This is the second part of the case study in why it is important to get a home inspection on a new build. If you are seeing this for the first time, make sure to read Importance of a Home Inspection: Part I of the story.
August 11th
I left another voicemail for Sharon. I tried contacting another person given the limits on time (close on Wednesday) but got rerouted to “Stephanie” and did not leave a message as I recall. The Buyers indicated at this time that they prefer I work the communications channel with the corporate office and not through the Superintendent out of concern that the Superintendent may make the possibility of moving into the home on schedule difficult or delayed.
I spoke to no less than 4 and probably 5 additional Air Conditioning companies regarding the issue. A question I would ask was whether determination of the right tonnage for a home was a complex calculation or whether it was a simple square footage calculation. I then provided information on the size of the home, nature of the build, and the current tonnage of the property. The summary is below:
- The calculation for proper tonnage is more complex and takes into account a lot of factors such as energy efficiency of the home, insulation, low-e windows, square footage, and other items to come up with the estimate. Some gave a rough estimate that for every 400-475 square feet, you should have 1 ton of A/C capacity.
- In ALL cases, when I explained about this particular situation, the A/C company representatives were clear that the size should be 5 ton and not 4 ton, that the size of the A/C was definitely under-assessed.
- Even with a high-efficiency house in terms of advanced energy saving features such as special insulation, windows, etc, the home would still require a 5 ton unit, that the impact from these measures would not change the overall need by a great deal (one representative said that square footage would go from around 450 to 475 square feet based on this).
Specific information for two properties and the subject property were obtained for comparison. The properties were selected for their comparable size.
I took down make and model information for two homes in the community.
Home A:
- 2,221 square feet (built in 2006)
- Make: Trane
- Model: 2TTB3060A1000AA (I am told that the 60 is for BTU as in 60,000 BTU. I was also told that you divide this number by 12 to get the tonnage). In other words, this is a 5 ton unit.
Home B:
- 2,208 square feet – Former Model (built in 2005)
- Make: Trane
- Model: 2TTB2060A1000AA (5 ton unit)
Home in Question
- 2,200 square feet (built in 2008)
- Make: Lennox
- Model: 13ACD-048-230-04 (4 ton unit)
A call to an A/C company (Hendel?) ascertained that the model information reveals the BTU of the unit which would then be divided by 12,000 to get the appropriate tonnage for the unit. So, as I understood it, the BTU for the other homes both was 60,000 so that dividing this by 12,000 indicated that the units were 5 ton A/C units.
It was shortly later that I talked with the buyer and explained that they needed to contact the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, preferably in person to be able to talk with someone directly and expeditiously, to understand their process for taking the matter up. This was the best recommendation for learning what options might exist should the Buyers want to pursue this further. I also explained at this time that the breadth of my role here was limited in terms of any further guidance given ADRE regulations.
August 12th
I received a phone call from “Sharon” who indicated that she knew that I had spoken with the Superintendant and that any communications by the Buyers had to go through the Superintendent or the sales contact Amy Payne. Sharon stated flatly that she could not talk to me. I asked if the ‘bottom line’ of getting information on the A/C specifications came back to what the Superintendent indicated and she said yes. This was the end of the phone conversation.
I communicated this to the Buyers shortly after. I believe it was in this phone call that the Buyers indicated that the home next door was also running a smaller unit.
This represents a very accurate history of the research on this topic. My continued recommendation is for the matter, if it is of further concern, to be discussed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors for their evaluation. If there are any questions, please let me know.”
Get the Home Inspection!
So, it makes a lot of sense here to do so. A home inspection typically runs from $300-$400. In my view, a worthwhile expense.
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