Minus a written report, inspection is worthless

Question: I purchased a new home and hired a home inspector before closing. But the inspector did not give me a written report. He just reviewed his findings by phone and then sent a bill for $750. When I complained about not receiving a written report, he discounted the fee to $600. This doesn't seem right. What should I do?



Answer: An inspection without a tangible report is worthless. What good is a verbal report when requesting repairs from the builder? And who can prove later what the inspector did or did not disclose?

Your response to the inspector should be blunt and simple: No report equals no payment.

Without a report, he'd have a hard time convincing an arbitrator that he's entitled to payment, if it came to that.



Check out rental before move-in?

Question: Should I have a home inspection before moving into a rental house?



Answer: At the very least, a safety inspection would not be a bad idea. This would include an evaluation of the electrical system, gas-burning fixtures, the fireplace, garage firewall, guardrails and so on.

One problem with this type of inspection is that the landlord might view you as a potentially troublemaking tenant. If the home you'll be renting appears to be well maintained, you could delay the inspection until after you've moved in.



Plenty of fault to spread around

Question: We bought our home about two months ago. We've discovered leaking and mold, a live wire end hanging from the porch and electrical problems. None of these conditions was disclosed by the seller, the agent or our inspector. Who, if anyone, is liable?



Answer: It would seem that all of the parties mentioned share the liability: the seller for failing to provide adequate disclosure, the agent for not conducting a complete walk-through inspection and the inspector for not reporting conditions that should have been visible. Enforcing such liability, however, is not easy and not always worth the trouble. Start by informing all parties of your concerns and ask that they take a look at the problems.



Water-heater pipe is leaking

Question: A new water heater was installed in my home about two years ago. Now the pipe leading from the water heater to the outside of the garage is leaking. A plumber told me that the downward slope of the pipe was causing the leak. He also said that the water heater should be drained periodically. The owner's manual says it should be drained about every two months. Do you think draining the water heater would stop the leak? If so, is it really necessary to drain it that frequently? Should I change the direction of the pipe as the plumber advised?



Answer: The culprit is most likely the discharge pipe for the temperature pressure relief valve. This valve releases water and steam in the event of overheating. Without the valve, excessive heat could cause a water heater to explode. The discharge pipe conveys water from the valve to the outside of the building. If water is leaking from the discharge, your plumber should make sure the water heater is not overheated. If that's not the problem, he should replace the valve.

Draining a water heater is one way to extend the life of the fixture, but twice a year, rather than every two months, is often enough. Although draining the water heater is recommended, failure to do so will not cause the TPR valve to leak.

The discharge pipe should be installed so that it is level or has a downward slope. Upward sloping of the pipe creates what is called a trap, which is prohibited in the plumbing code.

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