Appliance Testing & Evaluation
Objective, Scientific, Defensible, Bona Fide
Bona Fide Forensics provides appliance testing for water losses, fire losses, and damage claims in Sacramento and throughout California, helping insurers, attorneys, and property owners evaluate appliance failures and reported damage.
Licensed Professional Engineer
Mechanical PE - CA, NV, OR, WA, AZ
Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator
National Association of Fire Investigators
Certified Professional Inspector
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
OUR SERVICES
Appliance Testing for Property Loss Investigations
An appliance may cause a water or fire loss, sustain damage during an event, or develop a malfunction unrelated to the reported loss. Determining that relationship requires examining its condition, components, and available history.
Bona Fide Forensics examines and tests appliances to evaluate potential loss causes, assess reported damage, and address technical questions about repair or replacement.
Assignments may involve appliances retained as evidence or appliances remaining at the property.
Common evaluations include:
✓ Washing machine and dishwasher leaks
✓ Refrigerator and ice maker water releases
✓ Appliances suspected of causing fires
✓ Appliances exposed to fire and heat
✓ Water-exposed appliance components
✓ Reported electrical damage
✓ Malfunctions following a loss
✓ Repair or replacement considerations
✓ Smoke and soot exposure
✓ Water heater leaks and failures
OUR APPROACH
Our Appliance Testing Process
A methodical, evidence-based approach tailored to the loss and the questions being evaluated.
1. Review Loss
Review the reported event, appliance history, and questions about causation, damage, or continued operation.
2. Inspect & Document
Record appliance identification, connections, visible damage, and relevant conditions before testing or disassembly.
3. Plan Examination
Select appropriate tests based on appliance condition, potential hazards, and evidence preservation needs.
4. Test & Examine
Conduct appropriate functional tests and component examinations to evaluate reported failures and damage.
5. Analyze Results
Compare findings with the reported event and evaluate alternative explanations for the observed conditions.
6. Develop Findings
Explain supported conclusions, repair considerations, and any limitations or unresolved questions.
EVIDENCE MATTERS
Evidence Preservation & Joint Examinations
An appliance involved in a water or fire loss may contain evidence needed to determine how the event occurred. Operating, cleaning, repairing, or disassembling it can alter that evidence.
Bona Fide Forensics documents appliance condition and plans examinations around the questions being investigated and the need to preserve significant components.
Services may include:
✓ Appliance and component identification
✓ Documentation before testing or disassembly
✓ Development of examination protocols
✓ Coordination of joint examinations
✓ Evidence collection and preservation
✓ Chain-of-custody documentation
✓ Secure storage of collected evidence
✓ Documentation of testing and findings
Our appliance serial number and date code guide provides additional information on identifying manufacture dates for common appliance brands. When potentially responsible parties are identified, examinations can be coordinated to provide an opportunity for their participation.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Engineering Evaluation of Appliance Failures & Damage
A malfunction after a loss does not, by itself, establish that the event caused it. Likewise, an appliance that operates during testing may still have damage or an intermittent problem requiring further evaluation.
Our mechanical engineering background supports the examination of appliance systems and the relationship between component condition, operation, and the reported loss.
Depending on the assignment, evaluation may include:
✓ Water supply and inlet components
✓ Pumps, hoses, seals, and drainage systems
✓ Heating elements and temperature controls
✓ Motors and moving components
✓ Wiring, terminals, and electrical connections
✓ Gas connections and burner components
✓ Heat damage and material deformation
✓ Water intrusion and corrosion
✓ Visible smoke and soot deposits
✓ Operating cycles and reported symptoms
Testing may include leak checks, functional operation, measurements, or component disassembly when appropriate. Further specialized analysis can be coordinated as needed.
DELIVERING RESULTS
Clear, Defensible Findings
Our goal is to explain what the examination establishes about the appliance’s involvement in the loss and its resulting condition.
Depending on the assignment and available evidence, our findings may address:
✓ Whether an appliance failure caused a water release
✓ Whether a component failure contributed to a fire
✓ Whether damage is consistent with the reported event
✓ Which components and functions are affected
✓ Whether reported symptoms were reproduced
✓ Relevant wear or pre-existing conditions
✓ Technical repair considerations
✓ The basis for repair or replacement
✓ The need for additional examination
✓ Verbal consultation
✓ Written reports
✓ Deposition and litigation support
✓ Expert witness testimony
Reports distinguish observations and test results from engineering opinions. Untested functions, examination limitations, and unresolved questions are clearly identified.
MEET KIRK LUMAYE
Experienced Mechanical and Forensic Engineer
Bona Fide Forensics combines appliance testing with an engineering approach to water loss, fire loss, and damage investigations.
Evaluations are led by Kirk LuMaye, a licensed Professional Engineer with a degree in mechanical engineering and more than a decade of experience investigating appliance failures, mechanical systems, and property losses.
This background supports questions about how an appliance may have caused a loss and how the event may have affected its components and operation.
Our mission is simple: Seek the truth through honest and thorough investigation.
- Kirk LuMaye, PE
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SERVICE AREA
Appliance Testing Services Across California and the West
Bona Fide Forensics provides forensic engineering and fire investigation services throughout Northern California and Southern California, with regular travel for assignments in Reno and Northern Nevada.
We also accept engineering and fire investigation assignments throughout Arizona, Oregon, and Washington, and travel as needed to support losses across the western United States.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Frequently Asked Questions
READY TO GET STARTED?
Need an Appliance Evaluated After a Loss?
Early involvement helps preserve evidence and clarify questions about appliance failures, reported damage, and repair or replacement.
Contact Bona Fide Forensics to discuss the water loss, fire loss, or damage claim and the appliance involved.