Inside Edge Home Inspections
  • Home
  • Services
    • Price List
  • Mike's Blog
  • Our Story
  • Credentials
  • Contact Us
  • What to Expect
  • Sample Report
  • Guarantees
  • Privacy Policy

Home Inspector Blog
Michael Burfitt, CPI
Halifax, Nova Scotia

My Competitive Advantage

4/30/2023

Comments

 
PictureSummer is a great time for Softball!
I remember one Sunday morning I took my then two-year-old son to the playground bright and early before my softball game when suddenly someone approached me noticing my Inside Edge Home Inspections vehicle and giant logoed T-shirt. He then proceeded to tell me that he was new to the area and was looking for a home inspector. The next thing he said caught me off guard: he asked me “so.... why should I pick Inside Edge?” I might be a great home inspector but coming up with an elevator speech on the spot is not my greatest skill. I gave a general answer about how I'm an independent, experienced inspector with a large amount of education. In hindsight, while it was a good answer, I didn't really give a clear, definitive reason why I am the best choice for a home inspector.

While playing my game later that day I thought about a better answer I could have given and then I thought about the sport I was playing. Setting aside the debate over the new pitch clock in Major League Baseball, one major difference between baseball and most other sports is the lack of a game clock. While you may have a general idea of when a baseball game will usually end (the average this season is 2 hours and 38 minutes), the bottom line is you need to make 27 outs to secure victory.

Getting back to home inspections, I could talk all day about my extensive education and my natural abilities as a home inspector, but I think my edge (pun intended) can be summed up in one sentence:

I don't look at a clock during a home inspection.

During my first year I always asked people how they found my company and I received a few answers: prior positive referrals from satisfied clients, my listing on Google, my website, and my pictures. However, one person mentioned how they used to use an inspector for many years and recently decided to change because they felt the inspector was more interested in rushing to the next job than giving a quality home inspection.

It sounds like a cliche but it's true that your home is the most expensive investment you will ever make in your life, and I don't need to explain that houses are expensive. As such, it's always been our company mission to provide the highest quality inspections possible. One way I do this is make sure we never schedule back-to-back inspections and while the average inspection is not far off the length of an MLB game (usually a bit over 2 hours), and like a major sporting event I generally only do one inspection a day. Of course, the home inspection industry ebbs and flows throughout the year so if I do schedule two in a day (and never more than two) I always leave time to accommodate the unexpected, like an NHL playoff game that goes into triple overtime.

Funny personal anecdote: I attended the 2016 University Cup and the first game went into quadruple overtime. Since there was no buffer between the two games, the second game didn't end until 12:45am! Yes, I attended both of them and took these pictures and while memorable, the lack of planning for this contingency (there was only an hour scheduled between games) made for a very long evening. Guess what happened the very next afternoon? Yes, that's a 6 under the period column, meaning this one went to triple overtime and the second game was over 90 minutes late starting. 

​In the home inspection industry, like a sports team, it's important to focus on what you are good at. In my case giving clients high quality inspections and treating every client with the respect and care they deserve is my calling card. While we have outstanding value we never have and never will be the cheapest in town because we take the time to give a quality inspection that will make you feel you made the right choice in putting your trust in Inside Edge Home Inspections.
Comments

A Look at ChatGPT

4/9/2023

Comments

 
I remember back in my University days there was a website where you could enter the name of a person or organization and it would instantly spit out a convincing sounding essay about how bad that person or organization was, using lots of impressive sounding words. In reality, it was just a bunch of generic statements and the essay was always the same aside from the name.

There has been a lot of buzz about an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program called ChatGPT. For those not familiar with it, ChatGPT is impressive to put it mildly. It can instantly provide answers to complicated questions in many different ways on just about any subject you can think of. For example, I asked it to write a blog post for a home inspector in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is the place we call home. On the surface this sounds like a great answer that makes this blog potentially obsolete but let’s take a closer look:
 
Picture
On the surface, this sounds like a great answer but it highlights why a Chatbot is not a substitute for a blog written 100% by yours truly, an experienced and Certified Professional Inspector and most importantly someone who is an actual living, breathing human being! I have noticed much of what we see on the internet lately is written by bots (home inspection related content being no exception), with the goal of getting to the top of search engine rankings (called SEO or search engine optimization) instead of sharing quality content. 

