Temperature range to operate HVAC equipment

I couldn’t find any discussion on this topic?

Heat pumps - I know we are not supposed to operate a heat pump in cooling mode when the outside tempertare is below 60-65 degrees…what about in heating? For example if the outside is above 80 degrees is it safe to test it in the heating mode or will it cause damage?

For gas or electric furnaces - For regular heating and cooling, is there a temperature range we should not go above or below when setting the thermostat?

Thanks in advance,

Raffi Agaian

David A. and others have posted this information…

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f2/would-you-test-poll-37933/index2.html#post533192

Our SOP indicates 60 deg F, read on!

Yes for A/C you can’t operate if it’s been below 60 in the last 24 hours. Heat pump for heat don’t run it above 80 or if the power hasn’t been on for at least 6 hours. On most you can turn the thermostat up 4 degrees some are only 3 degrees.

Thank you Tim and Robert for your responses.

Regards,
Raffi Agaian

Right out of the INACHI SOP. :slight_smile:

II. The inspector is not required to:

C. operate equipment or systems if exterior temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or when other circumstances are not conducive to safe operation, or may damage the equipment.

Gentleman, our SOP states the following for heating…no mention of temperature which is what confuses me.

E. activate heating, heat pump systems or other heating systems when ambient temperatures or other circumstances are not conducive to safe operation or may damage the equipment.

For example, if you are in a house with a gas / electric furnace and the outside is 90 degrees…do you just report “not safe to operate”?..what is the temperature cut off that you would not risk operating the equipment?

Thank you!

I believe they are referring to AC only. What i do is run the ac in the summer time , then test the heat . there should no problem with gas or electric.

Please quit “inventing the wheel” !!!

You can turn on the heat. You (according to the inspection standards) do not need to operate the HVAC below 60-65 F.

If your qualified, yes you can…

If you want to know why you should not test: http://www.midtninspections.com/blog?page=2

Unless it has a crank case heater lolol . Just messing

Got it, thanks!

Hi Raffi,
I’m interested as well on this temp. limit to operate the heating mode on the HVAC. So, in the SOP all that is indicated is the limit temp. for the cooling mode - 65 F.
Nothing for heating mode. What is the answer to your question, then?

Carmen, probably don’t wait on an answer from Raffi.

He hasn’t posted since Feb. 16, 2012 and this thread is ~13 years old.

Maybe start a new thread with your query?

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Hi Larry,
I just need to know if we have to test or not the heating if outdoor temp. is over 70 F. In Florida, where we are being that we use the heating mode only a few weeks a year, there is like 8 months since the heating was last time used. Now, the air handler are gas operated and until the temp. is reached there is a higher CO in the exhaust (burned) gas, therefore the alarms turned on.
So, my question is just do we have to throw in the heat if outdoor temp. is over 65 F?

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I would test the heating system when outdoor temperature is over 70* F but, maybe try the Florida thread for items relating to Florida:

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You don’t “have to do” anything, but follow the prescribed standards (FL SOP) and record the reasons why or why not something was inspected, tested, etc.

There is none! Read this thread…
You’re just going to see if it responds to operating controls, right?

I would hope not.

This thread seems to have drifted away from the OP’s question. If you operated the heat pump in heat mode when temperatures are below 60-65 (that is what it is for-heat), then you have already operated all the major components of the AC system save one. The reversing valve. Go ahead and operate it in cooling mode before you leave to make sure the reversing valve works.

You couldn’t have looked very hard, we’ve been over this a million times.

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Well, that is all the SOP requires, unless you love in a state that requires useless and unnecessary stuff (like Delta T).

You do more than this for $249? Yea, right.
Show me your SOP.

Do you know what a Heat Pump is? Show me where this is a requirement for any HVAC equipment.

(e) The home inspector is not required to:

  1. Operate heating systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage.

A furnace has a High Temperature limit control that allows you to run it in summer, till you do it too long, then it shuts off before any damage can occur.

An air conditioner has a compressor crankcase heater. Unless the power was off before your inspection, it can run for a short time. This is for old reciprocal compressors. New units with Scroll Compressors can handle anything so long as you don’t run it too long and wash out the compressor oil, which only an incompetent Home Inspector might try to do.

A Heat Pump is designed to run anytime. It has a high pressure safety device if you run it too long in the summer. And it is designed to make heat in the winter. As a matter of fact, in the winter, the unit switches to cooling every 45 min to remove ice on the coil. So you can run it any time in the winter in cooling. It also has an accumulator to protect the compressor and store unneeded refrigerant during the winter. So run it as long as you want…

The reason you would run anything in the off season is to see if it “Responds to normal operating controls”.

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Yes, I do. If you think that the minimum requirement of the SOP is to set the thermostat and see if the unit turns on, you have sorely missed the point of this part of the standard. Even a system that is not functioning properly will respond to normal operating controls.