Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The picture above shows a leak near the condensate drain for this air conditioning system. As the evaporator coil cools the air traveling up it produces condensation, typically this is caught in pan then drains out via a drain line. Here, the drain line is appears clogged or not correct fastened to the unit. We recommend a certified HVAC personnel review and repair the leak.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Air Conditioning is the most efficient way to cool a home but it does require maintenance. Here are some best practices to make sure your unit runs smoothly. One, make sure the outside condenser unit is free of debris around sides to allow air to flow and remove the heat. Two, clean or replace air filters once a month or as directed my manufacture. Three, add some bleach to the drain line to make sure the line does not get clogged.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Among the more popular furnaces is the forced air furnace. A forced air furnace creates warm air within a heat exchanger and then a fan forces this air through ducts to heat your home. Most forced air heating systems run on natural gas which is ignited by a pilot light. A heat exchanger prevents any dangerous gases from entering your vents.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Evaporative coolers or swamp coolers can be an effective and less expensive alternative to compressor-based air conditioners for cooling homes in dry climates. Evaporative coolers (also known as swamp coolers) use evaporation and blowing air to cool.
As an inspectors you should note that evaporative coolers use one/fourth the energy of central air conditioners and cost less than half the price to install. Evaporative coolers work best in dry climates where the outdoor relative humidity during the cooling season is less than 50%.
The evaporative cooler is a simple device consisting of a box-like housing that contains a large blower fan and an 8- to 12-inch-thick sponge-like filter made of treated cellulose, fiberglass, plastic foam, or shredded aspen fibers. The flowing air evaporates some of the water, giving up heat in the process, which can reduce the temperature of the air entering the home by 15 to 40.
The incoming air is not recirculated inside the house but is blown through the house and must have a way to exit. When operating, evaporative coolers bring in enough fresh air to completely replace house air every two to three minutes.
An evaporative cooler should have at least two speeds and a vent-only option. Evaporative Coolers are a great option for homes that only need air conditioning a few months of the year.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of an electric heat pump. These units use the heat from the outside air to heat the home in the winter and remove the heat from inside to cool the home in the summer. In the winter a refrigerant enters the outside condenser as a low pressure, low temp liquid. This liquid absorbs heat from the outside air and is then compressed into a gas, which causes it to heat up further. This high pressure, high temp gas is pushed into the A coil inside the home where it cools and condenses back into a liquid, releasing the heat into the home. In the summer the unit runs backwards, pulling the heat from inside the home and releasing the heat outside, thus cooling the home. The condensation pump has been bypassed to catch the condensate water for use in watering outdoor landscaping. This unit catches approximately 10 gallon of water per day for outdoor use.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This essay is about bath ducts and fans. Bath vent systems are installed to remove odors and moisture from inside the home. They consist of a simple exhaust fan and duct. They are normally controlled by a wall switch or a humidistadt. Bath fans should be inspected for excessive dust. Indications of deeper problems include moisture stains on the ceiling, corroded metal, mold, peeling paint, moisture or frost on the bath windows, and high humidity. The most common defect is improper teminations. Bath fans should be terminated outside, not in the attic, beneath insulation, or under attic vents. Improper terminations can cause mold, damage to building materials, and health problems.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The photo here is of a package heat pump unit which is going directly into converted garage which has no duct system. You can see that it is leaking out the base when in operation. The exact source of the leakage is not known but this system should be further evaluated by a licensed qualified HVAC professional.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Evaporative and Swamp Coolers:
This type of system has water which circulates and keeps pads on the sides of the system wet. The cooling is produced by air going across these heated pads. I have inspected many of these units in the L.A. area. Typically there are old, rusting, with stagnant water, moisture stains on the attic ceiling below and without a water backflow prevention device to stop stagnant water from backflowing into potable water.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The manufacturer tag on the housing of the outside condenser of the central heating and air unit provides a great deal of information that the home inspector will need to include in his/her report. Some of these things are: age of the unit, the tonnage, and the maximum and minimum breaker size.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a picture of my a/c unit. When inspecting the outside units, there are a few things one can notice right away. Check to see that the area is clear of vegetation or other debris that can adversely effect the flow of air around the unit.Make sure the fins are clean and lastly (on the quick glance) make sure the a/c is level.Double check with a level if needed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When inspecting rolled insulation, the correct way to install is to lay it with the paper or vapor barrier facing the outside wall. Ideally, it needs to cover the joists or studs and so on the help prevent the thermal bridging that occurs during extremely high or low temperatures.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This image shows a coolant line attached to a central air conditioning unit. A central air conditioning unit cools and conditions the air inside an area to make that area more amenable to desired or standard living conditions of the occupants.
Research & Writing Assignment:
In the image from the Internachi gallery titled “HVAC Duct Air Flow” I learned how ducts allow conditioned or heated air to travel throughout a structure. These ducts should travel and connect to nearly every portion of a structure and allow for a more habitable living environment.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Current outdoor temperature is 79 degrees. Thermostat controls were working correctly and had the unit set to 74 degrees. Unit began running and all components appear to be operating efficiently. Once desired temperature was met, unit shut off as intended.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Guidelines previously used to determine the correct amount of tonnage needed to adequately cool a home has changed over the years. As homes have become more efficient, the less amount of tonnage is needed. With the assistance of zone dampers, less is more.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a photo of a central ac unit that cools a mobile home.There is no inside air handler.The evaporator is enclosed with the compressor and condenser. Grass and weeds are growing under unit and up through the unit which could restrict air flow.These plants should be removed from areas around the unit.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Bathrooms should have an exhaust fan to remove moister and chemical smells from cleaners out of the room. The exhaust fan should be connected to a duct that terminates outside the house and not into attic.The ducting should be sealed and may terminate through roof or exterior wall.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Here is a picture of a burner assembly for a natural gas furnace I helped to inspect. The assembly seems to be in overall good shape, with the pilot light running. However, the system would not fully turn on the burners-indicating a further problem with the system. Could be something as simple as the system not receiving instructions from the thermostat, but we recommended and qualified HVAC technician inspect and address as needed.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Raw materials are renewable and unlimited. The amount of available solar energy is staggering – roughly 10,000 times that currently required by humans – and its constantly replaced. A mere 0.02% of incoming sunlight, if captured correctly, would be sufficient to replace every other fuel source currently used.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a incompletely installed roof. It appears to be a spanish tile roof style. You can see the interior portion of the roof and what is primarily left for completion of installation. There appears to be any visible damage to the roof. No further entries at this time.
