ASTAR Home Inspection

01/27/2024

We see a lot of viewers checking out our webpage and if you are in the market for a new or pre-existing home please give me a call. Even if you haven’t got a Realtor or found the home yet, I can give you some tips or information to hopefully make the buying process more understandable or easier. We can explain why you should or should not get a home inspection, termite inspection, hydrostatic test and the foundation inspection. The call is free and I can answer most of your questions or help you find the answers.

Scott
Astar Home Inspection
254-717-6971

02/26/2023

Be careful this spring when the snakes start to come out. This copperhead was found in the basket of a swimming pool skimmer here in Texas when the owner was cleaning it out.

09/20/2022

Had this happen a few times

07/24/2022

05/04/2022

FLIR
If you have not read the part of FLIR on our webpage I highly recommend you do so (astarhomeinspection.org). About 1 in 3 homes have suspected moisture pe*******on in the walls, ceilings or around windows. Missing this on your home inspection could result in mold growing in those areas. We also find missing insulation and just last week a leak in the HVAC ducting system. It is included in the price of your inspection with ASTAR and very few inspectors use FLIR.

About ASTAR Home INSPECTION ASTAR Home Inspection, is minority owned and employs a retired military veteran (ARNG) as our Professional Real Estate Home Inspector. Our Home Inspector, Scott Wiley, was a former Real Estate Agent who is a Corpus Christi Association of Realtors affiliate member which gi...

02/17/2022

Inspections:

Now that the seller has accepted your contract and you are in your option period here are a few tips.

1) Ask your Realtor when is the LAST day of your option period since it is calendar days. If you decide NOT to purchase the home your Realtor needs to advise the seller or Listing Agent BEFORE 5pm (in Texas) to get your earnest money back.

2) Immediately book your inspections; Home (general), Termite (WDI), Hydrostatic (drain leak test), Foundation and Pool (if installed). I recommend choosing your own Home Inspector.

3) Call ASTAR, we can book all your inspections for you at the same time (need 2-3 days notice) and we don’t charge extra to do it. There are Home Inspection Companies that charge an extra fee per other inspections booked. One company was charging a total of $1000 for everything while WE book it and you pay each Inspector directly which was $750 total. Size of the home will make the amount vary.

4) We only do 1 inspection per day and ALL inspections are 3 hours minimum, if it takes longer there is NO extra charge.

5) Are they using FLIR (thermal imagery), certified on FLIR?

ASTAR uses the E-5xt, certified by Monroe Infrared and our Inspector used FLIR for 3 years on board the Army OH-58 helicopter he flew.

02/17/2022

This is a great video (and short) to determine if you have a load bearing wall.

Tom Silva explains what load bearing walls are, how to identify them, and what needs to be done in order to safely remove them.SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: h...

12/27/2021

If you are looking at our page please check out our website

www.Astarhomeinspection.com

Our FLIR camera is finding moisture in the ceiling or walls in about 1 out of 3 pre-existing homes and is included in our price.

10/09/2021

Why water heaters need to be properly installed by a licensed plumber.

Water Heater Explosionhttp://youtu.be/d5-L3JtjtD0Stampede Plumbing is your trusted Chandler plumber! No matter what your emergency plumbing needs may be, our...

10/03/2021

ASTAR highly recommends getting a hydrostatic test for your new or existing home purchase they normally run about $100.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE TESTING

Pipes don’t last forever. While they are made from materials that can last for several decades, in time, joints can come apart. The weight of the soil and the building above can cause buried pipes to crack and start leaking. Tree roots can infiltrate and damage the pipes. The problem is, when a leak is deep underground, you may not know you have one for a long time.

Hydrostatic testing is actually a drain leak test since no pressure is used.

How Does Hydrostatic Testing Work in a Home’s Sewer System

Trees are always searching for reliable sources of water. They send their roots in every direction to find moisture. Sewer pipes are an attractive source. The tree sends microscopic root tendrils into the tiniest opening. If it finds a place to get inside, the root will start drawing moisture from that source. This triggers the root to grow bigger, which forces the opening to become larger. In time, the roots can crack the pipe and cause it to break.

Hydrostatic testing helps plumbers find these hidden leaks. It starts by finding the drain line’s cleanout. The plumber inserts an inflatable test ball into the cleanout. The ball gets inflated to block the sewer line, usually close to the foundation’s edge.

