Detailed Step by Step Procedures for Inspecting Heating Systems
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How to Inspect Heating Systems - as An Approach to the Forensic Inspection of Any Complex System
Step by Step Guide to inspection of heating boilers & furnaces for operating & safety defects
Heating system step by step detailed inspection procedure for boilers & furnaces
How to understand & report the significance of findings during a heating system inspection

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This document presents a very detailed methodology for inspecting residential heating systems with focus on heating boilers and furnaces, on assuring completeness, accuracy, and on maximum heating system defect detection. The heating system inspection methodology involved is intended to be generalized to the forensic diagnostic inspection of any complex system in order to have the highest probability of detecting important safety or operating defects.

This sounds fancier than intended. Our object is to use an organized procedure for inspecting for defects, without losing the ability to discover unexpected problems as well.

The methodology discussed includes both details specific to heating boilers (the full outline at "Contents") and more general complex-system inspection methods (listed immediately below).

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Detailed Inspection Procedure for Heating Equipment

PREPARATION FOR HEATING INSPECTION - How to Prepare Properly to Assure a Thorough Heating System Inspection

These are steps in PREPARATION: a good procedural order when inspecting any complex system involves theset steps: Look (inspect, test, operate), Think, Understand/Speculate-wait, Write, Speak. Also see HEATING INSPECTION CONCEPTS and HEATING INSPECTION PROCEDURE-GENERAL.

Preparation Begins Before the Heating System Inspection

Prior education & experience - prepares for the inspection by knowledge and attitude. Your inspection of heating equipment begins at or before the present seminar.

At the office - when order is taken (*)

Age of house--how old might the equipment be?
Location (neighborhood)--is it a builder's development with all boilers of a particular problem-brand?
Price range--is it a higher priced house likely to have more costly equipment/multiple systems?
Type of house--large "H" ranch (one story) may have two separate furnaces
Buyer's concerns--comments about heating system volunteered by client?
House is occupied? winterized system, has it been left on?
Was work done by seller or amateurs? IE: "the owner converted the basement" [and did heating and electrical work?]

Driving to the inspection

Rested, healthy, attentive, mind on work?
If not, recognize that extra effort will be needed to tune your attention to the task about to begin.
Do not perform an inspection if you are seriously ill or distracted. Life-safety issues may be missed.
Turn off the radio a mile or so before reaching the house.
Think about the process.
Tune your mind to the task at hand.
Quiet time.
Observe the neighborhood, age of houses, quality of maintenance, heavy trees (funny winds and flue draft problems or squirrels in chimneys).

CONTROL ATTENTION - How to Focus Attention to Assure a Thorough Heating System Inspection or other Complex System Investigations

How to pay close attention for hours at a time: without the audible use of Zen mantras or other eyebrow-raising behavior the inspector must be calm, relaxed, and completely focused on the process of inspection.

Relaxation as an Aid to Attention During Heating System Inspection

On arriving at a building inspection in preparation for inspection of the heating system or any other building or building system or component here are some steps that aid in assuring that the inspector's attention will be fully focused on the job at hand:

Turn off the car ignition.
Exhale fully.
Calm yourself for a moment before getting out of the car, before stepping into the sea of seller and buyer anxiety and sometimes the cold acrid wind of realtor fear.

Take Control of the Inspection Process

The inspector must be in control of the process.
Do not permit distractions. Focus must be on the house, then on clients to assure your explanations are understood.

How to Pay Attention During the Heating System Inspection

Home inspection is paying attention to everything, simultaneously. Each observation at every step might reveal a key which will trigger an important discovery later in the inspection.
The inspector must focus on a sequence of examination of minute details.
Simultaneously the inspector must remain open to the unexpected findings or ideas. The unexpected may be suggested by a detail under examination or it may intrude from the inspector's peripheral.
It is easier to notice the presence of a defect of commission (leaking relief valve) than a defect of omission (no relief valve installed). "Psychology and nothing," Eliot Hearst, American Scientist, Sept.-Oct. 1991 pp 432-443. Every home inspector can improve his/her inspection technique by reading this article. Recognizing and learning from absence, deletion, and nonoccurrence are surprisingly difficult. Thinking through sequences of construction or of operation of equipment can help find omissions.