The most obvious problem with this ChatGPT response is that you could plug in "Moncton", "New York City" or "Toronto" and it would not change anything. There are some things that are incorrect or half truths in this "blog post" so allow me point out just a few of them: 
  • You won't be able to find a licensed inspector in Halifax (or Atlantic Canada) because there are NO specific home inspector regulations and a license for home inspectors does not exist. As of 2023,  Alberta and British Columbia are the only areas that license home inspectors, with Ontario and Quebec looking at regulations now. I do point out some things to look for when choosing a home inspector in a previous blog post but being licensed isn't one of them. 
  • While ChatGPT is not wrong about what we look for, it isn't a simple linear examination as this answer implies. A home, especially modern homes, is a complex set of interdependent systems and requires someone who has a comprehensive or systematic way of viewings homes *cough* like me. I always mention to my clients that I tend to hop from room to room and system to system because they are often interconnected. 
  • The blog post tells you that an inspector will provide information for negotiation. True, but this ignores the fact that most home inspectors have done inspections for sellers, homeowners, landlords and even on behalf of tenants and many of my clients want valuable information, not just a negotiation tool. This is especially true of first time home buyers!

Overall, this AI created blog post is mostly true and grammatically correct but it is definitely a shallow representation of why it is important to hire a home inspector. I tried asking for a few blog posts on the same subjects I have previously written about with the same result: it's a great starting point but it is in no way comparable to the knowledge an experienced home inspector has. 

Contrary to my critical tone, overall I have a strong belief in the power of AI programs such as ChatGPT to assist homeowners and provide a wealth of complex knowledge in an easy to understand format. However, being a home inspector, like many other specialized fields, requires far too much subjective judgement to be replaced by automated response bot. 
Comments

Framing Common Issues

3/26/2023

Comments

 
PictureThis is an example of how we home inspectors can "see" wall studs.
As a home inspector, I frequently get asked what is the most common issue you come across?, which I have discussed a few examples on this blog. One question I would love to be asked is what do you see that's normally correct?. One such area that I rarely if ever encounter noteworthy issues is in the home’s framing. I recently performed an inspection where it was clear the house required a significant amount of updating, in particular the electrical, roofing and plumbing systems, however, no issues were detected in the home’s framing. I remember my client asked me “are you sure the framing is okay?” repeatedly and I assured them that I did not detect any issues whatsoever despite the fact it was an older home. Much like the human body the framing is the home’s skeleton and the backbone of a safe home so it is definitely an area that shouldn't be neglected. 

While it is true that often floor joists and wall studs are hidden behind drywall there are ways of verifying proper construction techniques. One such way is by using my favorite tool: the thermal imager. Here you can see a clear example of where the wall studs are located. This is known as a thermal bridge because wood does not insulate as well as actual insulation and shows up as a darker (colder) spot on the image.


That doesn't mean however that all framing is perfect by any means. There are common issues I do look out for and even if they aren't worth fixing I usually point them out as being technically incorrect. Here are a few examples of many I come across:

Studs/Joists That Are Cut
It is common to see electrical, plumbing and HVAC lines that run directly through floor joists. there's certainly nothing wrong with this as long as it is done properly (I won't bore you by quoting codebooks). There are a few guidelines that home inspectors use to evaluate if a joist has been improperly cut:
  • A hole should not be more than 1/4 of the depth of the joist. 
  • A notch should not be more than 1/3 of the depth of the joist. 
  • There should no notches in the middle 1/3 of a joist. 
Below is a picture of a joist that was cut a little too far in order to accommodate a toilet installation. However, this is the perfect example of why I rarely use a tape measure during inspections. In this case, the home is 25 years old and has no signs of any sagging floors, so fixing this issue is prohibitively expensive for the minimal benefit and in my opinion there is no reason to waste money to fix it.

Picture
Insufficient Nails in Joist Hangers
Probably the most common issue I see with a home’s framing is in joist hangers. They have a large number of nail holes and while they are supposed to be all filled with nails in reality I rarely see this. In the grand scheme of things this isn't really a major deal as long as a handful are missing here and there. If, however, I'm only seeing two to four per joist hanger that is when I get worried. In my own home some have all the nails filled in and some are missing one. That is not a concern to me although technically it is incorrect.

