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How to Inspect Mobile Homes or Manufactured Housing for Defects: detailed procedures, defect lists, references to standards. Ver.3.4 - 04/25/07 - Steve Vermilye, New Paltz NY and Daniel Friedman, Poughkeepsie NY, Hudson Valley ASHI Chapter Seminar, Newburgh NY, January 4, 2000, NY Metro ASHI Fall 99 Seminar, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 2, 1999. Readers should also see MOBILE HOME PLUMBING where we further discuss oil tanks, oil piping, and water heaters for mobile homes. Page top sketch courtesy of Carson Dunlop.

Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Resources. The Green links show where you are in our document & website. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, New York State License # 16000005303 All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left.

MOBILE HOME HEATING System Defects

General Characteristics:

• Hot air, gas-fired, central return heating units are most common ; oil & electric mobile home furnace-heaters are also used;
• 20% of mobile homes have problems with HVAC (C. r. survey);

Common Defects in Mobile Home Heating Systems

• fuel connection should have label indicating equipment and piping are ok for natural or LP gas or both; inadequate combustion air
• inadequate clearance to combustibles modified equipment, controls, flue-vent connectors, burners, duct work, venting
• Outside heating oil tank not protected from freezing (using more expensive kerosene mix?) or use of heating tapes on heating oil lines - a possible fire risk (photo above)

LP Tanks, copper gas lines are often left unsupported and exposed to mechanical damage; also check for LP gas leaks at tanks or fittings;

• Oil tanks at trailers and mobile homes - indoor-rated heating oil tanks are quite often placed outside, above ground, in ground contact, with heat tapes (a fire hazard), often leaking, and in cold climates, exposed to frost-risk which in turn risks loss of heat and related damage to the home
• Missing or still-covered-over spark arrestor on the heating flue on a mobile home - have your heating service technician check the safety of the entire flue and chimney, including the outside components

MOBILE HOME COOLING System Defects - Air Conditioning

General Characteristics of Mobile Home Cooling Ducts

• Heating or Cooling Ducts placed at one of these typical locations:
• cooling ducts placed in the floor along center line of the mobile home;
• cooling ducts placed in the floor along exterior walls (better heating in cold climates);
• cooling ducts placed in the in trailer or mobile home ceiling (better cooling in South); [The duct location may tip off the wind zone rating intended for the mobile home unit being inspected.]

Common Defects

• floor ducts often damaged; registers blocked or covered by carpeting

MOBILE HOME and TRAILER INSULATION and Ventilation Defects

• Crawl space area ventilation below mobile homes : sq ft/150 = min area and must cross vent on at least 2 sides;
• PVC plastic vapor barrier placed on soil below the mobile home is recommended to hold down moisture;
• Attic venting (sloped shingled roofs) - often omitted, shorter shingle life, voids warranty, etc.
• Attic venting (often none or just a few spot vents in flat roofs) - condensation, leaks, related damage.
• Check dryer vent routing and materials for fire hazards (blocked overheats dryer; or may collect water)

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DEFINITIONS of Mobile Home, Doublewide, Modular, Panelized Construction
MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS
INTRODUCTION to MOBILE HOMES
PRIORITIES OF MOBILE HOME INSPECTION
MOBILE HOME LABELS
MOBILE HOME ROOF DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME EXTERIOR DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME TRUCTURAL DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME HEATING
MOBILE HOME COOLING
MOBILE HOME INSULATION
MOBILE HOME PLUMBING
  GENERAL PLUMBING
  MOBILE HOME SUPPLY PIPING
  DRAIN WASTE VENT
  MOBILE HOME FUEL SUPPLY
  MOBILE HOME WATER HEATER DEFECTS
  MOBILE HOME PLUMBING FIXTURE DEFECTS
MOBILE INTERIOR DEFECTS

• Mobile Home Inspections - Daniel Friedman & Steven T. Vermilye
• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
• "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
• "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
• MOBILE HOME INSPECTIONS
• Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
• Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
• "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
• New York State: "Manufactured Homes: an installation guide for the code enforcement official," undated. [Div. of Code Enforcement & Admin. - 518-474-4073, George E. Clark, Jr., Director] - this is a guide tool, not an enforcement code or standard.
• HUD State Administrative Agency (for 36 states) (NY: 518-474-4073) - for complaints
• Manufactured Housing Institute, 2101 Wilson Blvd. Ste. 610, Arlington VA 22201 703-558-0400 www.mfghome.org
• NYMHA, 35 Commerce Ave., Albany NY 12206-2015 518-435-9859 800-721-HOME (they want the Star Program to provide for separate assessment of manufactured homes)
• Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org - special report 2/98
• Mobile Home Inspection Checklist, Florida, Town of Lady Lake Building Department

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