Heating System Inspect, Diagnose, & Repair

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What kind of heat have I got? 

Start here if you don't know whether your heat is provided by a furnace (hot air) or boiler (hot water), whether your fuel is oil, gas, or electric, and whether your heat is hot water, steam, or warm air:

• HEATING SYSTEM TYPES
• MOBILE HOME HEATING SYSTEMS
• WALL-MOUNTED FURNACES

How do I fix the heating system?

If your heating system is not working properly, choose one of the following diagnostic procedures:

• NO HEAT - DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS - BOILER
• NO HEAT - DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS - FURNACE
• DIAGNOSTIC GUIDES for A/C / HEAT PUMP
• ELECTRIC HEAT

How to Inspect Heating Systems

Building HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) systems have three tasks: control indoor temperature and humidity at comfortable levels, provide adequate fresh air from outdoors, and the removal of indoor air odors and pollutants by a combination of air pressure control, filtration, and exhaust ventilation systems.

But not all HVAC systems are designed to perform all three of these jobs, and in typical residential buildings, separate and uncoordinated systems may be installed to heat, ventilate, and perhaps cool the building interior.

Start a heating system inspection with basic "distant" visual observations

A proper heating system inspection begins outside with taking notice of the chimneys, flues, and vents, and for the type and location of heating equipment fuel that is used: oil tanks, LP gas, piped in natural gas, solar, etc.

Similarly inside, before attempting a close inspection of the heating equipment itself, take note of and record defects in the heating distribution system (is there even heat present in every room?), and in the location of the heating equipment: is the boiler in a closet where it lacks combustion air, fire clearances etc.

Take a look at the oil burner shown at above left - observed during a mobile home inspection.

From just opening the bathroom sink vanity, we see that an oil burner has been shoe-horned into a space where it does not belong, is unsafe, and is extremely difficult to access and service properly.

Watch out: From the moment of observing work such as the system shown in our photo, the inspector, owner, or heating service technician needs to be on red alert for amateur, unsafe workmanship.

For a step by step procedure that can be used to inspect the condition of a heating system, see

HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR - where we suggest detailed step by step approaches for inspecting complex systems - a free, online, detailed heating system inspection course.

Critical Defects in Heating Systems

Critical defects are defects which form an immediate, significant safety hazard or defects which are quite likely to involve significant repair or replacement cost, and which involve components or systems which are necessary to occupy and use the building.

An inspector should not fail to detect these critical defects when examining any building component or system.

Heating system inspection and critical defects cover a rather broad range. See the list of specific critical defects at

CRITICAL DEFECTS in HEATING SYSTEMS

Pay careful attention to:

Life Safety Hazards:

Watch out: if you see soot on a gas fired heater of any sort - as shown in our gas burner photo above - there is a serious risk of fatal carbon monoxide poisoning in the building. Conditions like this need quick attention and also are a reminder to be sure that both carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are properly installed, located, and tested.

Other examples of what might be serious safety hazards include evidence of unsafe chimneys, missing or damaged safety devices (relief valves, emergency shutoffs), and visual evidence of dangerous overheating of the equipment or leaks of flue gases.

Responsibly conducted, an inspection of a gas-fired furnace, for example, might discover that the furnace has been exposed to severe rust-producing conditions (see our page top photo) which risk an unsafe heat exchanger and a carbon monoxide hazard which could be fatal to building occupants.

Even though the heat exchanger may not be visible, the contextual clues around the furnace, if they are visually obvious, should be translated into a level of concern by the inspector, and where appropriate, translated into a recommendation for action.

This does not mean "failing" every furnace to be on the "safe side", it means responsible inspecting and reporting.

See EXPLODING RADIATOR for a reader's question about a possible example of a dangerous condition that may not have been recognized.

Costly defects:

Such as evidence of a heating system at or near the end of its life of safe, reliable operation, or evidence of a buried oil tank which is likely to be old and for which there is no record of leak testing, should be reported.

How to Reduce Home Heating Costs

Looking for ways to save money by reducing your home heating costs?

There are a number of ways to do so in addition to paying attention to your specific heating components. Higher thermostat settings, inadequate insulation, drafty windows, and more can raise heating costs even if you have a brand new furnace.

At

HEATING COST SAVINGS METHODS

we discuss how to adjust heating equipment for maximum efficiency, heating and energy savings tips for homeowners and service technicians, gas & oil heat money saving tips, thermostat tips, and tuneup tips.

There you will also find links to more of the article series on steps to reduce home heating costs.

Heating System Inspection & Diagnosis Detailed Articles & Education Curriculum Suggestions

See key heating system inspection, troubleshooting, installation or repair articles at the MORE READING article recommendations found at the end of any article at this website.

Defect Lists & Education Curriculum suggestions: for heating system inspection, troubleshooting, repair

• CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES
• CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES DAMAGE
• CONDENSING GAS FURNACE INSPECTION & TESTS
• DIRECT VENTS / SIDE WALL VENTS
• HEAT BOILER GAS DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT BOILER OIL DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT, ELECTRIC DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT PUMP DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT PUMP SUBSYS DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT RADIANT DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT FURNACE GAS DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT FURNACE OIL DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT SPACE & FIREPLACE, GAS DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT STEAM DEFECTS LIST
• HEAT, WOOD APPLIANCE DEFECTS LIST