Do you fill tubs up to check the overflow?

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by rray

Here in my neck of the woods, shower pans and bathtub overflows are under the jurisdiction of the licensed pest control professional, so my insurance doesn't cover me if I do the same and cause damage. Unfortunately, all of the licensed pest control professionals that I have worked with here in California also disclaim shower pans and bathtub overflow drains, particularly on anything other than the first floor, because of the damage that can be caused. I guess they don't have insurance to cause that specific type of damage, either, or maybe it's the fact that too often the damage doesn't manifest itself until a few hours after the inspection--been there, done that during property renovations. Not a pretty sight.

Exactly...

I can just see myself in a second floor bathroom telling folks this may take a while to see if we can get water squirting out of the wall or ceiling downstairs.

I think explaining to the folks that I have seen way to many overflows Not connected while doing phase inspections to even think about testing a drain which probably has a 50 percent chance to cause significant damage to the home you have not purchased yet.

I put this test in the same category as stoking the fireplace and waiting to see if the house burns down.

Whacked...

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Never done it - don't intend to start. Never had a client complain that we missed this - but only been doing it 28 years and 13,000 inspections, give it a little more time to see if it becomes a problem.

Thats just me cause I'm sloppy and take the easy way out - However, I urge all other inspectors (especially those new ones in my market area) to be very thorough and do things like trip TPR valves on water heaters and fill ALL tubs AND every sink in a house to the overflow to see if they flood the house or not. You will make a long-lasting impression on everyone in the transaction (including your client) with your skill and foresight. You will likely become an urban legend almost overnight & your name will circulate quickly.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Food for thought:

In some areas (like in KC and surrounding areas) the RE Contract states the "buyer has the right to a home inspection by the professional inspector of their choice, and assumes full responsibility for any damage to the property".

Many sellers and listing agents will hold onto the buyers earnest money in those cases. Example: You got a real knot-head of a seller - the inspector puts the overhead garage door up; it goes up 4' and falls off track (with the inspector 20' away at the door opener); the buyer and buyers realtor are there to see the home inspector didn't hurt anything - the door failed; BUT the seller or listing agent claim per the contract your inspection damaged the door AND nowthe fighting starts. Before long even though they know you really did not DAMAGE anything. the buyer and their agent start looking to you for reimbursement to the seller to get the deal back on track.

Last year, we operated an overhead garage door with glass windows in the upper panel. We used a 2x on the floor to test the reverse. The reverse failed but caused the older door to flex enough to break the glass (it fell out and broke, cutting our inspectors face and scalp - just missed the buyer). Guess who BROKE their door?? Another scenario - the inspector ran the dishwasher and when it got to drain it started leaking profusely. Something ended up being rusted out underneath the unit - behind the lower kick panel. From the sellers perspective "the inspector broke it - its never leaked before".

In another instance, the inspector removed the cover on an old fuse box to examine the wiring inside, and the fuse block literally fell apart in pieces when the cover came off. The home inspector BROKE it was the sellers claim. In each case there was a buyers agent, buyer or both there to see we didn't break anything - BUT after 3 weeks of fighting to get their earnest money back from an *****hole of a seller or listing agent, the buyer and his agent no longer cared about fair or not & expected us to pay fo these things.

Bottom line for us - we don't force anything AND we've quit doing things that even look like they could possibly damage the sellers property.

[John J. Passailaigue, Jr.]

Never have.......hopefully never will.......

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by dbowers

Thats just me cause I'm sloppy and take the easy way out - However, I urge all other inspectors (especially those new ones in my market area) to be very thorough and do things like trip TPR valves on water heaters and fill ALL tubs AND every sink in a house to the overflow to see if they flood the house or not. You will make a long-lasting impression on everyone in the transaction (including your client) with your skill and foresight. You will likely become an urban legend almost overnight & your name will circulate quickly.

That's funny, although I think you might have forgotten to use some emoticons.

Originally Posted by dbowers

Food for thought:

In some areas (like in KC and surrounding areas) the RE Contract states the "buyer has the right to a home inspection by the professional inspector of their choice, and assumes full responsibility for any damage to the property".

Many sellers and listing agents will hold onto the buyers earnest money in those cases. Example: You got a real knot-head of a seller - the inspector puts the overhead garage door up; it goes up 4' and falls off track (with the inspector 20' away at the door opener); the buyer and buyers realtor are there to see the home inspector didn't hurt anything - the door failed; BUT the seller or listing agent claim per the contract your inspection damaged the door AND nowthe fighting starts. Before long even though they know you really did not DAMAGE anything. the buyer and their agent start looking to you for reimbursement to the seller to get the deal back on track.

Last year, we operated an overhead garage door with glass windows in the upper panel. We used a 2x on the floor to test the reverse. The reverse failed but caused the older door to flex enough to break the glass (it fell out and broke, cutting our inspectors face and scalp - just missed the buyer). Guess who BROKE their door?? Another scenario - the inspector ran the dishwasher and when it got to drain it started leaking profusely. Something ended up being rusted out underneath the unit - behind the lower kick panel. From the sellers perspective "the inspector broke it - its never leaked before".

In another instance, the inspector removed the cover on an old fuse box to examine the wiring inside, and the fuse block literally fell apart in pieces when the cover came off. The home inspector BROKE it was the sellers claim. In each case there was a buyers agent, buyer or both there to see we didn't break anything - BUT after 3 weeks of fighting to get their earnest money back from an *****hole of a seller or listing agent, the buyer and his agent no longer cared about fair or not & expected us to pay fo these things.

Bottom line for us - we don't force anything AND we've quit doing things that even look like they could possibly damage the sellers property.

I like that. Great post.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Thanks Russel

[Blaine Wiley]

"Bottom line for us - we don't force anything AND we've quit doing things that even look like they could possibly damage the sellers property"

I'm still a rookie at 11 years and 5000+ inspections, Dan, but I have followed that logic since day one and it has worked well. Some inspectors write "failed during testing", which only leads to fights, and often payments.