Cracked Joists
One thing I see in my own home is a split on one of my floor joists, commonly known as wood checking. This is essentially caused by wood that was installed wet (known as green wood) and dried out, causing the cracking. Would I like to replace it? Without a doubt. Is it expensive to replace? Yes. Is it going to cause the house to collapse? Of course not! Therefore the best course of action in this particular case is to take no action. If half this joist was separated and hanging that would be another issue which is why they need to be evaluated on an individual basis. 
Picture
I sound like a broken record when I say every home has issues but I am also aware that homeowners don't have a bank vault at their disposal and need to prioritize fixing their homes. The framing issues I come across are generally not a major concern.
Comments

Questions Your Inspector (Should) Answer

3/5/2023

Comments

 
I am now entering my third year running an independent home inspection company and what a fun ride it has been! I can now confidently say that every home is different, no two homes are alike and one of the most exciting parts of being a home inspector is discovering something new. It is always fun to see a unique feature of a home and to see things that we previously have only seen during training. 

However, there are some things that are the same on every inspection and while no two inspector’s skill or background is the same there are some things every inspector should know. It always comes off as a shock when I tell clients that there are zero home inspection regulations in Nova Scotia, and anyone can legally call themselves a home inspector in a week or two. Here is a sample of some questions a home inspector should be able to confidently answer after every inspection. 

Does This Home Have Concerning Electrical Issues?
While we are not electricians, home inspectors should be able to detect most major electrical issues. They include: 
  • Potential unsafe aluminum (AL) wiring, and differentiating between normal and abnormal AL as not all AL wiring is a concern. 
  • If a home is grounded, why this is an issue and how much of a concern it is. There are a few solutions at various costs for ungrounded homes and a home inspector should be aware of the major solutions electricians use aside from rewiring the entire home. 
  • If any receptacles have reverse polarity and why this can SOMETIMES be a concern with certain appliances.
 
What Are the Major Plumbing Materials? 
Most homes I inspect use copper pipe to bring service in from the street, cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) for distribution and plastic, and either ABS (black) or PVC (white) for wastewater. An inspector should be aware of materials that may or may not be a concern such as: 
  • Lead supply lines and the dangers of lead poisoning. They should be aware that here in Halifax they are only found in certain areas, such as peninsular Halifax and downtown Dartmouth. 
  • If a home has polybutylene or Kitec (PEX-AL-PEX) and why these are controversial materials.
  • If the water pressure is lower than average, especially when multiple taps are used. This may or may not be an issue and a home inspector should be able to advise accordingly. 

Does The Home Have Potential Water Infiltration Issues? 
There is a common phrase I use which is “water is the #1 enemy of homes” and biggest concern I get called about is moisture and the damage it has caused. A home inspector should know that water has many ways to enter a home and some of the many signs of water damage. Like many home inspectors, I use a number of tools as well as all my senses to look for signs of either active or potential water infiltration into the home. While we don't have X-ray vision and leaks can be very difficult to detect, a home inspector should be aware of the various ways unwelcome ways water can enter a home. 

These are just some baseline areas that all home inspectors should be able to confidently speak of. While we are generalists, not specialists we should have a strong enough knowledge to identify the majority of home defects. Your inspector should answer these three questions either verbally or in a report.  
Comments

Understanding Ice Dams

2/5/2023

Comments

 
​One of the negatives about having relatively mild winters is that we frequently have temperatures around 0 degrees Celsius (or 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and these temperatures can fluctuate between both sides of that number. This can help to form icicles and while as a child it was always fun to break them off, this is a major red flag for home inspectors as no properly constructed home should have them. Icicles are an indicator for one of the main cold weather concerns for home inspector: ice dams.
Picture
Fun for kids, bad for home inspectors!
What is an Ice Dam?
​An ice dam is a problem caused by heat, not cold. It is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. Heat escaping from the attic space tends to melt snow, which re-freezes before it is shed from the roof. Contrary to popular belief, sloped residential roofs are generally NOT designed to be waterproof but rather to rapidly and quickly remove water, preferably into a eavestrough and downspout system to be moved away from the home. Snow is a relatively good insulator, so snow will melt close to the roof and remain visible from the outside. Take a look at the picture below for a clearer understanding of how ice dams form. 
Picture
Why is it Such a Concern?
You might think: the attic gets a little damp: a well ventilated attic will quickly dry out so what's the problem? The answer is this is simple: water, like nearly everything flows downhill. This means that water will compress and permanently damage attic insulation at first. This will lead to further heat loss through the attic and the formation of even more ice dams and corresponding leaks will increase in frequency. Eventually it will slowly enter the ceiling on the top level (an active leak is rarely obvious at first and before too long can cause major damage to a home). See below an example from a recent inspection where our client was concerned about moisture in the home. 
Picture
Ceiling in a bedroom
Picture
Floor in bedroom closet
The thermal imager shows a very clear anomaly. For my fellow inspectors reading this, you cannot automatically assume this is moisture without further proof: it could just be an area where insulation is missing and this was done on a cold winter's day. My own bathroom shows a similar cold spot but it's from poor insulation in that area not a roof leak. In this case it was obvious from just looking the ceiling was saturated with water and a quick use of a moisture meter confirmed what I already knew. This ceiling will have to be replaced and new drywall installed but the first priority is stopping the leak from happening.

