qhinspect

Why do you feel it is important to write in the first person? I hear this from different people from time to time and not sure why it is so important. I would think all the parties involve would also understand the statement if written like this. Flames shot out of the front of the furnace when turned on which is not considered normal operation. A qualified HVAC technician is needed to repair or replace as needed before further operation of the furnace. I'll leave the second option alone.[] Just curious. When it comes to what everyone has written so far regarding the original post, I agree.

Around here, the heating companies install aluminum chimney liners while the chimney repair companies install the stainless steel. Both are approved for this type of installation but I agree that the stainless (less common to see around here) is a better option to go. When looking at the chimney, there should be a metal cap installed with sheet metal covering the top of the flue. Working for a heating company many years ago, I installed many of the aluminum chimney liners.

Thanks for the response. Just to let you know, the RS500 is being discontinued (RS300 is taking its place). The only options is the RS300 and the RS800. The RS800 is $3,000 which is out of my price range at this time. I like the rental option for the RS800 of $75.00 a month with no extra cost per monitor use. Radalink offers a great serivce but with things slowing down (I don't see home inspections picking up to where it was the past years), there is more time for record keeping.

I am looking at buying the RS300 sold by AccuStar. It's being sold for $800. I'm wondering if anyone has this machine and what they think of it. RS300 Measurement- Radon Gas Radiation Detected- Rn-222 Alpha Principle of Operation- Pulsed Ionization Chamber Units- pCi/L Sensitivity- 0.27 cpm/pCi/L Dynamic Range- 0.5 to 150 pCi/L Linearity- +/- 10% Best straight line Lower Limit of Detection- 0.5 pCi/L Data Storage (volatile)- n/a Data Storage (nonvolatile)- Up to 240 readings, wrap on overrun Sampling Mode- Passive diffusion Measurement Interval- 1 hour Maximum Number of Intervals- 240 Continuous Measurement Range- 1 hour to 10 days 12-Hour Test Delay- No 24-Hour Test Delay- No Shows Minimum Radon- Yes Shows Maximum Radon- Yes Shows Alpha Counts- Yes Calculates Average Measurement- Yes Data Transfer Software (Windows) RadStar Data Capture Utility Version 3.2 Tilt Switch- Yes A/C Power Fail Detection- Yes Key Switch Lock-out- Yes Display Blackout- n/a Battery Saver Mode- No Hourly Humidity Measurement- No Hourly Temperature Measurement- No Physical Dimensions- 7"H x 8"W x 4.5"D Tripod Mounts- Yes Weight- 2.5 lbs Color- Green/Black Operating temperature- 50 - 90 deg F Operating humidity- 0% - 80% rH non-condensing Temperature Sensor Range- n/a Humidity Sensor Range- n/a Display- None Operating Indicator(s)- Green A/C Power, Red Testing LEDs Output- RS-232 serial port Battery Operation- 5 - 8 days; internal NiCad Battery Recharge Time- 12 Hours Power Supply- AC Wall Transformer - 12 VDC 800ma

I agree with what you wrote but I would still include what the brochure is about so they have a clear understanding. Catching their eye is one thing but understanding what they are looking at before picking it up is another. Little plane around where you name off the areas you inspect. Might look better on brochure paper but I think the font or size change can make it look better. I focus on the company and not me but if you want to go that direction, I think the back cover is good. Looks good. Regarding the re-inspection, make sure you have a limitation on when you will do them. I have that limitation up to closing. You don't want them to find a problem and have them use that re-inspection where you will have to give them something in writing. Also I would put in your contract how many re-inspections you will do. I only do one re-inspection. After that they will have to pay. Over the years, there are a lot of people that you will go back for the re-inspection and the seller did not do it right. Then you go back again, the seller fixed that item but messed up on something else. Also there are a few people that will want you to go back out there when each item is fixed and not wait till they are all fixed. Looks fine. Nice thing about asking others about what you did is that it can change your mind about how you did things or re-enforce your thinking on what you did do.

I noticed that no one that responded is from your area/state. It sounds like you need to get to know your market. What do the buyers in your area want to see? Different locations have different wants/demands. To answer your question. I feel the same about the front page, you need something to draw their eye and grab their attention to your brochure (unless your competition is like the guys that responded here where there will be no brochures at the Realtors office).[:-bigeyes I always thought a logo, phone number, website and anything that can separate you from your competition should be on the front page. Then go into it further on the interior pages so they know what it means if needed. If they see and hear basically the same thing from every home inspector, why wouldn't they go with the cheapest guy? I would. By the way, I like your logo. Simple but effective.

Brochures work for me in this area and worth the money. When I have Realtors calling me to inform me that there are no more brochures up front, I know they work. I also know they work since some clients called my company from the brochure they picked up. Just depends on your area. About 5 years ago, the phone book was a great source but now I feel it is the internet in this area. When it comes to your brochure, add something so it stands out. I include a sticky note at the top of my brochures offering specials. Example: January is National Radon Month and normally the slowest time for doing home inspections. So I offer a special on Radon and print that special on the stick notes and have it sticking out the top of the brochure. If McDonalds, Wal-Mart or Kentucky Fried Chicken did the same as everyone else, it is likely they would not be where they are now.

