Yes. Now we just need to decide whether the person licensed as an electrician is licensed only as an electrician or also licensed as an HVAC tech. At the very least, I'd at least call the HVAC company and let them tell me that their personnel are not licensed as electricians and that I would have to call an electrician rather than an HVAC tech.

That is quite often true in new construction. In this case, everything's already been done, so this is post-construction, where I'm still inclined to get the HVAC tech who's also licensed and skilled in all trades that apply to his equipment.

So your looking for an electrician, but your looking for them through a HVAC company. I suppose. The main point is that a qualified electrician is the requirement, as has been mentioned.

Here's what I'd be looking for in this case. If the circuit was pulled for a single unit @ 35amps, then later a secon unit was dropped onto the same circuit and the breaker increased to 60 amp, your going to be in code violation because the second unit should have been loaded onto the other phase. Secondly, neither unit now has the circuit protection it requires, a further code violation and a fire hazard. Now who would have done that? Not an electrician unless they where incompetent. I'd be thinking AC installer who conveniently found service at the adjacent unit.

Not necessarily.

When I find a problem, I try to look at the forest rather than an individual tree. The forest here includes HVAC equipment and electricity. The individual trees are the equipment and the electrical situation. So I'm going to look for someone who, in the process of examining the individual tree, might also notice something about the other trees that could affect the whole forest. Ergo, the HVAC company whose personnel understand HVAC equipment and the utilities that run them.

And there we have a possible answer, an incompetent electrician. Having been in real estate for 33 years, I can tell you that there are lots of incompetent electricians working out there, just as there are lots of incompetent (insert name of professional) working in many industries. There are also newbie personnel who sometimes forget information that they had just memorized for their licensing test last week, don't have the requisite experience in solving problems, etc.

So I'm still looking for that two-for-the-price-of-one professional who can tell me about the forest and the various trees in that forest.

Homes that have two seperate AC units are usually built that way. Rarely is the 2nd unit just added to the existing service. It would be far more economical to just add a bigger unit than to add a seperate system.

You must have very little experience if you were unaware that HVAC installers are also qualified as electricians and plumbers in regards to installing their equipment.

I have to agree with Ray in that there are incompetent electricians as well as incompetent HVAC tech and if you can not see that then you need to open your eyes.

On the contrary, I've hired, managed, trained, evaluated many trades, included electricians, and refrigertaion mechanics. Are equipment techs qualified to hook up thier own equipment?, they better be. Do you ask them to perform outside of their area of expertise?, not without risk exposure.

The original question was about branch circuit protection, not problems with an HVAC unit.

However, the branch circuit protection involved HVAC equipment, ergo, an HVAC tech who is familiar with the equipment and the utilities that run the equipment.

If it had been a light or some outlets, or even an AFCI circuit in the panel, I would have gone straight to the electrician.

If its any type of problem involving the disposal, I'm calling the disposal repair person since he knows disposals, plumbing, and electricity.

If it's any type of problem involving the dishwasher, I'm calling the dishwasher repair person since he knows dishwashers, plumbing, and electricity.

Etc.

I guess there's a reason why I go to the malls to shop; I really do like not wasting my time, energy, gas, etc., tracking down many things when one person/mall can serve all my needs.

I suppose your right. Even calling an automechanic or the local baker would eventually lead to a qualified opinion.

Seems like you just contradicted yourself. The circuit in question is specific to the AC units so that falls under the expertise of the HVAC tech.

On the contrary, I've hired, managed, trained, evaluated many trades, included electricians, and refrigertaion mechanics. Are equipment techs qualified to hook up thier own equipment?, they better be. Do you ask them to perform outside of their area of expertise?, not without risk exposure.

The original question was about branch circuit protection, not problems with an HVAC unit. [/QUOTE]

I don't think there's really a right or wrong here, just lots of options, lots of choices. I'm one who likes choices. In fact, I like choices so much that I offer six different choices for home inspections: LIST, WALK, BASIC, STANDARD, PREMIUM, and TECH. Each is targeted to a different market; each has a different price associated with it.

Options and choices are another reason why I like shopping at malls. There are lots of options and choices in a relatively small area, and I only had to park once, saving all that $3.69/gallon gas for other errands.


You seem to be upset, or at least somewhat condescending. That usually doesn't serve anyone well. If I had an electrical problem with my car, yes, I could call the automechanica, not an electrician.

Perhaps if the baker's goods gave me a nice sugar rush, meaning that those little ol' electrons in my body were really movin' this morning, yes, I might call the baker.

I think that a significant part of helping is in looking at all options and deciding, based on the information available, on which option is best. I still like the option of getting the most-skilled person to look at the forest rather than individual trees.

2 units on one circut for 70 amp rating and there is only 60 amps in the box? Bring both out and get a bid. my 2 cents I would call an electrician first and ask if they are HVAC rated.
Wait a minute; if the single unit is rated and it will never blow then reduce the breaker to the proper rating. Trick question, right?

Practice CYA:

Ask the home inspector to recommend someone (in writing) to fix the problem. That way, the liability is off YOUR back!

Scott

Scott,

I'm sure you did not mean for that post to sound as bad as it did. I'll give you another chance.

It is not our job as inspectors to recommend any one in particular to do work that needs to be done. In fact, in some instances, it can be considered unethical. You do know what ethics are, right? When I find problems, I refer to a particular type of contractor, for example, and HVAC tech in this scenario.