Further investigation shows this particular example was not directly from an ice dam but is the perfect representation of what can easily happen. Remember, moisture is the #1 enemy of homes and an active water leak can seriously damage and even destroy a house! If you are seeing icicles, the first thing you should to is pop that attic hatch, take a look for water infiltration and take appropriate action before water gets into the home. 
Comments

Home vs Building Inspector

1/15/2023

Comments

 
When I originally set up my online business profile, there was no option for “home inspector” and I was redirected back to the option “building inspector”. This has since been corrected and for good reason: while they sound like similar career paths, they are in reality very different. I personally would like to see home inspectors referred to as “Professional Home Consultants” as this term better reflects the more broader services we provide.

What is a Building Inspector?
Building inspectors or code inspectors are usually employed by the municipal government. While they do inspect homes as well as commercial properties, their focus is more on building code violations and enforcement. They generally are involved in both new construction and renovation activities and their main focus is that builds are done according to the various building codes. Building inspectors often have a heavy caseload and often cannot dedicate a significant amount of time to each site they visit.

What Exactly is a Home Inspector?
Home inspectors (such as yours truly) are usually either self-employed or work for a small company. We usually deal with individuals, often during home buying although I have been contracted by companies (such as property management companies) and have done inspections that are not part of any real estate transactions.  Our focus is to check all significant aspects of the home and its various systems based on knowledge of home construction and operation. While we can have a working knowledge of codes, we do not bring codebooks with us and do not engage in any form of law or code enforcement. We also tend to work in many different municipal areas, such as Kentville or Bridgewater and each area has specific building requirements whereas home inspectors standards are generally uniform across North America. Our main concerns are twofold: identifying safety concerns and items that need repairs with a special focus on big ticket items.

​The Biggest Difference Between the Two
To sum it up briefly, a building inspector often uses an objective, pass or fail evaluation similar to a school teacher’s test while a home inspector is usually far more subjective in their evaluations. There is no such thing as failing a home inspection although it goes without saying that some issues are far more serious than others and are highlighted accordingly.
Comments

Welcome to Nova Scotia

12/18/2022

Comments

 
Welcome to Nova Scotia! There has been a recent spike in people who have chosen to make our city home from both across Canada and around the world and it is wonderful to see the vast and growing cultural diversity when walking around town. My son will get to grow up in a community that is much more welcoming of diversity and valuing of inclusion and I am happy to see our city change for the better.

However, as a professional home inspector based in Halifax and having grown up on the Dartmouth side of Halifax Harbour, I see a lot of misconceptions about homes in our community. The overwhelming majority of professional home inspectors in the world are in either Canada or the United States and this is not a coincidence. North America is certainly an economically strong region but there is a common misconception that homes are virtually maintenance free. This is FAR from the truth, and I have never inspected a home that did not have at least one issue (yes, even brand-new homes).

Homes in North America are NOT Built Like Tanks
There is a commonly held belief that houses in Canada are well built using strict building codes. This is only partial correct: while major structural issues (such as catastrophic collapse due to high winds) are extremely rare, modern homes are often built as cheaply as legally possible. This means that engineered components that while affordable, need to be properly installed to be effective and have limited lifespan that can be greatly reduced under certain conditions (like moisture penetration), such as roof and wall components. Unfortunately, on many building sites these can be installed by subcontractors not as familiar with proper installation techniques. 

