Disabling Fireplace Damper Keeps Home Safe From Fumes

Question: The people who are buying my home, upon advice of their home inspector, have asked that I remove the fireplace damper before closing escrow. I’ve explained that this would be impractical because an open chimney would allow warm air to escape from the home during the winter months. They agreed with this point but insisted that dampers are unsafe when fireplaces have gas burners. This is a new one on me. Are the buyers right about removing the damper?

Answer: Changes in the safety requirements for fireplace dampers were enacted in 1991, but current standards apply only to newly installed gas log fireplaces. Wood-burning fireplaces or gas log units that were in place before 1991 are exempt from the newer code.

According to the latest standards, dampers must either be removed or permanently secured in the open position if gas logs are installed. The purpose of this requirement is to prevent noxious combustion gases from venting into the living area.

With some of the newer fireplace designs, closed dampers can be particularly hazardous because burners can be ignited by the simple flip of a switch. This means that a small child could unwittingly turn on the fireplace burner. With a closed damper, carbon monoxide could vent into the home.

If your fireplace is older than 1991 or if it operates as a wood-burning fixture, then compliance with the new requirement is not mandatory. But disabling your damper could be as simple as attaching a common C-clamp. Retrofitting the damper may not be required, but humoring your buyers could be less problematic than a protracted debate and could actually improve the general safety of the home. If heat loss as the result of an open damper is a concern, the buyers can install glass doors after the close of escrow.

Water Pressure Level Can Alter Unnoticed

Q: My home was recently inspected. According to the report, the water pressure in my house is 10 pounds too high. The inspector says I need a pressure regulator, about $100 to install. Before the inspection, I never had a problem with high pressure, nor did any of my neighbors. But since the inspector tampered with my plumbing, I can tell that the pressure has increased. What could the inspector have done to cause this problem?

A: Be assured there is no feasible method by which the home inspector could have increased the water pressure in your plumbing system. There are, however, some far-reaching means whereby this might have been accomplished. For example, the inspector could have hired a crane to raise the elevation of the municipal water storage tank. Or he might have installed a pump and pressure tank on your property during the inspection. Obviously, neither method is remotely plausible. So let’s examine the realities of high water pressure.

According to the plumbing code, residential water pressure should not exceed 80 pounds per square inch. Municipal water companies take no responsibility for regulating water pressure at their service meters, nor do they inform homeowners when pressure levels are too high. Additionally, water pressure does not remain constant throughout the day but fluctuates as the water level at the main storage tank rises and falls.

During hours of high water use, such as early mornings when people generally take showers, the water level in the local storage tank goes down, as does the pressure. Conversely, when people use less water, during predawn hours and afternoons, for example, pressure rises.

Although 10 pounds of excessive pressure is not advisable, it is not likely that you would experience a noticeable difference when using faucets. Therefore, you could have had high water pressure in your home for many years without ever realizing it.

The primary disadvantage of high pressure is excessive stress on plumbing connections, especially on appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers. Manufacturers typically test plumbing fixtures at pressure levels up to 60 pounds per square inch. Therefore, even at a legal pressure of 80, the limits are already being pushed. For these reasons, the addition of a pressure regulator would be advisable at your home.

To Be Safe, Tile Roof Needs Double Flashing

Q: My tile roof is leaking in an unusual way. No moisture enters the house, but I’ve noticed water running from beneath the tiles at the edges of the roof.

When I bought the house last year, my home inspector said water might get in around the vent pipes. He recommended an upgrade, but I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time. Since then, I’ve noticed that my neighbor’s roof has sheet metal fittings around his pipes that overlap the tiles, preventing leakage. On my roof, the metal is installed beneath the tiles, allowing water entry. I asked my roofing contractor if this is a problem, and he assured me that it is a common and accepted method of roof construction. What do you think?

A: The metal fittings you noticed at the vent pipes are called flashing. Flashing is intended to provide a moisture seal at all roof penetrations and with most types of roofing is designed to direct water flow over the top surfaces of the roof.

With tile roofing, there are two ways to flash a vent pipe: single flashing, as on your roof, or double flashing, as on your neighbor’s roof. It doesn’t require an advanced degree to realize that leakage is best prevented when water flows over the tops of the tiles, rather than beneath them.

Unfortunately, the Uniform Building Code does not specify which flashing method to use on tile roofs. Instead, the code requires that tiles be flashed according to the tile manufacturer’s specifications.

Most tile manufacturers specify double flashing as the best method for installing their products, but they list single flashing as an acceptable alternative.

Your contractor is correct in stating that single flashing is common and accepted. But this should not be construed to mean that it is the best method or that it is a good method. Single flashing allows water to flow beneath roof tiles. If no leakage occurs, it is a matter of good luck, not good quality.

Beneath the tiles, your only leak protection is a layer of asphalt roofing paper. When your tiles were installed, this membrane was punctured by many hundreds of nails. Each one of these penetrations poses a potential leak.

Double flashing is obviously the more competent and reliable method of installation. It may not be a legal requirement, but it is the safest way to flash a tile roof.

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If you have questions or comments, contact Barry Stone through his Web site at https://www.housedetective.com. Distributed by Access Media Group.