Res-I-Tec, Inc.

02/18/2022

Slight hitch at my afternoon inspection

02/16/2022

If you’ve owned a home for a while, this has probably happened to you.

During our 30+ years of inspecting homes, nearly every homebuyer I speak with can relate to this story: You happen to walk into the basement, storage room, or utility closet to retrieve something you stored there. Suddenly you spy a puddle around your water heater. If you’re lucky, it’s just a puddle—often it can be a flood! This always seems to happen when you’re rushing off to work, or just retuning from a vacation. If the heater has been leaking a while, it could have also damaged nearby flooring or items stored in the room before you noticed it. Its obvious that you need a new water heater, but how can you prevent this unpleasant surprise in the future?

Most water heaters won’t give you much visual warning that they’re getting ready to “kick the bucket.” When you look at an independent water heater, what you see is a steel jacket that covers a layer of insulation. The actual vessel that contains and heats the water isn’t visible from the outside, so there’s no way to quickly check its condition.
However, there are some subtle signs you can look for so you can plan on replacing the heater before it ambushes you at the worst possible time:

Age—Most electric or gas water heaters have a design life of approximately seven to ten years. (Oil-fired water heaters are constructed differently and generally last longer.) The build date of the heater is often noted on the label on the side, or you can usually ascertain it by checking the serial number on-line. Here in the northeast where private well water is common, it will tend toward the lower end of that range. The quality of the heater (read: price) will also be a determining factor. When we inspect a home, anything over seven years old needs close inspection and anything ten or more years old is immediately suspect. If your heater is more than ten years old, you should be budgeting for a new one.

Corrosion—As we’ve said, there’s no way to view the actual vessel that holds the water. However, there are a few places to look at for signs of corrosion. First, look at the fittings where the pipes enter and exit the heater, usually at the top. Second, if your heater is electric, TURN OFF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER in the electrical panel, then remove the one or two hatches on the side off the heater. This will let you look at the ports where the heating elements plug into the vessel for signs of corrosion. If you have a gas heater, TURN THE GAS CONTROL ALL THE WAY DOWN, then remove the plate at the bottom that conceals the burner. This should allow you to look at the bottom of the tank and the burner with a small flashlight. If you notice excessive rust or corrosion in any of these spots, the remaining life of the heater will be limited.

Noises—While its normal for humans to make some odd noises when they reach a certain age, its not normal to hear rumbling, gurgling or popping noises from your water heater. They’re a sign that it’s on borrowed time.

Rusty or cloudy water—If you suddenly start to notice a rusty appearance in your hot water, its also a sign the end is coming. Some people also report a sudden sulfur or rotten egg smell to the hot water, a sign that the anode is deteriorated.

Erratic Hot Water- If you have to adjust the temperature several times during your shower, or it takes a long time for the unit to heat water, it’s a sign of sediment build up reducing the efficiency of the heater. You might be able to flush the heater to improve it, but it will likely need replacement soon.

Containment—When you have a new heater installed, ask your plumber to install a catch pan under the heater to contain any possible leaks. If the heater is in an out-of-the-way place in your home, you can also have an alarm installed in the pan to alert you if it starts to leak.

Watching for these subtle signs can help you avoid the dreaded, unexpected flood.

03/10/2021

It Wasn't Us!!

Apparently our main office number has been "spoofed" and is being used by scammers to make random calls to cell phones and then hang up. Please understand that it wasn't us, we have no control over it, and our telephone provider can't do anything about it. Our only recourse is to wait for the scammers to use it for a while and then move on.

Its not that we mind talking to irate callers from all over Connecticut, Texas and even Hollywood, California at all hours of the day, but we would rather be scheduling a home inspection for you!

If you've received one of these calls, thanks for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.

02/08/2021

Should I shovel my roof?

