This million plus dollar home had a lot of issues, just because a home is expensive and beautiful doesn’t mean it doesn’t have problems.
sump pump discharges to tub
This home has a regular basement flooding problem, so the homeowner decided to install a sump pump that dumps into a bathtub!
It is wrong on so many levels. First, consider that pump does not have a GFCI, so imaging taking shower and the pump runs and has an electrical problem. It might be a shocking experience!
ineffective sump pump installed in the bedroom floor
2nd consider taking a nice hot soak in your tub and the pump dumps cold nasty flood water in it. yuck!
Lastly, it is not legal to connect a sump pump (stormwater) to a regular drain (sanitary sewer).
So I ask you, do you think this works well to protect the basement? The answer is not surprising. The owner admits the basement floods regularly. My advice is quit messing around with an amateur sump pump install and hire a professional drainage contractor.
The second great find of the day was an open return on a furnace.
Cold air is open next to furnace draft hood may cause a backdraft of carbon monoxide
This duct was supposed to be connected to a humidifier (ask me what I think of those!) This vent sucks the air out of this closet that has both a furnace and a water heater with open draft hoods.
Open draft hood, very old furnace
Open draft hood on water heater could cause a back draft in house.
This style of gas appliance has an open vent to allow dilution air to assist in venting combustion gasses. When the furnace blower is on these gasses will be sucked out of these flues and blown around the house. This is very dangerous since it could spread carbon monoxide and other pollutants throughout the house.
Watch this video to see how a furnace can suck the exhaust out of a water heater.
