Connectors should be used to connect an appliance and equipment to the vertical chimney or vent, except were the chimney or vent is attached directly to the appliance. The vent connector should be as short as practical, and the appliance should be located as close as practical to the chimney or vent.

Piping should be supported to ensure alignment and to prevent sagging. Piping in the ground should be laid on a proper bed. Piping above ground should be supported with hooks, straps, bands, brackets and/or hangers suitable for the size of the piping, of adequate strength and quality, and located at intervals so as to prevent sagging, damage and vibration. Other piping should not support piping. Piping should not put strain upon connected equipment or appliances.

Individual, branch and circuit vents are permitted to terminate with a connection to an individual or branch-type air-admittance valve. Stack vents and vent stacks should be permitted to terminate to stack-type air-admittance valves. Access should be provided to all air-admittance valves. The air-admittance valve should be rated according to the size of the vent to which it is connected. www.nachi.org

Tankless coils are indirect water heaters that take their heat from the steam or hot water boiler that is used to heat the house. A cold-water supply pipe extends into the hottest part of the boiler water. The water in the copper tube is kept hot by the boiler water. When there is demand for hot water, water flows through the tube through the hot boiler water, and water is delivered to the fixture.

If a laundry tub waste line connects to a clothes washer standpipe, the standpipe should be at least 30 inches above the standpipe trap weir and should extend above the flood level rim edge of the laundry tub. The outlet of the laundry tub must not be more than 30 inches horizontally away from the standpipe trap.

steep slope

The home inspector should note if a home is on a steep slope and, therefore, subject to erosion or movement. The maximum slope of a lot should be roughly 1-in-2.

A slab-on-grade foundation is a type of foundation consisting of a structural concrete slab poured onto the ground, but usually, there is a layer of gravel and a vapor retarder between the ground and concrete. View illustration of a slab-on-grade installation. No accessible space exists in slab-on-grade construction. Slab-on-grade foundations are popular in areas where there is a high water table. For example, there are very few full basements in Southern Florida. In general terms, a slab-on-grade foundation is poured on the grade or ground. complements of InterNachi @ www.nachi.org

Common Structural Terms

In this section of the course, let's learn about some common terms or phrases that are used in the construction and building industry, particularly related to a residential building. Understanding construction terminology and knowing the purposes of building components and framing members (for example, studs, plates, load-bearing walls) will help a home inspector to do a better home inspection. Even though most building components are not readily accessible and are not readily visible to a home inspector performing a home inspection on an existing (already built house), it's important to know how buildings and homes are built. Sometimes defects can be seen by a home inspector, because the hidden, covered, or inaccessible system or component has a problem.

Remote Distribution Panels

Although this topic is covered in other areas, because the emphasis is on safety, it's important to review.