Qualified vs Certified

New home inspectors are flooding the market and want to be your next home inspector. Well trained and qualified home inspectors are not easily separated from the wave of new, lower priced inspectors competing in the market today.

In Ohio, a person can call themself a home inspector even if he or she has never had any formal training.

In an effort to protect buyers from hiring a not so qualified home inspector, we have developed 4 questions to ask your potential home inspector. You may not know the answers to the following questions, but a qualified inspector is able to answer these questions quickly and without hesitation.

Ask these questions with confidence.

1.What are the three types of forced air furnaces?  Answer—Conventional, Mid-Efficiency, High Efficiency Extra credit—What unit requires a plastic vent pipe?  Answer—High Efficiency

2.What are the three types of hot and cold water lines found in Ohio homes today?  Answer—Plastic (PEX or PVC), copper and galvanized steel. Lead is NOT a correct answer.

3.Why would a home inspector perform a temperature drop on a AC unit?  Answer—to make sure the unit is working correctly.

4.What happens when you mix copper and galvanized water lines?  Answer— the metals create a chemical reaction that will eventually cause a leak. Bonus—A ‘Dielectric Union’ can be installed to stop the chemical reaction.

Not all home inspectors have the same knowledge or experience. There is no licensing of home inspectors in Ohio. Inspectors who belong to associations like ASHI commit to attending 20 hours of additional education each and every year.