Elementary HVAC 101

[Charley L. Bottger]

This is a stripped down York 4 ton Gas Pac combination forced air heat with A/C no bells or whistles if you had a client standing over your shoulder while inspecting this unit and asking you what these components were and what their function was would you be able to answer the question or would you do the HI dance????????

[Greg Bell]

I have no problem with someone wanting to learn what the components may be. But your question goes way beyond the scope of a home inspection. Not really sure what you mean by the HI Dance.

Can you go into that much detail on every other aspect of the home?

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by gbell

I have no problem with someone wanting to learn what the components may be. But your question goes way beyond the scope of a home inspection. Not really sure what you mean by the HI Dance.

Can you go into that much detail on every other aspect of the home?

The HI dance is when you Stutter and or shrug your shoulders and mumble a incoherent answer to a question.


Yes I try very seriously to be able to describe every component of a home and what its function is does not matter if it is structural attic or crawl. Can you not describe the components on a hot water heater or a cook stove or do you use the words Whatcamacallit

[David A. Andersen]

Yup.

If you can't describe/identify it, why bother inspecting it?
My stance on this is that HI's should not be required to inspect HVAC.
This would mean less liability to the HI.

A huge amount of time is spent learning electrical stuff, but HVAC is always "outside of the scope"? We all seem to be able to ID a Stab-loc breaker and Zinsco Pnl.

In the next 5 min. everyone can learn this stuff and be done with it.

[Bob Elliott]

Will somebody please explain how many windings are required in a typical dishwasher pump unit as a customer asked me that while I was pulling out the bottom kick plate to measure the resistance with my ohm meter?



Just messing with you Charlie

[Michael Larson]

Why on earth should a HI be expected by anyone to know what a motor starting capacitor looks like?

The motor either starts and runs or it doesn't.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Why on earth should a HI be expected by anyone to know what a motor starting capacitor looks like?

The motor either starts and runs or it doesn't.

Quit dancing and give me a yes or no answer can you id the components and what they go to. Oh BTW there is no Start Cap in my pic,s Why should a HI be expected to know what a soffit vent looks like??????

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by relliott

Will somebody please explain how many windings are required in a typical dishwasher pump unit as a customer asked me that while I was pulling out the bottom kick plate to measure the resistance with my ohm meter?



Just messing with you Charlie

I am not from TX but you can not mess with me either as I have already been mess with by the best

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by cbottger

Quit dancing and give me a yes or no answer can you id the components and what they go to. Oh BTW there is no Start Cap in my pic,s Why should a HI be expected to know what a soffit vent looks like??????

Charley you HVAC guys have an attitude.

And yes I can identify the components. Did you need some help?

Can you identify all these components? I can BTW

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Charley you HVAC guys have an attitude.

And yes I can identify the components. Did you need some help?

Yes help me especially with my attitude give the names so all that don't know will learn a bit.

[David A. Andersen]

Charley you HVAC guys have an attitude.

Seems like everyone else's attitude is the source.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by cbottger

Yes help me especially with my attitude give the names so all that don't know will learn a bit.

You first

Start or Run it's still a capacitor.

[Michael Larson]

This is just silly.

HIs have little use for the ability to identify these components.

I think knowing more than you have to is good but let's get real here.

The HI only wants to be able to determine if the HVAC unit is performing it's function.

That means the ability to produce warm or cool air when responding to the setting of the thermostat.

Beyond that, it's the professional HVAC tech's territory.

Now if Charley or David want to come here and expand everyone's knowledge that great and we can thank them for it but let's not demean the membership by pretending the knwoldge they have should be in every HIs arsenal.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by mlarson

You first

Start or Run it's still a capacitor.

Big difference between a start and run cap I am still waiting

[David A. Andersen]

But are they the same?

Is a Zener diode and a Light emitting diode the same? They are both diodes.