Student Discussion of Comfort and Climate Course

This online student discussion forum is exclusively for students who are currently enrolled into the InterNACHI free, online “Comfort and Climate for Inspectors” course.
Student may pose questions with other students, share thoughts, and post images on this thread, which will be monitored by the course instructor.

For assistance, email Ben Gromicko ben@internachi.org.

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This is a photo I took in crawlspace with very high RH. Almost every surface had condensation. This was the result of no vapor barrier on the bare ground and essentially no ventilation.

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Many builders(unlicensed) and home owners do not understand crawlspace ventilation and vapor barriers. Also proper crawlspace grading for the exterior. In the deep south, I see houses built in the past had no enforced inspections or codes. Professional home inspectors are loved by most home buyers( we discover mold and decay and WDI activity at crawlspaces>often.

Use treated lumber for crawlspace framing and subfloor!!

Interesting course!

This is a picture of a hot water tank. It does not have drainage pipe correctly attached. The proper manner to drain the relief valve is to attach a 3/4 pipe.

re course comfort and climate control: water heater temp/pressure relief valve extension missing

This is a photo of a dirt crawl space without a vapor barrier. This could introduce more humidity into the building structure if not corrected. Excess humidity will impact the relative humidity within the house.

You can barley see it but this is a picture of condensation building between the window and window sill. The outside temp is 10 degrees and snowing, while the indoor temp is a comfortable 72 degrees.

As a requirement for this course I read: “Condensation in Double Paned Windows” and “Condensation Inspection”. Both informing and interesting as we have condensation beginning with some windows in our home.

This ceiling had water damage from excess condensation build up from a metal pan that dripped water on the ceiling.

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How many of you see improperly vented roofs? Missing or misplaced soffit vents and baffles, missing ridge and air hawk vents, etc.

I have seen this in fogged double pane windows, but didn’t know it was caused by either of these two:

  • riverbedding. Condensed vapor between the glass panes will form droplets that run down the length of the window. Water that descends in this fashion has the tendency to follow narrow paths and carve grooves into the glass surface. These grooves are formed in a process similar to canyon formation.

  • silica haze. Once the silica gel has been saturated, it will be eroded by passing air currents and accumulate as white “snowflakes” on the window surface. It is believed that if this damage is present, the window must be replaced.

A picture of gutters coming off the house. Also boards under need to be replaced.

Articles on electric panels help clear up confusion about which panels are dangerous. Also importance of having the right connections

The Library of Inspection Articles contain a wealth of valuable information. Thank you for making this information available on line.

Filter missing from HVAC. Filters are required to maintain efficiency of the unit. Protects the air handler coil from dust, lint, pet hair, or other buildup.

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Lead Boot probably chewed by a squirrel. This can lead to moisture problems in the attic.

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Nest thermostats showing exterior temperature and weather, interior temperature, and relative humidity.

Here’s a refrigerant return line exiting the A/C blower. When the unit is running this line is cool and the exposed line will sweat. It should be completely insulated to help prevent any moisture problems in the HVAC closet.

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