Commonly Mistaken and Misused Terms

Below is a list of commonly misused or mistaken terms that I hear on a regular basis – sometimes from other home inspectors.  This will hopefully clear up some misused or mistaken terms.

Direct Vent A direct vent gas appliance is constructed and installed to take all of its air for combustion directly from the exterior and will discharge all of its flue gases directly to the exterior.  It’s essentially a combustion system that’s sealed off from the indoor air.

• Furnace For a furnace, you’ll see two plastic pipes running to the furnace – one for air coming in, one for combustion gases going out.   A high-efficiency furnace with only one plastic pipe running to the outdoors is not a direct vent.
• Gas Fireplace: For a decorative gas appliance (a gas fireplace), you’ll typically see a metal termination at the home’s exterior, where the outer ‘ring’ brings air in, and the inner ring exhausts combustion gas. The photo at the right shows the termination of a gas fireplace.
• Water Heater: Direct vent water heaters are becoming the status quo. Almost every new house is equipped with one and it is my opinion that existing tank water heaters should be replaced with a tankless ones once the replacement is needed or justifiable.

CO2 Detector.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say “CO2 detector”.  They usually mean CO detector (or CO alarm).  CO is carbon monoxide, the bad stuff that can kill you in your sleep.  Carbon dioxide is CO2.  Mono  = 1, Di = 2.

Attic – Attics are defined as “The unfinished space between the ceiling joists of the top story and roof rafters”.  Many people refer to attic spaces as ‘crawl spaces’, but ‘attic’ is a much more specific term. Here in south Louisiana, it is recommended that all attic spaces have insulation installed that offers an R-value of R-60. This would be approximately 20 inches of blown-in insulation, depending on the type.

Fuse Box Most people are referring to the main panelboard when they say this, and most have circuit breakers, not fuses.

Fire Wall This is a term that only applies to commercial properties.  Most people are referring to the fire separation wall between the house and garage at a single-family dwelling when they use this term, but this is not a firewall.  A true firewall completely separates parts of a building so that one portion may collapse and burn to the ground in the event of a fire, while the other side remains intact.  You won’t find a firewall in a single-family home unless you’re referring to the internet connection.

Sheetrock®, Durock®, Romex®… They’re all brand names, just like Kleenex®.  Better terms would be gypsum board or drywall, cement board, and NM (non-metallic) cable, respectively.  I use the terms interchangeably when talking, but not when writing reports. 

Overflow Pipe I’ve heard many people use this term to refer to the pipe that gets connected to the temperature and pressure relief valve on a water heater.  I really don’t know what the best term for this pipe is, but it’s certainly not an overflow pipe.  I awkwardly refer to it as the “temperature and pressure relief valve discharge pipe” or “relief valve discharge pipe”.

Eavestrough – Ok, that’s not a misused term, just a regional term that we don’t use here in Louisiana.   ‘Round here, we call ’em gutters.

Hot Water Heater  Water heater

Reel-a-durr Realtor (it’s pronounced the way it looks)

Joyce  Joist

Acrost Across

Heighth Height

Footer Footing

House Geek Home Inspector

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A Baton Rouge Home Inspector since 2014