Property & Building Inspection · Task 7 of 19

Heating study notes

Describe the heating system and energy source, operate it, and report visible defects.

Key points

• Forced-air furnaces: filters, blower, burners, flue, combustion air and the heat exchanger (limited view).
• Flames should be steady and blue; yellow, lazy or rolling flames suggest incomplete combustion or venting problems.
• Boilers: relief valve with discharge pipe, expansion tank, circulator; steam boilers have a sight glass and low-water cutoff.
• Vent connectors slope up about 1/4 in. per ft; single-wall needs about 6 in. clearance to combustibles.
• Heat pumps defrost; light frost is normal and aux heat should not run constantly in mild weather.
• Inspectors generally don't light pilots or dismantle burners.

Exam tip

a cracked heat exchanger cannot be confirmed visually. Describe symptoms and refer to HVAC.

Practise this task

Try free heating practice questions with answers and explanations, or look up terms in the glossary.

These notes are an original study aid and may contain errors. Verify against current IRC, NEC and NFPA editions and your state's standards of practice.