HVAC inspections are your system’s doctor’s visit. Pros poke, prod, and test to catch clogs, leaks, and burnouts before they turn your utility bills into a horror show. In Tacoma‘s damp, mild winters and humid summers with bay breezes, these checks battle mold in drains, salt corrosion on coils, and pollen/fir sap from the hills clogging filters. No guesswork: Techs follow ASHI/NATE checklists, using gauges, meters, smoke tests, and combustion analyzers to grade performance against standards like 400 CFM per ton of cooling. Tacoma’s older homes hide asbestos ducts, rusty exchangers, and undersized units. Inspections save you from $5K surprises at closing.
Inspections hit furnace/AC/heat pump units, ducts, vents, thermostats, and drains. They measure airflow, temperatures, pressures, and efficiency. Let’s walk through the full drill, step by sweaty step, with Tacoma twists.
Visual Check: Spotting the Obvious Offenders
Techs start with eyes, flashlights, and mirrors, no tearing apart. Furnace cabinet rusty, dented, or yellow-flamed burners? Cracks letting CO sneak out spell danger. Evaporator coils caked in Tacoma dust, fir pollen, or pet dander? Drops efficiency by 20%. Filters MERV 8+ blackened from summer wildfires? Instant swap.
Burners/blue flames checked for even burn. Heat exchangers cracked via flashlight/mirror? Deadly CO risk common in 15-year-old Tacoma gas units. AC condensers outside get weed-whacked, fins combed straight, and fans spun by hand for binding. Electrical panels buzz, arc, or smell hot? Red flag. In Tacoma’s salty Commencement Bay air, corroded contacts on rooftop units or Hilltop garages fail fast; visuals catch 80% of issues. Drain pans overflowing? Mold factory.
Airflow and Blower Tests: Does It Breathe Right?
Blowers are the lungs; techs use anemometers/hot-wire meters to clock airflow at registers. Should hit 350-450 CFM per ton; low means dirty coils, pinched ducts, or undersized blower starving rooms. Static pressure test flags restrictions at or above 0.5 inches of water column. Tacoma flex ducts crush under holiday totes.
Duct leaks? Smoke pencils or theatrical fog puff tracer to spot hisses at seams/joints/register boots. Vents balanced: Supplies push equal air (no hot/cold room wars), returns pull without whistles or curtains sucked in. Temp rise across furnace (50-80°F heating, 15-20°F cooling)? Too low signals weak transfer or refrigerant issues. One Tacoma South End family found crushed ducts causing uneven heat, which were fixed for $400.
Refrigerant and Pressure Gauges: Coolant Cops
Summer AC/heat pump checks start with manifold gauges on service ports. High- and low-side pressures match the P-T charts for R-410A. Low refrigerant? Leak hunts with electronic sniffers, UV dye, or a nitrogen pressure test are typical at flare fittings due to Nisqually quake vibrations or other vibrations. Superheat/subcooling measured at coils.
Heating heat pumps get reversing valve tests: Switch modes, listen for whoosh/slug, feel lines hot/cold. Defrost cycle checked on timer/sensor frozen outdoor coils from bad boards waste power. Criteria: No frost above 40°F, clean metering devices. Bayview homes see faster fin corrosion from salt.
Electrical and Controls: Shock and Spark Patrol
Multimeters buzz every wire/connection. Start/run capacitors test near 100% rating, bulging tops pop like fireworks. Blower/compressor motors amp-draw vs nameplate. Thermostats calibrated: Set to 72°F; verify staging within 1°F; no short-cycling.
Smart WiFi stats in new Tacoma flips get app/WiFi tests for zoning glitches. Safety switches were manually tripped to confirm shutdown, no fires/CO floods. Ground faults/continuity scanned; Tacoma’s damp crawlspaces near the Puyallup River breed shorts and GFCI trips. Voltage drop under load.
Why Tacoma HVAC Needs This Sweat Check
Our endless rain grows mold if condensate drains clog. Salt air pits aluminum fins yearly. Wildfire smoke from the Cascades chokes filters summer-long. Annual spring/fall inspections catch 90% issues early. Tacoma’s 20-year-old systems last forever with TLC, but neglect can spike bills by 30% and risk CO poisoning.
Ready to Test Your Tacoma Air Machine?
Don’t wait for wheezes, $300 Puget Sound Energy bills, or frozen pipes. Call Infinity Heating for full HVAC inspection and performance testing in Tacoma, WA. Their NATE-certified techs use digital manifolds, combustion analyzers, and duct blasters for pinpoint reports with 1-year warranties.
Contact Infinity Heating
Address: 26212 68th Ave E Graham, WA 98338
Phone: (253) 867-9629
Website: infinityheatingandair.com
Source: infinityheatingandair.com
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