We Have Mild Winters (and That’s a Bad Thing)
While compared to the world at large we have brutally cold winters, looking at just Nova Scotia we typically have warmer winters than the rest of Canada. This means we usually get 8-10 mini winters with rain and warmer temperatures in the middle. As a homeowner I appreciate the snow being cleared but as a home inspector this is a challenge to work around. One consequence of our weather is that the frequent freeze/thaw cycles can cause significant destruction to homes through the expansion of water as it cools. Once water gets into building cracks, it can quickly cause further damage. This is one reason with Stucco-cladded homes are so rare in our province. 

Homes are Usually Built as Single-Family (3-4 people) Homes
Until recently, it was considered unusual in North America to share a home with another generation or family. Once children reached their 20s, it was commonly expected that they would move out on their own. Today, it is very common to see 6 or more adults living under a single roof. While this is a great way of sharing resources, this is a concern to home inspectors.

Put simply, modern homes need to be carefully balanced: HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems that work great in a 2-person household can experience significant issues in an 8+ person household and can experience major problems that never existed before.

Beware the Flipped House
I have seen many newcomers buying flipped (homes bought, renovated, and quickly resold) houses that I can see have major structural issues. While not all flipped houses are bad, I have seen far too many recent new arrivals pay a premium for homes that still have major and very expensive issues, such as electrical and plumbing problems. Home inspectors as a rule have an overall negative view of flipped homes as many are renovated as cheaply and quickly as possible. Remember, a home inspector is trained and experienced in telling the difference between a cheap cosmetic flip and a high-quality renovation.

There is no question that houses are not nearly as plentiful as they should be, but you should still get all the information about your new home 
before making that financial commitment as it could cost you a lot more in the long run.
Picture
Pictured - Not a House!
Comments

Sewer Scopin'

12/5/2022

Comments

 
​I am always looking for ways to further advance my goal of providing the best value in town and accordingly recently added another service to our repertoire. After months of training and testing I launched our sewer scope services in October of this year.
Picture
​A Troubling Sight
While driving down a street just off the Halifax Peninsula, I was recently struck by the sight of a home's front yard being torn up due to sewer work. It was a vivid reminder of the pervasive infrastructure challenges we face, as nearby streets showed more patches than actual pavement. Witnessing the consequences of such issues stirred a sense of urgency within me.

Reflecting on Past Experiences
My memories took me back to my high school days in the 90s when I resided in a neighborhood plagued by constant sewer pipe problems. The notorious Orangeburg sewer pipes were the bane of many homeowners’ existence, and it became a running joke amongst us High Schoolers to predict which lawn would be dug up next. The frequency of these excavations, often occurring during the winter, was a constant source of inconvenience for residents (and made me almost late for school on more than one occasion!). These experiences made me realize that sewer backups don't wait for a convenient time to occur.

An Insurance Misconception
There is a common misconception that standard home insurance or local utility coverage will take care of sewer failures. However, the reality is that most home insurance policies do not cover such incidents. While it's essential to consult a licensed insurance broker for specific information related to your home, it's crucial to be aware of the limitations of insurance coverage in this regard.

Sewer Problems Are Not Restricted to Older Homes
Another misconception I've encountered is the belief that only older homes require sewer inspections or have sewer issue. While it's true that newer homes are less likely to have issues, I've learned from fellow home inspectors that even brand-new properties can experience sewer problems. Poor installation practices, such as a sewer line randomly ending before reaching the street, and tree root infiltration are just a couple of examples. For peace of mind, I always recommend a sewer scope, especially if your property falls into any of the following categories:
  • Any property over 50 years old
  • Homes with large trees on the front lawn
  • Systems with suspected Orangeburg or Cast-Iron waste pipes
  • Unusual healthy patches on the grass

The Importance of Regular Sewer Inspections
Professional home inspectors highly recommend performing sewer scopes both during the initial inspection and at regular intervals. While sewer failures may seem sudden, they often develop slowly over an extended period. By conducting a quick sewer scan, potential issues can be detected early, preventing costly damages and inconveniences. Don't worry about being grossed out by the images below of hairballs or yellow streaks in sewer lines. These are merely harmless anomalies, showcasing the variety of conditions that can be found.

