Standards of Practice of all Home Inspection Associations and Tennessee State Law does not require a home inspector to evaluate the capacity of HVAC systems.

Air conditioners are not required to be run when the outdoor air temperature is below 60/65 °F.

We temporarily modify the HVAC equipment so it can be operated in these cold ambient temperatures. Though this test can not determine capacity of the equipment (due to the lack of heat load on the equipment), all the major components can be verified as being in operating condition.

Under most circumstances, home inspectors measure the air temperature entering the return grill and exiting the supply air grill. If there is not a 17/20° dry bulb temperature split, they will refer you to an HVAC contractor for further evaluation which will result in additional inspection fees. In most cases, the equipment will require servicing/cleaning before the HVAC contractor will evaluate the equipment.

Evaluation using dry bulb temperature splits is totally worthless in determining equipment performance. Additional information must be collected with specialized test equipment and psychometric evaluation performed to determine if the equipment is operating properly.

Opening equipment panels, other than service panels accessible by the homeowner is not required of home inspectors.

• HVAC equipment is the single most expensive appliance in the home.
• It is the most common improperly installed appliance.
• It is the appliance that is in most need of repair/maintenance. 
• Most important, it is the appliance that keeps you and your family comfortable.

Can you afford not to have this equipment fully evaluated?

We recommend you consider a complete evaluation and system performance check by a Mechanical Contractor or an HVAC Certified Home Inspector.