I have decided to attach a photo of an opened furnace that was inspected during an inspection. As you can see this furnace is gas powered and all the components are clean as you would expect for a new unit. The system operated as intended at the time of the inspection.
I am writing in response to the image of he compressor that is provided on the image forum. This is a good schematic to see the inner workings of an HVAC compressor and has helpe me see how the piston drives the components to move the freon through the rest of the system with a suction and pushing component.
The lesson appeared to show as a home inspector we just do visual assessments. Essay Writing Services
This furnace is located in the basement. It is a gas fire forced hot air. It is manufactured by Lennox and is the Whisper Heat Model. Due to age of unit, recommend HVAC specialist inspect an insure it is in good working order.
PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is commonly used building material, but is criticized for its potential health risks. One risk is PVC can smolder and go unnoticed giving off hydrogen chloride, a highly toxic gas that can burn skin and cause respiratory issues.
The attached picture is of a Heat Pump HVAC System Air Handler that is aprox. 4 years old. This is what I refer to as an inspectors dream system. The Heat Pump and Air Handler are matched units installed at the same time. The yellow sheet on the front of the cabinet is a Service Log. The unit had been serviced every 6 months since being installed. Not something I see very often.
Inspecting the HVAC System for Duct Leaks and Energy Loss
This article covers the importance of sealing the Air Handler as well as the system duct work. The information on the methods and types of sealants is very informative. I often see Air Handlers with oversized openings where the thermostat or power supply wires are run through the cabinet. The non-hardening removable putty seems to be a very easy fix that would also make servicing simple.
This is an image of an outdoor system which is a 3 ton Luxaire heat pump system Upon my inspection, I cycled the unit on in heat pump mode and in cool mode, everything seems to be working correctly. No service log present therefore I would recommend having the unit checked and serviced.
This is a central HVAC unit with natural gas heat. Upflow unit. Filter is at bottom of unit. AC condensor is at top of unit in plenum. White pvc drain emerges from there. Exhaust gas through galvanized duct at 45 degree angle.
This is a central HVAC unit with natural gas heat. The unit is a upflow unit. The plenum at the bottom is return air. The air filter is just above the plenum at the bottom of the unit. The AC condensor is at the top of the unit in the plenum. The AC condensate pvc drain pipe emerges from there. The exhaust gas duct leaves the unit at a 45 degree angle.
This photo is an Oil Furnace/A/C Packaged unit with a buried oil tank. I’m not sure of the age of the unit but since the label is washed out, it appears to be at least 10 - 15 years and probably more like 20. I did not inspect the heating system since the outside temp was in the 80’s but I did inspect the A/C and there were no significant issues. The fan on top of the condenser (or outside unit) has significant corrosion and the unit is certainly at the end of its useful life.
Gravity Furnaces use gravity without blowers or ductwork to heat homes. Most gravity furnaces are close to 100 years old and are not used anymore due to their inefficiency. Many of these systems are made of cast iron or heavy guage steel and are fired by wood or coal. Some have been converted to modern fossil fuels. While these systems are long lasting because they lack moving parts and are made of heavy duty steel or cast iron, they are inefficient because they rely on gravity to move warm air thru the home.
Sediment traps serve the purpose of a preemptive way of isolating debris that may be within the gas supply system. Such debris can interfere with the proper function of the gas controller. An improperly functioning controller can lead to improper gas supply to the system creating unintended safety conditions.
Homeowners must understand that the purchase of a home will always involve some type of maintenance. Having basic general knowledge of tools is always an assets for the homeowner. Along with this is having the basic tools to perform preventive and defect maintenance should be taken in to account. The added benefit to this is the cost savings of not having to pay for what one can do themselves.
Trusses should never be altered in any way without the approval of a structural engineer. Roof trusses should never touch any interior walls, and should bear only on the exterior walls. The next option would be an engineer designed ledger or engineer specified hardware. You should never use inadequate metal connectors, fasteners, or improper fastener installations.
The article on indoor air quality is very interesting. We spend allot of money on fancy high particle count allergen reducing filters for nothing. The air flow is reduced to a point that there is not enough air changes per hour to even keep up with the dust and pollutants we create.
This is a photo of a small self contained heat pump. We have allot of these units in Florida. It would be nice if some of these courses would spend even 10 min going over some things to look for and testing. I usually just do a differential temp in front of the outside intake and the cold air supply.
As a result of taking this course, I learned a lot more about how the condensing and evaporator system work together to remove the heat inside the living area and moves it to the outside. The low pressure line flows into the compressor in the condensing unit and flows out into the high pressure and into the expansion valve. From the expansion valve to the evaporator coil and into the living area.
The air flow resistance that can reduce the efficiency of the unit can be measured at the air filter. Another place is at the plenum where the air flow going into the duct work makes a ninety degree turn can also cause the air flow to decrease. By changing the air coming from the plenum from a 90 degree to a 45 degree may cause the air flow to increase.
In this diagram you will learn about a clogged filter and the damage it can cause. A clogged filter prevents air from flowing through it. Not enough air flow could cause an overflow of water from the drip pan into the ducts. Air pulled from the condensate line which is perventing from draining properly.
