North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 11 - INSURANCE › Chapter 08 - ENGINEERING AND BUILDING CODES DIVISION › Section .1100 - N.C. HOME INSPECTOR STANDARDS OF PRACTICE AND CODE OF ETHICS › Section 08 .1101 - DEFINITIONS

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
The following definitions apply to this Section:
(1) "Abnormal" means nontypical or unusual
				conditions that could cause damage to systems and components of the
				home.
(2) "Automatic safety
				controls" means devices designed and installed to protect systems and
				components from excessively high or low pressures and temperatures, excessive
				electrical current, loss of water, loss of ignition, fuel leaks, fire,
				freezing, or other unsafe conditions as stated in manufacturer's
				instructions.
(3) "Central air
				conditioning" means a system that uses ducts to distribute cooled or
				dehumidified air to more than one room or uses pipes to distribute chilled
				water to heat exchangers in more than one room, and that is not plugged into an
				electrical convenience outlet.
(4)
				"Component" means a readily accessible and visible aspect of a system, such as
				a floor, or wall, but not individual pieces such as boards or nails where many
				similar pieces make up the component.
(5) "Cosmetic damage" means blemishes or
				defects that do not interfere with the functionality of the component or
				system.
(6) "Cross connection"
				means any physical connection or arrangement between potable water and any
				source of contamination.
(7)
				"Dangerous or adverse situations" means situations that pose a threat of injury
				to the inspector, or those situations that require the use of special
				protective clothing or safety equipment.
(8) "Describe" means report in writing a
				system or component by its type, or other inspected characteristics, to
				distinguish it from other systems or components used for the same
				purpose.
(9) "Dismantle" means to
				take apart or remove any component, device, or piece of equipment that is
				bolted, screwed, or fastened by other means and that would not be disassembled
				by a homeowner in the course of routine household maintenance
(10) "Enter" means to go into an area to
				inspect all visible components.
(11) "Functional drainage" means a drain that
				empties at a rate equal to or greater than the supply water flow to the
				fixture.
(12) "Functional flow"
				means a usable flow at the highest fixture in a dwelling when another fixture
				is operated simultaneously.
(13)
				"Habitable space" means a space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or
				cooking. "Habitable space" does not mean a bathroom, toilet room, closet, or
				any space used or designed for storage.
(14) "Harmful" means conditions that cause
				damage to systems and components of the home.
(15) "Inspect" means to make a visual
				examination.
(16) "Installed" means
				attached or connected such that an item requires tools for removal.
(17) "Normal operating controls" means
				homeowner operated devices such as a thermostat, wall switch, or safety
				switch.
(18) "On-site water supply
				quality" means water quality based on the bacterial, chemical, mineral, and
				solids content of the water.
(19)
				"On-site water supply quantity" means the rate of flow of on-site well
				water.
(20) "Operate" means to
				cause systems or equipment to function.
(21) "Readily accessible" means approachable
				or enterable for visual inspection without the risk of damage to any property
				or alteration of the accessible space, equipment, or opening.
(22) "Readily openable access panel" means a
				panel provided for homeowner inspection and maintenance that has removable or
				operable fasteners or latch devices in order to be lifted off, swung open, or
				otherwise removed by one person; and its edges and fasteners are not painted in
				place. This definition is limited to those panels within reach standing on the
				floor or from a four-foot stepladder, and that are not blocked by stored items,
				furniture, or building components.
(23) "Readily visible" means seen by using
				natural or artificial light without the use of equipment or tools other than a
				flashlight.
(24) "Representative
				number" means, for multiple identical components such as windows and electrical
				outlets, one such component per room; and, for multiple identical exterior
				components, one such component on each side of the building.
(25) "Roof drainage systems" means gutters,
				downspouts, leaders, splash blocks, and similar components used to carry water
				off a roof and away from a building.
(26) "Shut down" means a piece of equipment
				or a system that cannot be operated by the device or control provided for
				homeowner operation. If its safety switch or circuit breaker is in the "off"
				position, or its fuse is missing or blown, the inspector is not required to
				reestablish the circuit for the purpose of operating the equipment or
				system.
(27) "Solid fuel heating
				device" means any wood, coal, fossil, or other similar organic fuel burning
				device, including fireplaces whether masonry or factory built, fireplace
				inserts and stoves, wood stoves (room heaters), central furnaces, and
				combinations of these devices.
(28)
				"Structural component" means a component that supports non-variable forces or
				weights (dead loads) and variable forces or weights (live loads).
(29) "System" means a combination of
				interacting or interdependent components, assembled to carry out one or more
				functions.
(30) "Technically
				exhaustive" means an inspection involving the use of measurements, instruments,
				testing, calculations, and other means to develop scientific or engineering
				findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
(31) "Under floor crawl space" means the area
				within the confines of the foundation and between the ground and the underside
				of the lowest floor structural component.
Authority
				  G.S.
				  143-151.49;
Codifier determined
				  that agency findings did not meet criteria for temporary rule Eff. October 15,
				  1996;
Temporary Adoption Eff. October 24, 1996;
Eff.
				  July 1, 1998;
Amended Eff. February 1, 2007; April 1, 2005; May 1,
				  2003;
Readopted Eff. October 1,
				  2018.