home inspector: Aluminum Wiring - What is the Hazard?
- 03/19/08 10:49 AM
Aluminum is a fine conductor of electric. It is much cheaper than copper. Just about all the exterior wire on utility poles (all in most areas) is aluminum. If it were copper people would be climbing the poles to steal it and sell it for scrap. The problem with single strand aluminum wiring is the connections oxidize develop high impedance connections and get hot. Connections can get so hot they can allow a house fire to occur. Even connections that do not get hot enough to ignite wood can get hot enough to lower the ignition temperature of wood by a … (2 comments)
home inspector: What Aluminum Wiring Looks Like
- 03/19/08 10:43 AM
While training a home inspector I saw an electrical contractor's apprentice look right at a panel wired with aluminum wiring and not even notice it. Why? He did not think to look for it because the home was "too new" to have aluminum wiring. He was correct, the home was built long after aluminum wiring was commonly used. Someone must have found an old coil or two around when the addition was added. What does aluminum wiring look like? How would most home owner's or Realtors know the home had aluminum wiring? If the home has BX (metal exterior wiring) it does … (0 comments)
home inspector: Air Conditioning Testing
- 03/19/08 09:51 AM
The simple way to test an air conditioning system to determine if it is functional is to wait for a 24 hour period when the exterior temperature is above 65 F degrees. Testing air conditoinig units when it is much cooler out can eitehr burn out the compresser as it tries to compress liquid referigerant or yeild a false result. If they system is not producing a 15 to 20 degree difference between the air coming out the registers and that going back into the return the system is not functioning properly. Contracry to what you may hear adding refrigerent to a … (2 comments)
home inspector: Aluminum Wiring
- 03/19/08 09:33 AM
Single strand aluminum wiring was used mostly in the late 70's and early 80's. The widespread use of single strand aluminum wiring was discontinued after there was a huge spike in house fires in homes that had aluminum wiring.Today there are several methods used to make homes with aluminum wiring safer. The long term success of these methods has not yet been determined.Most home inspectors will find aluminum wiring and report it to their clients as a concern. A few states such as New Jersey mandate inspectors disclose single strand aluminum wiring to their clients and the hazards posed by it.While … (4 comments)
home inspector: Should I hire an Engineer?
- 03/19/08 09:09 AM
Many people without specific home inspection credentials offer services. Likewise, credentials are not always what they seem. Engineering and architectural credentials alone do not prepare anyone to competently inspect homes and communicate the findings. A helping attitude, good communication skills, and mature judgment must supplement technical competence.
In New Jersey Engineers and Architects are supposed to obtain the same license I did to legally inspect homes! … (0 comments)
home inspector: Home Inspectors -Are They All the Same?
- 03/19/08 09:08 AM
Like any other professional, home inspectors (even those with licenses) have varied degrees of expertise. All home inspectors should be carefully screened. Inspectors learn from experience. It takes a few thousand inspections and a more than a few complaints for a home inspectors to LEARN what it takes to satisfy clients. I spent seven years as a construction contractor prior to becoming a home inspectors in 1993. I have taught the New Jersey home inspection training class to new inspectors since 2002. I still see things I have never seen before. Would you want the biggest investment of your life inspected … (1 comments)
home inspector: How to avoid problems in your new home
- 02/15/08 03:15 AM
This may sound out and right silly but the best home maintenance you can perform on your home is obvious to any home inspector. Ready for this. Keep it dry. That is right keep water out of the outside of the home and within the plumbing pipes on the inside and fix what breaks as soon as it breaks and odds are your home will be trouble free. As a home inspector I see it all the time. The owner does not replace the roofing when he or she should. Water stains start on the underside of the roof shingles, progress … (2 comments)
home inspector: Home Inspector Qualifications
- 02/15/08 03:14 AM
Many home buyers have no idea what to look for when obtaining the services of the home inspector. Most call a few companies to ask "how much do you charge?" a better question might be "what do you do to earn your fee". A cheap price for an incomplete inspection performed by an inexperienced home inspector might not be such a great value in a few months when very expensive to cure problems start to show up. A higher price paid for a highly experienced professional may prove to be a much greater value if a buyer gets thousands or tens of thousands … (0 comments)
home inspector: What are John Martino's qualifications to be a home inspector?
- 02/06/08 03:18 AM
LICENSES New Jersey Home Inspector License # GI 0587 Radon Measurement Technician Commercial Pesticide Applicator PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Independent Home Inspectors of North America American Society of Home Inspectors Member FREA Commercial and Residential Real Estate Inspector Class A Member EXPERIENCE INSPECTOR: Performed over 8,000 Home Inspections for the insurance industry. INSPECTOR Participated in 10 months of training inspections along side experienced home inspectors EDUCATION Morris County School of Technology: Completed ten month home inspector training program Seton Hall University: Economics Major with Departmental Honors Citation with minor in Business … (0 comments)
home inspector: What are your qualifications to be a home inspector?
- 02/06/08 03:17 AM
LICENSES New Jersey Home Inspector #GI0121 (2003, first year licensing was offered). Credentialed Wood Destroying Insect Inspector (2001). Radon Measurement Technician (1993 – present). Commercial Pesticide Applicator (1993 – present). Department of Housing and Urban Development Plan Reviewer/Consultant and 203(k) Loan Consultant (inactive). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS FREA Commercial and Residential Real Estate Inspector Class A Member (2001 - present) American Society of Home Inspectors #102273 (1996 – present). Independent Home Inspectors of North America (2002 – present). EXPERIENCE CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN and COMMITTEE MEMBER: Appointed to the State of New Jersey Home Inspection Advisory Committee (New Jersey Home Inspection Licensing … (0 comments)
Aluminum is a fine conductor of electric. It is much cheaper than copper. Just about all the exterior wire on utility poles (all in most areas) is aluminum. If it were copper people would be climbing the poles to steal it and sell it for scrap.;)
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