The HVAC Inspection Checklist: Why Is It So Important?

The HVAC market is predicted to reach $35 billion in the next decade. Why? It’s never been more important to be comfortable in your home.

Texas alone has 17.7 million homeowners—61.7% of its population. Though HVAC systems aren’t the only home system to impact homeowners’ comfort, there are actions homeowners can take to keep their central air and heating system humming.

People delay home upgrades and maintenance for two main reasons: time and money. But there’s one other reason and it’s a silent threat—not knowing why HVAC maintenance is so important.

If your HVAC system has not been maintained in while, you’re buying a new home or want a second opinion, an HVAC inspection is a great place to start. Read on for the HVAC inspection checklist all homeowners should have.

What’s an HVAC Inspection Checklist?

Before long, a home can be start talking to you in unavoidable ways. Once symptoms arise, your comfort in the home can be compromised. Don’t wait for discomfort to know what’s going on with your HVAC system.

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Learning about HVAC inspections before you get one does the following things:

What Types of HVAC Inspections Are Available?

There are three general HVAC inspections that most HVAC companies do, but they might go by different names.

  1. HVAC Tune-ups – Your HVAC inspection might be called an HVAC tune-up. These tune-ups follow a multi-point inspection of your air conditioner and heater. We recommend them in the fall for your heater and in the spring for your air conditioner. A thorough inspection paired with maintenance often prevents breakdowns.
  2. HVAC Repair – When your HVAC system isn’t cooling or heating properly, we come out to diagnose the problem by inspecting your system. This type of inspection is focused on fixing the problem, so it is generally not as comprehensive as a tune-up appointment.
  3. HVAC Inspection – We also offer comprehensive HVAC inspections without the maintenance service. These inspections provide a detailed written audit of the age of the equipment, how the system was installed, how it is performing, and listing any recommendations for repairs or improvements. These types of inspections are perfect for HVAC second opinions and for homeowners who are looking to buy or sell a home. It is often more comprehensive in nature than a typical home inspection. A licensed HVAC technician is a specialist and may be able to tell you about your system’s potential for future repairs. Because your HVAC system investment is only second to your home’s roof, a thorough inspection gives homeowners the information they need when evaluating an HVAC system’s health and longevity.

What HVAC Symptoms Do You Have?

The following details are helpful to point out to your HVAC technician before the inspection begins. Which of the following have you noticed or can you share?

  • Any recent maintenance
  • Any repairs in the last 10-15 years
  • High energy bills
  • Inconsistent airflow
  • Discomfort in winter and summer seasons
  • More allergy symptoms than usual
  • Strange odors or sounds
  • Thermostat malfunctions

Among environmental health concerns, a home is supposed to be your haven. Poor air quality and circulation not only compromise your comfort, but they pose severe health concerns.

Breathing in dust, mold and indoor pollutants isn’t good for anyone—even those without allergies. There’s no reason for your home to be a threat to your immune system.

You don’t have to know what any of these symptoms mean, per se. That’s our job. Once you observe and report them, this helps your HVAC technician pinpoint the best way to proceed.

HVAC Inspection Near Me

It’s important to work with local HVAC companies for a few reasons. They’re well-versed in your HVAC equipment and know the climate. An AC company in the Northeast or in the Desert Southwest might offer different solutions than one on the Texas Gulf Coast, where the humidity is high and so are the summer temperatures!

Testing an HVAC system’s heat load (Manual J) depends on the home itself, how it’s oriented and how the weather affects it. West-facing homes with many windows will need more cooling than the same home that faces north.

It’s best to inspect your HVAC system during the spring and fall to prep for the the summer and winter. Especially in Texas, you’ll want functioning heat for the chilly days and cool air for those 95°F (and higher) days.

It’s like Texas itself is telling you to keep your HVAC system in good working order! Because our climate is hot and humid most of the year, most residents agree that having a quality central air and heating system is essential to a home’s comfort.

What to Expect During an HVAC Inspection

The HVAC inspection helps you determine your next steps. Depending on your concerns from the above symptoms, you can get on the schedule for a service call to make a repair or get an HVAC quote to replace your system. If you’re buying or selling a home, the inspection report will give you a good outlook on your HVAC system’s health and detail whether it needs any upgrades, repairs, or replacement.