The inspiration to launch this service stemmed from a combination of personal experiences and witnessing the repercussions of sewer-related problems. The misconception that insurance will cover sewer failures and the belief that only older homes are at risk needed to be debunked. By highlighting the importance of sewer inspections, I hope to create awareness among homeowners, ensuring they take proactive measures to safeguard their properties. Remember, a little prevention goes a long way in avoiding potential disasters.
​
Comments

(Former) Meth Labs

11/20/2022

Comments

 
I once wrote a blog post which is currently my third most popular about signs of a Marijuana grow house. I mentioned briefly about so called “meth houses” that while very rare are very dangerous, so this week is a great opportunity to look at them. Like most home inspectors I have never seen one in person and hope I never will but I am always on the lookout for the signs. Given the highly illegal nature of this drug it goes without saying that there is no public database of current and former meth houses!
Picture
Meth 101
Methamphetamine is known as meth, ice, chalk, and other street names and is a highly addictive stimulant. It is illegal in most of the world and as a result, this is not an item that can be bought at the local corner store, hence the presence of houses where meth and other similar drugs are illegally manufactured. There are numerous negative health effects and our focus as home inspectors is not law enforcement but on identifying dangers located on properties that were formerly used as meth labs.

Is it REALLY That Dangerous?
I have heard stories of homes that were so contaminated they had to be demolished and I found that hard to believe at first. Can’t you just spend a few hours using some bleach and call it a day? Unfortunately, is usually not enough. Methamphetamine production uses a lot of dangerous chemicals that, unlike in a hospital or medical lab environment, does not use sterile environments and expensive fume hoods to keep occupants and the community safe. I won’t bore you with the list of common ingredients and how dangerous they are but let’s just say you do not want to touch or breathe in most of them! These toxic substances can leech into walls, floors, toys and furniture and can contaminate the entire property, leading to too many potential health problems to list. 

Meth Causes a LOT of Waste
It is estimated that 1 pound of meth creates 5-7 pounds of waste by-products. Rarely is a meth cook careful to follow all waste disposal laws and they can be dumped throughout a property, including behind the walls and down the plumbing. Some of this waste is toxic to human health.

Signs of a Former Meth Lab
While doing environmental testing is beyond the scope of a home inspection, there are a few signs that home inspectors are trained to look for when suspecting a former drug lab. They include:
  • Presence of various random tools and equipment used in the manufacturing process
  • Unusual odours, particularly a burnt popcorn or cat urine (ammonia) smell.
  • Chemical staining of walls and floors (usually red or yellow)
  • Unusual corrosion and burn marks with missing smoke detectors

While I hope nobody ever has to deal with buying a former drug lab, with many buyers waiving home inspections or buying sight unseen over the past couple of years this remains a concern. The biggest symptom is unusual, unexplained and recurring health problems, and an environment air quality company should be contacted for further testing. Remember nobody will ever hang a sign saying “METH LAB!” and various levels of effort are made to hide homes with nefarious pasts. 
Picture
This is a typical meth lab, but it usually isn't this obvious to outsiders!
Comments

Ohm's Law for Homeowners

11/6/2022

Comments

 
I am definitely not an electrician, nor do I play one on TV (at least not yet....) but if there is one area where I can confidently say I have a strong knowledge it is electrical systems. Electricity is a very complex subject, and while my knowledge is nowhere near that of an electrician or an electrical engineer, I certainly know enough to advise my clients whether or not they need the services of a professional. Today I thought I would share with you Ohm's Law, one of the backbones of electrical theory and the importance of understanding it as home inspectors. 
Picture
In its basic form, Ohm's law states that power (Watts), current (Amperes), resistance (Ohms) and voltage (Volts) are interrelated. If you treat the vertical lines as multiplication and the horizontal lines as division, you can solve for lots of variables just like in Junior High and/or Middle School! Here are some examples: 
  • Voltage = Current x Resistance
  • Resistance = Voltage / Current
  • Power = Current x Voltage
  • Current = Power / Voltage

What's the Relevance to Homes? 
This likely seems like good information, but not information you will ever need. The truth is this is important information to note and to help you understand more about your home. The first thing we will look at is power, which is measured in Watts just like on lightbulb labels. Looking at the pyramid above you can see power is a measure of current multiplied by voltage. From a home inspector's point of view, a house with a higher amperage means more power is available. We can generally ignore voltage because as much as we complain about Nova Scotia Power, we have a very stable electrical system that is almost always around 120-125 volts, with 99.9% of homes having two of these feeds (120x2=240 volts). Three phase systems work a little differently, usually at 208 volts, but we'll focus on single phase residential homes for this blog post.

