What Your Inspector Should Look For/Bathrooms

Well, it has been some time since last we blogged. We will now take a breif look at what your inspector should be checking in the bathroom. To begin with, the inspector should run all the water, including flushing the toilet, and running the water in the shower. This to check the pressure of the water in the house, and to see how long it takes to get the hot water to the point of use. It should not take more than 30 seconds for the water to start warming up and become temperate enough to use. If there is a long pause in the time it takes for the hot water to become usable at the point of use, then maybe a in-line pump should be considered. There should be anti-scald protection on the shower if installed within the last 5 years. Your inspector should turn the shower faucet to hot, after being assured the hot water has been supplied to the bathroom; and pull on the water control. The water should not be hot enough to scald your hand. If the water is that hot and you have anti-scald protection, then you should consider turning down the temperature on your water heater. The next important function in your bathroom is the protection provided by GFIC outlets and circuits. The GFIC outlets are recognizable by their "test" button in the center of the unit. If there is not a GFIC outlet in the bathroom, your inspector should check to see if you have a GFIC breaker on this circuit in the panel box. If this also is not the case, this situation should be addressed immediately. Lastly, after checking water pressure, and anti-scald, the electrical circuitry; then your inspector should check your fan and other exhaust systems. The bath fan is very important to the control of moisture. Exhausting the bath fan directly to the exterior is a very important function in the performance of the homes' ventilation system. Finally, the overall prevention against moisture is done with the right caulking, bath materials, and using the fan and ventilation source correctly. Just a quick word about air exchangers. Air exchangers can help eliminate the moisture level tremendously. Although not a requirement, the air exchanger is probably the most practical method of controling moisture levels in new construction, and eliminating the moisture levels in existing homes. Until next time-remember to make sure your inspector is CERTIFIED. -Inspector Tom