Do you care about the quality of the air you breathe? Probably yes! In fact, one of the least noticeable things in a home that we take for granted is unquestionably the ventilation and air conditioning system. They are constantly running to provide the right amount of fresh air into your home, without you noticing. Yet without this system, you could not stay in your home for more than a few hours. Little recognition for such an important system, right? Indeed, the ventilation system is vital in your everyday comfort. Poor ventilation can harm your health! It is therefore important to always have the ventilation system inspected before moving to a new house, and to have the existing house inspected periodically.
The ventilation system is very difficult to inspect, even by a professional building inspector since virtually all ducts are inside the walls. However, there are clues and elements that a true professional can look to analyse the state of a ventilation and air conditioning system. An unqualified person should never afford to make a judgment since the life of the inhabitants of the property is in the hands of the person performing the inspection.
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Inspection of the ventilation system: problems related to poor maintenance!
You’ve probably heard someone tell you that poor air quality in a home can affect your health. Well, that’s true! Poor air quality in a property is a direct result of poor ventilation. In the case of poor ventilation, there will be more CO2 in the air, more pollutants and more allergens. Here are some symptoms that might lead you to believe that your ventilation is deficient:
- Sore throat
- Headaches
- Dry throat
- Dry and irritated eyes
- Muscle pain
- Congested nose
- And more!
Symptoms resulting from poor ventilation resemble those of influenza. In the long run, these symptoms can greatly affect your health. That is why it is VERY important to have your ventilation system and the house you are thinking of buying inspected.
How often and when should I have the home ventilation system inspected?
Many will say that the inspection of the ventilation system is something that must be done at 5-7 years. This is wrong! In fact, you should have your ventilation and air conditioning system inspected every 3 years or so. It is also recommended by ventilation experts to clean the ducts at the same time to ensure good air quality. In addition, you should ALWAYS have the ventilation system inspected before buying a home since you do not know when it has been cleaned and its condition, only a certified home inspector can give you the answers to your questions.
What is good is that the pre-purchase inspection that you will have to do before finalising the sale of the house INCLUDES a visual inspection of the ventilation and air conditioning system. So, you do not have to pay for two inspections, but only one. An inspection report will be given to you, revealing the condition of the ventilation as well as the recommendations of the inspector.
You will have all the information you need to make the right decision. Remember that you should have the ventilation system inspected at about 3 years old and before buying any new property!
All an inspector will have on his list to inspect your ventilation and air conditioning system!
When an inspector reports to your property or the one you wish to purchase for the pre-purchase inspection, Building property Inspections Melbourne will have a list of things to check. He will have to inspect the roof as well as all the other essential points to check in the pre-purchase inspection, but he will have a specific list regarding ventilation and air conditioning. Here are the main elements to which he should pay attention:
- The air exchanger
- The air evacuator
- Air vents
- The air conditioning system
- The energy production system
- The moisture content of the subsoil
- The presence of CO2 detectors
As you can see, there are several important things to check before you can determine if the ventilation and air conditioning system is in good shape. Never trust your first impression, always give the inspection to a professional. As you now know, poor inspection can result in poor air circulation, which can lead to health problems. You cannot take such risks. Trust a certified building inspector to inspect your ventilation system.