bryanska
New Member
Hey all,
As a home inspector I'm required to report on the presence/absence of sump pump check valves. Normally these are obviously mounted inline with the discharge pipe.
Recently, one home inspector in my chapter (thankfully not me) got in trouble for reporting a missing check valve. The seller paid $150 for a plumber to tell him there was a "built in" valve in the pump. The inspector paid half the fee ($75) to the seller for the inconvenience. The seller was gracious and could have asked for the whole fee, but didn't.
I can't seem to find much info on built-in check valves. You can understand I'm nervous about making the same mistake. I'd rather not say something squishy like "no check valve was seen, therefore you should confirm the existence of a check valve in the pump or have on installed".
Are there visual telltales to a built-in valve? Do certain brands have them? Do certain types have them (pedestal vs submersible)?
How can I inform the homeowner, protect myself, and satisfy my home inspectors' standard of practice to look for a check valve?
As a home inspector I'm required to report on the presence/absence of sump pump check valves. Normally these are obviously mounted inline with the discharge pipe.
Recently, one home inspector in my chapter (thankfully not me) got in trouble for reporting a missing check valve. The seller paid $150 for a plumber to tell him there was a "built in" valve in the pump. The inspector paid half the fee ($75) to the seller for the inconvenience. The seller was gracious and could have asked for the whole fee, but didn't.
I can't seem to find much info on built-in check valves. You can understand I'm nervous about making the same mistake. I'd rather not say something squishy like "no check valve was seen, therefore you should confirm the existence of a check valve in the pump or have on installed".
Are there visual telltales to a built-in valve? Do certain brands have them? Do certain types have them (pedestal vs submersible)?
How can I inform the homeowner, protect myself, and satisfy my home inspectors' standard of practice to look for a check valve?
