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Residential Mechanical & Energy Inspector

TimNY

TimNY

Platinum Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2010
Messages
1,133
Location
Charleston, SC
I'll be taking the residential mechanical inspector and residential energy code inspector/plans examiner tests later this month.

If anybody has taken these and has any words of advice, I'd appreciate your input.

Overall it doesn't seem like it will be too bad.. I assume mechanical will be limited to the "M" sections and energy will be limited to ch 1-4 of the IECC.

If you remember any particularly tricky questions or anything else helpful.. Thanks in advance!
 
On the energy code I bought a book that was supposed to get me ready for the test. The book wasn't even close.

The best thing to do in my opinion is just get familiar with the energy section and apply common sense. By the way, I passed the certification test by applying common sense.
 
The best thing to do in my opinion is just get familiar with the energy section and apply common sense. By the way, I passed the certification test by applying common sense.
Click to expand...
:agree

I took mine (residential energy) with only 4 days to prepare. Read the first 4 chapters about 4 times and passed. Some of the terms used are not in the definitions so I had to find them in the body or footnotes to be sure I understood the question. example "warm humid county" I don't think you will have a problem. BTW the plans stink and are difficult to read
 
The only advice I can give is they will give energy code questions for different areas of the country, so you spend some time looking climate zones up. Nothing you can memorize. Those 2 tests were not bad at all.
 
Make sure you download the content exam outline for each exam and the ICC exam bulletin. Get well acquainted with the number of questions, time allotted for each exam, and the Chapters / Sections within the scope of the exam. Focus primarily on the Table of Contents and Definitions in each exam reference.
 
had 2 guys pass them on the first try.. tab your code book is my best advise (which is ALWAYS my best advise).
 
Thanks for the info guys.. I do need to order the speed tabs since I am going to 2009 code.. last exams were on the 2006.
 
Both went well. I have no idea why energy inspector was so much $$$. There were 10 8x11 "plans" stapled at the back of the booklet. You only needed them to answer 1 question, at that was what climate zone it was in.

The rest of the questions that referred to the plans didnt really need the plans.

Many questions regarding the default u-factor of windows. One question about sunrooms that made no sense to me.

Mechanical took me longer, but seemed pretty fair. One question about the gage of an 8" round aluminum duct. Looking at the table, it seems to me the gage is for steel duct, not aluminum.

In both tests the were some questions that you had to look in the definitions. It wasn't obvious at first, but after thinking about it.. it dawned on me.
 
Definitions are extremely important and it is one area most are deficient. Good job!
 
Looks like my certifications have been updated to include Residential Mechanical and Residential Energy..

I must say that was pretty darn fast. As much as we complain about the process of creating the codes.. I have no complaints about the staff over there.
 
$160 or $180 per exam; for residential mechanical, read the gas chapters carefully
 
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