My wife and I are back home, in Bellingham, after our annual jaunt down to Oaxaca, Mexico. Secret: We missed the big winter snow and wind storm that took place here in Whatcom county. Oaxaca is near Guatemala, so almost to Central America. We love it in the city and we have made some fine friends among the Mexican people since we have been going there for four years now.

We enjoy the color, the sounds and the lively atmosphere. The environment is anything but bland. The public square or zocalo is full of poinsettias in bloom, people in bright clothes, vendors with handmade wares, women balancing heavy loads on their heads as they walk (you see some of that in the video) and lots of music.

This video I shot on the spot is an example. My wife and I were walking home from the zocalo, after dinner, and we ran into this joyous wedding procession, complete with a marching band, about 9pm in the center of town. That is much of the fun of visiting this city, you never know what you might see next.

Years ago there was a famous movie called Night of the Iguana. It was first a Tennessee Williams play that became a movie and it took place in Mexico in the 1940's. Richard Burton was a priest in the movie that went on to win an oscar for costumes.

My wife and I have been in tropical southern Mexico for going on two weeks now. And we were sitting on our terrace  when we heard a noise -- looked over by a pot and there was a big lizard.

This is the third time, in as many years, that we have visited Aqua Azul La Villa, and we have heard about the iguana in residence. This is the first time he has come out so we could see him.

I went inside and, a few minutes later, my wife heard a scuffling noise behind her. She turned around and there was an iguana about twice the size of this one. Just about that time, my assistant, Nutsy Wallenda let out a yelp that startled the iguanas and they spilt prior to our getting a photo of the larger one. My wife has a better closeup shot of this one, but that is on her camera.

My wife often tells me that I am in hot water. Actually, in most cases, that is an expression that refers to my poor behavior versus anything to do with water.

However, in the course of doing home inspections in Bellingham and Whatcom county, I often find water heaters that are set too hot -- the water temperature set so high as to lead to a high probability of a scalding burn.

In this photo, the water is almost 137 degrees F. To reduce the probability of a scalding burn, water should be set no higher than 120 degrees F. In order to get a burn, at 120 degrees, it takes several seconds. However, the higher the temperature is, over 120 degrees, the less exposure it takes to cause a serious burn that will require medical attention.

Water temperature can vary, depending on how recently the tank heated, so homeowners should check the hot water periodicially with a meat thermometer and have it adjusted so as to never exceed 120 degrees F. Usually, with a gas hot water heater, setting the temperature is as simple as turning a dial. At an electric water heater, a person is potentially exposed to high voltages at the internal thermostats, so setting such a tank should be done by a qualified person.

 One issue, often found to be present during the course of a home inspection, is perimeter pavement or soil that slopes toward the home. Here in the northwest, more often than not, houses have crawl spaces and not basements. I have even seen soil or pavement slope directly toward a crawl space vent. Below is a shot from an inspection, this is my indicator to myself, often displayed in reports, to get the point across about the slope of the soil. 

This is, in most cases, not difficult to correct by grading soil. But, if the problem is not corrected, it may not be a benign issue. It can lead to water entering the crawl space or the basement, when a basement is present. Soil should, as a guideline, be graded with a slope away from the house. A slope with a drop of about 1" per foot for 6 to 8 ft away from the house is beneficial. And, if it is pavement sloped toward the house, not allowing water to soak into the soil at all, this problem can be exacerbated and it will be necessary to re-slope or replace the pavement.

Assessing the adequacy of water pressure, among residents of a home, is often a case of perspective. I have seen people, used to a well system out in rural Bellingham or Whatcom county, move into a city home that had marginal pressure, per city standards, and they were thrilled. Other times, I have seen people look upon what I considered to be adequate pressure as poor pressure. It is all relative to what you are accustomed to. 

Despite my saying it is relative, there are tests, and parameters, for pressure -- done with a simple water pressure gauge. The gauge above is showing water pressure over 120 PSI. That is high. Standard plumbing guidelines state that water pressure should run between 40 PSI and 80 PSI. Once it hits around or over 80, I give people the basic norms for water pressure and suggest that they contact a plumber. Pressure that is too high can shorten the lifespan of some appliances, valves, etc. At the other end, low pressure really does become relative and a matter of preference. It is not going to hurt anything, but it might also mean poor flow at sinks, showers, hoses, etc.

Typically, the ideal pressure at a one-story house is about 50 PSI and when you add on more floors, also, add about 5, or a bit more, PSI per floor.