Steel Rhino Property Inspections LLC

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 8, 2015/07/26) */ The inspection occurred May 8, 2015; the temperature was 46F at 10:02AM to 53F by noonAt no point during day did the temperature reach the 65F that is needed for an inspector to check an AC unit AC units will not be run if the temperature is below 65F The contract that our client signed on May clearly states: "In the event that weather or other conditions prevent some items from being inspected during the time that the inspection is scheduled, it is your or your agents responsibility to coordinate for [redacted] to return to the property, or for you or your agent to coordinate or request a separate inspection be provided by the seller, examples below: [redacted] a roof full of snow cannot be walked or visually inspected [redacted] air conditioning units will not be operated unless the ambient air is above 65F [redacted] garages will not be unloaded by the inspector to exercise a overhead door [redacted] exterior electrical panels will not be opened during heavy rains" The type of inspection that was ordered was: The [redacted] "The [redacted] is a non-invasive, non-technically exhaustive, physical examination of the propertyIt is designed to identify material defects in systems, structures, and components of the referenced property and its associated primary parking structures, as they exist at the time of inspection." The first few lines of the contract state: "It is of uppermost importance to review every page of the inspection report, as well as all the photographs in this inspection report, there may be some items that are concerning to you as a consumer, that may not be highlighted in red by the inspectorIt is difficult to ascertain and prioritize items that may not be health or safety to you We appreciate the opportunity to conduct this inspection for you! Please carefully read your entire Inspection ReportCall us after you have reviewed your report, so we can go over any questions you may have." On the inspection report, the inspector recorded the following information: Page 14, item Temperature Split: Not tested, to cool Observations: Temperature is too low for test - The air-conditioning system was not tested because the outside temperature was below degrees Fand to test it would risk damaging the coils The Inspector recommends having the system inspected by a specialist Page 11, item AC Unit Recommend cleaning and servicing Page 6, AC Unit Recommend cleaning and servicing The inspector advised in at least three locations of the report, two of which are in red to clean and service the AC unit It is unfortunate that the buyer did not follow the recommendation by the inspector to have the unit inspected, cleaned and serviced by a specialist, as it clearly could not be tested the date of the inspection due to temperature

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/03) */
First of all, the person that filed this complaint is not our customer, nor is this person the realtor or in any way responsible for representing our customerAlso, this person was not at the inspection and cannot witness anything that was
"said" by anybody to anybody else that was there
There are many tests that we run on a furnace, not simply a CO measurementUpon visual examination of the furnace, the inspector saw blowback, rust, and flaking in the furnace during operationRust occurs when the metal is exposed to moisture in the air, and heat is hitting the metal
The temperature at the flames is 2,000C, and with humidity and air exposure over the years, rusting will occur (rust is the byproduct of metal decomposing)When that does occur, the metal gets thinner, and eventually a crack or hole will developIndicators of cracks and holes are metal flaking and pieces found at the base of the heat exchangerWhen our inspector saw these indicators during the visual inspection, he recommend to have the furnace completely evaluated by a licensed HVAC specialistThis means to have the heat exchanger removed and inspectedOur inspector did not state that the furnace is not safe and needed to be replacedI have attached a copy of the report for your reviewThe report is pages long, and page 7, 12, 49-all cover the furnace and what the inspector wrote
Second, when conducting a furnace inspection, a major concern is seeing "roll-out" occur at the burner chamberRoll-out is when the burners ignite and the flame fills the chamber and over flaming rolls out of the heat exchangerThis has occurred more often than just at the inspection, as there is noted scorching and burn marks on the cover and outside the heat exchangerThe flame should never be outside the heat exchanger
When inspectors see roll-out, they know that the furnace is not operating properly and often indicates that there may be a crack in the heat exchangerThis should be evaluated by a licensed HVAC specialistAgain, this is what our inspector recommended in the report
There are many occasions that have occurred when cracks and holes in heat exchangers are present and CO is not being pushed through the ductwork of the homeOutside air temperature, pressure, and humidity play a large role in creating positive draw from the flue stack
Third, this furnace is years old, well outside the warranty from the manufacturerMost manufacturers provide a 7-year warranty on their equipmentAnd, when attending furnace training events, most manufacturers hope that their equipment lives approximately yearsThis furnace has gone well beyond any expected or useful life expectancy
The seller of the property does not realize that the potential buyer was at the inspection and witnessed these items as wellThe buyer is a welder and knows how flame, air, and water affect metal and the properties of metalHe also saw the flaking and rustFlaking always indicates that the metal is decomposing
I called the company that looked at the furnace on May 11, 2015; the inspection / certification was only good for the date of the inspection, they will not provide an extended certification on a year old furnaceThey did not disassemble the unit or conduct a full inspection of the heat exchanger
The furnace was cleaned and tested only, it was not disassembled and inspected thoroughlyThe invoice said that they changed the filter, and performed a general wipe down and cleaning, checked operation, and electrical connections

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/07/26) */
The inspection occurred May 8, 2015; the temperature was 46F at 10:02AM to 53F by noon. At no point during day did the temperature reach the 65F that is needed for an inspector to check an AC unit.
AC units will not be run if the temperature...

is below 65F.
The contract that our client signed on 4 May 2015 clearly states:
"In the event that weather or other conditions prevent some items from being inspected during the time that the inspection is scheduled, it is your or your agents responsibility to coordinate for [redacted] to return to the property, or for you or your agent to coordinate or request a separate inspection be provided by the seller, examples below:

* a roof full of snow cannot be walked or visually inspected
* air conditioning units will not be operated unless the ambient air is above 65F
* garages will not be unloaded by the inspector to exercise a overhead door
* exterior electrical panels will not be opened during heavy rains"
The type of inspection that was ordered was: The [redacted]
"The [redacted] is a non-invasive, non-technically exhaustive, physical examination of the property. It is designed to identify material defects in systems, structures, and components of the referenced property and its associated primary parking structures, as they exist at the time of inspection."
The first few lines of the contract state:
"It is of uppermost importance to review every page of the inspection report, as well as all the photographs in this inspection report, there may be some items that are concerning to you as a consumer, that may not be highlighted in red by the inspector. It is difficult to ascertain and prioritize items that may not be health or safety to you.
We appreciate the opportunity to conduct this inspection for you! Please carefully read your entire Inspection Report. Call us after you have reviewed your report, so we can go over any questions you may have."
On the inspection report, the inspector recorded the following information:
Page 14, item 5
Temperature Split: Not tested, to cool
Observations:
Temperature is too low for test - The air-conditioning system was not tested because the outside temperature was below 67 degrees F. and to test it would risk damaging the coils.
The Inspector recommends having the system inspected by a specialist
Page 11, item 11 AC Unit
Recommend cleaning and servicing
Page 6, AC Unit
Recommend cleaning and servicing
The inspector advised in at least three locations of the report, two of which are in red to clean and service the AC unit.
It is unfortunate that the buyer did not follow the recommendation by the inspector to have the unit inspected, cleaned and serviced by a specialist, as it clearly could not be tested the date of the inspection due to temperature.