Need a little advise

[Richard D. Slocum]

I have an inspection on a home that has the water turned off. The pipes broke last spring and the bank won't allow the buyer to turn on the water. My question to you plumbing gurus is : Can an air test be done on this plumbing system with all the fixture and appliances in place? Do I need to shut the valves to the dishwasher, water heater, etc. ? And finally what is the best way to administer this test, Gauge with air chuck on the hose bibb or what? This is a first for me so be gentle ! Thanks in advance for any help......................Rick

[rcooke]

Originally Posted by rslocum

I have an inspection on a home that has the water turned off. The pipes broke last spring and the bank won't allow the buyer to turn on the water. My question to you plumbing gurus is : Can an air test be done on this plumbing system with all the fixture and appliances in place? Do I need to shut the valves to the dishwasher, water heater, etc. ? And finally what is the best way to administer this test, Gauge with air chuck on the hose bibb or what? This is a first for me so be gentle ! Thanks in advance for any help......................Rick

I just write water turned off unable to test .
I then carry on with the rest of my inspection.
Sorry but if you start some thing like you wish to do you could find you spend the whole day and might never get your inspection finished .
I have done quite a few and never had a complaint.
It is not your fault there is no water .
I do not turn on or start pumps that are shut off .
I feel there is a reason and every time I have seen taps turned on or pumps started there has been a problem None where my fault .
All the best please if you need to talk Call or send me email

[Richard D. Slocum]

Thanks Roy. I don't typically turn water or other services on either. This is a vacation home for a client I did an inspection for last spring. He asked if there was a way to test the system without turning the water on and I said I would check. The leak / broken pipe has not been repaired yet, so I think he is trying to find out where the pipe broke in the first place and to determine if there are any other problems. No one at the bank(bank owned home) seems to have any info on this. I don't want to spend all my time up there dinkin around with the plumbing anyway, There is fishin to do after the inspection !! Thanks again.......

[rcooke]

Originally Posted by rslocum

Thanks Roy. I don't typically turn water or other services on either. This is a vacation home for a client I did an inspection for last spring. He asked if there was a way to test the system without turning the water on and I said I would check. The leak / broken pipe has not been repaired yet, so I think he is trying to find out where the pipe broke in the first place and to determine if there are any other problems. No one at the bank(bank owned home) seems to have any info on this. I don't want to spend all my time up there dinkin around with the plumbing anyway, There is fishin to do after the inspection !! Thanks again.......

Glad to help as I said email or phone and I will do my best to help .
I agree Char and I hope to start serious fishing this week the salmon have arrived .Boat in the water Freezer making ice Inspection in morning Friday Fishing Time

[Richard D. Slocum]

Thanks Roy. Good luck fishing!

[Brian E. Kelly]

If you have time you can turn off the shutof valves, and hosebibs, attach a low pressure air supply, and walk around the house and listen for the leak.

[Richard D. Slocum]

Brian, How/where would you attach the low pressure air supply? Thanks for your response.

[Brian E. Kelly]

I would probably use a hose bib Richard. I would also turn the shutoff valve at the house off, to rule out the supply line from the the house to the meter.
If it takes too much time, have a plumber come out.

[Richard D. Slocum]

Thanks a bunch Brian ! Hose bibb was my plan. Client is going to be there and sounds like he wants to mess with this, so I will probably let him do it while I check out the rest of the place.

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

Rick, I've had three of these winterized homes in the past three weeks in Boulder County. Had heavy pressure from one realtor to "...just turn on the pump at the switch, it's easy, we've already had the water turned on to power-wash the deck". I refused, she had someone else do it and the broken pipes and toilet created a huge mess.

Going outside the Standards really leaves inspectors open to accusations from realtors. Are you liable if while you're in control of the inspection, your client does something wrong and damages pipes?

[Bruce M. Graham, III]

Kenton,
How would the inspector be responsible for the stupid client turning on the water? I have had this happen several times with clients and the Dumb_ss realtor turning stuff on after being told not to and why, I just laugh to myself and finish the inspection. You can not fix stupid.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

[quote=kshepard]Rick, I've had three of these winterized homes in the past three weeks in Boulder County. Had heavy pressure from one realtor to "...just turn on the pump at the switch, it's easy, we've already had the water turned on to power-wash the deck". I refused, she had someone else do it and the broken pipes and toilet created a huge mess.

Going outside the Standards really leaves inspectors open to accusations from realtors. Are you liable if while you're in control of the inspection, your client does something wrong and damages pipes?[/quote]

The short answer would be ....... you really were not in control.

But then again you are the inspector, not the babysitter.

If a grown man or grown woman chooses to turn the system off or on after you have told them them not to then I don't see how you could be held responsible.

Like Bruce said ............ "you cannot fix stupid"!

[Richard D. Slocum]

Hi guys, thanks for all your responses. Wwell the inspection took place and we tried the low pressure air test and still couldn't locate the broken pipe. The water was shut off at the street, and a water key would have been needed to turn it on, so at least that didn't happen.

This was a modular that had the prpane tank removed before winter, the place wasn't winterized, so duh, water pipes broke somewhere. Anyway, here are a couple of pics of the burner compartment of the water heater. (along with a couple from a good water heater) I don't think it is supposed to have that bulge coming down towards the burner, any thoughts on this? I think it froze. The other pics show the bottom of the tank concave. I have another I'll post of the flue set up. Modular homes can be a different breed for sure.

[Richard D. Slocum]

Here is the flue for the water heater. This place was manufactured in 2003. I have not seen this type of set up before. There was another pipe for combustion air coming up through the bottom of the water heater from the crawlspace. And the cold water inlet was down low on the side of the heater. Another first for me.

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

Yes there is a great way to check the plumbing. Call a plumber.