Use techniques to stay focused, to avoid mistakes,

How to avoid heating system errors and omissions:

Balance Inspection Procedure & Randomness: Practice a balance between an orderly method or procedure which assures completeness and sufficient random steps in the process to avoid becoming routinized. When an inspection is done by "routine" or "habit" the inspector sees only what is in the habitual mental "list".
Do not rely only on written heating system inspection checklists: Otherwise the inspector will observe only what's on the checklist and may miss glaring defects. Inspect the house and use your checklist to record it easily. Do not fit the house to the checklist.
Deliberately vary the inspection order and routine:: once an inspectors heating system inspection procedure is well established and familiar s/he should deliberately vary some of its components at every inspection. Change an order, reverse a sequence.

Outdoor Points of Heating System Inspection

Outdoor heating system inspection from a distance

Viewpoint #1:--Distant (from the heating equipment): walking around the house, from the ground, just looking, notice and record:

Type of Heating Equipment Installed

Age of the neighborhood, other inspections done in the area, age of the house, may suggest type and even the brand of equipment which may be in place. Builders of developments often purchased many of the same brand and model for all the houses there.

What Heating Fuel Is or Has Been in Use

ASHI 9.2.A.1 The inspector shall describe the energy source Identify probable fuel source: oil, gas, electric, coal, wood, solar Notice the oil filler and vent, spills, and whether or not there is easy access to the oil tank filler pipe.

Also notice any evidence of old, possibly abandoned oil tanks (abandoned oil lines, protruding pipes, age of property, depressions in the soil), or of changes from one type of fuel to another (coal bins). These have potentially major cost implications (improperly abandoned oil tanks) or safety concerns (changes of fuel, unsafe chimneys).

Venting and possible hazards noted from outside:

[Examples of "distant" implications] ASHI 9.1.A.4 chimneys, flues, and vents Look for, then at the chimney. Is there a chimney? If not is there electric heat, direct-vent equipment, or no heat? Thinking about what chimneys do lets you understand the implications of your observations. These items are examples, not a comprehensive list.

If there is no chimney cap

is flue blocked by debris?
has wind-blown rain damaged the masonry interior?
has wind-blown rain run down chimney into flue vent piping and on into the equipment?
Did it cause rust damage? Fire chamber damage?

Masonry chimneys

damaged flue liner? Damage by condensation, frost, acid rain, sulphation (especially with gas-burning equipment)
Loose bricks?
Unlined single-wythe brick flues (still common in large cities)--if damaged, risk of fire, leaking flue gases, blocked flues. Look further in the attic and assure there's a cleanout or suggest vent connector be pulled to check for blockage.

Old stone chimneys

often stop at foundation, heaters were added, connected in to very base of chimney - easily blocked by fallen debris.
Signs of history of water entry (risk unsafe flue: blocked, fire risks - falling debris
possible damaged heating equipment (more likely for furnaces than boilers)

More information is at CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR.

Potential Heating System Problems Seen from Outdoors

buried oil storage tanks or abandoned or leaky above ground or underground oil storage tanks
indoor tanks used outside
risks of water entering fuel from location of filler
fuel spills
leaks
ease of access to filler pipe
oil filler pipe left in place when the house converted to gas? (Potential very serious problem if oil is delivered by mistake.)

More information: see Oil Tanks Home which includes articles on spotting buried and abandoned or leaky oil storage tanks as well as oil tank leak reporting regulations and oil tank testing and abandonment advice.

