the water heater. A metal bollard (post) should be put in front of furnaces and water heaters that are in the path of a vehicle and, therefore, might be clipped by drivers. Even careful drivers can have accidents and hold onto your hat with teenage drivers on premises. In some older installations, instead of the metal post, there might be a concrete tire stop secured to the floor in front of the appliances -- like you see in parking lots at supermarkets. Many times people just live with this condition, no protective barrier, figuring they are too careful to ever have a problem. Often they are wrong. The safety worry is probably more serious with gas appliances, but certainly it is a nuisance and expensive if someone needlessly creams the water heater or furnace.
Thanks for stopping by
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham home inspector
Comments (1)Subscribe to CommentsComment