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This month, I’d like to take a look at a photo from a recent inspection involving a DWV system for a home built in 1939. This is just one more example of how subtle some home inspection issues can be. Looking at the upper oval in the attached photo, we can see that the main sewer drain pipe exits the basement foundation wall at chest height, while in the foreground oval, the drain for the washing machine goes straight through the floor slab. There is no ejector pump in the house, which strongly suggests that the drain for the washing machine does not, and never did, drain into the sanitary sewer. Most likely, it simply drains into the gravel layer beneath the floor slab. I probably looked at this scenario ten times before noticing this. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I find that taking extra time during the inspection just looking for patterns and irregularities often helps to discover less-obvious issues... FULL ARTICLE

Home Inspection Tip Archive

Date	Topic	Tip #
August, 2008	DWV Concern	76
July, 2008	The Old FRT is Gone, but Truss Damage Remains	75
June, 2008	Steel Columns - Vertical Orientation	74
May, 2008	I-Joist Filler Blocks	73
April, 2008	Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant Water Heaters	72
March, 2008	Anchor Bolts	71
February, 2008	Open Web Trusses	70
January, 2008	Geothermal Heat Pumps	69
December, 2007	Foreclosure Inspections	68
November, 2007	Electrical Safety	67
October, 2007	Diversification to Maintain Revenue Stream	66
September, 2007	Over-Temperature & High Pressure Protection	65
August, 2007	Maintaining Customer Base	64
July, 2007	Pricing Commercial Inspections	63
June, 2007	Pool Barrier Safety	62
May, 2007	Moisture Intrusion in Tub/Shower Assemblies	61
April, 2007	Dual-Fuel Heat Pumps	60
March, 2007	Whirlpool Tub GFCI Protection and Bonding	59
February, 2007	Where Electricity Comes From	58
January, 2007	Instant Water Heaters	57
December, 2006	Replacement Gas Fired Furnaces	56
November, 2006	Garage Doors & Electric Openers	55
October, 2006	Appliance Inspection, Part 2	54
September, 2006	Inspecting All Possible Areas of the Home	53
August, 2006	Ladder Safety	52
July, 2006	Inspection Trends and Market Conditions	51
June, 2006	Air Conditioning Inspections	50
May, 2006	Inexpensive Marketing Methods	49
April, 2006	Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment	48
March, 2006	Gas Water Heater Thermostat Dial	47
February, 2006	Grounding and Bonding	46
January, 2006	Occupant Safety Issues	45
December, 2005	Infrared Thermometers	44
November, 2005	Radon Testing	43
October, 2005	Solid Strand Old-Technology Aluminum Wiring	42
September, 2005	Inspecting Appliances	41
August, 2005	Re-Inspections	40
July, 2005	Four Point Insurance Inspections	39
June, 2005	Fireplace Inspections	38
May, 2005	Diversifying Your Business	37
April, 2005	Effective Report Writing	36
March, 2005	On-Demand Water Heaters	35
February, 2005	Home Inspectors - Advocates with a Fiduciary Duty?	34
January, 2005	Solid Fuel Room Heaters	33
December, 2004	Understanding IRC Electrical	32
November, 2004	How Heat Pumps Work	31
October, 2004	The Right Tool Does Make a Big Difference	30
September, 2004	Home Inspection "Size Up" Technique	29
August, 2004	Conductors and OCPDs for A/C and Heat Pumps	28
July, 2004	Correct Clearances for Overhead Services	27
June, 2004	Sump Pumps	26
May, 2004	Temperature & Pressure Relief Valves on Water Heaters	25
Apr, 2004	FVIR Water Heaters	24
Mar, 2004	Bedroom Egress Windows	23
Feb, 2004	Practical, Professional Phrases for Common Situations	22
Jan, 2004	Electrical Sub-Panels& Insulated Neutral Terminal Bars	21
Dec, 2003	How Home Inspectors Can Use Moisture Meters	20
Nov, 2003	How to Make Contacts and Get Referrals	19
Oct, 2003	New Thinking in regards to Crawlspaces	18
Sep, 2003	Notching & Boring in Beams and Joists	17
Aug, 2003	Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters	16
Jul, 2003	Air Conditioner Condensate Drains	15
Jun, 2003	How to Price your Home Inspection Services	14
May, 2003	Water Heater Over-Temperature Protection	13
Apr, 2003	Dishwasher Air Gaps	12
Mar, 2003	Gas Appliances Misconception	11
Feb, 2003	Report Writing & On-Site Techniques	10
Jan, 2003	Heating Systems	9
Dec, 2002	Appliance Inspections	8
Nov, 2002	I-Joist Framing	7
Oct, 2002	Increasing Cash Flow	6
Sep, 2002	Communication With Clients At The Inspection	5
Aug, 2002	Inspecting Pools	4
Jul, 2002	Preventing Injury While Inspection	3
Jun, 2002	What Is Water Hammer?	2
May, 2002	Providing Another Level of Professionalism	1