National Home Watch Association (NHWA)

Recently we joined the National Home Watch Association (NHWA). There are many reasons that we joined. But before I get into that, let me tell you about the criteria for accreditation into this association. All companies MUST be licensed, bonded and insured. While there is no national licensing like home inspection, each state and county has their own rules and guidelines that you must follow to do business. We carry general liability plus Errors & Omissions (E&O) in addition to being bonded.

So why did we join? It is simple really. We joined because it brings credibility to our company.  We have tools and resources available to us that no one else does. There are articles, videos and trainings that we can access to further our home watch education. The members forum give us a platform to ask questions about a situation or to simply network with other home watch professionals from around the country. Most importantly though, it solidifies us as a professional company who takes our jobs VERY seriously! We also follow their mission statement and code of ethics. Here is their mission statement taken directly from their website:

NHWA Mission Statement

It is the mission and goal of the National Home Watch Association to establish and maintain the highest set of standards and ethics for all Home Watch companies in the United States of America and Canada;

To establish and maintain trust and confidence between homeowners and Home Watch professionals;

To protect the public from uninsured, unbonded and unethical individuals who represent themselves as Home Watch professionals;

To promote public awareness of the Home Watch industry; and

To ensure that only companies who represent the highest levels of professionalism are accredited as members of the National Home Watch Association.

I was recently asked how someone goes about choosing their home watch professional.  The first thing I told them is to make sure they are accredited with the NHWA.  If they are, then you know they have insurance and are taking the necessary steps to run their business the right way.

We choose to be a part of this amazing organization because we want our clients to know that we are serious abut our business and we do not take lightly the fact that you are entrusting us to look after your slice of paradise. For more information on how we can help you, please reach out to us 239-260-5591 (office), 513-238-4218 (cell), or joe@inspectorgadgethomes.com.  We look forward to serving you!

Arc Fault Circuit Interruptors (AFCI)

Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are special types of electrical receptacles or outlets and circuit breakers designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring.

How do they work?

AFCIs function by monitoring the electrical waveform and promptly opening (interrupting) the circuit they serve if they detect changes in the wave pattern that are characteristic of a dangerous arc. They also must be capable of distinguishing safe, normal arcs, such as those created when a switch is turned on or a plug is pulled from a receptacle, from arcs that can cause fires. An AFCI can detect, recognize, and respond to very small changes in wave pattern.

What is an arc?

When an electric current crosses an air gap from an energized component to a grounded component, it produces a glowing plasma discharge known as an arc. For example, a bolt of lightening is a very large, powerful arc that crosses an atmospheric gap from an electrically charged cloud to the ground or another cloud. Just as lightning can cause fires, arcs produced by domestic wiring are capable of producing high levels of heat that can ignite their surroundings and lead to structure fires.

According to statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency for the year 2005, electrical fires damaged approximately 20,900 homes, killed 500 people, and cost $862 million in property damage. Although short-circuits and overloads account for many of these fires, arcs are responsible for the majority and are undetectable by traditional (non-AFCI) circuit breakers.

Where are arcs likely to form?

Arcs can form where wires are improperly installed or when insulation becomes damaged. In older homes, wire insulation tends to crystallize as it ages, becoming brittle and prone to cracking and chipping. Damaged insulation exposes the current-carrying wire to its surroundings, increasing the chances that an arc may occur.

Situations in which arcs may be created:

• appliance cords damaged by heat, natural aging, kinking, impact or over-extension.
• spillage of liquid.
• loose connections in outlets, switches and light fixtures.

Where are AFCIs required?

Locations in which AFCIs are required depend on the building codes adopted by their jurisdiction.

The 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) requires that AFCIs be installed within bedrooms in the following manner:

E3802.12 Arc-Fault Protection of Bedroom Outlets. All branch circuits that supply120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-amp outlets installed in bedrooms shall be protected by a combination-type or branch/feeder-type arc-fault circuit interrupter installed to provide protection of the entire branch circuit.

Home inspectors should refrain from quoting exact code in their reports. A plaintiff's attorney might suggest that code quotation means that the inspector was performing a code inspection and is therefore responsible for identifying all code violations in the home.  Some jurisdictions do not yet require their implementation in locations where they can be helpful.

What types of AFCIs are available?

AFCIs are available as circuit breakers for installation in the electrical distribution panel. 

Nuisance Tripping

An AFCI might activate in situations that are not dangerous and create needless power shortages. This can be particularly annoying when an AFCI stalls power to a freezer or refrigerator, allowing its contents to spoil. There are a few procedures an electrical contractor can perform in order to reduce potential “nuisance tripping," such as:

• Check that the load power wire, panel neutral wire and load neutral wire are properly connected.
• Check wiring to ensure that there are no shared neutral connections.
• Check the junction box and fixture connections to ensure that the neutral conductor does not contact a grounded conductor.

Arc Faults vs. Ground Faults

It is important to distinguish AFCI devices from Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) devices. GFCIs detect ground faults, which occur when current leaks from a hot (ungrounded) conductor to a grounded object as a result of a short-circuit. This situation can be hazardous when a person unintentionally becomes the current’s path to the ground. GFCIs function by constantly monitoring the current flow between hot and neutral (grounding) conductors, and activate when they sense a difference of 5 milliamps or more. Thus, GFCIs are intended to prevent personal injury due to electric shock, while AFCIs prevent personal injury and property damage due to structure fires.

In summary, AFCIs are designed to detect small arcs of electricity before they have a chance to lead to a structure fire.

Why Do I Need Home Watch?

A typical question I receive often is why people would need a home watch company. Don't they have a friend or a neighbor that could look after their home?

Of course they do! But what does the friend or neighbor actually do?

Are they checking your electric panel to see if any breakers are tripped? What about run your faucets, dishwasher, showers and garbage disposal to make sure your gaskets do not dry out? And are they checking your A/C unit to make sure it is running properly?

Most of the time, the answers to these questions is "No."

So what sets us apart from all of the other home watch "companies" out there? Simple. I am a nationally trained and certified home inspector.

I am a member of the world's foremost expert on home inspection, InterNACHI. I am trained to look for mold, mildew, broken seals, tripped breakers and how to properly test your A/C unit. Every year I go through over 30 hours of training to stay updated on systems and components and what to look for. Bottom line...I am trained to identify problems BEFORE they happen!

This is my company. This is my reputation. I am the one each and every time that is coming into your home to look after things. I am only accepting 10 clients. Why? Because I know that in order for me to do an exceptional job, I need to be 110% focused on looking after your investment and if I have 40 or 50 homes to look after, like some companies do, not only am I not the one checking on your investment, but how much care and attention to detail are those companies truly giving their clients?

I want to earn your business. Please check out more about what I do when looking after your property on the Home Watch tab of my website. Contact me for more details and for pricing.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to many products to strengthen them and provide fire resistance and heat insulation. If disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers which can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos material that crumbles easily if handled or which has been scraped, sawed, or sanded into a powder is more likely to create a health hazard. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of lining of chest and abdominal cavity), and asbestosis (lungs scarred with the tissue). Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos insulation. Most of today‘s products do not contain asbestos. If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged or you plan changes that might disturb it, you require a professional for repair and removal. Before home remodeling, find out if asbestos is present.

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