If you live in our Connecticut service area, you probably have a fairly sizable accumulation of snow on your roof right now, and there’s even more snow forecasted for later this week. You may be wondering if you should shovel the roof now, before the additional snowfall.
The short answer is No. Or yes. Read on.
There are two considerations in play. If you live in a house constructed after World War II with a pitched roof, your roof structure was likely designed to hold a fairly substantial snow load. Even the antique homes in our area, while not designed to current standards, have stood the test of time. Unless there is a fair amount of decay or insect damage in the roof framing, you’re probably OK.
However, if you have an older roof that wasn’t installed with ice and water protection under the shingles, or you’ve experienced ice dams previously, you should probably consider clearing some of the snow off the roof, particularly at the lower edges where ice dams usually set up. (If you’re unfamiliar with ice dams, visit our page and look for the article “The Ice Dam Cometh”). If your house is equipped with heat cables on the roof, there’s probably some history of ice dams. NOW is when you should turn them on to melt some of the snow at the edge of the roof, keep the gutters clear and prevent ice dams from forming.
If your roof has a low pitch, or its flat, it would probably be a good idea to clear some of the snow, particularly if the roof is shingled, or if the snow is unevenly distributed, both for weight considerations and for ice dams.
In any case, you should never try climb on the roof when its snow or ice covered! If you try to do it from the ground, be sure to use tools that are designed for this purpose to prevent damage to the roof surface. In general, its always better to hire a professional for this task.

11/01/2020

Spring Ahead, Fall Back

Benjamin Franklin first came up with the idea in 1784, but it wasn’t used until 1918, when it was instituted as a wartime effort to reduce fuel consumption. It lasted less than a year. During WWII, it was used briefly again, but from 1945 until 1966, utilization of Daylight Savings Time had no federal mandate. It was left entirely to the discretion of individual states and localities, which were free to choose whether to observe it or not and could choose when it began and ended.

This created a lot of confusion, especially for industries such as broadcasting, railways, airlines, and bus companies. In 1966 Congress stepped in and created The Uniform Time Act, which provided the basic framework for alternating between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time, which we now observe in the United States.

It’s been tinkered with here and there over the years, including putting most of the nation on extended Daylight Savings Time for two years in the hopes of saving additional energy following the 1973 Oil Embargo.

Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00am on the first Sunday in April and ends at 2:00am on the last Sunday in October. It is used as an effort to conserve energy resources. Our energy use is connected to the time we go to bed, since while we are sleeping, we consume less resources.

© Donna E. Passaro, 2004. All rights res

04/28/2020

We are still operating and are available for inspections!

Like all firms, we are closely monitoring the progression of the current pandemic and are continuing our work according to guidelines set forth by government and public health officials.

To this end, our inspectors will be wearing personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves, and will sanitize any equipment used during the inspection prior to our arrival. We will also maintain safe “social distancing” spacing, and will refrain from handshakes or other direct contact with individuals at the inspection.

For our mutual protection, we ask that you agree to:

• Not attend the inspection if you are ill, or displaying any flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough, sneezing or respiratory symptoms.

• Limit the attendance at the inspection to no more than two clients, plus their agent. (Please refrain from bringing guests, children, contractors or other persons. We will be happy to review the inspection report and findings by telephone with any concerned parties after the inspection.)

• For occupied homes, arrange for the homeowner to leave the home one hour prior to the time of the inspection. Ask your agent, or the listing agent, for assurance that all occupants of the home are well and not showing any symptoms of any kind.

• Maintain proper “social distancing” (six feet) spacing during the inspection.

• Wear your own personal protective equipment, such as a mask and gloves, as recommended by public health officials.

• As much as possible, refrain from touching personal belongings of the homeowner, if the home is occupied.

Stay safe Everyone!

02/17/2020

WE LOVE FIRST-TIME BUYERS
Through our many years of inspecting homes throughout Connecticut, one of the things we enjoy the most is working with first time home buyers.

Why? Because we love educating buyers about how the various systems in their home work, and what they have to do to maintain them. For many first timers, the furnace may be the big metal box in the basement that Dad or Mom worried about (or kicked when the oil bill came!). A first time buyer will take the time to learn how to change the filter and look for tell-tale signs that it isn’t working efficiently and needs professional service.

Many first timers have never opened the cover on an electrical panel, let alone reset a circuit breaker that has tripped. We’re not only happy to show them that, but explain how the various safety devices in the electrical system work and how to approach them safely. For instance, did you know that each breaker should be “exercised” once a year to make sure it works properly when needed?

We also enjoy showing buyers how and why to maintain their home, such as keeping the gutters clean, lubricating window tracks, and checking the attic for signs of moisture accumulation.

First time buyers generally have a lot to learn, and it makes us feel good to share our knowledge with them. Once we inspect your home, we remain your consultant for as long as you own it. We’re just a phone call away, and our knowledge base is always available at our website, www.houseinspect.com.
We enjoy taking some of the anxiety out of the home buying process for them. Feel free to call us at 203-791-1076.

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