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Heating Defect Pictures from Home Inspections

Heating Defect Pictures show that many Home Owners do not conduct annual maintenance inspections of their furnace and components.  The Home Owner or Heating Technician should inspect their heating system annually to prevent a sudden failure at an inopportune time.  ( furnace fails on Sunday creating emergency repair costs )  Most newer homes heating systems are fairly basic as they are designed prior to installation and most controls are electronic.  Older furnaces can have Heating Defects ranging from asbestos insulation on pipes or plenums to some areas of home not even having heat ducts installed.

View Heating Defect Pictures from actual home inspections in the Barrie and Local Area

 
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What ever fuel is used to heat your home, it is an essential element of your home’s comfort and safety. The cost of heating your home is also one of the largest household bills that you may pay each year. It only makes good financial sense that maintaining your heating system is an essential part of yearly home maintenance.  Many rural home owners supplement their propane or oil heat with wood stoves.  Wood Stoves, Fireplaces and Pellet Stoves will typically be inspected by a WETT Certified Inspector

Regularly maintaining your heating system will not only keep you warm when winter comes, but it will also save you money in the long run.

How can you keep your home heating system working efficiently and help to lower your energy bills? Here are some easy ways to maintain your heating system.

Regular inspection

First, it is important to carry out a yearly home inspection to examine the condition of your HVAC system. This is best done in the fall before you need to use your heating system in winter. You should look for signs of cracked pipes, leaks in fuel lines, or damaged parts. If you find any signs of damage in your inspection, you should quickly replace damaged parts.  Some home owners simply buy a maintenance program which includes annual cleaning and any required repairs.

Replace filters

Clogged and blocked filters should be replaced regularly. Don’t wait until you notice signs of a blockage, but keep your furnace filters clean so that air flows freely and your furnace works efficiently.  Dirty filters can make your furnace work harder to provide heat and could be the catalyst to cause failure.  At the same time, make sure that the burner is clean and the area is free from dirt and debris and is firing up properly.

Check ventilation pipes

You should also carry out a visual check of any ventilation openings and pipes around your burner or fireplace. Air needs to flow in and out of the furnace for efficiency and to keep energy costs down.  Every manufacture has specific limits on length of your furnace vent pipe,  this could cause your furnace to fail and only a very knowledgeable technician would be able to diagnose something this simple.

Heating Defects – Items Inspected

Heating System

  • Furnace or boiler operation
  • Type of fuel (gas, oil, electricity)
  • Furnace efficiency (conventional, mid and high efficiency)Separated Flue Vent in attic.
  • Age, projected life expectancy and failure probability of furnace or boiler
  • Inspect heat exchanger if possible as well as condensate leaks
  • Electric baseboard heaters, hot water radiators and in-floor radiant heating
  • Vent system and flues
  • Air filters, including electronic filters maintenance
  • Air supply duct system. Do all rooms have a heat source?
  • Heat recovery ventilation (HRV)
  • Humidifier

Barrie Home Inspection has inspected over 8,000 residential properties.  We have also inspected Commercial and Industrial Buildings in most of Southern Ontario.

Read our Comprehensive Article on the Basics of Home Inspections