New Home or Renovated homes and your HVAC System-
Cle Elum and Quincy Home Inspection Service
I sure wish this was not so common, but it is. When performing a home inspection on new homes or recently renovated home I am going to be taking a careful look at the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition) system, mainly forced air systems.
I find all too often that these forced air systems have been heavily contaminated from the construction process. This is the lungs of your home and if contaminated it will be distributing this debris throughout the home. In addition this debris can be very hard on the system causing undue wear on the mechanical components and needless to say clogged air filters.
Here is and example of a brand new furnace that the air filter has been so heavily contaminated that the filter was pulled out of the housing slot allowing paint and drywall debris to bypass into the system.
Here is the air filter flipped over showing that it is completely clogged.
Interestingly I can only find that Arkansas actually has a code prevision (Chapter 6 – Ducts) that pertains to this. (If anyone else has some information on this I would like to know)
Arkansas Code Section 601.5- "The air distribution system, including equipment shall be protected during construction to be maintained free of debris or other foreign material."
This seems like it should be common sense, but what do I know? Usually a good HVAC contractor can provide a temporary system that can be used to condtion the air during construction but I find this is not often done.
The HVAC is usually one of the most expensive systems in the home and they do wear out. They also provide many important benefits to the inhabitant such as conditioning the air, filtering the air and in newer systems providing fresh air. See link-Understanding your HVAC
When buying a home or if you have not had your system evaluated I recommend having it done. This will help provide a healthier indoor environment for you and your family.
Here is the workers masking paper, lunch bag and glove before I removed it. Well done there. (Do not think they thought I would look ; )
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
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