We used The Home Check to complete a home inspection for a home we were considering purchasing. The report featured a section on plumbing, which didn't highlight the following two problems. First, under the sink in the kitchen, one of the black pipes is an open vent, which could allow sewer gas to escape into the home. Certainly not desirable, especially in a kitchen. The second is another open vent in the pipe leading to the sink drain in a bathroom basement. The opening in the pipe is in the furnace room directly behind the bathroom, and is being used to drain the humidifier and air conditioner. The only mention of this was:
Condition: Condensate line - poorly routed to drain
Location: Furnace Room
Task: Correct
Time: Less than 1 year
Cost: Minor
As the basement is finished and the drain that the condensate should run into is located in a separate room from the furnace room, fixing this is in no way a "minor" cost. Fixing it will involve either redoing this portion of the basement or trenching into the furnace room to create a proper drain there. If this wasn't enough, we have been advised by several other companies, including a general contractor, a plumbing specialist and an HVAC expert that this opening in the drain is more than likely the source of the terrible stench we have had in both the basement and the main floor powder room since we moved in. I understand home inspection companies are not able to identify all potential problems with a home, however, any reasonable person would expect that a reputable inspection company would have identified this code violation and noted that the cost to repair it could be significant. If you're looking for a home inspection I would advise you not to use this company.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $600.00