First and foremost.  BTU put out by the gas meter, and then all the other appliances.  In order to meet "code" the meter must meet the total BTU's demand by all appliances at one time.  The problem with these on demand heaters is they use up close to 199K btu instead of the normal water heater of about 50k btu.  90% of the meters up here are 250K btu.  Take away the 199k for the tankless and that doesn't leave much for the furnace, stove (oven and all 4 top burners), bbq and fireplaces.  In some instances the tankless must be removed as it screws up all the other appliances. 

The gas line will need to be the proper size as well.

Most tankless cannot use the old B-vent through the roof.  They require stainless steel vent lines.  That should be checked as well.

We just had a local meeting and the Master Plumber said these were the big issues.

For good information, see:    http://www.tankless101.com/

Sorry Frank but you have fallen for the "I have liability for everything" mentality and probably also believe the "every home inspector will get sued it is only a matter of time", line.  Putting together a bunch of tips like, change the batteries in your smoke detectors, clean your gutters or test your GFCI receptacles, puts absolutely NO liability on you.

You can continue to pay for a pre-written manual or put one together and put it as a tab in the "general information" portion of your report.  Or better yet, take all the hints your have found and divide them by 12.  Email a portion each month (season appropriate) and keep your name in front of your clients.  Even after a year, they won't remember the same one from 12 months ago....  a prime reason that everyone should keep a full email marketing list of both clients AND used house sales people.  Name recognition...... AT NO COST.

I did for a while.  Not worth the money.  At $5-$10 per inspection at 100-200 inspections per year, I was giving away too much money. As Dom said, put the info on your website and put active links in your report.  Remember they are moving from someplace to this new home weeks or months after the inspection.  Anything you give them is going to get packed away and may never see the light of day again.  So if I spend $1k-$2k per year for fancy stuff, I better get back 3-5 inspection MINIMUM just to recoup the costs.

Instead I try a different approach by making an impression in other ways.  Showing you care about little things can form a better memory than a binder that goes in a drawer or gets torn apart for the kids next school project.

I carry a folding table and chairs for the vacant homes.
I carry dog and cat treats at all times.  Most people like pets.  They like people who are kind to animals.  Corny, I know but it works.
I carry photo copied coloring pages and crayons for kids.
Always have a spare clip board and pages of paper with your company name on them so they can take measurements and stay out of your hair.
 
Make the experience less stressful and they will remember.  Referrals didn't drop from getting rid of the binders, but they sure have gone up since I started the other stuff.  Every area is different.  Your mileage may vary.

The biggest issues I find with these installations is the lack of combustion air size of the combined vent, and old leaking valves.  With a home this age, chances are the furnace and water heater have both been changed out and the combustion air and venting requirements may have changed.  Other than that, I don't have an issue.

You asked a question that any chemist or qualified laboratory technician would know the the answer to.  In your vast experience as a power plant engineer, how many of the water tests were done for specifically for health reasons such as a bacteria / coliform testing?  Having dealt with laboratory pathologists in numerous legal proceedings, I know the qualifications that running a lab takes.  Every lab that has testified in these cases has someone with a PhD in charge of the procedures and quantitative analysis used to meet the State Health Department standards.  The labs must meet certain standards for not only for their testing but for the testing environment.  A normal garage or bedroom with unfiltered recirculated air would not meet those standards.

If you are after the money, charge extra for taking the sample and let the lab do their thing.  The liability for issuing an incorrect report could be well beyond any legal shield your business could put in place.

You want to get snarky?  Fine.  Bring it on.  The fact that your initial question was asking such basic questions goes to show your qualifications.  Will you be testing for E-Coli or Pathogenic E-Coli?  E-Coli is merely a subset of the fecal coliform group that in turn is a subset of the total coliform group.  But then you knew all that because you were a power plant engineer.  Then again, maybe you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

If you are having to ask such basic questions, you are in no way qualified to issue a report that the elderly and infirmed are relying on to stay healthy and alive.

Black or red for me.  It either works or doesn't.  It is either safe or it isn't.  It needs upgrading or doesn't.  And since defects are all red, that is why I print the summary at the end.  By the time they read through the report, the client has become used to seeing red.

With the different colors, half way through the report they have forgotten what they mean and have to go back and forth to the key.

JMHO.

