Today I get to write about tools and boy I'm excited about it! More specifically I get to write on infrared cameras and the value they offer to not only me as a home inspector, but more importantly the client who needs to know what lurks behind the walls.

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I use my infrared camera a lot, I use it to quickly test ranges, dryers, and heating equipment, but also for less obvious things like plumbing leaks, insulation gaps, and water intrusion. (check out this Tiktok video on plumbing leaks https://www.tiktok.com/@ospreyhomeinspections/video/7101292940881906949 )


Without getting too technical, infrared is the light given off something that radiates heat, the hotter it is, the more red/white it appears and cold is represented by blues and blacks. An important tool of the trade indeed for home inspectors.

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Plumbing leaks can also be located using infrared, as the cold (or hot) water leaks onto the drywall, it leaves behind a splotchy pattern that can easily be found with an infrared camera, and then confirmed with a moisture meter (a tool for another time).

Hello and welcome back to another rivetting blog entry and this time I aim to knock your freshly tumble dried socks off! Thats because today I'm writing about dryer vents and pipe.

Okay to maybe not THAT exciting, but for sure an important topic to discuss. Have you ever done a load of laundry only to find the dryer didnt dry quite as well as you'd hoped? It may be because you've overloaded your appliance but perhaps theres another, more frightening reason your sheets are still damp.

On a recent inspection I conducted, I had found a dryer vent that had a nylon screen covering the end of the vent, and much worse it was sealed shut by a glob of silicone. This condition not only affects the performance of the dryer but also presents a very real risk of fire! 

As we all know, dryers have lint traps that need to be cleared before operation, but these traps aren't perfect and sometimes lint can make it passed, that's why its important NOT to have any screens on your vent that could collect and clog up the pipe. It's also a smart move to limit the amount of flexible pipe to just 4 feet (no flexible pipe AT ALL would be optimal, but not always practical for dryers in cramped spaces). The reason being, flexible pipes have a nasty habit of collecting stray lint that runs through it. 

​Its also a wise decision to inspect and clean your dryer vent pipe with a vacuum or lint kit (for a drill) on an annual basis. This will help your dryers performance and even more importantly, prevent a fire.

​Its also a wise decision to inspect and clean your dryer vent pipe with a vacuum or lint kit (for a drill) on an annual basis. This will help your dryers performance and even more importantly, prevent a fire.