All of these problems together can be fixed for under $100, but can cost thousands if ignored!
A defective flapper valve will cause your toilet to run co
ntinuously. A replacement kit costs about $25.00 and can be installed in under an hour. Potential damages include an unnecessarily high water bill, or for homes on well water the worse case scenario is a dried up well and burnt up pump! If you’re on a well this $25 kit can save you big money in repairs.
Missing or moldy/deteriorated sealant can let water leak behind your tub or shower into the wall and floor below. It does not belong there! Over time this water will build up and damage the building materials. For upstairs bathrooms you might notice some discoloration or bowing of the ceiling below, or it could silently
deteriorate the underlying structure without any sign at all… until it comes crashing down! This can be avoided with about $10 of silicone caulk and a little bit of elbow grease.
I often see this problem at very nice new homes. The toilet sits on a seal made of wax, and if it’s not properly tightened down the toilet can move around and wear the wax ring out. This will cause a leak and it won’t be the clean water from the tank that sneaks into the floor below! Water damage gets expensive fast, but if you have a wrench and it’s not leaking yet, you can fix this problem for free. Need a new wax ring? It will run you a whopping $5.
These fairly simply DIY bathroom repairs can all be done in an afternoon. The time and financial investment is lower than going out to dinner and a movie if done right away, but can be more comparable to a European vacation if ignored.
This blog focuses on an electrical problem that can look perfectly normal, even to some electricians. In the electrical service panel pictured above all breakers work properly, none of them are loose, there’s no sign or scorching, and conductors are wired just as they should be, so what’s the problem?
This specific service panel was made by Federal Pacific Electric under the Stab-Lok brand name. They made and sold millions of them starting in the 1950s and into the 1980s. All electrical panels are tested for standards established by the safety company UL, and Federal Pacific Electric falsified their tests. Frequent breaker failure lead to testing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission which has determined all Stab-Lok panels to be a safety hazard.
About one third of all breakers are defective, so in the panel pictured above you would expect five breakers not to trip when they should. Wires in the home that should be protected are not, and fires can start as a result of the faulty breakers.
Even though this panel has been discontinued for about 30 years, I still see them in the Grand Rapids area. This is just one example of faulty products that have been used in homes throughout the years, and when you get an inspection from Grand Home Inspection LLC I will be on the lookout for this and other safety hazards that appear to be harmless to the untrained eye.
This blog focuses on an electrical problem that can look perfectly normal, even to some electricians. In the electrical service panel pictured above all breakers work properly, none of them are loose, there’s no sign or scorching, and conductors are wired just as they should be, so what’s the problem?
This specific service panel was made by Federal Pacific Electric under the Stab-Lok brand name. They made and sold millions of them starting in the 1950s and into the 1980s. All electrical panels are tested for standards established by the safety company UL, and Federal Pacific Electric falsified their tests. Frequent breaker failure lead to testing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission which has determined all Stab-Lok panels to be a safety hazard.
About one third of all breakers are defective, so in the panel pictured above you would expect five breakers not to trip when they should. Wires in the home that should be protected are not, and fires can start as a result of the faulty breakers.
Even though this panel has been discontinued for about 30 years, I still see them in the Grand Rapids area. This is just one example of faulty products that have been used in homes throughout the years, and when you get an inspection from Grand Home Inspection LLC I will be on the lookout for this and other safety hazards that appear to be harmless to the untrained eye.
Fall is here! Now is the time to do fall home maintenance tasks to avoid costly issues during the cooler weather months. Use the Grand Home Inspection fall home maintenance checklist to make sure your home is cool-weather ready! Trust us, you won’t want to be working on these things when there is snow on […]
We’re firm believers that it isn’t our technology or tools that set us apart – it’s our people. We consistently provide West Michigan home buyers with the knowledge needed to feel confident about their purchase – and we do it in a way that’s approachable, educational and easy-to-understand. We believe this has been what’s led […]
Celebrating 100 5-Star Reviews with a $100 Giveaway!
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
Fall is here! Now is the time to do fall home maintenance tasks to avoid costly issues during the cooler weather months. Use the Grand Home Inspection fall home maintenance checklist to make sure your home is cool-weather ready! Trust us, you won’t want to be working on these things when there is snow on […]
Celebrating 100 5-Star Reviews with a $100 Giveaway!
We’re firm believers that it isn’t our technology or tools that set us apart – it’s our people. We consistently provide West Michigan home buyers with the knowledge needed to feel confident about their purchase – and we do it in a way that’s approachable, educational and easy-to-understand. We believe this has been what’s led […]
These 3 Bathroom Defects are Cheap to Fix but Expensive to Ignore