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TITLE 22EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 23TEXAS REAL ESTATE COMMISSION
CHAPTER 535GENERAL PROVISIONS
SUBCHAPTER RREAL ESTATE INSPECTORS
RULE §535.232Standards of Practice: Minimum Inspection Requirements for Appliances

(a) Dishwashers. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) inoperative units;

  (2) deficiencies in performance or mounting;

  (3) rusted, missing or damaged components;

  (4) the presence of visible active water leaks; and

  (5) the absence of visible backflow prevention.

(b) Food waste disposers. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) inoperative units;

  (2) deficiencies in performance or mounting;

  (3) missing or damaged components; and

  (4) the presence of visible active water leaks.

(c) Range hoods and exhaust systems. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) inoperative units;

  (2) deficiencies in performance or mounting;

  (3) missing or damaged components;

  (4) ducts that do not terminate outside the building, if the unit is not of a re-circulating type or configuration; and

  (5) improper duct material.

(d) Electric or gas ranges, cooktops, and ovens. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) inoperative units;

  (2) missing or damaged components;

  (3) combustible material within thirty inches above the cook top burners;

  (4) absence of an anti-tip device, if applicable;

  (5) gas leaks in the gas range, cooktops and ovens not associated with the gas distribution system; and

  (6) deficiencies in:

    (A) thermostat accuracy (within 25 degrees Fahrenheit at a setting of 350 degrees Fahrenheit); and

    (B) mounting and performance.

(e) Microwave ovens. The inspector shall inspect built-in units and report as Deficient:

  (1) inoperative units;

  (2) deficiencies in performance or mounting; and

  (3) missing or damaged components.

(f) Mechanical exhaust systems and bathroom heaters. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) the lack of mechanical ventilation in a bathroom if no operable window is present;

  (2) inoperative units;

  (3) deficiencies in performance or mounting;

  (4) missing or damaged components;

  (5) ducts that do not terminate outside the building; and

  (6) a gas heater that is not vented to the exterior of the building unless the unit is listed as an unvented type.

(g) Garage door operators. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) inoperative units;

  (2) deficiencies in performance or mounting;

  (3) missing or damaged components;

  (4) installed photoelectric sensors located more than six inches above the garage floor;

  (5) deficiencies in performance or absence of auto reversing mechanisms and manual detachment device; and

  (6) door locks or side ropes that have not been removed or disabled.

(h) Dryer exhaust systems. The inspector shall report as Deficient:

  (1) missing or damaged components;

  (2) the absence of a dryer exhaust system when provisions are present for a dryer;

  (3) ducts that do not terminate to the outside of the building;

  (4) screened terminations; and

  (5) ducts that are not made of metal with a smooth interior finish.

(i) General provisions. The inspector is not required to:

  (1) operate or determine the condition of other auxiliary components of inspected items;

  (2) test for microwave oven radiation leaks;

  (3) inspect self-cleaning functions;

  (4) disassemble appliances;

  (5) determine the adequacy of venting systems;

  (6) determine proper routing and lengths of duct systems;

  (7) operate or determine the condition of clothes washer, clothes dryer, or refrigerator; or

  (8) operate or determine the condition of other built in appliances, except as provided for under §535.233(h), of this title.


Source Note: The provisions of this §535.232 adopted to be effective January 1, 2014, 38 TexReg 3350; amended to be effective September 7, 2016, 41 TexReg 6742; amended to be effective February 1, 2022, 46 TexReg 5770

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