I done an inspection the other day on a house that the owner/seller attended. I don't mind that, I really don't, as long as they let me do my job and report to my client without interference. IMHO the seller should not be there, it can lead to uncomfortable situations and sometimes the seller feels like they are being ganged up on and get defensive. I get that, that's why they should go get lunch or something while the inspection is happening.
Here, the owner proudly presented me with a ton of documentation for the upgrades they had done to the property. "You're going to love my new HVAC (Heating Venting & Air Conditioning) unit, it is the Mac Daddy!" I said good, I will check it out. Then he proceeded to tell me that the system was designed by a HVAC engineer that had just come out of college and this was his first job. "Uh oh", I thought. "Nice" I told him, "I'm sure it is very efficient then"
So off I went to conduct my evaluation of the property. I finally got to the HVAC unit of 
which the air handler was in the attic. That in itself is not very wise. Unless there is NOwhere else to have it because of space, the attic is a poor place for installation. Especially if you are the poor guy that has to crawl all the way across the attic to the other side from the access point where the pull down stairs are at to service it! Ahem... sorry, I got off track. I wormed my way over to the air handler, sweating profusely. The first thing I noticed is that the drain pan installed under it was not plumbed to the outside like the condensate line was. Not smart. It could fill, overflow and you wouldn't even know it till its too late, and caused water damage. And there was a small area that they had moved the insulation aside for some reason and not replaced it. So there was no insulation in this small square area right beside the unit. Then, I noticed there were several return ducts coming in from the bedrooms and the hallway, that is good.
Only one problem... the filter is on the end of the unit, in the attic! So to change the filter, 
you have to climb into the attic and crawl on your hands and knees all the way across the attic dragging a new filter and hope you don't put your foot through the ceiling drywall because you missed the little board you have to crawl on.
That is not smart, that's just ignorant. When I asked the owner when the last time he changed the filter he said "I think in January" Hmmm, 9 months ago. I see why he hasn't done it...
I hope this engineer guy gets better with experience, cause in this case, you failed and created a huge mess for your clients. Guilty, Mr. HVAC Engineer!
Get a Home Inspection before purchasing a home folks... the money you save may be your own!
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