By: Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
We purchased a 1960 home. Our inspector reported that the water heater in the garage was installed without a raised platform, but because the building was constructed before the platform became a code requirement, he said that repair was not mandatory. Then, after we moved in, the gas company said that a platform is required, regardless of the age of the building. Is our home inspector liable for this mistake? -Kelly
Dear Kelly,
In 1960, when your home was built, water heaters were routinely installed on garage floors, and that was legal at the time. A few years later, platforms were mandated to prevent pilot lights from igniting gasoline fumes. If the water heater in your garage is the original fixture, installed when the house was constructed, its placement on the floor could be argued as being noncomplying but legal. However, few water heaters reach the ripe age of 40-plus years. Yours is most likely a newer fixture, installed when raised platforms were required. Your home inspector's analysis of this installation should have been based upon the age of the water heater, not the vintage of the home.
Fire hazards of this kind are often repaired at sellers' expense, as a condition of sale. Therefore, the home inspector should assume responsibility for a faulty evaluation. My advice is to give the inspector a call and ask for a review of the situation. If he maintains his position, suggest that he consult the local building department regarding water heater safety requirements.
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