Here we are again - new construction HVAC - installed, supervised, inspected and approved.
It looks great! Very professional!
This type of installation is getting more and more popular - the cabinet base on the side or the front is used to install an HVAC register.
Especially in areas where there is limited wall space.
Somebody from one of the trades - the HVAC professional, the cabinet professional - some professional cut the hole in the side of the cabinet to heat and cool this bathroom.
And it looks fine.
The professional supervisor had to have known this was done. It's very important that HVAC is not only installed well but forcefully blows air. The professional supervisor's job is to answer installation questions and inspect what has been done.
The County, of course, is there quickly for their final 
"inspection" and approval of the finished house. Yep, all looking good here!
The home inspector, said to be unnecessary to all this other professional oversight and series of serious previous professional installations and inspections, comes to have a look around.
This home inspector has been around long enough to actually feel to see if an HVAC register blows air.
AND ESPECIALLY IN NEW CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS!
He even has a CFM meter to see how much C ubic F eet of air is flowing per M inute when the air flow from a particular register is weak. What, he has THAT gadget too?
In this case the home inspector (um, that would be me) did not feel any air at all! Imagine, no air coming from an HVAC register? What? Gee, that just shouldn't be. He is pretty sure air is supposed to blow from HVAC registers.
Well, lookie here. This home inspector's camera saw something interesting!
The professional installer actually saw that the HVAC register was in a difficult spot. The bathroom cabinet would cover half of the HVAC duct opening, and the other half would be covered by floor molding. Oh no! What to do?
The professional supervisor said that it was no biggie - just cut out the back of the cabinet base to the edge of the HVAC register and install a register in the side of the adjacent base beside it! Problem solved! The trash beside everything is just a nice cosmetic touch.
Oh, by the way, no air actually blows from that special opening in the front of the cabinet base.
My recommendation: as has been said so many times before and in so many places by THIS home inspector - you can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. AND WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION YOU NEED, NEED, NEED A PROFESSIONAL HOME INSPECTION! Not a professional one provided by others. You want a REALLY PROFESSIONAL home inspection by a certified and licensed home inspector.
All sigh. The end.
Comments (31)Subscribe to CommentsComment