• Order An Inspection
  • Free Estimate
  • Local Service Areas
Search:
1-888-874-6773
Home
Home › Topic: Technical Jargon

Topic: Technical Jargon

What are GFCI Outlets? And how are they saving lives every day?

Submitted by Chrissy Doremus on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 8:59am
in
  • Other Posts By: Chrissy Doremus
  • Topic: Home Maintenance and Safety
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Here is a great post about GFCI outlets from one of our North Carolina Inspectors, Alan Brown--thanks Alan!


What is a GFCI you say?  Well, let me explain. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt. You probably have some in your home. If not, you need some! GFCIs can be in the form of an electrical outlet or a circuit breaker. They both have test buttons on them. The outlets have a reset button too.

  • Chrissy Doremus's blog
  • Add new comment
  • Read more

My house is Winterized! Part 2

Submitted by Paul Tooley on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 10:28am
in
  • Other Posts by: Paul Tooley
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Tuesday was Groundhog Day, and guess what?! Six more weeks of winter. Oh well! I guess that means it's not too late to finish up our talk about winterization!

In an earlier post My House is Winterized! What is Winterization? I described what winterization is. Today, as promised, I thought I'd talk about what winterization means to an inspector--what an inspector mentally goes through when he/she arrives at a house and sees the "Winterized" sticker all over the place. 

  • Paul Tooley's blog
  • Add new comment
  • Read more

What are Sinkholes?

Submitted by David Rothbart on Wed, 02/03/2010 - 9:01am
in
  • Other Posts by: David Rothbart
  • Topic: Home Maintenance and Safety
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Sinkholes are a common feature of Florida's landscape, and being a resident of Florida myself, they are something I have become familiar with. 

  • David Rothbart's blog
  • Add new comment
  • Read more

Tales from the Road - Asbestos Insulation

Submitted by Mike Conte on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 9:05am
in
  • Topic: Tales From the Road
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Sometimes what we don't know about an aspect of our home or how something works in our home can really complicate a situation. Knowledge really is power, and having it--especially when it comes to our home--can ultimately save money, time, and aggravation. I think everyone can relate to that. Has anyone ever gone ahead and began repairing something in your home or making a decision about something, only in hindsight to realize that you should have read up on it first? Or worse, that you did the complete opposite of what you now know was right--yikes! We've all been there.

  • Mike Conte's blog
  • Add new comment
  • Read more

My House is Winterized! What is Winterization?

Submitted by Paul Tooley on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 1:45pm
in
  • Other Posts by: Paul Tooley
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Since we are currently "enjoying" a cold winter day (week), I thought it was very fitting to write a couple of posts on Winterization. 

It is always interesting when I arrive at an inspection to find signs on the windows and doors, as well as the water heater and all of the plumbing fixtures, proclaiming that the house has been "Winterized."

So, what is winterizing, why is it done, and when should it be done?

  • Paul Tooley's blog
  • 3 comments
  • Read more

Top Five Failed Building Practices: Part 1 of 5 Aluminum Branch Wiring

Submitted by Alan Gould on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 10:58am
in
  • Other Posts by: Alan Gould
  • Topic: Home Maintenance and Safety
  • Topic: Hot Technical Topics
  • Topic: Tales From the Road
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Here is the first installment of the five-part series, The Top five Failed Building Practices:


The good old days weren't always so great for home construction. Some products have become standards, like copper electrical wire, asphalt roof shingles and poured concrete foundations. But others that were once widely used have proven to be much less successful, and sometimes hazardous.

Here are what many in the industry consider the top five failed building practices:

  • Alan Gould's blog
  • Add new comment
  • Read more

Infrared Cameras - What They Can Do

Submitted by Gordon Glidden on Tue, 01/05/2010 - 3:39pm
in
  • Other Posts By: Gordon Glidden
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

Infrared cameras are a really neat tool, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to share with everyone what they can do. They are used in energy audits for one, which I do pretty often here for my SE Michigan customers. As a result, I've become quite familiar with this tool and took some example shots to share. Incidentally, I discovered that they are equally fun to use on cats--which I will demonstrate later!