With the main sewer line blocked, the plumber fills it with water, up to the slab’s top edge. Then, it’s a matter of waiting. The plumber waits to see if the water level starts to drop. If it does, there’s a leak under the building’s slab.

The next step is to find out where the leak is called an isolation test. One option is to feed a video camera down into the sub-slab pipes to find the location of the leak. It also offers the ability to inspect the general condition of those pipes.

Another option is to use inflatable plugs to isolate and test different sections of pipe. The plumber uses the video camera to position the plugs to different points. This makes it possible to isolate and test different sections of the pipe.

Why Use Hydrostatic Testing

Hydrostatic testing is performed to determine if a house or building a sub-slab sewer system contains leaking piping. Test plugs are inserted into existing cleanouts to block and fill the 50+-year-old cast iron sewer system with water. The water is observed in an exposed toilet drain – a loss in water level indicates leaks in the aged piping.

10/03/2021

What Is An AC Float Switch?

Most people understand that an air conditioning unit cools by removing heat from the air. However, many do not know that as part of this process an AC will also act as a dehumidifier and remove moisture from the air. As the air conditioner dehumidifies, some moisture remains behind the AC unit before it exits through the drain line. AC units are also equipped with a drain pan where excess moisture collects if the drain line clogs or cannot remove moisture quickly. On a humid day, or if your AC is not properly working, you might notice the drain pan overflowing. If there is even minor water overflow, it can lead to mold or microbial growth putting you and your system at risk overtime. To prevent potential catastrophic damage, install an ac float switch.

What Is an AC Float Switch?

The purpose of an HVAC float switch, also known as a condensate overflow switch or AC safety switch, is to prevent the drip pan from overflowing if the AC drain stops working properly. The AC float switch gives your AC unit the ability to detect if there is clogged drain line to shut the AC off. Both drain lines and drain pans, like the rest of your HVAC equipment require periodic maintenance to keep water flowing freely. However, every now and then, especially due to lack of maintenance the drain lines will clog with debris or dirt and will no longer remove water effectively. The float switch is activated when the water in the pan goes above a certain point causing the switch device to float. As it begins to float it will send a signal to the AC unit to turn off thus stopping the creation of condensation. If your AC is not working,the safety switch is preventing the AC unit from turning on to prevent pan overflow and potentially major water damage to your home.

Where is the Float Switch Located?

AC float switches can easily be installed at a low cost compared to the high cost of repairing high cost water damage. If you do not already have one installed, highly consider one as a simple precaution to protect your home. The float switch location depends on the orientation of your HVAC equipment. For horizontal units the float switch will be located in the secondary drain pan. For horizontal units without a secondary drain pan or vertical units, the float switch will be on the drainpipe. If your HVAC equipment has a condensate pump, these pumps are also equipped with a mechanism that works the same way as a float switch and will shut your equipment off if needed.

Float Switch Benefits

When the AC system is shut off, this is going to of course make your indoor temperature rise and you’ll know its time to call for ac repair. The reason for the safety switch triggering your AC unit to turn off, will be addressed and soon you will have a working ac again. Float switches are great and can help save you money on potentially catastrophic water damage to your home or furnishings. A professional HVAC technician will choose the right float switch for your system and wire it properly to the furnace control board. Always hire a professional to avoid potentially injuring yourself or installing the safety switch improperly. The switch installation is a low price to pay for peace of mind knowing your home is safe.

· Helps prevent water damage and save you money. One of the most important advantages of a safety switch is that it eliminates the opportunity for overflow to cause water damage to your home. A leaky drain pan or clogged condensate drain line can lead to more damage than you can imagine. It may cause thousands of dollars in structural damage or damage to your AC unit as well. When the switch is triggered, it shuts the compressor off and stops the condensation process.

· Prevent dangerous mold or microbial growth. Areas that collect moisture are always susceptible to mold growth. Any leaking moisture that goes unnoticed can lead to microbial spores growing and spreading to other nearby areas in your home. Mold can endanger the health of those who breathe it in. Installing an AC float switch,you can help prevent dangerous mold or microbial growth and create a much healthier indoor air quality.

· Low Installation Cost. If your air conditioner does not come equipped with a safety switch, on can be easily installed by an HVAC professional at a reasonable cost.

· Low Potential For Other Components to Fail. By Installing a safety switch, it is less likely that other system components will fail.

