Divorce This House... What?

Here is a picture of me and the two great ladies that are pushing for new laws around Divorces. They are trying to help protect split families against foreclosure and even worse times. Check out their site www.divorcethishouse.com

I'm so glad I had a chance to meet up with them.


We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, be Green, increase your home's value, and be more comfortable. Premier Inspection Services LLC Hood River Home Inspection The Dalles Home Inspection

Mercury Alert!!!!

Last week I installed a new thermostat in my house. You know, the programmable ones that help save you money on your energy bill. So anyway as I removed the original one, I seen there were two glass bulbs 1/2 full of mercury. I know we have all hear how dangerous Mercury can be.

So how to you properly dispose of these things... The first think I done was put the old thermostat in a ziploc plastic bag, then put it in a safe place. I didn't want the kids to damage it. To dispose of this you can take it to the next Local Hazardous Material collection at The Dalles Disposal. I will keep my ear open and post when the next day is scheduled.

Be safe, you never know when you may come across a hidden danger in your home. Protect yourselves, your family and your pets by properly disposing of hazardous items.




We are the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Inspection Company. If there is anything we can ever do to help you when buying or selling a home then check us out on the web @ www.thepremierinspector.com or give us a call Hood River, OR (541) 386-3968 or in The Dalles (541) 296-0102. We also perform Infrared Thermal Imaging and Home Energy Audits. Save Money, live more Green, have a more comfortable home, and add to your home's value.

Your Home Fire Safety Checklist...

Did you know that more than 4,000 people die in house fires every year? Is your home save? How do you know?

Here is a FREE "Your Home Fire Safety Checklist". This booklet provides a lot of good home safety information.

Click this link to view a PDF copy:
Your Home Fire Safety Checklist

Take some time to review the items mentioned in this booklet. Don't be the next victim.

Polybutylene Pipe Settlement, Hurry time is running out...

Do you have Polybutylene pipe in your house... This is the gray colored plastic pipe that was installed from the mid-1980's to the mid 1990's. They have had several problems with this piping over the years. Often times this pipe will leak and cause severe damage to a home.

KATU had a story about the problems and lawsuits with the Polybutylene piping that aired January 12. Here is the link to KATU and the full story, "Lawsuit could mean free leaky pipe fix for you".

The deadline to file a claim is January 31, 2009. If you have this piping in your home and have had a leak or is currently leaking you may be eligible to get compensation under this program.

Here is a link to see if you qualify:

http://www.pbpipe.com/

Hurry and check this information out before the January 31 deadline.

Refrigerator Problems....Now What?!?!

About two weeks before Christmas our refrigerator stopped working. It is a side-by-side unit that is about 8 years old. The freezer side was working ok (not quite as cold as it should be but everything was still frozen), the refrigerator size kept getting warmer and warmer. To complicate the problem, we just loaded it up from a trip to Costco.

Well, we call a Refrigerator Service Person to stop by the next day and repair it. He never showed up. Here we are with a refrigerator full with about $200 of groceries from Costco. My wife asking what we are going to do. The holiday around the corner and the darn refrigerator not working. Luckily it was cold enough outside to keep most of the groceries, the problem was it was only about 15-25 degrees at the time and most of our items froze from being outside.

I decided to fix it myself. The first thing I done was move the unit out from the wall and unplug it. I noticed a large buildup of dust and cobwebs behind the unit so I got out the shop vac and cleaned everything. I also vacuumed out the units compressor area. Then I started removing the interior panels inside the freezer unit. With our unit the cold air is generated inside the freezer side the blows across to the refrigerator side. The cooling coil inside the freezer unit was completely frozen, it was a large block of ice. After removing the interior panel, I took a fan and aimed it at the frozen coils. I also placed a small pan under the coils to help ketch the run off. After about 2hrs all the ice had melted from the cooling coils. I then reinstalled all the interior panels, plugged the unit back in and pushed it back against the wall. I placed a couple of gallons of water inside the refrigerator side and waited to see if it was going to work. The next morning I check the unit and all was working fine. I want outside and got all our refrigerated goods and put them in the fridge. Now almost 3 weeks later, all is still working just fine.

A potential problem may be the defrosting sensor on our unit. It may not be telling the unit to defrost as needed. We will have to wait and find out how it runs in the near future. I'll keep you in the loop. It sure beat having to purchase a new unit.

A home refrigerator unit should operate at between 35 and 38 degrees. A freezer unit should be kept at 0 degrees or lower.

Preparing Your Home For Winter

Well it looks like the cold of winter is getting ready to set in. Everyone should make sure they are prepared for the cold temperatures. I put together a quick "Preparing Your Home For Winter" article, please take a minute to read through this. Feel free to share this will any of your Family, Friends or Clients. Bundle Up, it's going to get cold outside...

Click Here--Preparing Your Home For Winter

Extension Cord Safety

I just read the article about a man in Astoria, OR that died from smoke inhalation, this happened Thanksgiving night. The Fire Investigators say the fire was most likely electrically caused. They reported "multiple extension cords powering everything from a coffee maker to a hot plate." Here is the link to the story on KATU.COM http://www.katu.com/news/35407029.html

I have gathered some information and put together a (1) page information sheet on Extension Cord Safety. Please take some time to read through this information and correct any electrical hazards you may have. Share this with others.

Click here to download the Safety Sheet for Extension Cords

Ladder Safety

It's time to put those Christmas Lights up, clean the gutters, trim the trees. This time of year is when a lot of people use a ladder to elevate themselves up to do work. Don't be like the guys in the picture, this is an accident waiting to happen.

"Falls are by far the leading cause of home injury fatalities. The safest way
to climb indoors and out is to use a safe and sturdy ladder. Whether you’re
spring cleaning, hanging decorations or painting, the same basic ladder
safety rules apply." This is a clip from an article I put together on Ladder Safety.

Please Click this link for a free one page Ladder Safety sheet. Feel free to share it with Friends, Family or Clients.

Click Here Ladder Safety Sheet

Inspecting Newly Built Homes

I'm always asked, "Why do I need to have my new home inspected?". Everyone thinks if the newly built home passed all the building inspections then all should be OK, Right?? Well, I normally find several conditions with a new home that should be corrected. If these minor items are not corrected in the near future, they can lead to very costly repairs down the road. So my answer is, "Yes, I feel it's in your best interest to have a newly constructed home inspected by a professional."





Here is a picture of a newly constructed home that I inspected today. The plumber cut the floor joist out in order to run the drain for the bathroom tub/shower. After time this floor is going to weaken and the home owner is going to wonder what is going on.

Here is another picture in the same home. They forgot to install the copper coupler for this pipe connection. They are going to have some flooding in the crawlspace when water is ran through this line. Again, the homeowner isn't going to know until it's to late.



We have all heard the stories of the toilets that didn't get hooked up. Don't let this happen to you...



Invest in a home inspection, even for the newly constructed homes.

Also, if you have purchased a new home. Another thing to think about is the 11 Month Builder Warranty Inspection. A new home typically has a 1 Year Warranty. This means that if the home has any deffects, the contractor will make the repairs within the first year. Well most people don't understand how this works, once their 12 Months are up then it's to late. So home inspectors can inspect the home at 11 Months and make a list of these conditions that need attention. The home owner then forwards this information to the contractor and request the repairs be made. Call your local home inspector and ask them if they have this program. Again, this is money well spent. Let a Professional Home Inspector help protect your investment.