Home : Blogs : Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector : Russel's blog

What the heck was he thinking? (garage)

Several years ago, I did an inspection on a house being sold by a certain professional race car driver. Figure 1 shows what I found in the garage:

Danger in the garage Figure 1. Danger lurking in the garage

Back there to the left is a gas water heater. That means that it has an open flame there at the bottom, which means that the water heater should be located on a platform to raise that gas flame at least 18 inches off the floor of the garage. Off to the right you can see the washer, with implications that a dryer is close by. And it was. A gas dryer, meaning more fire. Just off to the left, the owner was welding metal parts together and sparks were flying all over the place.

Now keeping in mind that this is the garage for a professional race car driver, look at those three white jugs and those three red jugs in the center of the picture. Know what they contain? That's right. Gallons and gallons and gallons of highly flammable gasoline. Considering how much race car drivers practice safety in and around the racing track, this must be the epitome of "Do as I say, not as I do."

Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector on 08/17/2008 05:33 AM

Comments (14)

Safety in the ActiveRain Channel

garage, gas, waterheater, dryer

Post is included in group: Ask the Home Inspector
Post is included in group: Everything California
Post is included in group: InterNACHI: Ask a Certified Home Inspector
Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: Southern California Real Estate Forum

14 Comments on What the heck was he thinking? (garage)

AUG

2008

Russel - Its amazing what we say and what we do when it comes to safety around the home. I must admit This is the first time I have heard the 18" off the floor we have a lot of homes with gas water heaters all sitting on the floor.

Hey, Kathy. You might not have the same requirement there in Ontario, but I believe it's a 50-state requirement down south of you.

No one stated how old the home was.......

This house could be 50 years old when the 18" rule was not applicable and a new water heater installed with out a permit.......

There for not up to current code standards......

That is a scary scene. People know about the dangers but do not look in their own homes .

I think the 18" rule in California goes back much further than 50 years; that would only be 1958. I could be wrong, though. But, yes, considering that this race car driver obviously knows how to do things, he might have simply installed the water heater himself and never given it a second thought.

I think in addition to society needing a course on "Parenting 101," we also need a course on "Home Ownership, Maintenance, and Safety 101." Hmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe my next book!

If the water heater was installed by a 'professional' plumber, then it should have been installed 18" above the floor. Many handymen and do-it-yourselfers do not heed 'acceptable trade practices'...

Ans, if there was a fire, the homeowner would be so surprised. That is why there are so many warning signs on ladders, to protect the manufaturer from idiots.

Edie

Basic rule: The plumber's house is always the one with the leaks!

Yup...the cobbler's kids have no shoes...realtors over price their upside down homes...landscapers let their hedges get overgrown....this would look like an easier fix....or KABOOM !

Russel, 2+2 always equals 4, but sometimes the "twos" are ind different "languages":)

There you go.....proof positive that people are either stupid, they don't think or a combination of the two. Wow!

Y'all are just too funny! Sounds like many of you have "been there, seen that, wondered about that."

Personally, I wouldn't call anyone "stupid," or even an "idiot," preferring "interesting," "unique," etc. LOL

Reminds me of an inspection I did with two employees several years ago. The little ol' lady was being forced out of her condo by the HOA. She had 87 cats (according to neighbors) in her 1,500-SF condo, and we could barely move around in the place because of all the boxes, storage, and furnishings piled high from floor to ceiling, not to mention cat droppings on the floors, tables, countertops, boxes, and furniture. After we finished and were back at the car, the newest employee said, "There was a lot of crap in that place!" I said, "You can't call someone else's stuff 'crap.' It's 'excessive furnishings and storage.'" I, of course, knew "crap" in this instance was a double entendre. I gave everyone the rest of the day off to go home and shower and wash their clothes. I simply threw my clothes in the trash; I didn't think a good wash would get the smell out, and even if it did, wearing that set of clothes would forever have a visual and a smell associated with it.

Russel, thanks for sharing. Amazing that some, who are (or should be) aware of safety in their professional lives, are blind to it at home.

Kathy, 18" off the floor is for garages.

Sindee, no matter when the home was constructed, it is still unsafe, today.

Sally-Yep, I managed a detail shop for years and guess who's car was always dirty!

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?