Home Inspection of Air Conditioners
This home inspector knows how important AC on these hot and humid summer days. It is important for the home buyer to know the state of the AC before they move it. Home inspectors will inspect AC as part of the home inspections.
Overview of Air Conditioners
Although not essential to a home climate system in Canada, air conditioners are found in nearly every home to combat the inevitable heat waves that come in our short summers. They typically work with the heating air duct system to allow homeowners to create the ideal indoor temperature.
How Air Conditioners Work
Similar to your fridge or freezer, air conditioners use pressure changes of a refrigerant to transfer heat from inside your home to the outside, thus cooling your home. A compressor causes the refrigerant to heat up on its way to the outside coil where air blowing across the coil expels heat outside. On its way back inside the pressure is released and its temperature drops to that inside at the furnace blower cool air from the coil is blown throughout your home.
Air Conditioner Considerations
Air conditioners come in many different sizes and efficiencies. Modular units that sit on the floor or in a window may efficiently cool a room but are not considered part of a home and are not part of a home inspection report. The main air conditioning unit and coil will be somewhere outside of the home and can be found along an exterior wall, a deck or even mounted on the roof. The efficiency of your air conditioner and your home’s insulation will determine the operational cost of your system. Air conditioners typically run solely on electricity to run the compressor, pump and fans. Typical problems with operation or performance or related to compressor valves, flow of refrigerant, or clogged or blocked air flow/filter on the inside or outside coils.
Air Conditioners on your Home Inspection Your General Home Inspection report will give you information on cooling system of the home. Provided the outside temperature allows, the system will be operated within normal conditions to verify performance. On your home inspection report, you will find the type, location, thermostat location, make and size of your cooling system.
