Questions Flashcards
Potential problems with the roof sheathing is
3/8 inch plywood used
Ends touching each other
Plywood placed parallel to rafters
Wood shakes are most likely to wear and expose felt paper at
Key way
How far off the floor does a furnace source of ignition have to be in the garage?
18 inches
A flat roof is used as an observation deck. The plumbing vents must extend
7 feet
An inspector is required to inspect how many windows?
One window in each room
A 12 foot long 2 x 8 has a notch. Where were the knocks not be OK?
In the middle
A properly constructed retaining wall should
Be back filled with gravel
A horizontal crack in the brick wall follows the gutter line. What is the cause?
Rafter spread
In EAFS construction, door and windows can be properly sealed by
Backer rod and sealant
Each zone valve for a hydronic heating system needs
A thermostat
A gas water heater is not allowed in
Storage closet
A sump pump runs continuously even though there has been no recent rainfall and the sump well is dry. What is the cause?
The pump float is stuck
How much space is needed between a double walled b vent and the chase?
1 inch
A new electrical dryer receptacle
May have four wires to it
The exterior water service piping has been converted to plastic. What is required for electrical grounding?
Provide another grounding means
The maximum number of disconnects to shut off an electrical service is?
Six
What is not an acceptable grounding Means?
Underground gas pipe
And electrical panel with a split bus bar
Has more than one shut off
What insulation was considered a safety hazard?
UFFI (Urea formaldehyde foam insulation)
Reversed polarity is
Possible to cause a shock hazard
Buckling in horizontal vinyl siding is generally caused by
Improper fastening
At what level would water pressure within a single family dwelling begin to be considered excessive and require correction?
80 psi
A newer home with electric heat is being inspected. It has a below grade finished basement containing bedroom. The inspector should look for a smoke alarm and
And escape and rescue opening
Hey swimming pool fence must prevent passage of a sphere that is larger then
4 inches
If water infiltration and suspected behind finished surface, what tool would be the best choice to verify dampness?
A non-contact moisture meter
Gas fired furnace heat exchanger’s most often fail from
Rust and metal fatigue
Relative humidity is expressed as
Percentage
Connections of dissimilar metal in a plumbing system, such as galvanized steel pipe and copper pipe, will usually cause
Electrolysis
A GFCI is a safety device that
Disconnect the power went sensing current leakage to ground
And electrical system with a fuse on the neutral conductor and on at the energized (hot) conductors
Is hazardous and should be corrected
To operate a central air conditioner, an electric clothes dryer, and an electric range, the ampacity of the service to the house hould be at least
100 amps at 240 volts
A floor joist in a crawlspace has been cut where the toilet drain passes through the floor. The joists are 2 x 6 spaced at 16 inches on center. The inspector should recommend that
A contractor be contacted to determine what is needed and make repairs
Most problems with concrete are caused at the time of installation. What single factor causes the most problems?
Too much water is added to the mix
Brick chimneys on older properties with oil heat sometimes curve above the roofline, with no visible cracks. What is a possible cause of this curving?
Expansion of mortar
What has little effect on the deflection of a dimension lumber floor system?
Joist width
The normal maximum rise of residential stair treads is
Seven 3/4 inches
In unground receptacle may be replaced by a GFCI installed
Upstream from the receptacle
Circuit breakers
Protect the wire from an electrical overload
In a forced air heating system containing a split system air conditioner and a humidifier, humidity is produced by
Condensation at the evaporator coil
A home inspection report must include
The type of roof material and the method of observation
Water hammer can occur as a result of
A lack of air chambers
If a system designed for use with natural gas is supplied with propane gas
The flame will be too high unless a smaller orifice is installed
Low pressure boiler pipes do not carry steam pressure above
15 psi
When an asphalt shingle roof is installed over existing shingles, leakage commonly occurs at the
Penetrations
Roof trusses
Are usually designed for two point bearing
On a hillside house with the foundation drain systems
The foundation drain system collects water passing laterally through the slope
A sub panel in an older house that is wired with non-metallic sheathed cable has one circuit with a ground wire. The ground wire
Should be connected to a separate grounded bus bar
Inspecting a very old country house, a gurgling sound is heard from the tub drain when the toilet is flushed. What is a common likely explanation for the sound?
