HVAC- Heating, Venting, Air Conditioning-

<Rembrandt was here!- Or maybe its a Picaco. When we inspected this air conditioner unit, the paint was still wet.  Guess the homeowner must have wanted it to look better for the inspector. They painted over the data plate so I couldn't tell exactly how old it was (cleaver).  I know it is at least 15 years old and nearing the end of its designed lifespan.

>Dryed Ice?- Here the dryer vent is blowing hot air into the air conditioner.  Do you think this might effect the A/C performance?  Because the A/C unit sucks in outside air, where might all the clothes lint go?  Right into the A/C blower motor, clogging it up.  This A/C unit was caked with clothes lint.

<All ducted out!- That's right, the miracle fixer, duct tape.  Can be used on almost everything, right? Maybe this picture should be in the plumbing section since it is on a single walled water heater flue.  But whatever the flue, the result of melting duct tape at every joint is the same.  This is considered a fire concern, not to mention some funky fumes in the basement.

>Too close for comfort-  We see this often, wood or other combustible material touching a flue pipe.  Double walled flue pipe (called B-type) requires a 1" clearance all the way around it.  Other types need 3-4 inches of clearance.  Some pipes (certain stove pipes) even require 6 inches of clearance.  Many builders will tell you they have done this for years and have had no problems.  Perhaps, and the likelihood of this burning your house down is low, but why take a chance when it can be easily fixed.

<Reading you loud and clear-

This photo show the vents manufacturer label on the vent that says "B-Type flue vent- 1" clearance from combustible materials required".  And yet two feet above the lable, wood is touching the flue.  Imagine that. 

>One size fits all!?- Two furnaces and two water heaters all into a five inch chimney flue opening.  As a result when multiple appliances operated, carbon monoxide backdrafted into the home.  Note another larger port into the chimney was blocked off (lower right corner of photo). The capped one was probably for the furnaces the other smaller one for the water heaters.

<A long way to Tipperary- This furnace AND water heater flue was over 35 feet long horizonally, then about that long again vertically.  We detected some carbon monxide fumes at both the water heater and furnace due to the improper flue length for about 15 minutes during their operation.  When the flue finally heated up, it drafted okay, but 15 minutes of fumes throughout a day would be considered a danger.

>No Excuse- This newly constructed "finished" home had the furnace flue routed up through the underside of the chimney chase.  I was concerned with the lack of clearance to combustible materials and figured the builder forgot to cut out around it.  When I gently pulled on the flue this is what I saw.  No metal chimney at all.  Imagine the potential carbon monoxide fumes and likelyhood of a fire.  Although it is very unlikely to find this level of negligence in new home, it can happen.

<Going down?- (left) The largest pipe is the furnace flue, the center pipe the water heater.  The furnace was routed down before it goes up to the chimney.  Fumes don't go downhill very well, this could cause carbon monoxide to backdraft in the furnace draft hood.

>Size matters-  The flue to the right was reduced from a six inch pipe to a four or five inch pipe in the attic, with aluminum and caulk.  The caulk is not designed for high levels of heat and the reduction could reduce the air flow causing carbon monoxide to back up into the home.

<Lots of hot air-

"We just had a new heating system installed, it should be fine"-  At least that's what the homeowner said about the furnace when I came to inspect it.  Here is a newly installed supply duct terminating in the attic.  Hot air was blowing out full steam..... into the attic....  Hummm...  "Have you paid him yet?"

<See the silver pipes sticking out just above the yellow insulation?  One is a bath vent, other is a fresh air inlet pipe that supplies fresh air to the utility room so proper combustion can occur.  This is a common installation in the 1980's and 90's.  However it has been discovered that during times the furnace is off, warm air in the utility room drift back up the fresh air inlet pipe (hot air rises) and causes condensation on the attic sheathing and framing, which can cause mold to develop.  This picture was taken before that kind of damage could occur, but in a few years it might.  Now fresh air inlets are routed to the exterior or have an air trap installed.

>This old flue was not galvanized steel and therefore rusted prematurely, mostly from the inside out.  See the crack?  The other side was even worse with more holes.  Carbon monoxide gasses could enter the home this way and this should be repaired immediately.

<Many old plumbing pipes and HVAC boiler pipes were wrapped with a white asbestos based insulation.  It is best not to disturb this wrapping in any way and have a professional remove it. 

>Cramped Quarters-  This closet access hatch (which the homeowner had locked closed) was the only way into the utility room which had two gas appliances, the furnace and gas water heater.  All gas appliances need fresh air to properly combust without causing carbon monoxide backdrafting.  Cramped quarters like this make it difficult to service the appliances and make it too easy to forget to change the filter.

<Houston, we have a problem-  Even pretty new appliances can have a problem.  It appears that the A/C condensation pan is leaking down into the furnace cabinet, rusting it.  If this continues, this "newer" furnace will need to be replaced.

>The GAP-  In this case, the gap is not a place to buy cool clothes.  Here the main supply plenum is deverting more warm air to the furnace than to some rooms in the house.  Just a small gap can misbalance the homes heating/air system and send significant CFM of conditioned air to the wrong rooms in the house.

<That really sucks-  The furnace filter was being sucked into the blower motor when it was on.  Pictured here is when the blower was off, but you can still see how far out of form it has become.  A dirty or damaged filter can clog up the blower motor and burn it out. 

>Filter? I don't need no stinking filter!-

This A-coil picture and the one below of the blower motor are the result of running the furnace (or A/C)without a clean filter.  In the case of this furnace, no filter was to be found.  Just a box of furnace filters high on the utility room shelf.  The homeowner said she hasn't had any trouble with the furnace before, it's worked fine.  She had a puzzled look when I asked her if she ever changed the filter.  "No", she said, "it doesn't need a filter.  I just leave it alone & it works fine".

<This blower motor and impeller were caked with debri.  The extra stress this debri puts on the motor burns them out and could start a fire.

1" wide disposable filters should be replaced at least every other month throughout the year when it is used.

<Tip toe through the tulips-  or maybe the homeowner doesn't know his brother-in-law just crimped off the heat to the family room.  Restricted air flow can be the result of disconnected pipes or in-line damper turned off.  We measure heat and A/C flow at every register in the house.

<Quick, the buyer is coming!- At the new home walk thru, we found that two of the heat registers didn't put out any heat.  When we lifted the register grill, we found out why.

>Sometimes the lack of air flow at the floor registers can be the result of a closed off return vent. 

<Around and around she goes-  Pictured left is a cold air return duct (larger grill) and a heat supply duct.  As the furnace supplies heat from the small duct, it gets sucked right back down with the return duct next to it.  No wonder it's always cold in this room.

<Getting Tanked- Abandoned fuel storage tanks in the basement can be a health hazard, we recommend all old tanks be removed.

All the concerns above are repairable.  And although they may not have effected the buying decision, all our clients really appreciated just knowing about these concerns.  We realize you have a choice in home inspectors, we hope you make a wise choice in hiring Home Check America.  Because your peace of mind matters.