Float Switch Installation

Many local jurisdictions require the installation of float switches at the time of new installations. However, for older units, we always recommend installing one to save money, prevent damage and keep healthy indoor air quality. They are the most effective device to combat overflow and any issues that may arise as a result

08/22/2021

Safety First! Garage Carbon Monoxide Is Not to Be Taken Lightly.

Garage carbon monoxide poisoning is a real problem—and it could be an invisible killer. Carbon monoxide gas is produced by incomplete combustion, such as what happens in your car’s engine, especially when you first start it up in the morning. If you breathe it in, the gas will bond with your red blood cells so tightly that oxygen can’t get in. Breathe in a little, and you get a headache. Breathe in a bit more, and you can’t think clearly. Breathe in a bit more, and you pass out and maybe die.

But since carbon monoxide has no color or odor, there is no way to know whether you’re breathing it until you start having symptoms. Since one symptom is not thinking clearly, you might not be able to save yourself.

Protect Yourself From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

What all this has to do with garages is that when you run your car in a garage, carbon monoxide levels can rise to dangerous levels in just a minute or two, even if the garage door is wide open. And when you drive away and close the door, the gas stays in there for hours—or, if you have an attached garage, the gas will leak into your house and start to poison your family and pets. The poisoning might be mild, or it might not. Susceptibility to the gas varies. Maybe you’re saying you have a carbon monoxide detector in your living room, so you’re safe. Not necessarily. It takes several hours for the gas to build up in your house, so if the alarm goes off, your spouse or babysitter won’t be able to find a possible source of carbon monoxide (the source drove away hours earlier) and will likely assume there is just something wrong with the alarm.

How Long Does It Take for Carbon Monoxide to Dissipate?

If you think you’ve inhaled carbon monoxide, expect it to take four to six hours to dissipate from your body. When the gas is in your garage, dissipation time depends on your ventilation and how much carbon monoxide is in the space. Stopping the source from dispersing more gas and opening your garage door and windows can help you air out your garage more quickly.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Garage

There are a couple of things you can do to keep yourself and your family safe from garage carbon monoxide poisoning.

Garage Ventilation

First, never run your car inside your garage, for any reason (never burn anything indoors that isn’t properly vented—no cookouts inside your garage, either, for example). Get everybody inside the car and open the garage door before starting the vehicle, then drive out promptly. If you can vent the garage afterwards, so much the better. When you return, shut the vehicle off promptly.

Carbon Monoxide Detector in Your Garage

Second, consider putting a carbon monoxide detector inside your garage. There are even models that will automatically open the garage door if carbon monoxide reaches dangerous levels. As we have seen, an open door does not prevent poisoning, but could buy a little more time. The important thing is that a detector inside your garage will alert you to the problem promptly, so you won’t think there is something wrong with the detector and ignore the alarm.

How Can You Safely Warm Up Your Car?

Never leave your car running in the garage with the door closed. Instead, open your garage door and drive out as soon as possible. Leave the garage door open to let the air circulate. Modern cars often only need only 30 seconds to warm up. On cold days, you may want to use a block heater overnight or run the engine in your driveway to get your vehicle ready for a drive.

Where Should You Put a Carbon Monoxide Detector in Your Garage?

The best placement of your carbon monoxide detector will depend on the type of garage you have. If you have an attached garage, you will want to place your detectors within 10 feet of the door, in the room you enter from the garage, and in any rooms above the garage. Position your carbon monoxide detectors no higher than knee height since the odorless gas does not rise.

External garages are trickier, so we recommend reading the manufacturer’s instructions for your detector. Most are not suitable for places with high moisture or spots where temperatures fall below 40 degrees or climb above 100 degrees. Placement in an incompatible environment may damage the detector and reduce its effectiveness.

Only install a carbon monoxide detector in your garage if it can withstand the conditions there. If you position your alarms in the wrong places, you may experience false alerts after running your engine for a short time, even with the door open.

Why Do You Need a Carbon Monoxide Detector in the Garage?

If it is at all possible, it is useful to place a detector in your garage. It’s impossible to detect the odorless and colorless gas without a detector, and the gas can affect your body and mind in just minutes. Since carbon monoxide in a garage is in an enclosed space, running your car even briefly can impact you. A detector is a good way to ensure you recognize high carbon monoxide levels and leave the garage when necessary.