Testing bathtub overflows

[Jason A. Sieg, CMI]

That's a new one for me. Pest Control test overflows? At first I thought RR was jokeing but once I read his IRS v2 quote? Why would they be doing that?

[Jay Moge]

Originally Posted by jsieg

That's a new one for me. Pest Control test overflows? At first I thought RR was jokeing but once I read his IRS v2 quote? Why would they be doing that?

PHEW!!! now i don't feel as dumb.......o.k. so i do, but at least i'm not alone. Plus you have a good first name.

[jmichalski]

I give up....why does the termite guy test shower pans and tub overflows?

[Jay Moge]

RUUUUUUUUUSSSSS.....please educate all us with bloody scalps from scratching our heads on this one.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by jmichalski

I give up....why does the termite guy test shower pans and tub overflows?

Moisture is conducive to termites. In slab foundations the plumbing penetrations in the slab are treated for termites during construction. If there is a leak there, the chemical gets diluted and there is nothing to keep the little devils out.

[Jay Moge]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

Moisture is conducive to termites. In slab foundations the plumbing penetrations in the slab are treated for termites during construction. If there is a leak there, the chemical gets diluted and there is nothing to keep the little devils out.

that makes good sence in reference to slab penatrations Brian, but what of tub drains and shower pans. they could be in no relation (water flow and gravity considerd) to said penatration. like if the penetration is in the north corner of the slab, and the tub is in the 3rd floor of the south side of the house. i just don't see the relation to WDIs. or any "pest" realy......

[Brian E. Kelly]

http://www.sb.state.az.us/wir.htm

Leaking pipes and faucets. Termites as well as other insects, seek out moisture for survival. Leading pipes can keep wood and soil continually damp and create a perfect home for termites

Termites Like Water
When I do termite inspections I disclaim "Traps and Drains" on the form and write No Access.


On the second page, section #19
http://www.sb.state.az.us/pdf/WDIIR.PDF

[Jay Moge]

Brian. i understand what WDIs and WDIIRs are and all, but i'm still a little fuzzy on how a HI defers testing tubs and shower pans to a pest co. i mean, if we do find a leak, then yeah recomend a WDIIR to the client and explain why. but Russ' post sounded as though he's not allowed to test either 'cuz it's the pest guys job. i know we can't see threw walls (though i've personaly found leaks that others have told me i must be able to see threw walls), and we give a "non invasive" inspection (were as the pest guys' going to poke holes as large as a quarter for his treatment) but i still don't get it 100%. good thing i live in N.H. and not Cali. i guess.(no offence Russ.)

[jmichalski]

If its all about moisture, do they check the roof and gutters, too?

[Brian E. Kelly]

I can't speak for RR, Jay.

[dspencer]

Originally Posted by rray

Hey, Keith.

I started out testing bathtub and shower overflows and really had my head chewed off by CREIA and its inspectors. Apparently, testing bathtub and shower overflows here in California is done by pest control services. After checking with several pest control professionals that I knew, my own attorney and I decided that it would be prudent of us not to test bathtub and shower overflows. So we put this into my Interactive Report System:

Are they plumbers? Makes no sense to me when I am a licensed pest inspector here in Ohio. Please explain.

[dspencer]

Its not on my State WDI form....Im calling the Dept of Ag Monday...Yes they will laugh at me...so bee it

[Jay Moge]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

I can't speak for RR, Jay.

no, i know, but thanx for the insite.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Jay Moge

hay Russel, call me ignint, but what in tar-nations does a pest control co. have to do with a tub drain???

Well, I was ignorant, too. But here's how the pest control companies explain it. Water creates conditions conducive to the growth of wood-destroying pests and organisms, and it is the pest control company's responsibility to look for those conditions and for evidence that something conducive not only is currently present but is active. So, theoretically, if they discover that the overflow drains or the shower pan leaks, then they have probable cause to believe that wood-destroying pests and organisms might be present, so they'll mark it as a Section I item that requires fixing. After all, they don't know how long it has been leaking, nor do they know when it last leaked (Do the current owners use that bathtub or shower? Do the current owners take baths with a full or overfull tub of water?). The process of the fix could involve removing the shower pan or bathtub.

After my experience with CREIA, I toughened up some relative to criticism of me and my inspection protocols, worked to improve them (an ongoing process), worked to increase my knowledge (an ongoing process, although I still don't like reading code books--talk about dull, boring, and uninteresting--give me Stephen King or Dan Brown!), and paid special attention to the pest control companies that I hired. I found one pest control company that I really like and with a cool name, License-to-Kill. Their inspectors fill up the shower, fill up the bathtub, walk around in the shower and bathtub, push on shower and bathtub walls, etc. They are not afraid to cause damage because the law protects them for that damage, something that it doesn't do real well for home inspectors here.

[pdacey]

I test sink overflows but not bathtub and shower overflows.

Pest inspectors here do not test overflows or shower pans.