Lighting pilot lights/FHA inspections

[rijman]

Does anyone here light pilot lights on wall heaters or water heaters to complete an FHA inspection? I have done a couple FHA appraisals lately where the gas had been turned off and turned back on prior to my appraisal inspection but the pilot lights have not been lit. I tell the RE agents the pilot lights have to be lit to test the systems. I'm not sure how other appraisers are dealing with this issue.

 

[PropertyEconomics]

If the heating units are closed for seasonal use .. then they are not required to be lit and I darn sure would not light them ... thats asking for trouble. Non Operational due to seasonal shut down .. move on.

 

[Lloyd Bonafide]

I definitely won't light a wall heater or a water heater, but FHA lenders usually will require that the appraiser verifies that the heaters are working, so they'll require a reinspection after the pilot lights are lit - even in the summer, (in my experience.)

 

[HF Mudd]

I'm amazed that gas service could be turned on without lighting pilot lights. I won't even look at the pilot lights - I turn the tap, and hot water comes out or it doesn't. I turn the thermostat, and the heating system turns on or it doesn't.

 

[mikeinpittsburgh]

I inspect. I don't turn anything on. No breakers, water lines, gas. One time I turned the water on. I had not noticed the copper had been stripped. I and the property got wet. The thieves had turned the water off.

I learned.

 

[Mike Boyd]

I'm amazed that gas service could be turned on without lighting pilot lights. I won't even look at the pilot lights - I turn the tap, and hot water comes out or it doesn't. I turn the thermostat, and the heating system turns on or it doesn't.

I AGREE 100%.

 

[Vermonter]

I inspect. I don't turn anything on. No breakers, water lines, gas. One time I turned the water on. I had not noticed the copper had been stripped. I and the property got wet. The thieves had turned the water off.

I learned.

Same here. Will not turn anything on. Did it once with a electrical breaker on an REO and almost burned the house down. Never again.

For FHA there is almost always a borrower/agent there. I have them flush toilets, turn on faucets, kick on heat, open the attic, etc. I have a pen detector for electrical systems. Cheap and you don't have to physically touch anything.

 

[AnonApprsr]

If a thermostat needs to be turned on, I will do it, I am also willing to turn on the electric panel/breaker, and if the heating system is simply a switch to start it, I will do that as well. I will turn the main water "junction"/lever thing. I will not produce fire, personally.

 

[Mountain Man]

No on pilot lighting. If it was not lit by the utility man wearing the blue shirt, then I'd assume there is a problem or reason it was not lit.

 

[rijman]

I'm amazed that gas service could be turned on without lighting pilot lights. I won't even look at the pilot lights - I turn the tap, and hot water comes out or it doesn't.

I've seen this with wall heaters a few times and a water heater once. The units are turned off when the gas is turned off then the gas is turned back on, but no one has turned on the water heater or wall heaters and lit the pilots. I've seen this mostly in vacant REO's where the agents don't meet me and I have trouble getting them on the phone.