What Is An HVAC System?
HVAC — or heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning — is the system that is responsible for the climate control in your home. Most modern HVAC systems are centralized and allow you to control the climate of your home from a single panel, but there are many working parts that make this happen. What exactly constitutes an HVAC system is fairly broad and can include:
- Fireplaces
- Boilers
- Ductwork and vents
- Mounted A/C units
- Outdoor A/C units
What your inspector will be most concerned with are the visible parts of the HVAC system. They will look at what the primary methods of heating and cooling are — as well as the age and condition of the systems.
The Primary Heating And Cooling Units
The one thing that a home must have in order to “pass” the HVAC section of a 4 point inspection is a heating and cooling unit that is in full working order and is appropriate for the size of the home. The following are usually looked down upon in a 4 point inspection if they are used as the primary heating and cooling units:
- Wall or window A/C units
- Oil furnaces
- Fireplaces
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have a fireplace or a window mounted A/C unit in the house, just that they are not meant to be used as a primary source of heating or cooling. These are old-fashioned methods that are no longer considered safe enough for most homes, not to mention their lack of energy efficiency.
The Age And Condition Of Your HVAC System
Of secondary importance are the age and condition of the various parts of your HVAC system. Your inspector won’t perform a detailed inspection of every single part of your HVAC but they will look to make sure that they appear well-maintained. As long as there are no glaring issues this portion of the inspection should go smoothly.
The lifespan of your average outdoor A/C unit ranges from 15 to 20 years. For furnaces, the lifespan is similar at 16 to 20 years. If the units are older than this you may be advised to replace them.
With this we conclude our series of posts on the finer points of 4 point inspections. Remember, a 4 point inspection is meant to be performed along with a home inspection — not instead of it.
You will likely need a 4 point in order to get homeowners insurance while a full home inspection is intended to help you make the final decision when buying a home.
At Super Inspection Pros our licensed inspectors have years experience performing efficient 4 point inspections. We’ve worked with many insurance providers so we know how to tailor our reports to get you the best results possible. Please, contact us today to learn more about our inspection process or to schedule a 4 point inspection of your home.