Heating System Operation notes taken from outside:

Sooty chimney top or soot stains on roof: system has not been operating properly (see CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR.)
Soot washed off: system may have been repaired/replaced
Soot heavy and fresh or smoky exhaust seen, system currently needs service or repair
Watch out for Repco™ boilers which run sooty as they crash and can cause fatalities; watch for other recalled or unsafe heating equipment. See
Safety Recalls
BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES
BLUERAY Recall
CHIMNEYS & Flues - Asbestos Transite
Goodman HTPV RECALL
Lennox SAFETY WARNING
Weil McLain RECALL
[Do not confuse Repco™ heating boilers, which had fire chamber and other failures, with other products (REPCO pumps, REPCO controls, REPCO water conditioners, or water treatment that carry the Repco name. Those products are distinct from REPCO heating boilers and are produced/distributed by the R.E. Prescott Company. Further, we are unaware of any remaining warranty or replacement support for failed or antiquated Repco heating boilers.]
Heat seen rising from heating flue in July - the house may have a tankless coil for domestic hot water. If not, is the primary control set up properly?
Is there a separate oil-fired water heater using same flue? What's running making that exhaust? Reserve questions for later.

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HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR
  HEATING INSPECTION CONCEPTS
  HEATING INSPECTION PROCEDURE-GENERAL
HEATING SYSTEM INSPECTION DETAILS
  PREPARATION for Heating System Inspection
  ATTENTION CONTROL During Heating Inspection
  OUTDOOR INSPECTION of HEATING SYSTEM
  INDOOR INSPECTION of HEATING SYSTEM
  HEATING BOILER INSPECTION GUIDE
    HEATING SYSTEM INSPECTION SEQUENCE
    INSPECT HEATING CONTROLS
    INSPECT FOR HEATING BOILER LEAKS
    HEATING SYSTEM DEFECT SIGNIFICANCE
  ALTERNATE HEATING INSPECTION SEQUENCE
  FUNCTIONAL UNDERSTANDING of HEATERS
  HEATING FURNACE INSPECTION GUIDE
  FINAL BOILER ROOM INSPECTION CHECKS
  OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR
  OPERATE THE HEATING SYSTEM
  HEATER OPERATING DEFECTS REPORT
  IMPLICATIONS OF HEATING CLUES
  FINAL HEATER INSPECTION REVIEW
  SET HEATING REPAIR PRIORITIES

R.E. Prescott Company, a producer of other REPCO™ residential and industrial products as well as a provider of design-build engineering services is at 10 Railroad Avenue, Exeter, NH 03833. Tel: 603-722-04321 or 888-786-7482. Trish O'Keefe from Prescott informed us (10/7/2009) that their company had nothing to do with the failed Repco heating boilers discussed at InspectAPedia.com. She wrote:
- Our company manufactures & distributes residential water treatment equipment, including our Repco line of conditioners. We have a plumbing & heating supply dept as well. We are mistaken for the Repco Boiler company on a regular basis, most frequently in Oct. and Nov.
- Any information you could give me on the other Repco company would be appreciated. We've assumed it is no longer in business, and we'd like to know that for sure. Many callers want to know where to get replacement parts and I would be glad to direct them if I knew...plus there's always a chance they might be interested in a Crown Boiler instea

Information on Hydronic (hot water) Heating Boilers:
- BOILERS, HEATING
  BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  BOILER LEAKS CORROSION STAINS
  BOILER OPERATING PROBLEMS
Information on Steam Heating Boilers & Steam Radiators
- STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS
    Low Water Cutoff Valves, Boilers
    Sight Glass, Steam Boiler
    Pressure & Temperature Settings, Controls
    Pressure Switch, Steam Boiler
    Steam Pressure Gauge
    Steam Vents
    LOW WATER CUTOFF CONTROLS
    WATER FEEDER Valves, Steam
Information on warm air furnace heaters
- FURNACES, HEATING
  FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES
  
  DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS
  DUCT SYSTEM DEFECTS
Information on Radiant Heating: RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid
Information on Electric Heat: ELECTRIC HEAT
Information on chimneys flues, vents, combustion air
- CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR
  CHIMNEYS & Flues - Asbestos Transite Pipe
  DRAFT HOODS - gas fired
  DRAFT REGULATORS, DAMPERS, BOOSTERS
  FLUE VENT CONNECTORS
Information on Heat Pumps - HEAT PUMPS

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop. The Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ^® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.

