Nope
Charely, maybe I am not perceiving your words as you mean them.
I mean you no ill will.
But I honestly think the way you presented this was to imply that HIs need to know how to identify the items in your photo.
They don’t.
Teaching and learning are fine and additional knowledge is good but it’s not needed by the HI to do a competent inspection.
That said, I hope HIs will avail themsleves of what you are willing to teach.
HIs should always be expanding their knowldge base.
I did not say you should be able to id the components to be a good Hi I simply asked can you Id and if not I can help you if one would like to learn a bit more. I can teach the basic refrigeration cycle and their relationship to what one can observe in a visual inspection.
This is what bothered me Charley:
Exhaust/purge fan
Pressure switch
Gas valve
Control board
Power contactor
Watchamacallit
Capacitor
Roll out switch
Remotely close? How about that thingamajing that sits in the back yard and makes hot and cold?
Pretty good stay tuned I am going to get on the soap box tonight time permitting
Fall off your box Charley? 
I agree with Robert below, Charley is a good source.
Always glad to have you share info Charlie.
Please explain what each part does.
I can identify most of them, and if they need more than my elementary training offers in identifying how the furnace is expected to run, using normal controls, then they need an HVAC guy.
To which I’d promptly recommend our BNI HVAC guy…
Lets see, since it has a powered exhaust fan, I believe it an 80% efficient furnace, no?
And the gas valve is central, along with the microcontroller main logic board.
Black pipe entering thru wall, thats good
Along with a couple capacitors for motor start and run,
and vacuum sensor, and thermal sensors?
How’d I do?
Well Steve not a bad start except in the cap area there was no start cap the two shown were both run cap’s the big one for the compressor small for the condenser fan motor. I will talk more about capacitors later.
No I did not fall off the soap box was just waiting to see if there was any interest. Don’t want to waste my time especially talking about SOP if you would like to know more about A/C’s and how the components work I will be more than happy to continue with this.
A large part of understanding how A/C’s operate is to understand the difference between a load component and a switch component and this will apply to line voltage and 24 volt control items. A load component is any item that requires a neutral and a hot lead to operate such as a motor, the coil in a relay, the coil in a solenoid valve, the coil in a gas control valve, a transformer all being load items.
Switches are simply as they imply they allow us to control the load elements. A thermostat is basically nothing but a switch. All of the safety devices either on a furnace or a A/C are just a form of switch which can be normally open or normally closed which is always depicted as no voltage on the circuit. Switches can be closed or opened by pressure, temperature or voltage.
Let take the transformer and wire it normally found in the furnace but can be in the A/C unit or there can be one in both the A/C and the furnace depending on the MFG. In the Pic I posted of the gas pac it was in the control panel the neutral side of the 24 volts is wire directly to all of the loads in this unit which consisted of the main relay (contactor) the gas valve and the control board. The hot side of the transformer wires to the Red terminal on the thermostat (switch) and when this thermostat calls for cooling 24 volts travels back on the yellow wire to the other side of the contactor (load) VIA the control board and closes the points on the contactor allowing line voltage to the outlet side of this contactor(relay) thus starting the compressor and the condenser fan motor.
I will contuine this another evening for those that would like to learn a bit more. If you are comfortable in your SOP that is fine also just put me on ignore. Feel free to ask any question on what I have posted if it is clear as mud. I promise I will not demean you:D:D:D
Hi to All,
Thanks Charley,I always like additional training or input. I am a electrician as well as Home Inspector so I have no problem with what you’ve explained so far. I look foreward to your next post.
Russell
Thanks for the feedback Charley, I appreciate the information.
And I thoroughly enjoy the HVAC field, and hope to learn more in the future.
I can see how some would take your question in a negative way.
To answer your question
Ventor Motor
Normally open Pressure switch
Normally closed flame roll out switch
Gas valve
Contactor
Run capacitor
Control board
Transformer
The first two things I would learn about is how to operate thermostats and be aware of the blower door switch. Then next two items I would learn is the ventor motor and the contactor. That order/list might change depending on your area and what you normally run into (for example: we do not have swamp coolers around here).
I agree that it isn’t necessary for a home inspector to know these items but it helps.
I agree 100%. Post this over on HVAC-Talk: Heating, Air & Refrigeration Discussion and see what licensed HVAC techs says about it. I’ve been over there before and it’s a over wealming response when it comes to us sticking our nose into areas that’s beyond a generalist inspection.
Ok lets add some more we have 24 volt coming to the low voltage coil (load) that is going to close the points on the contactor and start the unit. Some units have low pressure/high pressure switches that the yellow wire travels through these switches. A low pressure switch is normally closed and opens on a drop in freon pressure on the suction line and we will talk more about the freon side later. The high pressure switch is a normally closed switch and opens on a increase in pressure on the liquid line. The low pressure switch automatically resets on a increase in suction pressure as a Hi if you see the compressor starting and stopping very frequently there is a high possibility the unit is cycling on the low pressure switch. The high pressure switch is a manual reset and I have one illistrated in the pic at the bottom of the unit with the green arrow near the liquid line. If the condenser fins are matted with lint and the unit does not run with a high pressure switch installed the manual button will probally be popped out.
Let talk about capacitors run and start. Most A/C’s do not come from the factory with a start cap installed unless it is a very high end unit. A standard start cap is round in shape and is black bakalite in color no metal cases on a start cap. The start cap has a potiential relay (load) that is powered from the T side of the main contactor Line voltage (220 volts)this relay is normally closed and stays closed for the first 3 seconds during the start mode of the unit after 3 seconds the points on the relay open and disconnects the start cap from the start windings of the compressor During this 3 seconds it is assumed the compressor is up to full RPM.
Run capicators are normally oval shaped but can also be round they **always **have a metal case. They can be any size in length as in the first pic the small cap was for the condenser fan motor the large one for the compressor. The pic below shows what we call a 3 terminal run cap and it is round in shape but has a metal case. A dual cap or 3 teminal is used for the compressor and the condenser fan motor These are simply a MFG choice as to what shape to use.
Run cap’s can not withstand near lightening strikes or brown outs I have replaced a Semi truck load of them due to anyone of those reasons. The top bakalite terminal will usually blow out of the top of the cap.
All compressors that are single phase 220 volts have three terminals under the cover plate. One might think (HUH three wires single phase) don’t make sense. Well all singles phase compressors have 3 windings C=common S=Start R=run and they are so marked. Run caps are always wired between S & R terminals The other leg of the 220 volt source goes directly to the C terminal (common) not to be confused with the word neutral as one might think of a neutral in a 120 volt system.
Any questions ask away. Hey David A jump in any time you want to I am doing this for the guys that just want to learn more.
BTW Steve thanks for your offer perhaps we can try that a little later I am swamped for the time being.
If you put numbers next to the arrows, then some reading can know what is what when called out.
Just a suggestion.
Charlie, I have been having jobs coming out of my ears this week!
I’ll try to jump in there when all reports are done! 
I will try different colored arrows thanks for your feed back
InterNACHI inspectors are required to inspect the heating systems using normal operating controls.
Some inspectors have actually told me, “All I do is turn on the thermostat, and see if the heater turns on or not.”
I hope InterNACHI members desire to know more than just that.