Home “SPA” – Shocking Plumbing Alteration
Shocking Plumbing Alteration
While inspecting homes it is important to look for areas of alterations. A common plumbing alteration is the addition of a water filter. At first glance this might appear to be a reasonable “upgrade” to a home. In the photo we can see a copper water pipe interrupted by a plastic filter assembly. The copper water pipe is a conductor and the plastic filter assembly is an insulator. This plumbing alteration has increased the risk of shock in the home.
Water Filter + Jumper
When a conductor is interrupted by an insulator a jumper wire should be bonded to the conductors on both sides of the insulator. The water filter should have a sufficient wire bonded to the inlet pipe that jumps across the filter and bonds to the outlet pipe. Check your water filter. You might be at risk for a shocking surprise.
This is one example of a SPA (Shocking Plumbing Alteration) in Massachusetts Homes For Sale.
MA Home Inspector
Contact United Inspection Service at 508-788-1447 or email unitedinspection@live.com for your Massachusetts Home Inspection. Website: www.unitedinspection.com
MA Home Inspector – Important and Relevant Question(a)
Home Inspectors working in Massachusetts will present a list of Important and Relevant questions to their client, according to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. The home inspector client may wonder about the significance of the question and answer. First the question.
Damp Basement
(a) Does the dwelling have a history of seepage, dampness, and/or water penetration into the Basement and/or Under Floor Crawl Space? If so please explain.
For discussion purposes, the topic of this question is, damp basement.
Blog Topic: Damp Basement
A couple of significant issues are; health and storage of belongings. The basement is part of the home, and thus should be maintained in a healthy manner. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regulations includes a condition of dampness named Chronic Dampness. Contact the local City/Town Board of Health for official information on Chronic Dampness and home owner responsibilities with respect to chronic dampness.
Chronic Dampness means the regular and/or periodic appearance of moisture, water, mold or fungi.
An interesting article from LIVESTRONG.COM, The Health Effects of Basement Mold writes “Damp basement environments allow mold to thrive and send reproductive spores into indoor air.” Read the article for more information.
Tolerances to dampness vary by individual. It is up to the home inspector client to determine the significance of a Damp Basement with respect to the purchase of the home. There is no legal obligation for the seller or seller’s representative to answer this question, according to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice.
A common use of a basement is the storage of belongings. “Moisture is a real threat to anything that you put into storage.” according to Climate Controlled Storage Units.org . Moisture levels in Massachusetts will vary with the seasons, and thus the moisture levels for seasonal storage items. Consider your basement storage requirements and the effects of a damp basement.
What is the value of a dry basement?
Massachusetts home inspectors are prohibited from estimating repair costs. Home Improvement Contractors typically only give a quote to the home owner. There is no substitute for health. Consider indoor air quality tests and consult your physician. With respect to storage items, one way to determine the value is the cost to rent the equivalent basement square footage storage area, plus the travel costs associated with the frequency of moving items in/out of storage on an annual basis.
It is up to the home inspector client to determine the significance of a Damp Basement with respect to the purchase of the home. There is no legal obligation for the seller or seller’s representative to answer this question, according to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice.
MA Home Inspector
United Inspection Service provides an electronic form to expedite the process of a written question and response. Visit the Required Handouts page on the United Inspection Service website to download a copy of the form.
MA Study of Arsenic and Uranium in Private Wells
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH,) investigated the presence of arsenic and uranium in private bedrock water supply wells in a study area located in east central and northeastern Massachusetts.
Visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection web page – http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/au/ausumm.htm for official information.
Read the public news release on March 21, 2011 at – http://www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/0311arur.htm
Enter your address in the search tool at – http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/images/dep/pbwell/pbwell_map.html for an estimated probability level.
New Braintree MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in New Braintree MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the New Braintree MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in New Braintree MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample New Braintree MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
North Brookfield MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in North Brookfield MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the North Brookfield MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in North Brookfield MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample North Brookfield MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Northbridge MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Northbridge MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Northbridge MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Northbridge MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Northbridge MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Oakham MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Oakham MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Oakham MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Oakham MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Oakham MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Oxford MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Oxford MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Oxford MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Oxford MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Oxford MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Paxton MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Paxton MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Paxton MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Paxton MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Paxton MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Petersham MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Petersham MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Petersham MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Petersham MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Petersham MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Phillipston MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Phillipston MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Phillipston MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Phillipston MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Phillipston MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
Princeton MA Home Inspection
A home inspector working in Princeton MA is required to perform a home inspection to the Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice. A copy of the standard will be provided to the client by the home inspector.
MA Home Inspector
The MA Home Inspector Standards of Practice is written for the professional home inspector. United Inspection Service has created some easy to read Consumer Information Sheets illustrating what is included and excluded in a Standard MA home inspection. Clear client communications (3c) are one of our core values. See the easy to read one page consumer information sheets for each of the systems in a MA Home Inspection.
Visit the Princeton MA Home Inspection web page from United Inspection Service for some useful information about homes in Princeton MA and our Massachusetts Home Inspection.
- Massachusetts Home Inspector Standards of Practice
- Home Inspection Photographs
- Recommended Questions to Ask the Seller/Seller’s Representative
- Sample Princeton MA Home Inspection Report
- Flood Zones
- Lead Paint
- Hazardous Waste Release
- and more on the web site…