No matter what make or model of HVAC system you have, Terry’s A/C & Heating may inspect the following things.

  1. Run a thermostat test
  2. Inspect air filters
  3. Evaluate proper airflow
  4. Assess equipment condition
  5. Check refrigerant levels
  6. Check heater/furnace, gas connections and exhaust systems
  7. Check the condensate drain and drip pans
  8. Check the blower motor
  9. Check safety equipment, surge protectors and failsafes are enabled
  10. Assess the condenser, air handler or furnace, evaporator coil, electrical components and compressor
  11. Look for any pest infestations in the equipment
  12. Write a thorough diagnostic with recommendations and findings

The goal’s to check the basics and test the system’s capacities for any problems. From there, you’ll gain an understanding of what you need to know and ways to proceed. Common next steps are:

Depending on the condition of your current HVAC unit, it’s possible to upgrade your equipment with any of the following accessories:

  • Leak prevention
  • Surge protectors
  • Air purifiers and extra filtration
  • WiFi or other smart thermostats

An older model system that is running with discontinued refrigerant like Freon can be a good reason to replace your HVAC unit. Like cars or tech devices, if it costs more to repair than replace, it’s time to replace!

What Does an HVAC Inspection Cost?

Terry’s A/C & Heating offers inspections for a flat fee based on national book rates to come out and diagnose your HVAC unit. We offer no haggle pricing and are not commission-based. This incentivizes us to use your time (and our own) wisely. The cost is based on what type of inspection you need, so please ask us when you call to schedule service. The types available include the following:

  • HVAC inspection (great for second opinion, real estate purchases, does not include maintenance)
  • HVAC tune-up (recommended spring/fall, includes maintenance)
  • HVAC repair (diagnostic fee and repair, inspection more limited in scope)

The total fee to repair or replace your system’s largely up to you. Our company invests in national certifications and more continuing education than our licenses require because this helps us diagnose problems faster, makes us knowledgeable about the latest equipment, and simply allows us to serve you better.

The total fee to repair or replace your system is largely up to you. We always itemize our repairs and we give very specific details about the equipment we recommend for replacement so you can make an informed decision. We can provide options based on your situation and your budget.

HVAC Warranty

All of our equipment is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty, which we file on our customer’s behalf before leaving the job. We also stand by our work with a personal guarantee to not be done until the job is fixed right.

Although new installations of HVAC equipment don’t generally come with a labor warranty, we provide them for all new HVAC installations. This way the costs for major parts and labor are covered. It’s just another way we try to make HVAC service easy for our customers.

Peace of Mind Protection Program

Scheduling regular tune-ups and maintenance is easy by subscribing to an HVAC maintenance plan. We offer an HVAC maintenance plan called the Peace of Mind Protection Program. We schedule two visits a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, to service your equipment at a time that is convenient for you. This is a great time to answer questions about indoor air quality, DIY maintenance tasks or let us know if you’re having any comfort issues during the peak heating or cooling months.

Financing Options

We want to work with you! That means we can suggest the following options for financing if you need to make a larger purchase.

  • Lease-to-own
  • Home equity loan
  • Personal loan
  • Carrier credit card

We want to be a trusted HVAC advisor who is part of your home maintenance team of experts. For that reason, we offer many options to make it easy to invest in us, your home, and your comfort! We want want to be your home comfort concierge.

Terry’s A/C & Heating for HVAC Service Near Me

There’s a reason for the phrase, location, location, location. We bring the HVAC service to you. For this reason, we service Southwest Houston, Richmond, Katy, Cinco Ranch, Pecan Grove, Fulshear, Sugar Land, Weston Lakes and surrounding areas so we can get to your location quickly.

If you’ve been curious about HVAC repair near me and found yourself here, you’re in the right place.

Learning more about HVAC inspections means you’re prepped for the process. Now knowing more, there’s no reason to procrastinate. Plus, it just feels good to take control of your home maintenance.

Contact us today at 281-495-7830 to set up an appointment, so we can get your HVAC system inspected and ready to stand up to our changing and sometimes challenging Texas weather.