What if you could save money, breathe cleaner air, enjoy enhanced safety and comfort in your home all while improving your overall peace of mind for a relatively small investment? Let's look at why HVAC preventative maintenance is such a good idea. Save money: Regular HVAC maintenance is estimated to lower the chance of [...]
Wood stoves and fireplace inserts have been required to be certified by the EPA since 1992. The Oregon DEQ had a certification program starting even earlier in the 1980s. Therefore, if you have a wood stove that precedes these dates it is likely to be uncertified. Senate Bill 102, the “Heat Smart for Clean [...]
Furnace exhausting into attic Many people think that because a home is brand new there is no reason to get a home inspection prior to closing. The builder must have made sure everything was properly installed and in working order. However, this is not always the case. In fact, we often inspect [...]
A home inspection is a visual only inspection of the accessible areas of a home. Because home inspectors are not legally allowed to use invasive techniques, there are some limitations as to what can be seen during a general inspection. Thermal imaging can help uncover issues that may not be visible to the naked [...]
Turning on your sink or shower and finding orange or rust colored water coming out of the fixture can be shocking. Discolored water can flow from faucets for a few different reasons. Typically, it indicates an issue with the distribution piping, the water heater, or the water source. Galvanized steel distribution piping has an [...]
Flexible drainpipes under bathroom and kitchen sinks are relatively common and can be purchased in most hardware stores. However, just because they are available does not mean that they should be used. Most of the time the presence of flexible pipe indicates that the installation was not performed by a qualified plumber. One of [...]
Furnaces and water heaters that are installed in locations subject to vehicle damage should be adequately protected. This primarily applies to garage installations. When a furnace or water heater is installed in a garage it should be installed behind a physical barrier or be out of the normal path of a vehicle. When this [...]
Air conditioning systems play a crucial role in maintaining comfortable indoor environments. To ensure their safe and efficient operation, it is important to follow the manufacturer's recommended guidelines, particularly when it comes to selecting the appropriate circuit breaker size. An electrical circuit for any electric powered appliance is protected by a circuit breaker at [...]
Two-pronged electrical receptacles, also known as ungrounded outlets, can present several potential issues due to their lack of grounding. The absence of a grounding conductor poses a safety risk as it increases the chances of electrical shock and may fail to protect against electrical faults. Inadequate grounding can also increase the risk of electrical [...]
Tempered glass is a type of safety glass that is manufactured through a process of controlled thermal and chemical treatments. The purpose of tempering is to increase the strength and safety properties of the glass. Modern building standards require safety glass to be installed in multiple locations around a home or building where personal [...]
