Home Inspection Tips and Guidelines

Air-Conditioning Inspection


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Performing a regular maintenance of air conditioning and heating systems will ensure appliance reliability, but maintaining an HVAC system is also necessary to ensure it is working properly at all times, at its highest efficiency. If, on the other hand, air conditioning and heating systems are not regularly cleaned, maintained and tuned up, there is a higher chance that the appliances will perform poorly.

A neglected HVAC system will not perform as well as a properly maintained one, and it will also sharply decrease the life span of the system. To prolong the life span of the appliances, repair problems with air conditioning and heating systems as quickly as possible. Also, your HVAC system should be fully inspected by a professional at least once a year, or, depending on what the building is used for, it may need to be inspected several times a year. For instance, in a high dust environment such as a manufacturing plantair filters should be changed more often than usual, with special care not to damage the HVAC equipment.

 

Proper Maintenance of Air Conditioning and Heating Systems

First of all, look over maintenance records from inspections the HVAC systems has previously had. It is easy to detect poor maintenance and not regularly scheduling inspections from industrial air conditioning service experts. If the HVAC maintenance records indicate that there have been problems with the system that could have been prevented by performing routine system inspections, then investing in a set system maintenance schedule is overdue. Without proper maintenance, air conditioning systems and heating systems will break down and require replacing earlier than maintained appliances.

Air Quality Improvement Guide - Properly Maintaining Your HVAC System

Having an HVAC system properly maintained by an industrial air conditioning service company will ensure clean, healthy indoor air at a comfortable temperature, as well as important energy savings due to the system’s efficiency. In searching for an air conditioning service company to perform maintenance on your HVAC system, remember to ask them about their maintenance routines and company policies, ask if they guarantee to find common issues before they become larger and more expensive problems, what exactly do they inspect, whether the system cleaning is included in the checkup, or if their employees are paid some commission on upgrades or replacements you may not necessarily need.

A reliable and reputable company should easily answer such questions fully.

An Air Conditioning Inspection Involves:

An air conditioning inspection is required by the Energy Performance Buildings Directive (EPBD), which imposes regular inspections of air conditioning installations. These inspections are in addition to those required to meet Statutory and Duty of Care obligations. Air conditioning inspections are designed to improve efficiency and reduce electricity consumption, carbon emissions and operating costs. Such inspections highlight improvements to the operation of your existing installations, and offer opportunities to replace older, less efficient and possibly over-sized systems with newer and more energy-efficient ones. Air conditioning inspections should be conducted a maximum of five years apart.

Buildings Requiring Air Conditioning Inspections

An air conditioning system refers to any system where refrigeration is used to provide cooling for the comfort of the occupants. This excludes separate refrigeration provided solely for process applications such as pharmaceutical production, cold stores and so on. All air conditioning systems with an effective rated output  >12kW must be regularly inspected by a registered Energy Assessor.

When Are Air Conditioning Inspections Required?

  • new systems installed from January 1st, 2008 must be inspected within 5 years
  • all other air conditioning systems with an effective rated output >250 kW must have their inspection performed by January 2009
  • all air conditioning systems with an effective rated output >12 kW must have their inspection performed by January 2011

Aid conditioning inspections can only be conducted by qualified, accredited non-domestic Energy Assessors.

An Air Conditioning Inspection Covers:

The inspection will examine the refrigeration and air movement that are part of air conditioning systems and will check their controls. In addition, an inspection will also examine any documentation that helps you understand the systems or indicates the extent to which they have been maintained. The energy assessor is required to estimate whether the system is suitably sized for the cooling loads in the treated spaces, as well as to advise customers in ways in which the performance of the system might be improved.

The air conditioning inspector will need access to equipment that may be located in plant rooms, outside the building, on rooftops or other locations with limited provision for access. The air conditioning inspection report will list faults detected and steps to be taken in rectifying those faults. Most reports contain advice with a combination of simple low or no cost measures, as well as other measures which may require some investment either to be applied or to investigate the potential to apply them in more detail. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the requirements relating to air conditioning inspection reports, and there are penalties for failing to have an air-conditioning inspection report.

Whether you have a mobile home heating system, a system connected to vent pipe, heat pump systems, electric water heaters, cold freon liquid or other type of air conditioning, an inspector will have a well documented inspection checklist and look for home heating system defects, examine the air conditioner component parts, check the humidity of the air, the air conditioning compressor, the air filter efficiency, cooling capacity, the thermostat switch, electrical components, evaluate drainage, examine the heat pump systems, check the air filter installation and so on. Even if you have an extended warranty, an inspection is still required and strongly recommended.