HVAC Checklist for First Time Home Buyers
February 20th, 2020 by cverdone
Seeing your home for the first time, as the owner, is an amazing experience. There are plenty of things home buyers need to be aware of, and this is particularly true of new buyers. An HVAC checklist is one of the most important things you need when buying a home. Here are a few items we recommend you to check as a home buyer.
1. Check to see how old the HVAC system is.
As a home buyer, you should know the age of each part of the HVAC system of any house you are considering. The best way to do this is to find the unit’s serial number and check it with an HVAC professional. If you can get it, the install date is a good alternative.
2. Check to see who installed the HVAC system.
As a home buyer, you should always ask who installed the system. This information should be available from the real estate agent or current homeowner. If they installed the system before they bought the house, they may not have this information. This will help you find out about the reputation of that company. It will also allow you to get the maintenance records for each unit as well.
3. Check to see the SEER rating of the air conditioning system.
As a home buyer, you should get the SEER rating of the air conditioning system. The SEER rating of an AC unit is the amount of cooling the unit provides for each unit of electricity it uses. It is a measurement of the efficiency of an air conditioning unit. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit is and the cheaper it is to operate.
4. Check to see the average utility costs of the HVAC system.
As a home buyer, you should always see how much the heating and air system of a house costs to operate. This information can come from copies of the current owner’s utility bills over the course of a year. These figures represent the true efficiency of the complete system. This may include air leaks as well as problems with the system itself.
5. Always get a second opinion.
It is always important to get a second opinion from an HVAC professional. This extra effort protects you from an honest person making a mistake. It also keeps you from dealing with potential HVAC issues. This is a good practice when dealing with any business. Even when you are dealing with honest people they can be wrong, and you can get hurt by it.
Having an HVAC checklist is an important tool in the arsenal of home buyers. For first time home buyers, it is vital to have. If you need a full checklist, contact Thornton Heating Services, Inc. for more information.