What an Installation Record Should Include

Building on documentation principles covered throughout this academy: a complete installation record includes the model and serial number installed, photos of key rough-in stages before they were covered (framing, clearances, venting joints, combustion air provision), commissioning test results (Lesson 23), and confirmation of code inspection where applicable.

Why Photos of Covered Work Matter So Much Here

Unlike a service call where components remain accessible, installation work often becomes permanently inaccessible once finish materials are installed — photographic documentation of framing, clearances, and venting joints is frequently the only record that ever existed of what’s actually inside a finished wall or chase.

Recording Deviations and Approvals

If any deviation from a standard approach was required and approved (a manufacturer technical support resolution per Lesson 7, for example), that approval and the reasoning should be part of the permanent record, not just remembered informally.

Providing Documentation to the Customer

The customer should receive relevant documentation (model/serial information, warranty registration details, basic operation reference) as part of handover — not left to track down this information themselves later if a warranty or service question arises.