Photo of a Trane XE1000 AC unit. It was level, with no obvious problems or damage. Everything appears to be as it should be. And added bonus (compared to other units I have seen) is that there is no other clutter around it, so it would be a bit easier to service if necessary.
Energy-Efficient Space Heaters
Space heaters are best used if 1) there is no (or inadequate) central heating; or 2) if there is central heating, but you wish to heat up just one area of the house. In the second case, it is possible to save both energy and money by heating up only the area that is occupied, and lowering the overall thermostat setting.
In this picture you can see two heat pumps. One can use the siding from on the house behind the two units to determine if the units are level. These units at least from this view seem to be level.
A heat pump creates heat inside a house by evaporating a refrigerant in the outdoor coil. As the liquid evaporates it pulls heat from the outside air. In the cooling mode it works in reverse. It will pull heat out from the inside of the house.
When performing an HVAC inspection it is important to check the filter as it can lead to many problems including even dangers such as fires if it is not changed regularly to keep a clean undamaged filter. This also keeps the system operating at it peak.
Shown here is a picture of a furnace in a home. This is a mid-efficiency, upflow gas furnace with an intermittent pilot. We can see the black iron gas supply piping with the shut off valve, as well as the PVC exhaust piping.
From the article titled "Inspecting the HVAC System for Duct Leaks and Energy Loss, I learned about the energy losses associated with leaky ductwork. This can lead to poor performance of the system, so all holes and joints should be air sealed. This can be accomplished using UL approved tape or mastic.
The HVAC system for this home was installed in 2009, the home owner has annual maintenance records fr the system. It functions properly and appears to be in good condition with no concerns observed during the inspection. Home owner was advised of the life expectancy of an HVAC system for information purposes only.
Inspecting for proper installation of HVAC filters.
Proper installation of your HVAC filter is not only important to the functioning and health of you system but it is also important for the quality of air in the home and the health of the homes occupants.A filter should be installed at the return air plenum and should be easily accessible for filter changes. The filter should be changed often throughout the year to maintain the health oof the system and the occupants of the home.
Air intake for electric heat pump, Supplies system with primary air.
On the day of inspection i noticed that there was no filter in place, and upon further inspection i noticed that the duct was dirty and had dust biuld up.
I would recommend contacting a hvac technician to further evaluate.
HVAC Inspection image.
From this picture we can see that an hvac inspection is a noninvasive, visual inspection of the components that make up an havc system. The inspection is not physically demanding, but at times can be very tedious.
This is a lp gas water heater. It is a Whirlpool brand and 7 years old.Note that the drain pipe on the temperture pressure relief valve is not present. Also there is no mixer valve installed.This may have been done by a non-professtional person. The drain pipe missing can be a serious safety hazard, if someone happened to be standing next to it and the valve opened up.Water heaters are required to have the TPR drain pipe and a mixer valve.
Dryer exhaust venting can be a very problematic issue. Many home owners don’t want to spend the time or money to have the dryer exhaust vent set up properly. I have seen in my line of work many bad situations were no exhaust hose was even installed on the dryer. Lint was covering everything from the floor ,walls, ceilings. The old trick of putting a pair of nylons over the end of the hose, filled full of lint to where it finally blew the nylon off.Improper venting is a serious concern and safety issue when it comes to preventing fires.
Air handlers, furnaces, and evaporator coil cabinets come from the factory with holes in the form of knockouts, penetrations, and slots for installing piping and wiring. These holes are there for ease of installation and service. Air seal all holes and seams in the furnace cabinet with mastic, foil tape, or putty. Pay special attention to sealing the junction between the furnace cabinet and the evaporator coil cabinet.
This image shows missing sealant on the evaporator coil cabinet surrounding the air conditioner refrigerate lines. There must be an air tight seal where the air conditioner refrigerate lines enter the evaporator coil cabinet. Air seal all holes and seams in the furnace cabinet with mastic, foil tape, or putty.
Garage inspection. ALWAYS CHECK THE HEADER ACROSS THE GARAGE DOOR OPENING MAKING SURE IT IS CORRECT SIZE AND IS BEARING PROPERLY. Always check truss for proper bearing and any alterations if any alterations you should ask the home owner for his engineer drawings.If any plates are missing proper bracing. I have seen many truss altered in my career i was in the truss business for 47 years. Seek help call an engineer or see a truss mfg plant.
In this picture of furnace the furnace has no air conditioner and there are no visible signs of water leakage and the filter is clean and no observable damage present. The flue is well attached and free of any noticeable damage.
This is an old boiler in a house that also had gaslight piping intact in the basement. The gaslight system is no longer used, but this boiler still heats the house. I did not find out about the boiler because I was there for another reason a long time ago, but I took the picture because I thought it was neat.
Coming up with a presentation for real estate agents and providing informational cards for them to give to their clients can be a powerful marketing tool because it accomplishes several things at once. One thing that happens is that the real estate agents are more informed, are more likely to talk about the topic to clients and to hand them the card which has the inspector’s contact information.
