National Property Inspections of Rochester, NY Blog

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What do you do if you wake up to a cold house and the furnace isn’t running? Follow these checklists before you call the service company.

1. Check the thermostat. Is it set to “heat?” Is it set higher than the room temperature indicated on the dial? If it’s a digital thermostat, is the battery dead?

2. Check the on-off switch on the side of the furnace or near the furnace.

3. For a gas-fired furnace or boiler, check the furnace pilot light. If it’s out, light it, following the instructions on the furnace. If there is not pilot light, you have spark ignition or a hot surface igniter; the igniter should be hot or sparking as the furnace attempts to fire.

4. For a gas-fired furnace, is the gas off at the furnace or to your home? You can check this by seeing if the stove’s gas supply is on.

5. Is the breaker or fuse to the furnace turned off? Reset the breaker or re place the fuse; if it trips again, call a service technician.

6. Check the furnace fan compartment door. Some units have a safety switch that turns the furnace off when the door is ajar.

7. Check for a broken belt or a severely clogged air filter.

8. For an oil-fired furnace or boiler, follow the steps above and check the oil supply in the storage tank. If you are out of oil, arrange for oil delivery and burner service. An oil burner that runs out of oil will need service to restart.

9. For a heat pump, follow the steps above and check whether the outside unit is iced up. If it is, call for service. Check the main fuses or breaks on the disconnect at the unit and at the main distribution panel.

Make sure you tag the important items in your home so your family members can locate them in an emergency and contact a service company if needed.

http://www.npiweb.com/sansone

http://www.npiweb.com/sansone

Winter is a popular time for extended vacations because of the holiday season and people relocating to second homes in warmer locations during the cold winter months. The main risks associated with leaving a home unheated over a cold winter season include freezing water and the movement of framing, drywall, plaster and flooring.

Before you leave your home for a majority of the winter, make sure you follow these tips to ensure a proper shut-down:

• Properly securing the water system involves much more than turning off the water. You must also secure anything that may contain water, including drain traps, piping, water heaters, dishwashers and clothes washers. Open up the piping at several locations to drain water.

• Fill drain traps and toilets with specialized antifreeze to keep sewer gas from entering your home, and to prevent freeze damage.

• Turn off the washing machine supply lines, and remove and drain them. To clear water from the washing machine pump, run the washer on the fill part of its cycle, set to warm water. For a dishwasher, remove the inlet hose and open the supply valve after you have turned off the water supply to the house. Operate the dishwasher to clear the valve; remove the drain hose.

• Unplug all electrical appliances to prevent any damage from power surges or lightning strikes.

• Keep the heat turned on, at a low setting to avoid the risk of structural damage of your home.

• Rain gutters, downspouts, sump pumps and appliances can malfunction during a long winter absence. Security is also a major concern- find someone to check on your house to avoid these risks. Contact your insurance company to find out their requirements.

http://www.npiweb.com/sansone

http://www.npiweb.com/sansone

The winter months are a popular time to curl up in front of the fireplace. Make sure that your fireplace is in proper condition for this winter.

Wood burning fireplaces are generally considered to be extremely inefficient heat sources, but that doesn’t deter many homeowners from wanting them in their homes. There are two basic types of wood burning fireplaces: masonry and metal insert. A masonry fireplace is made of brick or mortar, and a metal insert fireplace is a prefab unit with masonry surrounding it. The chimney is the most important part of the fireplace system and should be cleaned yearly by a qualified chimney sweep to ensure it is in good working order and free of debris.

Chimneys have to be lined to provide a smooth, unbroken passage for the smoke to rise and leave the house. This keeps the flames and gases from entering the home and causing sickness, death or fire.

As part of an inspection, a National Property Inspections professional will check the fireplace for any major cracks in the masonry, operate the damper to ensure the flue is working properly and verify that the flue has a liner. A NPI inspector will also observe the general condition of the chimney; note the materials of its construction, the height of the chimney and any unsafe conditions.

http://www.npiweb.com/sansone