Client Thought Inspector Overlooked the Presence of Carbon Monoxide
Prior to working as a home inspector one of our inspectors was an EMT for over 10 years. One thing he learned while in the field as an EMT is to be extremely cautious when it comes to the invisible threat of carbon monoxide when entering any home.
Inspector Chris recently inspected a home and a few days later our client called us inquiring about whether or not we had detected the presence of carbon monoxide during the inspection. She was alarmed that we may have missed something, and even worse, everyone present may have been exposed.
Because Inspector Chris was wearing a CO detector as part of his uniform he was able to, without a doubt, assure our client that there was no presence of carbon monoxide within the property the day we were there performing the home inspection. If there had been a threat his alarm would have sounded. This allowed us to confidently say that we did not miss the presence of CO that day and that everyone was safe.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases that do have an odor. So, you can inhale carbon monoxide right along with gases that you can smell and not even know that CO is present.
3 Reasons Why Our Inspectors Will Wear CO Detectors at Every Home Inspection
For Our Own Protection
Home inspectors venture into many unknown, and therefore, occasionally unsafe spaces. Because CO is invisible and life-threatening all of our home inspectors will be required to wear this CO detector as part of their uniform, which has audible and visual alerts.
For the Protection of Everyone at the Home Inspection
While we are not responsible or liable for the safety of clients and agents at the home inspection, we feel it is our ethical responsibility to be able to alert everyone that is present at the time of the inspection to dangers within the home while we are on-site.
Furthermore, we feel obligated to alert the homeowners to any dangers existing in their homes. Often times, folks do not have CO detectors in their homes, or detectors may be placed inappropriately or may have dead batteries leading to an ineffective CO alert system.
To Report CO Findings on the Home Inspection Report
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a gas that is tasteless, odorless, and non-visible. It can come from improperly vented appliances. In the instance from the example above, our client was warned of CO from their gas-burning furnace. If CO had been present during his inspection, the inspector would have been required to document the finding and call for further evaluation by a licensed professional equipped to remedy the carbon monoxide leak.
Home Inspectors Protect Home Buyers from Safety Hazards
A home inspector’s job goes beyond pointing out material deficiencies with the electrical, plumbing, roof, etc.. But is also tasked with discovering whether major safety concerns are present, concerns that may lead to the harm of the homeowners and home buyers. Having CO detectors on every home inspector on our team is just one more way for us to do our best work!
