For Safety’s Sake, Add Water Heater Vent
QUESTION: My water heater is in a utility closet. To provide combustion air for the gas burner, there is a 2-inch gap between the floor and the bottom edge of the door.
According to the home inspector, an additional air opening is needed. When the house was constructed, the building inspector approved the current setup and, as far as I’m concerned, that makes everything just fine the way it is. How can I get this home inspector off my back?
ANSWER: Neither you nor the inspector is entirely wrong. When your home was built, the municipal inspector had the discretionary power to approve conditions that were not in strict compliance with the building code.
When a city or county inspector waives a particular code requirement, a home inspector who comes along several years later has no way of knowing whether noncomplying conditions were approved or simply missed by the original inspector.
When such conditions involve compromised installation of gas-burning fixtures, the home inspector is wise to err on the side of safety.
According to the Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Codes, gas fixtures that are contained in small enclosures must have two openings for combustion air.
One opening must be within 12 inches of the floor and the other within 12 inches of the top of the enclosure. The reason for requiring two openings is to prevent directional air currents from effecting the ventilation of exhaust gases. Your utility closet apparently has only a lower air opening and is not in keeping with the code.
Simply installing a screened vent opening at the ceiling or the top of the door would resolve any uncertainties involving safety.
Ring Around the Toilet? It’s Essential
Q: Last week, a new counter top was installed in my bathroom. While the carpenters were working, they noticed the stained linoleum around the toilet, and I overheard one of them mention that the bowl needs a new “donut.” When I asked the clerk at the local hardware store for a donut to fix my toilet, he looked at me as if I were some kind of nut myself. Is there such a thing as a donut as it relates to toilet hardware?
A: A donut is a ring of bee’s wax about 5 inches in diameter used to seal the base of a toilet to the sewer pipe fitting at the floor. This essential plumbing component prevents leakage at the base of the toilet bowl. The darkened vinyl around your toilet is evidence of moisture below the surface. Replacing the seal will prevent further darkening, but the original color of the vinyl cannot be restored.
If your home is built on a concrete slab, moisture damage to the floor should be cosmetic only. If you have a raised wood floor, the consequences could be more severe, such as rot in the wood floor members. If that is the case, further evaluation by a licensed pest control operator is advised.
To replace the seal, the toilet should be drained and then lifted from the floor. The old seal should be scraped from the toilet bowl and the drain pipe before applying the new wax ring. Precise alignment is important when reinstalling the fixture, and tightening of the bolts should be done with care. Loose bolts can result in further leakage, while over-tightening can cause the toilet base to crack.
It should be clear from these instructions that this is not a job for the uninitiated. To ensure that repairs are done correctly, let a professional do the work while you relax with a cup of coffee and a real doughnut.
Residents of New Home Already Feel Burned
Q: Our home is only 1 year old, and already we’re having a serious problem. Each time we use the fireplace, the wooden mantel becomes hot to the touch. In the past few months, the surface has actually turned black, and we’re afraid this could be a fire hazard. How could this be happening in a brand new home?
A: A common misconception among home buyers is that newly constructed buildings are free of significant defects.
The mantel in your home is probably too close to the firebox. To comply with fire safety requirements, it should be at least 12 inches above the top of the firebox opening. If your mantel is becoming hot and is discolored, you apparently have a serious fire hazard and should cease to use the fireplace until it is evaluated by a certified chimney sweep.
Best Spot for Air Gap Is Above the Sink
Q: The air gap device for our dishwasher is installed beneath the sink because there is no hole in the sink rim to enable installation above the counter. The inspector who checked our home says the air gap must be above the sink.
As long as the air gap is working, what difference does it make whether it’s installed above or below the sink?
A: Most people have noticed the small round chrome air gap device on the rear rim of their sink but have no idea why it is there. The purpose of an air gap is actually quite simple: It is required for health reasons, to prevent raw sewage from siphoning into the dishwasher.
Installing an air gap in the cabinet area beneath the sink does not prevent the device from performing its required function, but this placement is impractical because it sets the stage for water damage to your home.
A dishwasher drain hose can become clogged with food. When this happens, water generally overflows directly from the air gap. If the air gap is installed above the counter, the overflow simply drains into the sink.
If the air gap is beneath the counter, the overflow can cause flooding of the cabinet and the kitchen floor.
To avoid water damage, I recommend that you have a plumber bore a hole in the sink rim to enable standard installation of the air gap.
Got a question about any aspect of the home inspection? Send it to Barry Stone, Los Angeles Times, 540 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay, CA 93442. Queries can also be sent via e-mail to: inspector@fix.net
All questions will be considered for use in “Ask the Inspector” but cannot be answered individually.