I agree This is one of the few things I have Realtors do during a presentation for amusement. Image Insert: 26.55 KB

If those were snap switches, the heat could easily have been caused by loose connections at one or two of the switches. If those were dimmers, that could just be the normal temperature of the dimmer if it's serving a large load. - Jim Katen, Oregon If they were snap switches installed, great call. Just like a traditional home inspection, you see a likely problem and you recommended further evaluation/repair by an electrician. [:-party] I was scanning a basement with my IR camera when I came across a drain pipe that had leaked water. It would have been likely that I would have caught this problem without the IR camera but the IR showed the leak easily and directed me to the crack in the pipe. I agree with this comment. But you have to love the IR camera.[]

If the information you are using has been covered in a class you have taken, use that. If a builder doesn't do something when there is information saying that he should, then his liability just went up. I tell that builder that I'm not willing to take the chance. Just because it’s not required doesn't mean it shouldn't have been done. There is only so much we can do and like some others have said, the ball is in the buyers and builders hands.

Is this just an air handler with an outside condenser unit for cooling only? Around here you see heat runs going to the upper and lower levels. Dampers (or in many cases) registers are installed to regulate the amount of air being supplied to these two levels. For new construction where the lower level is not going to be finished off, most heating companies installed two to four heat runs for the lower level. If only an air handler, I wouldn't know but I (as a home buyer) would like to know that there are no ducts supplying cool air to the lower level. Don't forget that return air register(s) is/are needed for proper air circulation. Proper heating and cooling always requires the proper amount of cooling/heating and proper air circulation.

This area had a flood Sept 13th, 2006. Then another heavy rain in August of 2007 which resulted in sewer backup. A person down the road has gotten a detailed estimate from a restoration company and there were a couple of questions he has that I could not answer. Even though he is planning on calling the company, I was wanting to know myself so I thought I would bring it up here. On the page titled “Weight Roomâ€

I laughed when I heard some of the crew describe their experience as an extended high school. When you have 18, 19 and 20 year olds that are the majority of such a powerful ship, there has to be order. I give the most credit to the people that can control this type of crew.[:-thumbu]

lol, the downspouts were missing. Image Insert: 176.96 KB

Buyers were not too happy to see this. [:-bigeyes Image Insert: 233.8 KB

I've tried different things but for the last three months I found that if I charge $150 for the test and if it comes back below 4.0 pCi/l, they get half the cost back. I keep the $150 about 30% of the time. Now in my area, most of by jobs are 15 minutes away. Before the last three months, I was happy to get 5 radon jobs in a month. The last three months I've been been averaging 12 radon test per month. I have a problem around here since most people don't know about radon and I have to educate and entice them. Do I get jobs from them, a few. Instead of getting $300 just for a home inspection job, I get $375 to $450. I look at as great extra income with low to no liability. Some might not like how I price the radon tests but I am making money from it. More important, I am making people aware of radon and what levels are in the house before thee purchase. Highest radon level tested was 62 pCi/l. I also agree with everyone about Radalink. Free classes, good looking reports, great help when needed, the best for somebody starting out. I cannot say anything bad about them when it comes to the service they provide.

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Nobody from Bowling Green, KY or Kenosha, WI yet. Want to inspect homes with problems, move to Bowling Green, KY. I hope they are the worse in the U.S.

I’m finding that I can not raise my prices just yet. I’m having to introduce the ir camera and explain what it does (since the Realtors know nothing about it). Normally I can get 4 to 8 Realtors at a time. Once they see how "cool" this camera is and what it can do, I hoping to be able to raise the prices. Getting more education and getting the information on my website is in the process.

I would think of it like it was your first home inspection. It gets easier and faster the more you do. [:-magnify O that learning curve.[:-weepn] What's the chances of getting some infrared smilies to choose from?[^]

Same here. Inspections time has increase a little and the battery life doesn't even come close to an issue for residential inspections. I do feel better about inspecting with the camera. It's interesting to indirectly see where the headers are over windows, studs are located, temperature of breakers and what they go to and cannot leave out finding a problem and being able to show it visually in the report.

I am still going to recommended it. The GFCI can be located at the breaker if the ceiling is too high in the garage. As everyone already knows, a garage door opener doesn't prevent somebody from using the garage/garage door. I feel this will cover myself because a Lawyer is likely to ask why it wasn't recommended if he wanted to go in that direction.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I thought the match test is the recommended test per manufacturer. I know I read it and I have been thinking I read it from more than one manufacturer (Like the 2 by 4 test for garage door opener reverse safety). I'm going to look into this tonight to make sure. Update: I looked up a couple of manufacturers and it's written to use a match (or lighter) to determine if a good draft exist. Do what you want but I would use this method since you have written proof on how to check for draft so if somebody questions it (like the seller, listing agent or the worst, a lawyer) then you have the manufacturer to back you up.[^]

Same here. Most of them have been disconnected from the city sewer since the town/city doesn't want to pay to treat clean water.

Got the Fluke TiR and did my first inspection with it. 2100 square foot house, it used one bar out of four. Image Insert: 17.64 KB Picture of my daughter and her cat.