G
Guest
·Ok, so we are into wint season here in the midwest and to prevent confusion to people I am curious as to what kind of verbage you are using in your winterization notes. Now, I should explain a bit first. I recently had a major blowup with one of the nationals regarding them feeling the need to deduct for policies that do not exist. So in an effort to fortify my argument going forward I want to make certain the verbage I use is clear and concise.
Example 1: You arrive at property X and begin the wint procedure. Dry heat system etc. (standard wint). You find as you are draining the system down that there are multiple breaks in the lines which prevent you from completely clearing the system of any residual H2O. You still follow procedure and try to clear as much as possible from differing points of connection. You complete the wint w/the needed anti-freeze, stickers etc.
You then go to close out the w.o. that evening and in your notes you notate it as..........????
My Notes (feel free to give me advice on what I may be missing to CMA): Partial winterization complete. Unable to fully clear lines of h2o as there are multiple breaks in the main branch line (see photos). System will not build pressure nor will it hold pressure (see photos of gagues). All water cannot be completely cleared from lines without repairs being made (bid to repair attached). Upon repairs a secondary pressure test and line clearing will be performed. Drained water heater, removed water meter, zip tied supply side shut off valve, capped supply side line. Added appropriate winterization stickers as needed, taped sump pump breaker in the on position, posted winterization warning on counter. Added anti-freeze to all traps/toilets/basins/sinks/drains.
Example 2 (and you all know these are the ones that come back and bite us in the arse): You perform a winterization and make the following notes. Lets say the water is on and active throughout the house as you arrive, so clearly it will hold pressure....however! You notice that as you turn the faucets on as you do you walk around they ALL leak out the handles (simple fix, usually an o-ring). Do you notate that or ignore it? Considering a property can be leak free when the fixtures are in the "off" position, does not mean it is truly leak free. Once the faucets/valves are opened up you can/will have leaks, but is this considered pertinent to the winterization guidelines?
My take on this is this: A leak is a leak, and I've seen appraisers fail properties because a kitchen faucet leaks out the handle or a toilet flapper doesn't quite seal well enough to keep a slight flow of water into the bowl.
At some point somebody needs to grow a pair and set clear and concise specifications. I'm tired of "doing the right thing" and notating all my findings only to find it come back and bite me in the butt because I was thorough enough to take the time and explore what the issue was. I've learned a valuable lesson over the last couple years, avoid doing dewint's if at all possible. They simply lead into nothing but trouble.
Example 1: You arrive at property X and begin the wint procedure. Dry heat system etc. (standard wint). You find as you are draining the system down that there are multiple breaks in the lines which prevent you from completely clearing the system of any residual H2O. You still follow procedure and try to clear as much as possible from differing points of connection. You complete the wint w/the needed anti-freeze, stickers etc.
You then go to close out the w.o. that evening and in your notes you notate it as..........????
My Notes (feel free to give me advice on what I may be missing to CMA): Partial winterization complete. Unable to fully clear lines of h2o as there are multiple breaks in the main branch line (see photos). System will not build pressure nor will it hold pressure (see photos of gagues). All water cannot be completely cleared from lines without repairs being made (bid to repair attached). Upon repairs a secondary pressure test and line clearing will be performed. Drained water heater, removed water meter, zip tied supply side shut off valve, capped supply side line. Added appropriate winterization stickers as needed, taped sump pump breaker in the on position, posted winterization warning on counter. Added anti-freeze to all traps/toilets/basins/sinks/drains.
Example 2 (and you all know these are the ones that come back and bite us in the arse): You perform a winterization and make the following notes. Lets say the water is on and active throughout the house as you arrive, so clearly it will hold pressure....however! You notice that as you turn the faucets on as you do you walk around they ALL leak out the handles (simple fix, usually an o-ring). Do you notate that or ignore it? Considering a property can be leak free when the fixtures are in the "off" position, does not mean it is truly leak free. Once the faucets/valves are opened up you can/will have leaks, but is this considered pertinent to the winterization guidelines?
My take on this is this: A leak is a leak, and I've seen appraisers fail properties because a kitchen faucet leaks out the handle or a toilet flapper doesn't quite seal well enough to keep a slight flow of water into the bowl.
At some point somebody needs to grow a pair and set clear and concise specifications. I'm tired of "doing the right thing" and notating all my findings only to find it come back and bite me in the butt because I was thorough enough to take the time and explore what the issue was. I've learned a valuable lesson over the last couple years, avoid doing dewint's if at all possible. They simply lead into nothing but trouble.