Water discharging from the toilet is pulling water from the tub trap
You are inspecting an older home which has replacement windows and new vinyl siding. The new siding is backed up with rigid foam insulation that covers the service entrance cable from the weatherhead to the meter. You should report this as
An improper installation that should be corrected
When looking at the exterior wall of a sixty-year-old brick masonry house with a gable roof, you notice a horizontal crack in the mortar and outword brick displacement along with the gutter edge of the roof. The displacement is greatest at the center of the top three courses of brick. This condition is most likely caused by
Improper ceiling joist installation
You inspect a wood framed cantilevered balcony off a second story bedroom. you find significant wood deterioration of all cantilever joists at the bearing point of the house. You should
Notify all occupants of the significant hazard, advise immediate repair to both of the occupant and client in the report
When a cooling unit is located in an attic where damage may result from condensate overflow
An auxiliary condensate drain system is required
Asphalt shingles are not allowed to be installed on roofs with slopes less than
Two in 12
If a poured concrete foundation has an in usually large number of vertical cracks, each no wider than 1/32 inch., the cause is likely to be
Shrinkage of the concrete from excess water at the time of pouring
Where should squash blocks “web blocking” be installed in I – joist installations?
At bearing ends and loadbearing walls above with Support girders below
Columns typically support
Girders
Oriented strand board “OSB” is used most frequently in
Roof, floor, and exterior wall sheathing
When inspecting the structural system, the inspector is required to
Report all structural deficiencies observed
A ground fault occurs when
A hot conductor touches a grounded surface or grounding conductor
Electrical receptacles in bathrooms should be
GFCI protected
Medium efficiency furnaces have a draft inducer fan and are connected directly to the vent system instead of having a draft hood. There are white and yellowish deposits below the draft inducer fan. A possible explanation for these deposits is that
Moisture is condensing in the vent and running back into the draft inducer fan
The purpose of a trap in the waste drainage system is two
Block sewer gases
A home inspection typically includes an examination of
Vents, flues and chimneys
In new construction, the minimum overhead electrical service clearances are
Walkway – 10 feet
Roadway – 18 feet
Deck – 10 feet
During a summertime inspection, what could indicate chronic condensation problems in an attic?
There are gray/black stains on the north side of the roof sheathing.
Ice damming at the eaves may be caused by
Inadequate attic insulation
The purpose of flashing on the roof is too
Shed water on to the roofing materials
The house you are inspecting currently has a gas-fired furnace or boiler. What clue does not indicate that the house also has an abandoned very few oil storage tank?
The brick chimney serving the furnace or boiler has deteriorated mortar joints at the bottom
While inspecting a heat pump in the cooling mode, you measure a 28° temperature differential between the interior supply and the return air. You should suspect
A dirty filter
What is the minimum electrical service drop Clarence from a residential driveway?
12 feet
The reason a dielectric union would be used in plumbing distribution pipes is to
Separate two dissimilar metals to prevent corrosion
A basin makes a gurgling sound at the end of draining the fixture. This may be due to
Inadequate venting
Condensation between glass layers of thermal pane windows indicates the need to
Replace glazing, sash, or window
Dielectric unions
Prevent galvanic action
The minimum clearance between a woodstove single wall vent connector and combustible materials should be
18 inches
Garage door opener electronic sensors are properly installed when facing each other
4 to 6 inches above the garage floor
Capillary tubes are part of the
Evaporator coil
As a lintel over doors and windows in a masonry wall rusts may cause
Cracks at the tops of openings
Roof truss uplift can cause cracks to form where?
At interior wall/ceiling intersections
Knob and tube wiring it may be acceptable if
Not covered by insulation
When measuring the temperature drop across the evaporator in a central air conditioning system, a properly running unit on a humid summer day should read between
15°F and 25°F
The maximum acceptable variation in riser heights within a flight of stairs is
3/8 of an inch
While conducting an inspection your ladder falls over and brakes at the homeowners priceless vase. What type of insurance is needed to cover the replacement?
General liability
What is the minimum allowable separation between a masonry chimney and combustible materials?
2 inches
Bonding of appliances can be confirmed by using an
Ohm Meter
The service panel and close your door is required to open at least
90 degrees
The device used to detect if the electrical current to the electric heater coil is called
An ammeter
Is the inspector required to operate shut off valves?
No
Potable water systems connected to lawn irrigation systems need to be protected from
Backsiphonage
Most modern kitchen ranges are required to have
An anti-tip device
A home inspector should probe
Where decay is suspected
Overhead electrical service should be a minimum of how many feet above a flat roof subject to foot traffic
10 feet
One of the purposes of a home inspection contract is to define the responsibilities and limitations for
The client
What is a required elements of a contract?
Consideration
Home inspection agreements should
Establish the limitations of the inspection
Stringer, tread, and riser are all components of a
Stair system
The purpose of the contract is to protect the
Home inspector and the client
Conducting a complete and thorough home inspection minimizes the need for
Errors and omissions insurance
What is the most common contributing factor to masonry retaining wall movement?
Hydrostatic pressure
How are the holes in rigid foundation drain pipes aligned?
On the bottom half of the pipe
What is the primary purpose of control joints placed in concrete driveways?
To reduce random cracking
Where might you expect to find a window with safety glass?
Less than 18 inches above the floor
What is a common cause of buckled hardwood flooring in an existing house?
