Reddit reviews TIF Instruments (TIF8800) Combustable Gas Detector
We found 1 Reddit comments about TIF Instruments (TIF8800) Combustable Gas Detector. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Ideal for tremendous range of usesDetects dangerous explosive gasesThe unique flexible 15" stainless probe allows you to access hard to reach placesGas lines & pipes, aids in identifying Heat Exchanger leaks & hazardous living/working environmentsUsed in almost any situation where combustible gasses, vapor or residues need to be found
Well essentially TREC's stance on the matter (considering they own our license) is that you should not speak out of your area of expertise. There are kind of ways around it however.
For mold:
TREC would say that mold falls under environmental hazards, which is explicitly outside of our Standards of Practice. Are you a biologist? What qualifications do you have to identify fungus? You're licensed to perform structural/mechanical inspections, not environmental. The most we can do as inspectors is call it discoloration in our report, and I personally will tell the people what it is on site if I see it and what they should do about it. (another reason why we always recommend clients be present at the time of inspection)
In reality it's because there are millions of different types of mold and only a few are the toxic kinds that make people's hair stand on the back of their neck. Inspectors in Texas kind of are the whipping post of realtors, and they don't want us freaking out their clients too bad. I can kind of see where they're coming from because you can't identify it without sending actual samples to the lab, but it's that kind of bullshit that arises when you charge the TEXAS REAL ESTATE COMMISSION with the task of regulating home inspectors. I could go on for hours about that alone, but it's very esoteric and boring.
Just a little tip to make yourself sound smart btw, you should call it a fungus, since all molds are fungus but not all fungus are molds. People will be impressed!
For termites:
Kind of the same thing as mold, except that WDI reports were (not so much now but still significant) big business and pest control guys do not want to give up that business. It's actually not that hard to get licensed to do WDI reports, and I was thinking about getting it so we don't have to contract out ours anymore. However when I would do a termite inspection I would be acting outside of my inspectors license and under my Pest Control license.
What we do, and this might even be skirting TREC a bit is note Possible wood destroying insects were observed at [location] on our report. It really is pretty stupid considering we look at the same exact stuff as termite guys. Buuuttt you need your license to be able to call a termite a termite officially.
FOR HVAC:
This one I actually agree with. You don't really need to hire an electrician to come out and switch out a plug receptacle, but unless you have your HVAC license and the proper tools you really shouldn't get into the guts of it. You can fuck a lot of stuff up in there if you don't know what you're doing (and a lot of inspectors don't even though Texas has by far the highest barrier to entry and requirements than any other state).
I'll be the first to admit, the 'test' we can run on the HVAC system is a mediocre test at best (it's a temperature differential, seeing how the air temperature changes as it blows across the coils). What we generally tell clients with older units is that an HVAC unit needs to be serviced once a year, and to call an HVAC guy out there to service it and he can tell you a whole lot more about the unit then we can. We still look at the duct work, the condenser, etc. etc., but as far as the actual refrigerant and such, again, you can really fuck stuff up big time if you don't know what you're doing and start pulling stuff apart.
BTW, you can't test the heat on a heat pump in summer, just the emergency heat. Though the 'heater' part of a heat pump is only a reversing valve, and those generally don't mess up.
Also, you should always use an inspector that owns a combustible gas detector. That way they can check the air registers when the heater is on (if it's a gas heater) for any leaks. In Texas you are not required to carry one, but don't go with an inspector (or anything in life really) that only does the bare minimum of what they are required.
Also, in that same vein ask a potential inspector if they carry a moisture meter. It's not required but it's another good indicator to use to see if they are a CYA inspector or an actual decent one. You'd be surprised how many don't because they don't want to 'explain why they didn't use it on every ceiling in front of a jury'. I would argue that the best defense is to not have to go in front of juries in the first place.
Damn this comment got long, sorry if it gets a bit rambling in some parts...
EDIT: Also here's a link to the TREC Standards of Practice if you're interested:
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=22&pt=23&ch=535&sch=R&rl=Y