Look closely during an inspection and you might just find some interesting “fixes”! A general search online of “crazy things seen by home inspectors” will garner you hours of browsing fun!
Here at Ann Arbor Inspections, we recommend having things operating the way they were intended and to avoid at all costs the “Mr. Fixit” remedy. That is – don’t use beer cans or trash bags when it comes to repairing your appliances or furnace. Fixing things with household items can maybe work in a pinch, but you’ll clearly pay for it later! Patching a leaking boat with tape will keep you afloat for a few more minutes but you’ll sink eventually!
As seen on the internet, below you see a beer can working double duty as draft diverter on a water heater. Hey – it’s made of aluminum, right? Well that’s the only thing I can say about it. Yes folks, this stuff is out there!
This one here was something I saw out in the field. A combustion air vent for a furnace located in a closet. Stuffed full with Kroger grocery bags and taped shut with duct tape. Yikes! It stresses and strains your furnace but more importantly it could lead to potentially deadly carbon monoxide leaking into the living space. Combustion air ducts allow fresh air to enter the space. If it’s clogged with bags or insulation and duct tape – the new air will be blocked! Keep the duct tape for those other fun projects and use those bags for carrying groceries!
