ASHI Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC Systems 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An inspector observes that the water heater's temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve discharge pipe terminates into a bucket. What should be reported?
- Acceptable if the bucket is large enough to hold the discharge
- The discharge pipe must terminate to a safe location outside, a floor drain, or within 6 inches of the floor (Correct answer)
- Acceptable only for electric water heaters, not gas
- The TPR pipe termination location is not within the scope of a home inspection
Correct answer: The discharge pipe must terminate to a safe location outside, a floor drain, or within 6 inches of the floor
TPR discharge pipes must terminate to a safe outdoor or drain location, or within 6 inches of the floor, to prevent injury from scalding water or steam.
Question 2: What is the ASHI Standard of Practice position on inspecting the interior of underground fuel storage tanks?
- Inspectors must probe underground tanks for leaks
- Underground fuel storage tanks are excluded from the ASHI Standards of Practice (Correct answer)
- Inspectors must test soil around tanks for contamination
- Underground tanks must be visually inspected from the fill pipe opening
Correct answer: Underground fuel storage tanks are excluded from the ASHI Standards of Practice
ASHI Standards of Practice explicitly exclude underground fuel storage tanks from the scope of a standard home inspection.
Question 3: A home inspector notices the refrigerant lines on an air conditioner are not insulated for several feet. What is the impact?
- Uninsulated lines are normal and have no effect on performance
- Missing insulation on the suction line causes condensation, energy loss, and reduced efficiency (Correct answer)
- Only the liquid line requires insulation
- Insulation is only required in cold climates
Correct answer: Missing insulation on the suction line causes condensation, energy loss, and reduced efficiency
The suction (larger) line must be insulated to prevent condensation dripping and to maintain system efficiency; missing insulation is a reportable deficiency.
Question 4: During inspection of a 240V dryer circuit, the inspector finds a 3-prong outlet in a newer home built after 1996. What is the concern?
- 3-prong dryer outlets are required in all homes
- Post-1996 installations require 4-wire (neutral + ground) 240V dryer circuits and outlets (Correct answer)
- 3-prong outlets are only an issue if the dryer is gas
- The concern is only the wire gauge, not the prong configuration
Correct answer: Post-1996 installations require 4-wire (neutral + ground) 240V dryer circuits and outlets
NEC 1996 changes required 4-wire dryer circuits in new construction to separate the neutral and equipment ground for safety.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a trap primer in a floor drain?
- To prevent sewer gases from entering through a dried-out trap (Correct answer)
- To increase drainage flow velocity
- To neutralize chemicals that might enter the drain
- To prevent backflow during a sewer backup
Correct answer: To prevent sewer gases from entering through a dried-out trap
Trap primers periodically add water to seldom-used floor drain traps, preventing the water seal from evaporating and allowing sewer gases to enter.
Question 6: An inspector sees an electric panel with the main breaker rated at 200 amps but the service entrance conductors appear to be #4 AWG aluminum. What is the concern?
- #4 AWG aluminum is adequate for 200-amp service
- #4 AWG aluminum is only rated for approximately 85 amps, which is undersized for a 200-amp breaker (Correct answer)
- The concern is only the panel rating, not the wire size
- #4 AWG aluminum is acceptable if the run is under 10 feet
Correct answer: #4 AWG aluminum is only rated for approximately 85 amps, which is undersized for a 200-amp breaker
#4 AWG aluminum conductors are rated for roughly 65-85 amps, far below the 200-amp breaker rating, creating an overheating and fire hazard.
Question 7: Which condition would cause a heat pump to continuously run in auxiliary/emergency heat mode?
- Outdoor temperature is above 65°F
- Refrigerant charge is low or outdoor coil is severely iced over (Correct answer)
- The thermostat is set to 'Cool' mode
- The blower motor is running at high speed
Correct answer: Refrigerant charge is low or outdoor coil is severely iced over
Low refrigerant or heavy ice on the outdoor coil prevents the heat pump from extracting heat, forcing the system to rely on inefficient auxiliary resistance heating.
ASHI Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC Systems 4
An inspector observes that the water heater's temperature and pressure relief (TPR) valve discharge pipe terminates into a bucket.
What should be reported?