In A Contest Of The Most Inefficient HVAC Installation, This One Wins!
Buying a house? You need to know what to look for - before you buy. this home inspector knows. Make sure the one you hire can do the job correctly.
For Homes on the Jersey Shore......Always Ask 4 Greg.
Thanks Jay for another well written article.
In A Contest Of The Most Inefficient HVAC Installation, This One Wins!
This new house has a fourth level. I love fourth levels! They make excellent use of otherwise unused attic space.
However, a fourth level is hard to air condition and heat. It is by itself, usually surrounded by insulated walls and roof, and is more easily influenced by outdoor temperatures.
THEREFORE, INSULATION HAS TO BE VERY WELL DONE AND THE HVAC DESIGN IS CRUCIAL.
Turning on the system and entering the room I noticed a particularly troublesome design flaw.
There are only two HVAC registers, kind of low on the wall, and one is right beside the return!
The return's grill is pointing down, so it will draw air from where?
That's right! One of the HVAC registers!
So, when warm or cool air is blown out, it is drawn right back in!
This design wins the Most Inefficient Contest no matter if its wearing the bathing suit, evening gown or explaining that we should have world peace!
After running the HVAC for only a couple of minutes I took a thermal image of this problem.
Apparently the system is operating as advertised as the warm air from the register, here already heated up to 110F, is blowing onto the wall and right into the return!
Notice the little purple spot over the register? That is poorly-placed insulation.
In fact, throughout much of the slanted ceiling walls, and the flat ceiling itself, the insulation was very poorly placed!
This is a room headed for disaster.
It will be very difficult to make a comfortable temperature, no matter the season.
But I still love the room!
It does need work, though.
My recommendation: houses are made up of many systems. These systems all interact to make the house efficient, or inefficient, comfortable or uncomfortable, wet or dry, solid or flimsy. Look around. Make sure things are done right. And hire a home inspector! He'll look around too! And remember, thermographers are all really cute.
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
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