Articles - Heating / AC

Courier column 7/24/10
Buyers hot over air conditioners
Home inspectors should not do walk-through inspections

Whew, it’s getting hot out!  I have to put some extra shirts in my van every Monday morning, because when I come out of an attic I can literally wring out the shirt I’m wearing.  My only consolation is thinking of my buddies in Phoenix.  I’ve found attics over 135 degrees up here.  It could be 130 degrees in the garage in Phoenix, before you start up the ladder.
I had two questions last week regarding window air conditioners.  One was from a Realtor, one from a buyer that just moved into their new home.  Both were upset with their home inspector (not me).

The Realtor wanted to know why home inspectors don’t inspect window air conditioners.  The easiest answer, of course, is the Standards of Professional Practice for Arizona Home Inspectors don’t require us to.  There are other reasons as well, one being that an air conditioner installed in a window is technically personal property and may not be included with the home purchase.  It is also very difficult to determine if a window air conditioner is adequate size for the room.  Another reason is it would be very easy to ‘swap’ out a window air conditioner.  I guess you could write down the make and serial number to make sure that doesn’t happen. 

I know inspectors that write down the serial number of everything they inspect; the furnace, air conditioner, water heater, even the waste disposer.  I don’t do that.  I write the manufacturer, size and age, for example a 2002 Sears 50 gallon gas water heater.  I’ve had inspectors tell me that I’m at risk because someone could swap the water heater.  And if the water heater doesn’t work when the buyers move in, they  may expect me to buy them one if I reported that it was working.  My reply- what are the chances of the sellers finding another 2002 Sears 50 gallon gas water heater to swap it with.  If it ever happens I might start writing down serial numbers. 

Anyway, back to air conditioners.  My policy is I don’t inspect air conditioners installed in a window.  However, if the ‘window’ air conditioner is actually in a wall, I will inspect it.  It would be easy to remove an air conditioner from a window.  But if the air conditioner is in a hole cut through the wall, I assume the sellers will likely leave it. 

The other call was from a buyer that had just moved into their home.  It was very hot that day, and neither of the window air conditioners were working.  One was blowing out hot air, the other didn’t work at all.  Their home inspector had clearly stated in his report that the window air conditioners were not operated or inspected. 

However, the home inspector had returned to do a ‘walk-through’ inspection for the buyers after the home was vacant.  So the buyers assumed he checked the window air conditioners during the walk-through inspection, because they were obviously included with the home. 

This is one of the reasons I do not do walk-through inspections.  I have a ‘walk-through inspection’ policy in my report, and it says I won’t do them.  To me, a walk-through inspection is for making sure the home is in the same condition as the last time you saw it, and to make sure all included appliances and items are in the home.  I don’t know what appliances are included, if the dog poop from the five Great Danes was supposed to be cleared from the back yard, if the carpeting was supposed to be shampooed, etc.  

The last time I did a ‘walk through’ inspection was 1995.  When the buyer move in, he called me and complained about holes in all the walls.  I went to see the holes that night, thinking that vandals had entered the home and practiced their kung fu on the drywall.  What I found were a few dozen nail holes where wall hangings had been removed.  But the buyer was upset that I did not note these in the walk-through inspection.  I told him the home was 20 years old- did he think that no one had ever hung a picture in the home?  To make him happy I went back the next day with spackling and a putty knife and covered the holes.  And that night I wrote my ‘walk-through inspection’ policy, which hasn’t changed.

As long as I’m rambling, I still remember one of the first inspections I did.  The home was vacant, and all three bedrooms were painted black.  One had stars and planets on the ceiling.  Another had a 12 inch wide yellow stripe zigzagging across the walls (including on the closet doors and window blinds).  The buyer was a 70 year old woman.  I was going over my notes with her, and as we walked past the bedrooms I opened my mouth to say “what this home needs more than anything else is 47 gallons of white paint”.  
Just as I opened my mouth, she said “I just love these rooms!”  I bit my tongue and said “Really??”  She said “I have two grandsons that are just going to love these rooms.”

So ever since then I make no comment on décor or color choices.  The home can have purple carpeting (I’ve seen it), Astroturf in the family room (I’ve seen it), a room completely wall papered with beer bottle labels (seen that too), and as long as they’re in good condition I won’t even mention them in my report.