Inspect Appliances, Laundry Areas, Utility Rooms, and Service Connections

A. Finished-Project Specification

Scope: one complete visual and normal-operational inspection of accessible residential appliances, laundry connections, and utility-room equipment, producing one Appliance and Utility-Area Inspection record.

B. Inspection Area Schedule

Area	Components Covered	Primary Purpose
Water-using appliances	Refrigerator water lines, ice-maker connections, dishwasher hoses, disposal connections	Identify leakage, deterioration, and unsupported connections
Laundry area	Washer shutoffs, hoses, drain hose, standpipe, pan, dryer connection and exhaust	Identify water, exhaust, lint, and fire-related concerns
Cooking equipment	Range and oven anti-tip restraint, door condition, clearance, visible damage	Identify fall, fire, and clearance hazards
Utility-room equipment	Water heater, furnace, boiler, softener, pumps, freezers	Identify leakage, corrosion, clearance, and storage concerns
Service access	Main shutoffs, filters, panels, cleanouts, relief-discharge outlets, sump equipment, emergency controls	Confirm access is preserved for future maintenance

C. Records and Reference Takeoff

• Records to review before inspection: appliance inventory, manufacturer information, installation dates if known, service history, formally documented recalls, and owner-reported problems.
• Appliance and Utility-Area Inspection Worksheet: one copy, used to record every finding, operational result, and referral generated by this inspection.
• Photograph index: maintained alongside the worksheet, linking each finding identifier to its overview and close photograph.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Area coverage	Every accessible water-using appliance, laundry connection, cooking appliance, and utility-room equipment item is inspected
Operation limits	No appliance associated with an immediate hazard, and no excluded, disconnected, unsafe, or tenant-owned appliance, is operated
Finding completeness	Every recorded finding has a unique identifier, location, observed condition, priority category, recommended next action, and photo reference
Exhaust path verification	The dryer exhaust path is traced from the transition duct to a confirmed, unobstructed exterior termination or is recorded as a limitation
Restoration	Controls, covers, and moved items are restored, and no water, lint, or tools remain in the work area
Immediate-hazard handling	Any immediate hazard is reviewed with the responsible party before the inspector leaves the property

E. Preparation — Records, Authorization, and Area Setup

1. Review the appliance inventory and history. Record manufacturer information, installation dates if known, service history, formally documented recalls, and owner-reported problems for each appliance.
2. Define which appliances may be operated. Identify and record appliances excluded because they are disconnected, unsafe, tenant-owned, specialty, or outside the approved scope.
3. Inspect the room conditions. Check lighting, ventilation, floor condition, drains, water, storage, combustible material, and access to shutoffs and disconnects in each area to be inspected.
4. Identify immediate concerns before touching equipment. Note any fuel-gas odor, burning odor, damaged cords, active leakage, energized wet equipment, overheating, or blocked combustion air.
5. Do not operate equipment associated with an immediate hazard. Set that equipment aside for referral and continue the routine inspection only in unaffected areas.

F. Water-Using Appliance Connections

1. Locate accessible appliance service connections. Identify refrigerator water lines, ice-maker connections, dishwasher hoses, disposal connections, range anti-tip provisions, and other accessible appliance services.
2. Inspect water connectors. Check for kinks, abrasion, corrosion, leakage, unsupported weight, and strain at each connector.
3. Inspect cords and electrical access. Check appliance cords, plugs, receptacle access, disconnects, and visible flexible connections without removing covers.
4. Inspect drainage provisions. Check drain pans, floor drains, condensate routes, and water-detection devices where present.

G. Laundry Area and Dryer Exhaust

1. Inspect washing-machine connections. Check the hot and cold shutoffs, hoses, drain hose, standpipe, pan, floor, and surrounding wall.
2. Verify hose condition. Confirm hoses are not kinked, abraded, bulging, leaking, or pulled tight.
3. Verify drain hose support. Confirm the drain hose is supported and secured through the approved arrangement without creating an improper seal or siphon condition.
4. Inspect washer stability and clearance. Observe without dismantling or leveling unless approved maintenance is separately included.
5. Inspect the dryer's utility connection. Check the electrical or fuel connection externally, the transition duct, the exhaust path, the termination, the lint screen, and clearance. Treat fuel-gas connection concerns as qualified-service items.
6. Identify transition-duct defects. Note plastic, foil-like, crushed, kinked, excessively long, disconnected, unsupported, or lint-loaded transition ducts for corrective action.
7. Verify the exterior termination. Confirm the dryer exhaust terminates outdoors at an accessible approved outlet and is not blocked by a screen, nest, debris, snow, or damaged damper. Do not authorize use of the dryer if the exhaust is disconnected, severely restricted, damaged, or discharging indoors.
8. Inspect lint accumulation. Check behind, beneath, and around the dryer using safe accessible observation.

H. Cooking Equipment and Utility-Room Equipment

1. Inspect ranges and ovens. Check anti-tip restraint evidence, door condition, clearance, combustible storage, and visible damage. Do not test gas connections with flame or alter appliance controls.
2. Inspect utility-room equipment externally. Check water heaters, furnaces, boilers, softeners, pumps, freezers, and other utility-room equipment for leakage, corrosion, clearance, storage, and service access.
3. Maintain clearance around equipment. Confirm combustibles, chemicals, and storage are kept away from ignition sources, vents, electrical equipment, and required working space.
4. Confirm service access. Verify access to main shutoffs, filters, panels, cleanouts, relief-discharge outlets, sump equipment, and emergency controls.

I. Operation, Restoration, and Recordkeeping

1. Operate approved appliances through a normal cycle. Do this only when connections, drainage, ventilation, and occupancy conditions are safe.
2. Observe operation. Note abnormal noise, vibration, leakage, odor, heat, drain backup, exhaust, or failure to complete the cycle.
3. Restore the work area. Confirm controls are restored and no water, lint, tools, packaging, or moved equipment obstructs access.
4. Record every finding. Include appliance or equipment location, observed condition, operational result, photograph, priority, maintenance action, and referral.
5. Update the property log. Enter hose, duct, restraint, clearance, cleaning, service, and replacement planning into the property maintenance log.