Just got back from my mom's house for her 89th birthday.  My dad poured his concrete foundation, garage slab, and driveway, by hand with a personal cement mixer, a shovel and a wheelbarrow.  That was 1952 in the SoCal Santa Barbara earthquake zone.  He watered it 3 or 4 times a day and covered it with burlap bags.  Foundation -- NO Cracks.  Garage slab -- NO Cracks.  Driveway, 2 cracks at the approach where he was running out of concrete and had to throw all the beer cans in the void to have enough concrete to finish the job.  60 years old.... 2 cracks.  It is all about the pour and care afterwards.  Time is better than chemicals for curing.   

Yeah, there are some used house sales people that will say and do just about anything to keep a deal from flipping.  I had hoped the 3 year down turn would leave some of them looking for some other job.

As for the crack, I would show more or less concern based on whether the crack is in say a Family Room floor or a garage floor.  You never know what prep work went on prior to pouring the slab and type of moisture conditions are present in the area.  That is one of those items that needs future monitoring as part of a regular home maintenance program...... just like checking big trees after large wind storms and retaining walls after prolonged heavy rains.

Each to their own but I am not a fan of rating defects.  A defect is a defect is a defect.  Unless your state mandates specific rules for reporting defects, I would put them all in red.  Talk with your client.  Let them know about how you report that something is not correct.  It is not up to us to determine for the client what is important to them and what isn't.  If you feel something is uber-important, then put the reasoning in the narrative for that specific defect.  I list every defect in red, regardless of how big or small.

And on a second and intertwined subject, this is why I print the summary at the end.  I tell the client that there will be red ink throughout the report and those items will all be included on the summary at the end as well.  If you don't talk with your client and pre-warn them about the red ink, they can panic for no reason at all.  If I were looking at a report and the first 10 or 12 pages were solid red defects, I may not read the rest of the report.  Buyer's remorse may set in and blow a deal for absolutely no reason other than the order in which things are listed in the report.  Inform your client, don't scare them to death.

Just thinking but I wonder if the bare conductor going out of the upper left corner is attached to a ring at the exit of the panel.  Could you see that area in back of the wires?  I see that in older panels sometimes.

I think that is what happens when you try to use an ocean front background while living in Iowa.  Those flatlands can't interpret the data.....

I think there is a difference in these types of situations.  When I call out a double tap, it is because there are two conductors installed where only a single conductor is allowed.  I would not consider a breaker designed for two conductors to be double tapped as it is meeting the design specs.

Dumb question but are you sure it was a double tap?  Brand of breaker / panel?  Sometimes it is hard to see the connection point on the breaker.  Double taps are easy repairs in most circumstances with a pigtail.  In my state, since it is a licensed trade, I am required to recommend a licensed electrician.

The 12 foot mark is the "code".  311.7.5X   Maximum vertical between landings or floor levels.  That would be 18 risers.

Try this.  I use it on all pages of my website and get very little if any spam to my email.

Use the "mailto://" link on the website and when adding the email address put this.

Mail@ThompsonPropertyInspection.com      

The combination of @ does the same thing as the  @  button but few of the programs used to scan for email addresses pick up the difference.  Had the same email address for 8 years without incident.

Tom, can you please generate a report from the HIP program / template you are putting together.  I am willing to comment but don't want to import other's templates or report files into my system. 

From what I see you had in the old report, just create a page with one damage panel.  Name it exterior photos.  Install a "list" that has  the sentence you want for each compass direction so it looks like this for each of choices.

[[NORTH]]For the purposes of this report, the front of the house ? designated by the front entry door ? faces North.
[[SOUTH]]For the purposes of this report, the front of the house ? designated by the front entry door ? faces South.

etc.  When you move the list to Black, you can choose which direction you want.  It will show at the top.
You can then annotate your four pictures with the directions you want.

Code Schmode.  It is not safe if there are children or pets in the home or area.  Recommend upgrade as a safety issue.

New units cannot be sold without the sensors since the change in Federal Law in 1993.

http://www.dasma.com/PDF/Publications/TechDataSheets/OperatorElectronics/TDS351.pdf

   Harry Homeowner repairs. 

After some recent issues with the tablet I am doing a full cleaning.  I will even be uninstalling HIP due to some recent minor glitches.  So IF someone is cleaning their computer, what HIP folders and files should be copied for re-input into a new fresh copy once the computer is clean.

I have already deleted 8GB of stuff, moved every inspection file, picture, contract, info pdf.....   onto a partitioned portion of the hard drive just for data.

So Dom, what files / folders should one save and will a new license need to be issued with a completely new install after a defrag?