Got a 1 star review this morning for an inspection I did in August. Client says the heat exchanger is cracked. I tried to explain that we don’t dismantle furnaces. Ugh
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So what prompted him/her to have the heat exchanger evaluated so soon after your inspection?
That sale must have just closed within the last couple of weeks.
Furnace wouldn’t kick on so they called a tech out.
Was that discovered during your inspection, or afterwards upon move-in?
I always recommend a ‘HVAC Service Call/Tune-up Service/Check-up’ if there is no indication that one has been performed within the last year, which there usually isn’t.
Obviously, any observed issues will automatically prompt a ‘Service Call’ narrative also.
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Recommend the following verbiage:
“The heat exchanger was inaccessible and could not be visually examined.”
Might want to also recommend “We recommend the services of a licensed heating and air-conditioning contractor.” Liability deferred.
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Heat exchanger verbiage is in my report in 2 different locations. It is what it is at this point.
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Operating the furnace is part of the SOP. If you can’t operate it, that should go in the report along with the reason why. Your reply to the one star review should say it was not operated.
When you operate a gas furnace you should watch for the blower to come on (this occurs somewhat after the burners light). At this point a cracked heat exchanger will reveal itself by “blowout” of the adjacent burner.
Flame roll out switch will trip. Code will set on board.
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But it turned on for you when you did the inspection?
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Most platforms allow you to write a rebuttal to reviews, I would write that I was sorry to hear about the HE issue, but that the heat exchanger is not visible and is beyond the scope of the home inspection.
How old was the furnace?
Most manufacturers have a 10 year warranty on the HE.
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Had the exact same thing on a 30+ years old furnace. Recommended further evaluation and specifically a heat exchanger check and that old furnaces can produce CO when the exchangers fail. Lunatic lady called me and it’s as if she was reading my report back to me. Heat exchanger had failed and was producing CO.
It’s a numbers game and that are too many crazies out there!
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I revert to Kevin. Reply in platform.
Todd, You never answered the main question. Did you operate the furnace? It ran, blew hot air? It didn’t run? Tried to start, then shut off?
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It is recommended that you try to make the furnace and A/C work. If they work, write in the report that “at the time of the inspection the furnace WAS working well,” and if they do not work, say “at the time of the inspection the furnace WAS NOT working” and recommend that it be evaluated by a professional. It is important that the expressions are put in the past tense.
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Tell him to pound sand. Its a 90% furnace and the HE is NOT visible or accessible without dismantling it which is NOT something a home inspector does OR is equipped to do.
A comment I started using after the Lennox Pulse debacle is below …
The furnace was the type that has a closed or sealed system and we were unable to view or examine the heat exchanger and/or burn chamber. Verifying the integrity of these components would require intrusive testing by a licensed heating specialist.
Due to this condition we RECOMMEND having a recommend a complete system evaluation by a licensed heating and cooling professional prior to leaving your inspection contingency period. . Such an inspection may involve partial dismantling of the furnace to facilitate inspection of the heat exchanger, cooling coils or other areas that are not readily visible.
He must have never run the system. He doesn’t say one way or the other. The unit in his photo has the cover off. Either that’s not the same unit or he could have observed the fire up process.
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This method is a way or checking for a cracked heat exchanger NOT the way. Not all cracks are going to “reveal” themselves by dancing flames, high CO readings or by tripping a thermal switch.
Most cracked HE’s can only be found from a visual examination, which of course would require disassembling the furnace. When I worked as a service tech, I would pull the limit switch and reach inside the HE and feel for a crack.
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Assuming that your agreement with your client was to inspect according to Ohio Standards, which specifically states that you are not required to inspect the HE, you could prove libel against your client. It’s hard to prove libel, but three things must exist: it’s not true, malice and damages.
I read the Google review. You didn’t reply. I would respond to the review and lay out in full detail what they agreed to, including verbiage from Ohio Standards and demand they cease and desist.
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