A heat pump heats and cools a house with the same equipment. So a heat pump inspection covers both jobs. Under InterNACHI’s published Standards of Practice, the inspector inspects the heating system and the cooling system using normal operating controls, and reports a system that didn’t operate. The Standards don’t require the inspector to run a heat pump when the temperature or other circumstances may damage the equipment. Ask which modes the weather will allow.
A mode that wasn’t run is a gap in what you know, not a clean result. The Standards don’t require the inspector to examine coolant or to determine capacity. They don’t require operating cooling equipment when the exterior temperature is below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. There are no repair steps here. It’s general information, not safety, legal or insurance advice.
What Does a Heat Pump Inspection Cover?
InterNACHI’s Standards of Practice say the inspector shall inspect the heating system and the cooling system, each using normal operating controls. They have the inspector describe where the thermostats are and report as in need of correction a system that didn’t operate or was deemed inaccessible.
ENERGY STAR’s air-source heat pump page describes a ducted heat pump as a central air conditioner that also works in reverse to provide whole-house space heating in winter. ENERGY STAR also says heat pumps serve double duty by also providing cooling in the summer months. So a heat pump sits on both the heating side and the cooling side of the Standards.
Our licensed inspectors perform a visual examination of the structure and all major systems. We document every finding with photographs, so nothing is left to guesswork. Our own post says a standard home inspection includes the heating and cooling systems. In the Standards, normal operating controls are the method by which devices such as thermostats can be operated by ordinary occupants.
For heating and cooling, our guide to what a home inspector looks for says a home inspector evaluates equipment age, general condition, and basic operation using the normal controls. Read the heating and cooling lines of your report together.
Does the Season Change What the Inspector Can Test?
It can. The Standards say the inspector isn’t required to activate heating, heat pump systems or other heating systems when ambient temperatures or other circumstances aren’t conducive to safe operation, or may damage the equipment. For cooling, the Standards say the inspector isn’t required to operate equipment if the exterior temperature is below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
A heat pump does both jobs, so the weather on inspection day can decide which mode gets run. A cold day may mean the cooling mode isn’t run. A very warm day may mean the heating mode isn’t run. Your move is to ask the inspector, before the visit, which modes the weather will allow.
When AC can’t be tested, our post on furnaces and air conditioners says the report should say so and recommend a follow-up once it’s warm enough. The same question applies to a heat pump’s cooling side. Ask what your report will say about a mode the weather didn’t allow.
What Doesn’t an Inspection Measure on a Heat Pump?
Quite a bit. The Standards say the inspector isn’t required to determine the uniformity, temperature, flow, balance, distribution, size, capacity, BTU, or supply adequacy of the heating system. On the cooling side, the Standards say the inspector isn’t required to examine electrical current, coolant fluids or gases, or coolant leakage.
The Standards add that the inspector isn’t required to verify thermostat calibration, or automatic setbacks, timers, programs or clocks. They also list geothermal systems among the heating items the inspector isn’t required to inspect, measure or evaluate. And the Standards define a home inspection as a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of a residential property. A visual inspection can report what’s visible and what was run on the day.
We’ve said in our own post that a dedicated HVAC contractor can measure performance and check refrigerant. So measurement and refrigerant questions belong with a qualified HVAC contractor.
What to Ask Before the Inspection
Put your questions in writing before the inspection. Some are for the seller. Some are for the inspector.
- What kind of system heats and cools the house, and is it a heat pump?
- Where are the outdoor unit and the thermostat, and does anything block the way to them?
- Does the seller have paperwork for the system?
- What modes will the weather let the inspector run on the day? Ask the inspector.
- Will the written report say which modes were run? Ask the inspector.
A written answer gives you something specific to bring to the inspection and to your real estate agent. Questions about the agreement of sale are for that agent.
What If the Report Says a Mode Wasn’t Run?
That line is a gap in what you know, not a clean result. The Standards don’t require the inspector to run a heat pump when temperatures or other circumstances may damage the equipment. They don’t require operating cooling equipment when it’s below 65 degrees Fahrenheit outside. So the line tells you what was left unchecked.
Ask the inspector which mode was run, which wasn’t, and why. Ask the seller what they know about the system. Then talk with your real estate agent about the next step. Leave cost and performance questions to the right professional.
Frequently Asked Questions About Heat Pumps
Does a home inspection include a heat pump?
The Standards have the inspector inspect the heating system and the cooling system, each using normal operating controls. ENERGY STAR describes a heat pump as doing both jobs. A standard home inspection with us covers the heating and cooling systems. Our licensed inspectors perform a visual examination of the structure and all major systems, and we document every finding with photographs.
Can a heat pump be inspected in cold weather?
The Standards say the inspector isn’t required to operate equipment if the exterior temperature is below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. They also say the inspector isn’t required to activate heat pump systems when conditions may damage the equipment. What can be run depends on the conditions that day. Ask your inspector before the visit which modes the weather will allow.
Does the inspector check the refrigerant?
The Standards say the inspector isn’t required to examine coolant fluids or gases, or coolant leakage. We’ve written that a dedicated HVAC contractor can check refrigerant. So coolant checks aren’t part of what the Standards require of the inspector. Ask what your written report will cover before the inspection day.
Is a heat pump the same as central air?
ENERGY STAR describes a ducted heat pump as a central air conditioner that also works in reverse to provide whole-house space heating in winter. ENERGY STAR also says heat pumps move heat rather than converting it from fuel, as combustion heating systems do. Under the Standards, the inspector inspects the heating system and the cooling system.
What about a mini split or a geothermal system?
ENERGY STAR says mini split heat pumps, also called ductless heat pumps, don’t need ductwork. The Standards list geothermal systems among the heating items the inspector isn’t required to inspect, measure or evaluate. Ask which system the house has. Then ask what your written report will say about it.
Ask About the Heat Pump Before You Close
Inspection Professionals’ written report documents every finding with photographs and is delivered within 24 hours, so you can see the evidence for each finding rather than a summary.
As a general rule, a written report gives you something specific to bring to the seller about the heating and cooling system.
A full home inspection gives you a written report to have in hand while you ask.
We serve buyers and sellers in Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia and Delaware County. When the house you want has a heat pump, contact Inspection Professionals to talk through what a full home inspection documents before you weigh a heat pump inspection in a house you’re buying.