What an inspection looks at
Combustion and safety
- Heat exchanger condition — visual inspection for cracks, rust-through, soot, and heat distress
- Burner condition and flame characteristics under live operation
- Venting integrity from the furnace to the termination, including chimney connection on older 80% units
- Combustion air availability in the furnace room
- Flame rollout switch, high limit, and pressure switch function
- Evidence of backdrafting or spillage at the draft hood on natural-draft appliances
Mechanical and electrical condition
- Blower motor and wheel condition, bearing noise, amperage draw
- Inducer motor condition
- Capacitor value against rating
- Wiring condition, terminal tightness, and evidence of overheating
- Control board condition and stored fault history where available
- Cabinet corrosion, especially at the base of condensing furnaces
Airflow and distribution
- Filter type, size, and condition
- Static pressure and temperature rise against the data plate
- Obvious duct issues: disconnected runs, crushed flex, missing insulation in unheated spaces
- Return air adequacy
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When an inspection is the right call
| Situation | Why inspect |
|---|---|
| Buying a Buffalo-area home | Home inspections rarely include combustion testing or a real heat exchanger assessment; an HVAC-specific look tells you what you are inheriting |
| Persistent odd smells | Burning, metallic, or sulfur odors can indicate combustion or electrical problems worth identifying early |
| CO alarm has sounded | After the property is cleared as safe by emergency services, all gas appliances and venting need professional evaluation |
| Deciding on another repair | Knowing heat exchanger and overall condition changes whether spending more on the unit makes sense |
| Unknown system history | Rental conversions and long-vacant properties often have furnaces nobody has looked at in years |
About heat exchanger findings
A cracked heat exchanger is a carbon monoxide pathway and a legitimate reason to stop operating a furnace. We will show you what we found and explain it rather than simply declaring the unit dead. If the finding is inconclusive, we will say that too.
Older Buffalo housing stock
Much of the residential inventory in South Buffalo, the West Side, Black Rock, Kaisertown, and University Heights predates the 1950s. Those homes commonly have converted gravity-system ductwork, masonry chimneys shared between a furnace and a water heater, limited return air, and furnaces installed in tight basement corners. None of that is automatically a problem — but it does mean venting, draft, and combustion air deserve a careful look rather than an assumption.