We found this in a home in West Seattle yesterday. The furnace and hot water heater shared the same closet. The furnaces cold air return was broken, and sucking air out of the small space pulling the exhaust out of the burner chamber under this hot water heater. The sheet metal is loose on the jo
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02/26/2010
A "GFCI" is a ground fault circuit interrupter. These are inexpensive outlets when they are PROPERLY installed prevent over 200 electrocutions each year. The problem is we find them wired incorrectly several times a week. The 'TEST" button is confusing if they are installed wrong. Today, I found
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02/08/2010
Builders have made great strides to make our homes energy efficient. This has resulted in new problems with the quality of the air. We typically spend 12 or more hours a day in our homes resulting in potentially long term exposure to unhealthy air. Some homes have from 2 to 100 times more pollute
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01/20/2010
Our Home Page - Articles and Advice - Our Reports - Testimonials - Our Company - Services The structural pests in the Northwest of greatest concern are all dependent on high moisture content in the wood. If you think about our area of the world, our structural pests all evolved in wet forests. T
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01/02/2010
Holiday lighting is a wonderful tradition, and these tips will help to keep you and your family safe. Use care not to overload your circuits. Do not run too many strings together, the amount of lights on string that can safely be connected differs for each type of light. Read and follow the manu
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11/28/2009
With winter on its way a few routine steps will help keep you safe, comfortable and save you money. Take care of safety Items first Check your smoke detectors. If you have an attached garage, live in multi-family, or have gas, oil or wood burning appliances, you must have a carbon monoxide detect
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10/30/2009
When you are selling your home, you should be prepared for the buyers to have your home inspected. All good inspectors will be looking for how your home had been maintained. Before you list your home, take a close look at these items and you will be better prepared and it may make the differenc
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09/14/2009
I inspected a home with Polybutylene plumbing the other day. As many of you may know the time line for PB repipe had past as of last May. (Cox v. Shell) My question is for the other inspectors out there, where would you have your customers turn now that the settlement deadline has past? It appe
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07/23/2009
Our Home Page - Articles and Advice - Our Reports - Testimonials - Our Company - Services With the warmer weather, we are looking to ways to keep our homes cool. Here are some tips to keep your home comfortable. Window Coverings When the temperatures are expected to be high, consider keeping sh
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07/01/2009
Our Home Page - Articles and Advice - Our Reports - Testimonials - Our Company - Services The most common source of water under homes is ineffective downspouts and missing splashblocks or drains. Inspect them regularly for failing mounts, crushed downspouts, and proper drainage. Water in crawlsp
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06/07/2009