  • Gordon Glidden's blog
  • 2 comments
  • Read more

Vinyl Siding and High Heat

Submitted by Paul Tooley on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 8:28am
in
  • Other Posts by: Paul Tooley
  • Topic: Hot Technical Topics
  • Topic: Inspection Industry
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

First of all, I hear people say that "vinyl siding is a great maintenance-free siding". There really is no such thing. If you have to so much as just hose it down once in a while, it's not maintenance free. That being said, one of the more intriguing issues I have come up against when looking at a home with vinyl siding is heat damage. Sometimes it's as simple as seeing the gas or charcoal grill sitting up against the house and just knowing what the damaged is caused by. But lately, I have been seeing more and more strange situations.  

  • Paul Tooley's blog
  • 1 comment
  • Read more

Technical Jargon: Windows and Failed Insulated Glass Seals

Submitted by Paul Tooley on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 10:01am
in
  • Other Posts by: Paul Tooley
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

'Tis the season to start looking for "failed insulated glass seals."  

failed insulated glass seal window

  • Paul Tooley's blog
  • 4 comments
  • Read more

Understanding Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)

Submitted by Paul Tooley on Mon, 03/16/2009 - 8:04am
in
  • Other Posts by: Paul Tooley
  • Topic: Technical Jargon

 

Technical Jargon is a forum used to provide more information on terms commonly seen in U.S. Inspect reports.

UST stands for Underground Storage Tank. USTs are simply heating fuel tanks that are buried underground. Their presence is usually determined by the existence of the fill pipe above ground.  The primary concerns with the presence of USTs are soil and groundwater contamination, fire risk, tank collapse, and high maintenance costs.

The two common fuels stored in residential underground storage tanks are propane and fuel oil. Propane vaporizes quickly and does not pose a groundwater contamination threat. This is why testing of underground propane tanks is not necessary in most cases. But fuel oil can potentially contaminate ground water sources--the source of potable water for approximately half the American population.

  • Paul Tooley's blog
  • Add new comment
  • Read more
  • 1
  • 2
  • next ›
  • last »
Syndicate content
  • Home Page
  • Residential
  • Relocation
  • Commercial
  • Resources For You
  • Blog

Home Inspection Blog

Blog Topics

  • Commercial Investment Market
  • Home Maintenance and Safety
  • Hot Technical Topics
  • Human Qualities
  • Inspection Industry
  • Market Commentary
  • Radon and Environmental
  • Scrapbook
  • Tales From the Road
  • Technical Jargon
  • What's Wrong with This Picture?

Blog Authors

  • Alan Gould
  • Bill Bowman
  • Bill Zoller
  • Chrissy Doremus
  • Dan Schenkel
  • David Rothbart
  • Faith Greenwell
  • Gordon Glidden
  • Martin Smith
  • Paul Picard
  • Paul Tooley

Subscribe Via RSS

Subscribe with Google

Subscribe By Email:

Receive Future Posts By Email:

Your Email will never be shared

Recent Comments:

  • vinyl replacement windows
    4 days 18 hours ago
  • Starting Small
    4 days 19 hours ago
  • Nice for "joe"
    4 days 20 hours ago
  • vinyl replacement windows
    5 days 12 hours ago
  • Alternatives to FRT plywood and drywall fire breaks
    5 days 19 hours ago
  • heat damaged vinyl siding
    5 days 21 hours ago
  • Tip # 11.......
    1 week 5 days ago
  • Blowers
    1 week 6 days ago
  • Video Tour
    1 week 6 days ago
  • blowers
    1 week 6 days ago

Get Our Widget!


About Us

Learn more about U.S. Inspect and Commercial Assessments.

Latest News

Read about the latest U.S. Inspect and Industry News.

U.S. Inspect Blog

See what the industry professionals are talking about.

  • Home
  • |
  • Residential
  • |
  • Relocation
  • |
  • Commercial
  • |
  • Contact Us
  • Residential Resources
  • |
  • Home Inspection Service Areas
©2010 U.S. Inspect. All Rights Reserved