Originally Posted by
Ted Menelly
Jerry
I cannot believe you said this statement below
"Regardless of what is stated as 'required' in the SOP, if 50% or more of the home inspectors in that area open those covers, that is the 'standard' to be used in that area, 'required' by the SOP or not."
If it is in the standards or not???? What are you suppose to do. Call 50 inspectors in your area and find out if 50% of them do a particular dead at an inspection.
If you attend local inspector meetings, or even state association meetings, *you will know* what *most* (i.e., 50% or more) of the inspectors in your area do.
If you do not attend those meetings ... well ... apparently you are not out seeking what you should be knowing.
It really is that plain and simple.
As far as Davids point about opening the condenser cabinet, well half of them are sealed, on top of the system and cannot be gotten into.
And, if it is all taped and sealed up, don't you write it up as stating it was all taped and sealed and an a/c contractor should come out to clean it and inspect it?
If not, you should.
As far as looking at the blower motor in newer units you can get to them most of the time.
And those you should be opening up.
Many HVAC have been leaking or sucking air severally in the past and HVAC techs have come in and taped and mastic-ed the units up. To open them and break that seal that the seller paid to have done, well, I don't do it. As far as not being able to access a unit properly I will always write it up to be serviced and cleaned for that fact.
There you go, just what I said you should do.
NOW ... it is up to the buyer to follow your advice - right?
Quick edit here
As far as testing the motor for current draw or anything besides apparent operation, vibration etc. I do not believe that is going to happen with almost any inspector.
Which I covered with "Opening the cover and 'looking inside' and 'inspecting the motor' are not synonymous."
Sounds like you and I are really not only in the same book, and on the same page, but we are reading the same paragraph too ... except that I guess you would not have said it - but I did - because it needed to be said.
As Billy pointed out by referring to the SoP, and Nick pointed out by posting the referenced section "
"A - The inspector is not required to: 3) Disassemble equipment by any means other than panels provided by the manufacturer for inspections and/or service." If you go by this, then the inspector should be opening access panels. "
*ALL* SoP's I've read basically say the same thing - "
A - The inspector is not required to: 3) Disassemble equipment by any means other than panels provided by the manufacturer for inspections and/or service."
There is a big difference between "disassembling equipment" and "removing a panel provided by the manufacturer for inspection and service".
So, I repeat, the home inspector "should" always open the cover and look inside.
With the obvious exception being as you stated, when "HVAC techs have come in and taped and mastic-ed the units up.", with your addition of "As far as not being able to access a unit properly I will always write it up to be serviced and cleaned for that fact."
Now, if that home inspector DID NOT open the cover, and DID NOT call for that cleaning and servicing, DID HE really do his client justice?
In my opinion - No, he did not do his client justice. He did not do what he was hired to do. He opted for the 'soft-sell' way out.
Do you agree with that?
How many others agree with that?
Disagree with that?