Most water heaters are tank models, and you will not be able to determine function until it is functioning, but there are some clues for you to consider. How many times a year do you flush out your own tank water heater? The water that we have in this area contains minerals which will build up in the tank, which affects its performance. The sediment builds up at the base making it harder to heat the water. If the unit looks older, you probably have this build up. It does not mean that the unit will not function, but it could imply that the unit will not function well. If the unit is heated by gas, you will want to look at the burner chamber. This will be at the base of the unit, and there will generally be two covers that need to be removed. If the chamber looks very rusted, or if it looks damaged to you, you may have a performance issue. For electric units, you will not be able to see the heater elements, unless you remove them. There will be two covers for the controls for each element. One will be a third of the way up, and the other will be two thirds of the way up. Look to see if the wiring looks good at these controls, and look for any burn marks.

Next we can examine the tubing coming into the unit. For gas units, look to see that the tube is marked for gas use. Look for a shut-off valve for the gas. Check the condition of these parts. There will be two pipes for water: cold water in that should have a shut off valve on it; and a hot water pipe out. For these pipes, you will want to look at any location that has a joint. It is at these locations that you will see signs of water leaks. The last tube to examine will be from the TPR valve. TPR stands for temperature pressure relief valve. If the heater’s pressure builds to where it can explode, this valve will release the steam/hot water. It should have a CPVC tube attached to it, that exits the water to the exterior (close to the ground). This tube should not have any loops. It should allow the water to drain by gravity. One last pipe will not be on the unit itself. It will be on the pan under the water heater, and this tube should drain water to the exterior too. The pan is important when the heater is in the house proper or attic. You do not want water leaking from this unit damaging your property.

If the unit is in the home, it should be on a stand, at least eighteen inches high. If the unit is in the garage, the unit should also be on this stand, and it should be protected from being hit by the car pulling into the garage.

For gas units, there will be a duct that takes the fumes from the burner out of the house. Look to see that this vent is secured, and that it does take the fumes out.

These are the basic things to check, but you will never really know, until everything is turned on to know how it works.

Picture is a gas water heater with the duct and pipes on top, and the burner compartment.

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck TREC# 9073

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A roof is easy to understand in its construction. Sheathing is placed over the framing. A material for assisting in preventing moisture penetration is placed over the sheathing. For most residential roofs, the material used will be roofing paper. Flat roofs need a membrane material to help the rain water flow away. On top of the barrier, another product will be used to help the system withstand the elements. You will typically see composite shingles filling this role. Other roof coverings can be tar with pebbles, slate, concrete, metal, plastic, clay, and wood. One of the more interesting developments is solar panel shingles. This product is installed in a similar fashion to composite shingles, so you do not see bulky solar panels. From a distance, these panels look like any dark colored roof.

The pipes coming through the roof are vents or flues for the house’s mechanical systems. Any time a piece of equipment burns natural gas to heat or power it, the exhaust gas needs to exit the building. These flues could find egress through a wall, which is fine as long as these flues do not come near a window. You also need a vent for your plumbing system. If air cannot come into the system, the water will not drain away. Think of a straw in your drink. Place your finger to cover the opening, and lift the straw out of the drink. Remove your finger to let the liquid spill out. This principle is needed for your plumbing system too. You will also produce exhaust gases from cooking and drying your clothes, which need to be vented from the home. Hot showers create water vapor that needs to be vented by the bathroom fan. Finally, a chimney could go straight through the roof, or it could be on the edge of the roof. Chimney flues that have a brick or wood covering surrounding them need a way to divert the water from the roof to the sides. A saddle (or it sometimes called a cricket) will be put on the chimney side facing the roof. This is a little bump to help force the rain water around the chimney.

The last part of the roofing system will be a method to remove the heat from the attic. Some homes use power fans, and solar powered versions of this method are now available. Most homes use a passive cooling method. Vents in the soffit draw air into the attic, and the new air pushes the air in the attic out of a vent at the ridge of the roof. These vents could be pipes, but they are usually a gap in the sheathing at the highest point of the roof (the ridge), which will be covered with the roofing shingles. Another passive method is related to a type of windmill. A roof vent in the shape of a ball formed by blades is placed through the roof. As the wind turns the blades, air is drawn into and out of the attic, but this system works better in conjunction with the soffit vents. To explain the soffit, you have part of the roof overhanging from the building. The “ceiling” under this overhang is called the soffit. Another common method to help cool the attic space, which also helps reduce the bills associated with your air conditioning, is a radiant barrier. This barrier could be a silver colored paintable product, but the more common version is a sheet applied to the sheathing. Sheathing with this material pre-attached is sold at home improvement centers. The material is basically the same product that you might use as a sun shield in your car.

Those are the basic elements, and it may seem easy, but like foundations roofs are designed to withstand the elements in your area. Snow and hurricanes have to be taken into account. Much of this planning is in the framing, but the roof itself is included in these plans. The next articles will deal with types of roofing materials, and what to look for when examining them.

(This is a roof from a rental property, which is in need of some help. The pile of leaves on the roof trap moisture and insects in that spot. Eventually, leaf piles like this could lead to problems with moisture penetration in the interior of the building. The branches coming down on the roof also assist in the deterioration of the roof covering.)

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, TREC#9073, http://www.fschulte-ladbeck.com

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