A four-page inspection PDF that says “HVAC operational at time of inspection” means it ran. It does not mean it is right.
Look, don’t dismantle
- Outdoor coil: packed, rusty, or recently painted to hide it?
- Nameplate: photo it. Age from serial beats “the seller thinks 2018.”
- Indoor closet: rust in the pan, standing water, a float switch tied in the up position.
- Filter slot: is there a filter, or a cardboard cutout from 2019?
- Supply in the rooms you care about: air, or decoration grilles?
Questions that matter
Was it permitted if it was replaced? Who installed it? Is there a labor wrap, and is the serial in anyone’s system? “Transferable warranty” without a serial is a story.
What we will do if you hire us before closing
A paid visit. We will run it, look at match and safety, and write what we saw. We will not certify a house. We will not scare you into a same-day change-out in the driveway of a closing.
If you already closed and it died on night three, that is a repair visit, not a lawsuit seminar.