Case Study
Recently we were contacted by a homeowner with a recently purchased new home that was not performing properly. The issues at hand were high indoor humidity, home would not cool properly and high power bills, all indications of an hvac system unable to keep up with the load.
This was not a simple case of system being undersized. In fact the system was not functioning properly at all. There were several wiring issues one of which caused the air handler blower to run constantly. The power consumption of an hvac fan (aka Energy Hog), makes this a mistake without even considering the consequence of the humidity reintroduced to the home because of air blowing across a wet coil and drain pan. Outside warm humid air was also entering via an unsealed interstitial space and there were clear deficiencies in the insulation that could be inspected.
The level of frustration experienced by the homeowner was high due in part by the fact that noone, of the many people who had been sent out by the Builder warranty department, was able to diagnose her problem and provide a solution. Although the services of an independent third party such as JBS, add expense to the Builder, had proper quality control been applied in this case, a headache and the effect of negative social media reviews could have been avoided.
It would be wise not only to have a home inspection on purchasing a home, but a building envelope and mechanical system inspection as well. Jacksonville Building Science LLC is uniquely qualified to provide such inspections having combined mechanical engineering expertise with knowledge of Building Science principles particular to a hot humid climate.