Inspecting Appliances: What Do Home Inspectors Test?

When you’re considering purchasing a new home, a thorough home inspection is a crucial step to ensure you’re making a sound investment. Choosing Scott Home Services means you can expect a full examination of all the major systems of the home – both inside and out. This even includes a variety of household appliances. As a prospective home buyer or agent, it’s a good idea to know the full scope of an inspection service before booking it. When inspecting appliances, what will your home inspector look at and test, and what falls outside the scope of their assessment? Let’s dive into this topic, and discuss what you can expect with a Scott Home Services inspection.

Inspecting Appliances: What Do We Inspect?

During a standard inspection, our inspectors test all permanent appliances in the home. This essentially includes all the basic appliances found in most modern homes including:

• Dishwasher
• Stove/Oven
• Range Hood
• Garbage Disposal
• Microwave
• Refrigerator/Freezer
• Washing Machine/Dryer
• Additional Custom Built-in Appliances

The the inspector will operate the units on their standard settings to check for proper functionality. This approach is based largely on the The Standard of Practice for Home Inspections and the Code of Ethics for the Home Inspection Profession, established by ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) and widely accepted as an industry guideline. 

It’s important to note that, while Scott Home Services includes refrigerators, clothes washing machines and dryers, the ASHI Standard of Practice in section 10.1.F does not explicitly list these as required appliances to inspect.

However, section 2.3 of the ASHI standard also states that “it is not intended to limit the inspector from including other services or systems and components in addition to those required.” Therefore, individual inspectors or inspection companies may choose to include additional appliances in their standard inspections.

What Aspects of Appliances Do We Inspect?

So now you know what appliances we inspect. But now the question is how do we inspect them? When inspecting appliances, our primary focus is, of course, whether they turn on and perform their basic functions. Additionally, our inspectors will perform certain visual assessments.

Dishwashers – The inspector will run the appliance on a short cycle, when possible. If there is any evidence of damage, rust, loose fixtures etc. it will surely be noted on the report. We always pay close attention for any apparent leaking during the cycle. In addition, the dishwasher discharge hose should also be looped and elevated above the disposal entry point (as shown below) to prevent liquid and debris from dumping back into the dishwasher.

Oven and Stovetop burners – Both the oven and stove will be operated to make sure they are functioning properly and reaching satisfactory temperatures. The inspector will take note of any apparent damage/defects, or cosmetic items – such as if the oven needs cleaning or if the oven light bulb needs to be replaced. If the oven/stove appears to be noticeably old, your inspector may recommend a replacement.

Note: We are unable to test induction stovetops, as they require induction cookware, and our inspectors do not use cookware.

Range Hood – On rare occasions, a kitchen might not have any sort of range hood or exhaust system. And while it is not technically mandated by code, it is certainly still a good idea to have some type of kitchen ventilation. In these cases, our inspectors will make note of it, and recommend installing a ventilation system. If an exhaust system is present, the inspector will be sure to run it.

Any visible issues, such as uncleanliness, missing filters, or damage will be noted on the report. If you have a gas range, the exhaust should be vented to the exterior for safety purposes (even though this is not a code requirement). Your inspector will make note if the exterior venting is not present with a gas range.

Garbage Disposal –  This one is fairly straight forward. We will make sure the garbage disposal turns on and operates properly without any damage or leaks. One important thing to check for is the proper bushing, or clamp, for the electrical wiring. This is important because it protects the electrical cord from damage caused by vibration, sharp edges, and movement.

Microwave – The inspector will run the microwave to test that its operating properly, taking note of any defects, as necessary.

Refrigerator/Freezer – Your inspector will make sure that the fridge and freezer are operational and cooling properly. Also, if there is a water and ice dispenser, they will test this for functionality.

Washing Machine/Dryer – Similar to the dishwasher, the inspector will run a brief cycle on the clothes washer and dryer (unless there are clothes inside either appliance). The inspector will check to make sure the dryer is actually heating up, that the washer is draining properly, and that there are no leaks after the cycle.

Additional Custom Built-in Appliances – There are certain less common built-in appliances that our inspectors will simply turn on and/or quickly check for functionality and condition. Items such as trash compactors, stand-alone ice makers, wine fridges or instant hot water dispensers all fall under this category.

What is Outside the Scope of Appliance Inspections

It’s crucial to understand that home inspectors perform a visual and operational check only; they do not conduct in-depth technical evaluations or repairs. While we can run short cycles and look for obvious problems, this is not a complete and total evaluation of any appliance.

Appliances have a shorter lifespan than almost any component in a home and most mechanical and electrical functionality is all hidden. This makes inspecting them a challenge. However, a limited inspection to verify correct installation and operation can catch a lot of defects if you know what you are looking for. 

There are certain aspects of appliances that typically fall outside the scope of a standard home inspection, as outlined in section 13 of the ASHI Standard of Practice. Some of the items Scott Home Services inspectors do not examine are as follows:

Dismantle system and components – It is out of the inspector’s scope to take apart or disassemble any aspect of the appliances. This type of evaluation should be performed by a specialist.

Moving Appliances – Our inspectors do not not move any appliance for any reason.