Hello
I just read your checklist for home inspection and I was wondering if these points are flexible. Is the inspector supposed to check the condition of heating/cooling elements of the air ducts? Espescially this part. “ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Type, style and age of heating & cooling systems. When were they last inspected or serviced?
Type of water supply piping and drains - any visible rust and corrosion?”
The reason why I am asking is we have a little rust problem inside of our ducts.
They type of information you are seeking is outside the scope of a home inspection. This information would be a part of a diagnostic home performance analysis.
so for first time home buyers: there are actual expensive to fix, health hazards not discovered, by the home inspection? Why should one use house inspection then after all?
My problem is a $4000 duct replacement which, if its not fixed, throws rust particle in our living area which could be get into eyes and lungs. Especially with a new born in the house.
These corrosion would have been easily identified by just taking a vent cover of.
What about the checklist on the American Home Inspector Directory web site http://www.americanhomeinspectordirectory.com/inspection-checklist.html
American Home Inspector Directory is just a paid listing service. Odds are they are not even a member of InterNACHI, thus using and InterNACHI logo illegally.
Here is our Standards of Practice we follow http://www.nachi.org/sop.htm .
About every SOP is written the same. ASHI was the first to write a SOP. When the ASHI SOP was written, it was written not to upset the Realtors in any way. The rest of the organizations just followed suit.
There are inspectors out there that perform a very rigerous inspection, but I have found most buyers do not want to pay several thousands of dollars for an inspection of one of the most important purchases of their life.
Your inspector should have clearly spelled out all of his services to you in a pre-inspection agreement (contract). In his contract with you, he should have provided you with a complete description of his inspection (or a link where you could find it and read it) to include the items that it does not cover.
Yes your ducts should be checked for rust “outer shell”. We do not inspect the inside of Air Ducts. Just like Jim stated this should be layed out in the contract you signed. A home inspection is only of components we can visually see without tearing anything up (being invasive). Like Jim I do offer a technical inspection where I would bring in a HVAC guy with a camera however this service is very expensive compared to the service you agreed to if a contract was signed.
There are different levels of Professionals performing Home Inspections. I myself do look into the Duct work at the return behind the filter, and take a cursory look into a register or two. I also note in my reports that most of the Duct work is concealed and I am not able to Visibly inspect most of the Ducts. I can not tell form your post if there was a Visible Defect at the time of the Inspection or not.
If you feel the Home Inspector missed something, you should call him.