Forced air furnaces in closets can be problematic
Q. We recently read about a man who changed the filter in his furnace and did not replace the cover on the filter compartment. As a result, he reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning. This concerns us, because we've had some trouble fastening the filter cover on our furnace and have found it detached on two occasions. If furnaces are so inherently unsafe, how can they be allowed in homes?
A. Forced-air heating systems, when they are properly installed and maintained, are wonderful. When they are not well-maintained, serious problems can occur. The problem you describe applies to forced-air furnaces installed in small enclosed spaces, such as closets. The blower compartment in a furnace, where the filter is commonly installed, is like a large vacuum cleaner. It contains a blower motor that pulls the air from the inside of your home. The air is then heated and blown back into various rooms of the house.
When the cover on the blower compartment is not securely fastened, this vacuum effect pulls air from within the closet. When this happens, it can also draw combustion gases from the burners and the exhaust flue, and this can expose the occupants of a home to carbon monoxide, an odorless but deadly gas.
To eliminate this hazard, newer furnaces are equipped with a safety shut-off switch. When the access cover is removed, the switch is released, and the furnace will not operate until the cover has been reinstalled. Unfortunately, many older furnaces are not equipped with a safety switch. If your heater is one of these older models, you can have a safety switch installed by a licensed HVAC contractor. The cost to have this done is minimal.
For added protection, be sure to install carbon monoxide alarms near all bedroom entrances, with at least one alarm on each floor of your home.
Q. When we purchased our home, our agent seemed displeased with our choice of home inspector and convinced us to use someone else. Now that we own the house, some problems that were not disclosed have come to our attention, and we're sorry we didn't stick with our original choice. The inspector we had chosen has a reputation for being very detail oriented, but we did not hire him because he was said to be an alarmist. Now we're stuck making expensive repairs and hope you might warn other buyers against making the same mistake we did.
A. Some home inspectors are highly qualified and competent, but some are not. Likewise, some real estate agents recommend highly qualified home inspectors, but for various reasons, some do not.
Some agents recommend mediocre home inspectors because they don't know the difference, or because the inspector is a nice person, or because the other agents in their office recommend that inspector, or, dare we say it, because the inspector does not disclose too many defects that might jeopardize the deal.
One of the biggest mistakes an agent can make is to dissuade clients from hiring the home inspector of their choice. In so doing, the agent can be liable for undisclosed defects. If you decide to press the issue, your agent may now be subject to that kind of liability.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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