Seasonal Tips From A Home Inspector

As the weather is getting cooler, we asked the Inspectors to send in some good advice for homeowners preparing for winter. Here are three seriously smart things to look out for at your home this season:

1. Furnace Flame Sensor

From Inspector Alex: "That’s the flame sensor for my furnace at home. Yesterday my wife was complaining that the heat wasn’t working, so I went up in the attic and could hear the burners kick on and then go out immediately. This sensor is in place so if there is no flame, it shuts off the gas. As the metal tarnishes over time, it starts to think there is no flame. You’ll see it pointing into the flame and is easily serviced. It's an inexpensive part that can be replaced, or just polish it with steel wool and that saves you the wait and charge for an HVAC technician.

2. Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing

From Inspector Luis: CSST gas lines are installed in millions of homes, and you may have heard of them from news stories about lightning strikes causing explosions. These lines are required to be grounded. You can ground it by connecting a #8 AWG copper wire from the manifold to the panel box ground, or call a licensed electrician. Read more about grounding CSST here.

3. Return Air Vent In The Garage

From Inspector Brian: While air conditioning your garage may seem like a fun idea, there is a right and wrong way to do it. According to building code, you should never place return air vents in the garage, (or closet, bathroom, toilet room, kitchen, garage, mechanical room, boiler room, furnace room or unconditioned attic). In addition to carbon monoxide, garage air contaminants like gasoline fumes, paint, and other chemicals can be a health and safety risk inside your home.

If you're concerned about unsafe or improperly installed systems in your house, you can #AskAHomeInspector with a Seasonal Home Maintenance Check Up.