Brain Fodder

Insights into the world of construction, real estate, and home inspections

Blog Posts

We’ve amassed a collection of articles related to all things home inspection-related—honestly, it’s just a bunch of stuff that makes us geek out. Hopefully, you can glean some good information out of these. You can search for specific topics below or use the subheader to filter by category. Feel free to contribute via the comments, but please keep it PG-rated for the kids. Enjoy!

Changing the HVAC Filter

Homeowner Maintenance: Changing the HVAC Filter Part of responsible homeownership includes, of course, regular home maintenance.  And there are some tasks that, if deferred, can lead to a home system that’s inefficient and overworked, which can result in problems and expenses.  One such task is changing the filter of the home’s HVAC system.  It’s simple […]

Winterizing your home

Get your home ready for winter Winterization is the process of preparing a home for the harsh conditions of winter. Here in the south, it’s less of a concern than up north, but that doesn’t make it any less important.  Winterization is usually performed in the fall before excessive cold temperatures arrive. Winterization protects against […]

Recall Notice for Electrical Panels

Schneider Electric™ Recall: 1.4 Million Electrical Panels affected Due to Thermal Burn and Fire Hazards Name of Product: Square™ D QO™ Plug-on-Neutral Load Centers, also known as, Load Centers, Breaker Boxes, Electrical Panels Hazard: The load center can overheat, posing thermal burn and fire hazards. Remedy: Replace Repair Date: June 16, 2022 Units: About 1.4 […]

Pre-Drywall Inspections

One way to ensure that a house is built according to its specifications is by performing a pre-drywall inspection. “Pre-drywall” refers to a phase during the homebuilding process just after the installation of certain elements – such as the doors, windows, foundation, flooring, wall and roof components, plumbing, and electrical rough-in – and right before […]

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Smoke Detector Types, Which One to Use?

If you didn’t already know, the two most commonly recognized smoke detector types are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection.  Oh, and just an FYI, do not confuse “photoelectric” with “photochemical” as I did.  They are not the same.  The latter is the technology used in Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors… which I’ll save for another post. […]

AFCI – Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters

by Nick Gromicko, CMI®, Kenton Shepard, and Joe Boos, CPI Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) are particular types of electrical receptacles or overcurrent protection devices designed to detect and respond to potentially dangerous electrical arcs in home branch wiring.   AFCI, how do they work? AFCI function by monitoring the electrical waveform and promptly opening (interrupting) […]

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Smoke Detector Types, Which One to Use?

If you didn’t already know, the two most commonly recognized smoke detector types are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection.  Oh, and just an FYI, do not confuse “photoelectric” with “photochemical” as I did.  They are not the same.  The latter is the technology used in Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors… which I’ll save for another post. […]

Choosing the Right Home Inspector

Buying a home? It’s probably the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. This is no time to shop for a cheap inspection. The cost of a home inspection is very small relative to the value of the home being inspected. The additional cost of hiring an InterNACHI-Certified Professional Inspector® is almost insignificant. You have recently […]

10 Easy Ways to Save Money & Energy in Your Home

Original article was written by Nick Gromicko, CMI®, Ben Gromicko, and Kenton Shepard.  Updated and revised by Joe Boos, CPI Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at InterNACHI, we want to change that.  Homeowners can make drastic reductions in heating, cooling, and electricity […]

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