Furnace and air conditioning: are they part of a Nepean inspection?

Yes. Ontario.ca lists heating and air conditioning systems among the things a home inspector will typically examine, so they are part of a standard inspection on a Nepean house.

The inspection is visual. The federal Office of Consumer Affairs describes a good home inspection as a non-invasive, visual evaluation of the main systems and components, including heating, ventilation and cooling, and says the report is limited to describing conditions in the areas the inspector can see or has access to. If the furnace sits behind stored boxes or the outdoor unit is hard to reach, ask the seller or agent to make it accessible before the inspection day.

A few limits apply to this part of the inspection as much as any other:

• Ontario.ca says a home inspection is not a pass or fail test and does not assess whether a home meets zoning or building codes.
• The Office of Consumer Affairs says a home inspector should not give you estimates of repair or renovation costs, either during the inspection or in the report. If the report notes a concern with the furnace or air conditioning, prices come from written quotes by the trades who would do the work.
• An inspector does not provide warranties or guarantees on a home's condition, according to ontario.ca.

Ontario.ca says the report will normally show the condition of every major system and component, anything that is unsafe or needs repair or replacement, anything not working properly, and any evidence of past problems. That is what you should expect to read about the heating and cooling equipment.

Ontario.ca also suggests being there for the inspection if you are the buyer, which is the easiest time to ask the inspector what they saw at the furnace and the outdoor unit.

Before you book, ask the inspector how their report notes equipment they could not reach on the day.