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Sloppy Evaporator Coil Install
Came across this a/c systems evaporator coil today. It’s amazing how lazy some people are. If you pay a professional to do a job, you expect to get a professional job done. The coil was so off level, condensation was standing on the left side of the pan whenever the a/c was running. Here in Texas, that’s most of the year. After years of this happening, the pan finally rusted through and is now leaking into the secondary pan and beyond to the plenum. The plenum is leaking onto the ceiling and wall of the bedroom below. Now we have a huge mess with water damage and mold. The homeowner bought the house 2 years ago and didn’t get a home inspection. Homeowner called me out to find the cause. They thought it was the roof. Now they have to repair the water damage but also need to have the coil replaced all due to a lazy installation.
Roof Flashing by a Fort Worth Home Inspector
The main purpose of a roof is to protect the home from the elements. Rainfall is the #1 culprit of water getting underneath the roof structure. Water needs to be shed away from valleys, chimneys, ridges, eaves, rakes, skylights, roof penetrations and roof to wall intersections. Water built up in these particular locations can cause serious damage to the structure in wood rot and not to mention mold which is known to cause respiratory problems. The water usually doesn’t just stop there, it can penetrate down the attic structure, to the ceiling sheet-rock or down a wall and cause even more serious issues. The leak will not fix itself but rather get worse in time.
Roof flashing is usually the last defense in the battle of water penetration. Flashing forms the intersections and terminations of the roof structure to shed away the water to prevent such entry into you home.
The installation and correct type and the correct material is crucial to make the flashing work as intended. At Leahy’s Inspections the Fort Worth Home Inspector can give you the Fort Worth home inspection you need to make sure you stay dry at all times. On my next post, I’ll talk about the different type of flashing and where they are used within the roof structure.
Hope This Helps!!
Tom Leahy
The Fort Worth Home Inspector
North Texas Foundations by a Fort Worth Home Inspector
The number one question I get during home inspections is “How is the Foundation”. I decided to write this post to help people understand the North Texas area conditions regarding foundations. Movement in the foundation can be caused by many factors, the most common reason is differential soil movement. In the North Texas area many homes are sitting on top of expansive clay soils. Another term for this type of soil is “Sponge Soil”, increasing in volume in moisture gain and decreasing in moisture loss. When this volume increases or decreases in a uniformed matter all around the home, problems may not develop. When the soil moves differentially under and around the rest of the foundation is when you can develop stress in the structure.
The best way to minimize foundation movement is to have consistent moisture in the underlying soils as much as possible. Other issues that could cause foundation problems is plumbing leaks. One easy way to check if you could have a plumbing leak is to make sure all the water is turned off inside the home (make sure ice-maker and appliances with water are off) and at the water meter, on the meter dial (The smallest dial), mark where the needle is. After about 10 minutes, go back and check to see if the needle has moved beyond the mark and how much. If the needle has moved, you could have a leak somewhere. An example of minor movement could be a toilet flapper not sealed, leaking hose bibs, etc. Major movement is when you could have some major issues and could cause problems with the foundation.
Drainage is another big issue with foundation movement. The rule is to have 6 inches of slope every 10 ft. to have the proper drainage away from the foundation. Gutter downspouts should extend at least 3 ft. away from the foundation and splash blocks used to reduce erosion.
Trees can be an issue with depleting the moisture levels in the soils. Mature trees can extract hundreds of gallons water on a daily basis. Tree roots are attracted to the constant moisture around and under the foundation we apply to keep the foundation stable.
Good watering practices is the key to keep a foundation stable. A good sprinkler system watering in a uniformed amount or you can use a soaker hose. There is different techniques out there when it comes to placement location of the soaker hose. Some experts say 18 inches away from the foundation, some say 10 inches, some say 6 inches. Some experts say to bury the soaker hose 3 inches below ground. I personally don’t like to bury the hose due to not knowing if there is a problem with the hose during watering. I personally put my hose around the entire perimeter of the foundation about 12 inches out from foundation and seems to work fine.
Remember applying UNIFORMED watering techniques is the key to helping the foundation stay in a stable condition.
Hope this helps!!
Tom Leahy of https://leahysinspections.com/
Fort Worth Home Inspector, Arlington Tx. Home Inspector, Burleson Tx Home Inspector, Mansfield Tx. Home Inspector and surrounding areas.
Home Chores for Spring Time by a Fort Worth Home Inspector
1. Check gutters for leafs and debris and clean out if needed
2. Low areas in the yard or next to foundation need to be filled in. Low areas (negative grade toward home) will cause water to pond and if not corrected could leave you with some unwanted foundation problems. All grading around house should drop 6 inches every 10 ft away from the home.
3. If you used your fireplace over the winter, good time to have the chimney swept and cleaned and be ready for next winter.
4. Look for exterior paint issues, cracking, buckling and etc. Look for areas that need caulking. With spring rains, these areas can become worse and lead to rot and even mold inside the walls if water is penetrating through these areas. Seal the exterior of the home. Saves energy as well.
5. Have a qualified heating and cooling company come and do the annual maintenance on your system. A clean system will perform better and prolong the life of the system, well worth the expense in the long run. Keep your filters clean.
6. Remove stored firewood away from the house. Should be elevated above ground and at least 2 ft. from home structure.
7. Leaky roofs…..Without water, its hard to tell if your roof is leaking. With the spring rains, get in the attic and check during good rains to see if there is any water penetrating through.
8. Cracks in the concrete and driveway and sidewalks. Use a concrete filler to seal these cracks.
Normal home maintenance is important to keep your home healthy and prevent deterioration.
Hope this helps!!
Tom Leahy Leahy’s Inspections
Fort Worth Home Inspector
