Welcome to The Inspector’s Notebook
Whether you’re a new homeowner, a seasoned investor, or simply interested in understanding the systems that make your home work, we’re glad you’re here. Each post is written with the goal of helping you make better-informed decisions about your home—because a well-maintained house isn’t just about structure, but resilience. Now, let’s talk about cooling systems.
We tend to notice systems only when they fail
When the sun bears down and the air outside hangs thick with humidity, there’s one system in your home that becomes not just important—but essential. Your HVAC cooling system isn’t just about comfort during a heat wave. It’s about safety, efficiency, and the long-term health of your home.
If you’re reading this in the middle of a sweltering Vermont summer, you’re not alone. Heat waves push cooling systems to their limits. Unfortunately, that’s also when these systems are most likely to fail. As home inspectors, we see the aftermath of deferred HVAC maintenance more often than we’d like—and it’s usually during the hottest week of the year.
So, let’s shift the equation. A little preventive care now can mean a cooler, safer, and more affordable summer. Here’s what every homeowner should know.
1. Air Filters: The Hidden Chokepoint
It is easy to dismiss air filters as replaceable parts, like light bulbs or batteries. But this view ignores their role in maintaining system equilibrium. A clogged filter reduces airflow, strains the blower motor, and risks ice forming on the evaporator coils—often cascading into a full-system shutdown.
What to do:
Change your filters every 30–60 days during periods of heavy use. If you have pets or live in a high-pollen area, shorten that window. Don’t wait for symptoms—act proactively.
2. The Outdoor Unit: An Engine Exposed
The condenser is often treated as a sealed, invulnerable box. But this metal structure, typically out behind the house or beside a deck, is constantly interacting with its environment. Grass clippings, leaves, insects, and even neighborhood construction dust can obstruct its function. When airflow is impeded, pressure rises. And when pressure rises, failures follow.
What to do:
Cut back vegetation to maintain a 2-foot perimeter. Gently clean the fins with a hose. Avoid using high-pressure jets, which can damage the delicate coil surfaces. And above all—turn off the power first.
3. Thermostats: More Than Set-and-Forget
The thermostat is not just a dial for temperature; it’s a regulator of demand. Poorly programmed or outdated thermostats contribute to short-cycling, uneven wear, and inefficient cooling. A system that constantly ramps up and down is not just less effective—it’s operating against its own lifespan.
What to do:
Use programmable or smart thermostats to reduce strain during peak hours. 78°F while home is often a healthy balance between comfort and energy savings. Higher when away. This isn’t just about comfort—it’s about slowing entropy.
4. Ductwork: The Unseen Highways
Cooling systems move air, but not all air is moved equally. Leaky ducts send conditioned air into attics and crawlspaces—unoccupied zones that gain comfort at your expense. This inefficiency is not felt as a jolt, but as a slow bleed in performance and energy costs.
What to do:
If you notice rooms that won’t cool or hear whistling noises, have your ducts checked. Professional sealing and insulation can correct unseen loss and restore proper system balance.
5. Annual Tune-Ups: An Ounce of Prevention
Many systems fail not because of a single event, but due to accumulated neglect. HVAC systems in particular suffer from what might be called invisible decay—refrigerant leaks too small to notice, electrical components weakening under thermal stress, or microbial growth in damp coils. These issues compound over time, until the entire system fails—often on the hottest day of the year.
What to do:
Schedule a professional HVAC inspection once per year. The best time is before a crisis. The goal is not just to repair but to observe the trajectory of wear. You want to be ahead of failure, not behind it.
A Final Note: Maintenance Is a Form of Intelligence
To maintain a system is to understand it. It is also to respect its complexity. HVAC systems are not simple machines. They are interdependent mechanisms governed by physics, time, and environment. To treat them casually is to ignore the way small causes produce large effects.
So if you haven’t checked your filters, walked your condenser, or thought about your thermostat settings recently—do it now. Not out of panic, but because systems deserve stewardship. And in the middle of a heat wave, that stewardship just might keep your home cool under pressure.
At Green Mountain Property Inspections, we see HVAC systems at every stage of life—from brand-new installs to units on their last legs. If you’re unsure about your system’s condition or need a second set of eyes, we’re here to help.
Stay cool, stay safe—and don’t forget to change that filter.
