Inspecting Commercial HVAC Equipment Online Course

HVAC systems play a critical role in how commercial buildings operate, impacting business operations, occupant comfort, indoor air quality, and safety. This course teaches the differences between commercial and residential HVAC systems, and how to inspect systems from main services through equipment, controls, and distribution. A core part of the inspection is understanding scope and testing parameters, along with how commercial HVAC system design varies across buildings and how systems operate both independently and together.

The course begins with the approach, scope, and procedures for performing a commercial HVAC inspection, including why equipment fails, how to evaluate life expectancy, and how to determine remaining useful life. You’ll apply ComSOP Sections 6.5.5 Heating and Ventilation and 6.5.6 Cooling to understand what is included and excluded at the baseline scope, along with common inspection procedures and the tools used to complete this portion of an inspection.

You’ll then learn how various types of commercial HVAC equipment operate, including their main components and commonly reported deficiencies. The course covers how to take inventory of HVAC systems and report on their condition, along with equipment locations, access and safety considerations, and their impact on indoor air quality and building safety. Since HVAC systems vary by property, you’ll also learn where to look to stay efficient and avoid missing components.

Topics include gas meters, piping, and distribution, flue and venting systems, forced-air furnaces, rooftop units, hanging gas furnaces, infrared tube heaters, boilers, electric baseboard heaters, waste oil systems, split systems, heat pumps, evaporative coolers, air-handling units, VAV boxes, make-up air units, in addition to special ventilation and combustion requirements for commercial buildings. Advanced topics include chilled water systems, cooling towers, and their connections to heat pumps, pumps, and VAV boxes.

By the end of this course, you’ll understand the ComSOP inspection scope and related building codes (IBC, IFC, and IMC), along with efficient on-site procedures, reporting practices to stay organized across all property types and sizes, and the common deficiencies often reported.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• follow ComSOP inspection procedures for HVAC equipment;
• understand how commercial and residential HVAC systems and building design differ.
• understand the common reasons that HVAC equipment fails;
• describe how commercial HVAC systems operate;
• understand various HVAC system designs for commercial buildings and how equipment works together;
• take inventory of HVAC equipment in commercial buildings using field documentation and reporting best practices;
• understand natural gas fuel systems, combustion air and venting, and HVAC installation locations and requirements in
• commercial buildings;
• inspect commercial heating systems, including:
  • forced-air furnaces;
  • packaged units and RTUs;
  • hanging gas furnaces;
  • infrared tube heaters;
  • various types of commercial boilers;
  • hydronic furnaces and combination water heaters;
  • electric baseboard heaters and other electric heating units; and
  • waste oil systems.
• inspect commercial cooling systems, including:
  • split systems;
  • evaporative coolers;
  • packaged units and RTUs;
  • heat pumps; and
  • mini-spit heat pumps.
• understand and inspect commercial equipment controls and distribution, including thermostats, pneumatic controls, zone controllers, return air, and duct systems;
• understand and inspect ventilation systems and needs in commercial buildings, including types of ventilation, special ventilation needs, and large ducts and distribution systems;
• inspect commercial ventilation equipment, including make-up air units, air handling units, various types of variable air volume boxes;
• understand advanced HVAC system concepts and equipment, including, cooling plants, chillers, and cooling towers, and
• recognize and report on HVAC equipment conditions and defects in commercial buildings.