Home Inspection...furnace in attic with no access...need ideas.

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Home Inspection...furnace in attic with no access...need ideas.

Trevor C.
South Lyon, MI · Member since 2016 · 15 posts · 2 votes

Had my inspection last night on my 1st potential rental property. The previous landlord/owner died and house is being sold through estate so not much info. 

Everything was fine except the inspector was unable to access the furnace.  It is located in the attic and there was blown insulation over everything (not the furnace though...from what I could see).  Obviously I can't go forward without inspecting the furnace so my thought is to have my agent contact the seller and request permission to clear the insulation and look for a boardwalk or some path to the furnace before I get an HVAC person to inspect.   

Even with access to the furnace I am still very nervous,  I have listed my concerns below  (FYI house is 800 sq ft on crawl space in SE Michigan)

* Attic is vented and there is no insulated room around the furnace
* Attic is supposed to be cold...how does that work with a furnace in it!!!
* Some mold on wood (dark staining) in attic, inspector thought it was due to the crawl space having moisture in it before,  crawl space was recently totally redone and looks very good now. (vapor barrier and foam insulation)
* Ridge vent is totally clogged with dust, dirt or something that is preventing flow
* There is a heat cord on the roof below where the furnace is located so I am sure the roof is hot in the winter and melts the snow which causes ice damn in the section.
* vents and returns are in ceiling..so won't the heat come down and go right back up the return?
* Red flag when I see no access to the furnace...how the heck did they change filters or do yearly maintenance on it ? 
* I wonder if the house was very cold and they attempted to fix by adding more insulation in the attic and the guys just blew it over everything and covered the path. (there was a insulation measuring guide by attic entrance, this makes me think this was recently added)
*crawl space also had new foam insulation and looked very nice,  found some mold (yellow fuzzy) on one beam but inspector said it was most likely from before it was redone and could be cleaned up fairly easy since it was not in a living space. 

Overall I still l love the house and I know I can rent it out and make good money but the furnace and mold scares me.  I also don't want the tenants to have huge heating bills and want to leave the next year or any issues with mold.   

Looking for others thoughts before I contact agent with what I want to do. 

Thanks!!


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Justin Robidoux
Investor · Marietta, GA · Member since 2015 · 5 posts · 5 votes
10y

Hey, 

I spend my days inspecting attics and crawl spaces. It sounds like you are asking the right questions. If your furnace is in the attic it is not going to be as efficient as it would be if it were in a conditioned room. As long as the duct work is insulated it would not stop me from moving forward if the numbers look good, or i would figure in what it would cost to get them wrapped. The unit will wear out more quickly regardless, so figure in replacing sooner than you would normally expect.

The blown in insulation was done poorly if there was no path. You should still be able to walk on the rafters just be careful. It sounds like your inspector didn't want to be itchy.

As for the crawl space/mold you should consult a specialist. Mold can be dangerous, but since it is not in the home I would probably get it treated by a professional and monitor every year. 

Assume for these increased cost, if it still looks good ....ACT! No house is perfect and this one sounds tollerable by your description.

Good Luck

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  • David Dachtera
    Rental Property Investor · Rockford, IL · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    10y

    @Trevor C.,

    The furnace heats the living space, not the attic or furnace room.

    As you don't own it yet, you'll have to get someone's permission to do whatever it takes to access the furnace. You may well discover clogged filters and/or other issues since the complaint was that the house is cold.

    If you can, look for any indication of who serviced it last and maybe see if they can tell you how they did it.

    My $0.02 ...

    1Reply
  • Justin Robidoux
    Investor · Marietta, GA · Member since 2015 · 5 posts · 5 votes
    10y

    Hey, 

    I spend my days inspecting attics and crawl spaces. It sounds like you are asking the right questions. If your furnace is in the attic it is not going to be as efficient as it would be if it were in a conditioned room. As long as the duct work is insulated it would not stop me from moving forward if the numbers look good, or i would figure in what it would cost to get them wrapped. The unit will wear out more quickly regardless, so figure in replacing sooner than you would normally expect.

    The blown in insulation was done poorly if there was no path. You should still be able to walk on the rafters just be careful. It sounds like your inspector didn't want to be itchy.

    As for the crawl space/mold you should consult a specialist. Mold can be dangerous, but since it is not in the home I would probably get it treated by a professional and monitor every year. 

    Assume for these increased cost, if it still looks good ....ACT! No house is perfect and this one sounds tollerable by your description.

    Good Luck

    2Reply
  • Trevor C.
    OP
    South Lyon, MI · Member since 2016 · 15 posts · 2 votes
    10y

    Thanks for the replies!!   I was able to contact the gas company and get the average bill for the last 12 months and it was only $41 so makes me feel a little better I guess...(unless nobody was living there and it was set to 50!!  lol )

    0Reply
  • Peter K.
    Lender · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2014 · 119 posts · 62 votes
    10y

    I've got a furnace in the attic of one of my properties and it's no big deal.  Your inspector should have just swept some blown in insulation out of the way to step on the rafters and get to the furnace.  With the furnace in the attic, ventilation is really important to keep that space cool.  Also make sure the duct work is well sealed and insulated.  Maintenance is a little more hassle in that a ladder is needed to change the furnace filter, and you'll need to move insulation out of the way for yours.  Luckily mine is right next to the hatch so no need to move insulation to access it.

    1Reply
  • Trevor C.
    OP
    South Lyon, MI · Member since 2016 · 15 posts · 2 votes
    10y

    Thanks everyone!   Went onsite and was able to move some insulation and find the path to the furnace (not happy with my inspector)  Did my own inspection of the furnace and everything looks good to me. (Thanks YouTube!!!) 

    1Reply
  • Peter K.
    Lender · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2014 · 119 posts · 62 votes
    10y

    Nice work @Trevor C.  That's how it's done!

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