Home inspector overlooks water heater problem
Q: When we bought our house, our home inspector took a cursory look at the water heater, without removing the burner cover, and simply marked it as “good” in his report. His only comment was that he could not inspect the propane gas conversion kit to verify that it was OK. Recently, we smelled gas outside, so we called the propane company. After repairing the leak, the gasman discovered that the water heater was meant to be used with natural gas and was never modified for propane. As a result, the burner hardware was damaged by excessive heat and the water heater must now be replaced. When we called our home inspector, he refused to help us pay for a new water heater and insisted that he had told us the propane conversion was not verified. Is this inspector liable, or are we stuck with the cost of a new water heater?
A: The situation you describe does not speak well for the home inspector. Standard procedure for inspecting a gas-burning water heater is to remove the burner access cover in order to inspect the burner chamber. Potential defects in a burner chamber include rust, deterioration, physical damage, or evidence of faulty combustion, such as soot or improper flame pattern or color. Failure to inspect the burner compartment for reasons other than inaccessibility is a matter of professional negligence for a home inspector.
When a propane water heater is inspected, a competent home inspector will read the rating plate to see if the burner is rated for propane or natural gas. If the plate specifies natural gas, the inspector should look for a sticker indicating conversion of the burner orifice. If no sticker is found, this is a red flag that should be reported by the inspector. Merely stating that “the conversion kit was not verified” is not an adequate disclosure for a qualified inspector. An example of proper disclosure would be as follows: “Propane conversion kit was not confirmed. Recommend further evaluation by a licensed plumber to verify proper conversion for propane use.” If the home inspector did not make that kind of recommendation, then he was professionally negligent.
Competent home inspectors also take responsibility for errors and omissions. Rather than making excuses, your home inspector should offer to replace your water heater. All home inspectors make mistakes from time to time. When mistakes of this kind are made, the right thing to do is to be accountable for the error if an observable defect was overlooked. In the long run, it's good for the inspector's reputation. In the short run, it's the right thing to do.
Q: My basement bathroom is always cold because of air transfer at the window. I’d like to eliminate the opening but am concerned about code requirements for natural light, fire escape and ventilation. What do you advise?
A: Natural light and fire escape requirements apply to bedrooms, not bathrooms. Ventilation is required for a bathroom, but a window is not required for this purpose. You can eliminate the bathroom window if you install an exhaust fan to the exterior to provide required ventilation.
• Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. Questions to Barry Stone can be emailed to barry@housedetective.com.