Carbon Monoxide Gas Toxicity, exposure limits, poisoning symptoms, and inspecting buildings for CO hazards
DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? An Investigation of Indoor Dust Debris Blamed on a Heating/Cooling System Reveals Carpet Dust
Fuel Oil & Oil Heating Magazine, 3621 Hill Rd., Parsippany, NJ 07054, 973-331-9545
Goodman Furnace High Temperature Plastic Vent HTPV safety recall US CPSC notice
Home Heating System Should Be Checked [for proper venting and for CO Carbon Monoxide Hazards - DJF]
Inspection Procedures for Oil-Fired Heating Systems Detailed step by step approaches for inspecting complex systems]
Lennox Pulse Furnace Safety Inspection/Warranty Program: Carbon Monoxide Warning
Oil Tanks - The Oil Storage Tank Information Website: Buried or Above Ground Oil Tank Inspection, Testing, Cleanup, Abandonment of Oil Tanks
Oil Tanks Above Ground, UL Standards, guidance for home owners, buyers, and inspectors
Plastic Heating Vent Pipe & Other Heating Safety Recall Notices
Weil McLain Model GV Gas Boiler/gas valve CPSC recall/repair
Domestic and Commercial Oil Burners, Charles H. Burkhardt, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York 3rd Ed 1969.
National Fuel Gas Code (Z223.1) $16.00 and National Fuel Gas Code Handbook (Z223.2) $47.00 American Gas Association (A.G.A.), 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209 also available from National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269. Fundamentals of Gas Appliance Venting and Ventilation, 1985, American Gas Association Laboratories, Engineering Services Department. American Gas Association, 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209. Catalog #XHO585. Reprinted 1989.
The Steam Book, 1984, Training and Education Department, Fluid Handling Division, ITT [probably out of print, possibly available from several home inspection supply companies] Fuel Oil and Oil Heat Magazine, October 1990, offers an update,
Principles of Steam Heating, $13.25 includes postage. Fuel oil & Oil Heat Magazine, 389 Passaic Ave., Fairfield, NJ 07004.
The Lost Art of Steam Heating, Dan Holohan, 516-579-3046 FAX
Principles of Steam Heating, Dan Holohan, technical editor of Fuel Oil and Oil Heat magazine, 389 Passaic Ave., Fairfield, NJ 07004 ($12.+1.25 postage/handling).
"Residential Steam Heating Systems", Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
"Residential Hydronic (circulating hot water) Heating Systems", Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
"Warm Air Heating Systems". Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Volume I, Heating Fundamentals,
Boilers, Boiler Conversions, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23389-4 (v. 1) Volume II, Oil, Gas, and Coal Burners, Controls, Ducts, Piping, Valves, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23390-7 (v. 2) Volume III, Radiant Heating, Water Heaters, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, Air Cleaners, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23383-5 (v. 3) or ISBN 0-672-23380-0 (set) Special Sales Director, Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022. Macmillan Publishing Co., NY
Installation Guide for Residential Hydronic Heating Systems
Installation Guide #200, The Hydronics Institute, 35 Russo Place, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
The ABC's of Retention Head Oil Burners, National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, TM 115, National Old Timers' Association of the Energy Industry, PO Box 168, Mineola, NY 11501. (Excellent tips on spotting problems on oil-fired heating equipment. Booklet.)
Links to our list of additional information on heating system inspection, repair, maintenance
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Detailed Inspection Procedure for Heating Equipment

PREPARATION FOR HEATING INSPECTION - How to Prepare Properly to Assure a Thorough Heating System Inspection

Preparation Begins Before the Heating System Inspection

At the office - when order is taken (*)

Driving to the inspection

CONTROL ATTENTION - How to Focus Attention to Assure a Thorough Heating System Inspection or other Complex System Investigations

Relaxation as an Aid to Attention During Heating System Inspection

Take Control of the Inspection Process

How to Pay Attention During the Heating System Inspection

Use techniques to stay focused, to avoid mistakes,

Outdoor Points of Heating System Inspection

Outdoor heating system inspection from a distance

Type of Heating Equipment Installed

What Heating Fuel Is or Has Been in Use

Venting and possible hazards noted from outside:

Potential Heating System Problems Seen from Outdoors

Heating System Operation notes taken from outside:

Questions & Answers regarding this article

Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

Technical Reviewers & References

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair