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Property & Building Inspection

Cooling practice questions

10 original sample questions on cooling. Pick an answer, then open the explanation. Review the cooling study notes first if you like.

1. A blocked supply register reduces:

  1. Humidity
  2. Energy use
  3. Comfort in that room
  4. Noise levels in the rest of the house
Show answer & explanation

Answer: C. Comfort in that room

Airflow is reduced.

2. A chiller or geothermal system often needs:

  1. Only a plumber
  2. Only painting
  3. Specialist evaluation
  4. No further inspection at all
Show answer & explanation

Answer: C. Specialist evaluation

Complex systems need specialists.

3. A condensate pump that is unplugged or inoperative may cause:

  1. Overflow and water damage
  2. Electrical overloads in the panel
  3. Refrigerant leaks
  4. Increased cooling capacity
Show answer & explanation

Answer: A. Overflow and water damage

Condensate pumps move water where gravity drains aren't possible. Failure leads to overflow.

4. A buyer asks whether the bedroom window AC units will be evaluated with the central system. Window units are generally:

  1. Required to be removed from the window before the inspection
  2. Inspected for refrigerant charge levels
  3. Covered by every standard of practice
  4. Not part of the central system inspection
Show answer & explanation

Answer: D. Not part of the central system inspection

Many SOPs exclude window units. Check your SOP.

5. A condenser on a circuit with a breaker larger than the unit's listed maximum overcurrent protection is:

  1. An efficiency improvement
  2. Acceptable for startup current
  3. Required for heat pumps
  4. A defect to report
Show answer & explanation

Answer: D. A defect to report

Overcurrent protection should not exceed the nameplate maximum.

6. A condensate drain line carries:

  1. Water removed from the air
  2. Combustion gases from the furnace
  3. Low-voltage control wiring
  4. Liquid refrigerant to the coil
Show answer & explanation

Answer: A. Water removed from the air

Cooling coils drip condensate.

7. A commonly used acceptable temperature drop (split) across an operating air conditioner's evaporator is about:

  1. 40 to 50 °F
  2. 0 °F
  3. 1 to 3 °F
  4. 14 to 22 °F
Show answer & explanation

Answer: D. 14 to 22 °F

A drop roughly in the 14-22 °F range is commonly treated as normal. Results well outside it suggest the system needs evaluation by an HVAC technician.

8. A condenser too close to a dryer vent can:

  1. Save energy in summer
  2. Strain the refrigerant lines
  3. Last longer than normal
  4. Clog fins with lint
Show answer & explanation

Answer: D. Clog fins with lint

Lint blocks airflow. (General reference: IRC M1502 (clothes dryer exhaust); local adoption varies.)

9. A geothermal heat pump system is present. A home inspector typically:

  1. Operates normal controls and notes the loop isn't inspected
  2. Certifies the loop's design capacity for the home
  3. Pressure tests the buried ground loop piping for leaks
  4. Measures the soil temperature at the loop field
Show answer & explanation

Answer: A. Operates normal controls and notes the loop isn't inspected

Underground loops are outside a visual inspection.

10. A condenser unit sitting on a sinking pad may:

  1. Improve condensate drainage
  2. Cool more efficiently
  3. Run more quietly
  4. Strain refrigerant lines
Show answer & explanation

Answer: D. Strain refrigerant lines

Unlevel units stress lines.

Original practice items for study only, not actual exam questions. Content may contain errors.