# Mechanicals Appliances

> Turn data-plate photos of the furnace/boiler, water heater, heat pump/AC, roof, and appliances into decoded ages, expected remaining life, and condition notes. Use when the user shares data-plate photos, serial numbers, or asks "how old is this furnace/water heater".

- Skill: `bedardandy/mechanicals-appliances` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add bedardandy/mechanicals-appliances`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/bedardandy/mechanicals-appliances/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: bedardandy (https://skillmd.com/u/bedardandy)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/bedardandy/mechanicals-appliances

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# Mechanicals & Appliances

Decode manufacture dates from model/serial plates, estimate remaining economic life, and feed
the effective-age and condition analysis.

## Steps

1. Collect inputs: data-plate photos in `photos/mech-*`, plus any serials dictated on-site.
2. For each component, extract **brand, model, serial**, then decode the manufacture date using
   `references/serial-number-decoding.md` (brand-by-brand rules: Rheem/Ruud MMYY, Carrier/Bryant
   week-year, Trane year-letter, A.O. Smith/State/Bradford White letter codes, etc.).
   - Show your decode work (which characters → which date) so the appraiser can sanity-check.
   - If the brand's scheme is ambiguous or the plate is unreadable: `VERIFY:` with a suggested
     tiebreaker (ANSI cert date on plate, installer sticker, permit date, owner interview).
3. **Cross-check** decoded age against context: install stickers, tax card "year built",
   dictated owner statements, visible wear. Contradictions → `discrepancies.md`.
4. Build the component inventory in `mechanicals.md`:

   | Component | Brand/Model | Serial | Mfg date | Age | Typical life | Est. remaining | Condition notes | Photo |
   |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

   Typical-life baselines are in the reference file (furnace 15–25, boiler 20–35, water heater
   8–12 tank, heat pump 12–15, asphalt roof 15–30 by grade, etc.) — adjust for observed condition
   and note climate context from the state module (e.g., Maine heating systems run hard; check
   the state module for fuel norms like oil-fired boilers and monitor heaters).
5. **Roll up to valuation inputs** (appraiser confirms): components at/near end of life →
   candidate condition/effective-age commentary and possible cost-to-cure notes; recent
   replacements → updates/renovation commentary with dates for the UAD "updated/remodeled"
   timeframes.
6. FHA/VA assignments: flag MPR-relevant findings (water heater TPR valve/discharge, heating
   adequacy, roof life < 2 years).

## Output

End with: the inventory table, items needing `VERIFY:`, the proposed condition/effective-age
commentary for the report, and next skill suggestion.