Understanding Power Bills
Simply put, the power bill is measured in Kilowatt hours used (kw/H). One kilowatt hour is equivalent to 1000 watts used over a one-hour period and while the rates fluctuate, it usually runs around 16 cents. Our home is pretty typical and usually consumes around 30,000 watts a day in summer and 70,000 watts in the coldest weeks of the year. Doing simple math, we spend roughly (30,000/1000) x 0.16= $4.80/day on electricity in the summer and (70,000/1000) x 0.16= $11.20/day in the coldest days of winter. 

Since we have a 125-amp system at home, looking at Ohm's law this means we have 125A x 240V = 30,000 watts available. With an upgrade to 200-amp service, we would have 200A x 240V = 48,000 watts. This means we don't have enough capacity, right? Of course not! The 70,000 watts we use in the winter for example is spread over an average of 24 hours while the 30,000 is our capacity at a specific point in time. In simple terms, unless we ran the dryer, oven, air conditioner and heaters all at once we should have more than enough capacity to handle the electrical load.

Any electrician would point out I am ignoring the fact that electrical systems are designed to run at approximately 80% capacity, but this further proves my point: electrical systems are both very basic AND very complicated at the same time and should be left to the experts. 


Reality is a Wee Bit More Complicated
My example above is only an approximation because real life power systems use Alternating Current (AC) rather than Direct Current (DC). Any electrical engineer could give us a long lecture about how the Power Factor (basically an efficiency rating from 0 to 1, ideally 0.95 or higher) needs to be accounted for. Although it is far more important in industrial settings it does mean that some of the Apparent Power received is known as Reactive Power (useless) rather than Real Power (useful). This is yet another reason why, although it seems very simple to just attach a few wires to a box, electricity is complicated, dangerous and needs to be left to the pros. 
Picture
I am sure this analogy makes it far easier to understand Power Factor!
Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021

    Categories

    All
    AED
    AFCI
    AI
    Air Conditioning
    Aluminum
    Anode Rod
    Ants
    Arcs
    Asbestos
    Attic
    Balcony
    Basement
    Brick
    Building Inspector
    Carbon Monoxide
    ChatGPT
    Children
    Chimney
    Circuit Breakers
    Clocks
    CO Detectors
    Communication
    Contractors
    Cost
    Criticisms
    Current
    Data
    Deck
    Drains
    Drone
    Drywall
    DWV
    Eavestroughs
    EIFS
    Electrical
    ERV
    Exterior
    Failed Seals
    Female Inspectors
    Fiber Cement
    Fibreglass Shingles
    Fire Safety
    First Aid
    First Time Homebuyers
    Flips
    Flooding
    Flooring
    Foundation
    Framing
    Fuses
    Garage
    Gfci
    Growops
    Heating
    Heat Pumps
    Hgtv
    Hoarding
    Hrv
    Humidity
    HVAC
    Ice Dams
    ICF
    Infrared
    Insulation
    Ionization
    Joe Mazza
    Kitchen
    Kitec
    Knob & Tube
    Lead
    Manufactured Houses
    Marijuana
    Masonry
    Meth
    Mike Holmes
    Mini Homes
    Misconceptions
    Mobile Homes
    Moisture
    Mold
    Newcomers
    Oil Tanks
    Open Concept
    Orangeburg
    Personal Decor
    Pests
    Photoelectric
    Plumbing
    Polybutylene
    Pressure
    Price
    Psychrometrics
    Radon
    Rain Gutters
    Real Estate Agents
    Regulations
    Resistance
    Roofing
    Safety
    Scams
    Septic
    Sewer
    Sewer Scopes
    Sheds
    Shipping Containers
    Siding
    Smoke Detectors
    Staircases
    Stove
    Structure
    Stucco
    Sump Pump
    Temperature
    Termites
    Trailer Parks
    Trees
    Value
    Ventilation
    Vinyl
    Voltage
    Walls
    Wasps
    Water Heater
    WDOs
    Windows
    Wiring
    Wood
    Wood Rot

    RSS Feed

Picture
Inside Edge Home Inspections Ltd. 
Halifax, NS
902-209-9921
info@ieinspections.ca
Proudly Serving the HRM & Surrounding Areas
Picture
  • Home
  • Services
    • Price List
  • Mike's Blog
  • Our Story
  • Credentials
  • Contact Us
  • What to Expect
  • Sample Report
  • Guarantees
  • Privacy Policy