Quality Residential Inspections discovers an unsupported and Leaking expansion tank during an Apex Home Inspection

An expansion tank is a small tank used in domestic water heating systems to absorb excess water pressure that can be caused by thermal expansion as water is heated.

The tank itself is a small two-part container with the two parts being separated by a rubber diaphragm. One side is connected to the piping of the heating system and contains water. The other, the dry side, contains air under pressure and normally a Schrader valve (think of a bicycle tire air valve) for checking pressures and adding or removing air. When the water system is at the low end of the normal range of its working pressure, the diaphragm will be pushed against the water inlet. As the water pressure increases, the corresponding pressures move the diaphragm thereby compressing the air on the opposite side. The compressibility of the air (remember that fluids are not compressible) cushions the pressure shock and relieves pressure in the system that could otherwise damage the plumbing system; simply put, it gives the water room to expand without exerting potentially harmful forces on the water piping itself.

Expansion tanks are typically sized according the systems that they support. And they are typically requirement in most jurisdictions for both new construction and required to be installed whenever any substantial components are replaced e.g. when a water heater is replaced.

This particular tank, the subject of this post, was not adequately supported…and was leaking: obviously time for it to be replaced. Of particular note, and a condition often encountered during a Home Inspection, is that the tank (these tanks can be quite heavy) was being supported by flexible plastic water distribution piping; this is a very poor practice because it places unintended and undue physical forces onto the piping and piping joints.

We recommended to our clients that the tank be replaced, and the new tank installed such that it is properly and adequately secured, by a licensed plumber.

To schedule a top-of-the-line professional Home Inspection today, contact us at 919.848.4833 or schedule your Home Inspection on-line HERE.

Leaking Ice-Maker Line and Resulting Mold Growth

In this instance, the leakage had maintained the surrounding area in a saturated condition and there was obvious visible mold growth present. Likely, some degree of damage to materials was also present inside the wall; those materials could not be directly observed without some destructive evaluation.

We advised our client that destructive evaluation should be under-taken, to any extent necessary to ensure no damage to hidden materials or components had occurred, and that any damage be repaired. We also advised that any visible fungal/microbial growth should be thoroughly cleaned from all affected areas in accordance with recommendations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of course, the leakage that caused the issue should be repaired by a licensed plumber.

Don’t let someone else’s problems become your problems. Have your home inspected by a professional Home Inspector before you buy the home because…You just never know what conditions might be present!

Thank You so much for your time in viewing our video……know that we appreciate you. Please take one more moment and leave us a comment….we look forward to hearing from you.

Quality Residential Inspections……serving all of the greater triangle region of North Carolina to include Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, and Clayton

We hope that you have found this video informative……come back and visit us often. And do please leave us a comment…….we do appreciate them.

Quality Residential Inspections……serving all of the greater triangle region of North Carolina to include Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, and Clayton

For more information, visit the Run For Life website or click here and get signed up today

The Run for Life event was established in 1994 in Raleigh, NC by Mary Angelini to help pro-life organizations raise additional funds for operation and to raise public awareness of the sanctity of life and the many pro-life organizations that are available to assist women faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Help comes in many forms— pre-natal care, life skills training, budgeting, job placement, — and can continue long after the baby is born.

Its been awhile coming but here we are……presenting Episode 000 of our InspectBits podcast series. The time between the idea and the inception was pretty much a product of my having to learn most every “nook and cranny” detail about video production, file structures, codecs, etc., etc., and etc………But now that we’re here, maybe we can keep the momentum going. As you will learn, what we are trying to do is provide some relevant, helpful information about homes, Home Inspections, and some of the things we see on a routine basis. We see allot of different things during any particular Raleigh Home Inspection……and many of those things are interesting… to us anyway… and we hope that you find them interesting as well.

We at Quality Residential Inspections welcome you….. and hope you perceive some value from our little production.

Oh, and right here in the beginning, I want to throw out a heap of appreciation and thanks to Chris Kim for all of his assistance with InspectBits.

If you have any thoughts or comments, then please do share……let us know what you think!

Gary Gentry
Quality Residential Inspections