Excessive moisture
A newly built ventilated crawlspace with a vapor retarder is required to have one square foot of net ventilation opening per
1500 Square feet of crawl space
A standard claims made errors and omissions insurance policy includes claims filed
During the time of the policy is in effect
Some inspectors measure the electricity used by a condenser. The numerals on the readout show
Amps
The testing of garage doors with a wood block
Is the approved testing method
While inspecting it home you see a dryer exhaust termination near a gas fired water heater vent termination. The home inspector should recommend that
The gas vent is improperly terminated and should be relocated
When I heat pump is operating and cooling mode if the temperature of the liquid line should be a few degrees
Warmer than the outside temperature
Another name for the HVAC suction line is
The return line
The effect of high humidity on an air-conditioning system will be
An increase in the latent load
Which is most likely to cause the greatest reduction of airflow in a flexible air duct
A 90° bend in the duct
What is the most likely result of insufficient airflow across the evaporator coil?
Ice forming on the evaporator
A standard air-conditioning system can easily be converted to a heat pump by the addition of a few components. True or false
False
An accumulator prevents what from entering the compressor?
Liquid refrigerant
In a heat pump during the cooling cycle, which coil acts as the evaporator? In the heating cycle, which coil acts as an evaporator?
Indoor/outdoor
The ——- ——— directs hot refrigerant to the indoor coil in the ——– cycle in a heat pump
Reversing valve – heating
Under certain conditions, ——- Will form on the outdoor coil. This can cause a ——- in efficiency.
Frost – decrease
The defrost cycle is initiated by —— and —–
Time and temperature
The most common cause of insufficient airflow in an AC system is?
Dirty coil and dirty filter
Ductwork should be —— enough to handle the volume of air needed for correct AC operation
Large
In heavy snowfall areas, it is good practice to mount the heat pumps outdoor unit on an ———— to prevent snow from blocking the coil
Elevated platform
Why are heat pumps labeled not to be operated unless power is on for a minimum of 12 hours?
Oil in compressor needs to be heated to remove liquid refrigerant
A non-technically exhaustive way to evaluate the heat exchanger?
Check flame pattern when blower comes on
What may need to be installed on a cooling unit located in an attic where damage may result from condensate overflow
A pan with a drain or float switch beneath the evaporator
True or false. A furnace can be located in the laundry room?
True
Converting a heating system fan to cooling type fan requires?
A two – speed or variable speed fan
If a furnace has a pilot with a thermocouple, what device for most likely prevent the furnace from firing if it fails?
Thermocouple
And induced draft fan pulls air in what direction?
Pulls through the furnace
Plastic “polyethylene” piping can be used for gas?
True
What is the purpose of a drip leg on a gas line?
Traps sediment and metal chips and water
What does an AC compressor do?
Pressurizes the refrigerant gas in order to raise its temperature
Which part of the AC cycle removes heat from the refrigerant
When it goes through the condenser
A heat pump system is primarily sized for the?
Cooling load
The variation in temperature between at the supply air and the return air in an AC system should be approximately?
14–22°
Oil tank – pipes from tank to burners
Must be protected from drainage
What was added to furnaces in 1980 to increase their efficiency?
2 heat exchangers
And inspector enters a vacant home to inspect it and notices a strong smell of gas. What should he do?
Vacate the home and call all the appropriate people
What material is not a proper flashing material?
Tar paper
The exhaust vent of a gas dryer
Must be vented to the outside
How many nails are required for a self sealing three – tab shingle on a 5/12 pitch roof?
Four nails
A deck built 14 inches off the ground around a home
Requires no railings
In an electrical sub panel, the neutral wire must be
Both separated from the ground and isolated
Trusses
Have two bearing points
You see a return air register on the side of a furnace
Can cause fluegases to be drawn into supply air
Mid efficiency furnace
No draft diverter required
What is the proper exposure for a 24 inch shake shingle?
10 inches
Safety glazing is not required in
Side lights
Stucco hairline cracks appear every 16 inches. The cause can be attributed to
Nailing drywall in inside
On a tile roof what is the proper way to flash the chimney?
Counter and pan flashing
You are inspecting a house built in 1950 and see a silver wire to a branch circuit. This would be
Tin coated copper
You find a spliced ground wire in a basement. You
Aren’t allowed to splice
Moisture accumulates in a poorly vented attic because
Warm air rises and condenses in the attic
What is the proper exposure for an 18 inch wood shake shingles?
7 1/2 inches
You view a type “B” vent in the attic. Insulation is falling in the open Chase. What do you report?
What you see; recommend a fire stop be installed; and recommend the removal of insulation from the Chase
What determines the size of the flu?
The fireplace opening
A metal chimney cap function does not include
Reducing draw out of the exhaust gas
Cross bridges on floor joists
Keep joists from twisting
