Associated Master Inspectors

Don’t fence me in. This kitchen’s downdraft exhaust fan doesn’t have a chance or working properly when its terminal is buried in the ground.

So You Bought a Gas Range . . .

Our intrepid homeowner switched from an electric range to a gas range. To accommodate the new range, any electrician could easily have changed the old 240-volt circuit to a 120-volt circuit, but our hero came up with a better way: Mangle the old range cord to make an “adapter.” Why is that a problem? Let us count the ways:

• What are the chances that this cord-mangler went into the electrical panel and properly altered the wiring from a 40-amp, 240-volt circuit to a 15- or 20-amp, 120 volt circuit? We’re guessing the chance of that hovers near zero. Without a properly sized breaker, the circuit could overheat.
• A simple wire nut covers the cord’s unused conductor. While we applaud this nod to safety (at least it’s better than tape or chewing gum) we can’t endorse it. Wire nuts are supposed to be used *inside* electrical boxes, not outside them. If the wire nut is knocked loose, someone could be zapped.
• And why is that conductor unused, anyway? The new range requires one hot conductor, one neutral conductor, and one grounding conductor. It looks like our homeowner used the grounding wire as a neutral and simply omitted the grounding wire. Faults might not clear and the range could zap someone.
• Range cords just aren’t supposed to be altered because – well, because of what’s in this picture.

The Plumber Knows He Forgot Something. He Just Can’t Remember What.

When plumbing a new house, plumbers must pressure-test the waste pipes to ensure that the system doesn't leak. Leaks might allow waste water or sewer gas to enter the house. So, when the drain piping is complete, the plumber inserts a test plug and fills the drain system with water all the way to the top of the vents on the roof. This allows the plumbing inspector to check for leaks. When this test is done, the plumber removes the test plug, seals the drainpipe, and goes onto the next job. On this house the plumber forgot to seal the pipe. The test plug is that long black tube below the pipe. It had been inflated inside the pipe for the pressure test and was subsequently removed. Perhaps the plumber then went to lunch and forgot to come back and cap the drain pipe. In any case, someone should install a cap now, before a backup causes sewage to flood the crawlspace.

Temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valves are critically important safety devices. When one fails or is improperly installed in a way that prevents it from doing its job, a traditional tank-style water heater can behave like a bomb (or a rocket). Here, a flush kit for a tankless water heater is installed upside down, placing a shut off valve between the hot water output and the pressure relief valve. While the small amount of water in a tankless water heater would cause a less “exciting” failure, accidentally closing the valve could still create a dangerous and/or expensive result.