"Must See the Newly Renovated Basement!"
So said the marketing info on the kitchen counter in the house I arrived to inspect.
I could hardly wait! OK, when I see things like that, lately anyway, I kind of cringe.
When I enter houses for inspections, I begin by turning things on. The dishwasher, washer, dryer, AC or furnace, and so forth. Obviously I test 'em!
The house was kind of cold. Not unusual, sometimes the listing agents leave the heat low, especially after the house has a contract on it. So I found the thermostat and turned on the heat.
No reaction.
No sound.
No click, grind, buzz. Or heat.
No nothing.
Maybe it's turned off at the panel box? I checked. Nope, the breaker was on. So what could it be?
I found the heat pump.
And this is what I saw.
The label states that this heat pump was manufactured a mere three years ago. Already it doesn't work.
Can you tell me why? It's OK, I'll wait.
Hint: the old heat pump was of a different era and configuration. They took the white AC condensate line off that old one and used it on this one. I guess to save time and money.
I'm still waiting...
THAT'S RIGHT! Ding, ding, ding!! The condensate line blocks the filter's ability to come out for washing or replacement. This filter is a washable, high efficiency filter. It captures everything. And it really should be washed every month! If not, it will clog quickly.
This one was so clogged it had the density of a brick. I think that broke the unit. So much for saving time and money...
My recommendation: If you see or hear that a house you will be showing your clients is newly remodeled, ask a couple of questions. A good question to start would be: "Gee, was it done professionally?" and/or "Was there a permit pulled to do the work?" If not, caveat emptor!
Jay, I have seen professionals do some pretty silly stuff too. There are a lot of Hacks out there.
Agreed Robert! I have too! But it's a start!
Yep some smart "expert" figured that no one would notice. Wonder if they were even licensed?
Pat - whoever finished this basement was NOT!
Jay,
I have run into a few crazy things like that where there was some permanent mechanical feature that blocked the ability to do a simple task.
Hey Jay,
When I inspect houses that have been newly renovated, I'm on high alert because most of the time I find something wrong that could be very costly to the buyers. In my post on Defective material in newly constructed homes, I found defective floor joists that resulted in weak spots on the floor above. So even in new houses I'm on high alert.
Steve - like a stackable washer/dryer directly in front of the furnace? A fridge so close to the dishwasher that the door only opens half way? Like a large, metal return duct right over the attic access hatch? A crawl space opening too small for a 12 year old to get in? An new oven so much larger than the previous one that the end cabinet door (or drawer) only opens 3"?
Nah, I never see stuff like that either...
Eric - what made them defective? Were they Chinese? I'll find the post!
Typical example of someone not understanding how something works and creating a major problem. What's sad is how often we see this stuff happen.
I ask people, Sue, how often they should replace or clean a filter and my typical answer is "once a year." When I ask the question I say it like this: "How often once a month should you clean or replace your furnace filter?" They hardly ever get it...
This looks very familar. Found almost the same thing recently myself. Maybe the same guy did it.
Uncle Bob?