The HVAC System

Photographs of the HVAC system found during home inspections.

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This
unit is called the compressor, condenser, or outside air conditioning
unit by various people. This is an older unit that still functions
well enough, but there are some issues. First, it needs to sit higher
off of the ground to prevent water damage. If you see the tubes to
the right, you will notice that the insulation is coming off of it.
This is the refrigerant line, and it needs to be covered. Another
problem with this unit is that it has not electrical shut-off. If the
electrical panel was on the same side of the house, the unit would
not need one. It is needed as a safety issue for working on the unit.

space for a return
This is the space left under a closet air conditioning unit (heater and evaporator coils can be placed in a closet, while compressors/condensers are outside). This is meant to serve as the return air duct, so do not store anything in this space.

HVAC in closet
Here is a unit in a closet. It was a tight hallway, and I was trying to find the best angle for the shot.

HVAC burner compartment
Heat from a gas fired unit comes from these burners. The gas is ignited to heat the air down these tubes. Air from the home passes over these tubes to warm up.

plenum
There are two plenums on an air conditioning system. The retrun plenum is just a box on one end. This is the plenum which distributes the conditioned air to the different rooms through the ducts.

safety pan
Underneath your evaporator coil is a pan to catch any water which does not go out of the primary. It is always a concern to see rust, because that means that water was in the pan. You also do not want to see debris in the pan, because this can clog the line. What is that I see? Burn marks on the evaporator coil around the cable entrance. Everything seemed fine now, but the homeowner knew nothing about this. She believed that it had been repaired by a previous owner.

This is where the compressor and condenser are located in the exterior part of the cooling system. You can see the fins which have copper tubes running through them for the refrigerant. This unit has a housing to protect those fins. Rusting is occurring, and leaf debris in the housing helps with damage from moisture.

Here the air conditioning duct is on top of the insulation. This can compress the insulation some (depending upon what the duct is made of factors how much weight will depress down), which can hinder insulation performance. However, the duct can develop kinks with people moving it about, which prohibits air flow. It is also easier to damage a duct when it is not supported.