I just bought a house. Before buying it I got it inspectd from a Home Inspector.
He did not mention any major problems. However after moving in I found that heating is not proper. I checked myself and observed that the duct is punctured and there is hole in it. More ever after turning on the shower (in the basement) for 2 /3 mins there is water leakage. There are also some other points too.

I would like to know is there any law to protect comsumers' right against Home Inspectors. Or any department where one can complain?

I direly neeed help in this matter.

I can't help you on what legal recourse you have against the inspector/realtor. However....

Were you present when the home inspector walked around the property? Did you walk with the inspector and ask questions? If so, do you remember the home inspector looking at the items that you have now issues with? That will be a good basis to build a case against your inspector if that's the direction you want to go.

Having said that, is the heating duct torn up in a visible portion of the house (ex: basement ceilings) or inside a wall or covered ceilings? Inspectors do not normally look inside walls or ceilings as there is no access to those. The inspector should have gone into the attic section to check for insulation on the roof (attic) and hence could have checked the ducts that may run in the attic (even though it is not typical to have ducts in the attic). How big is the hole? A small hole will not cause a drastic reduction in heating.

How old is your furnace? Is it gas heated or electric baseboards? The heating may be bad due to old furnace, inefficient burning of gas, or poor blower that forces hot air to the ducts. This, your inspector could have been able to tell you in his report.

The other issue related to water leak in the basement after turning on the shower..... Based on how I understand, this looks like either,

a)you have a leaky hot water heater due to its age. Hot water heaters do start leaking after about 7 to 10 years. The leak will normally show after running showers or faucets that use hot water. Your inspector should have been able to warn you on the potential of the heater going bad. Murphy's law states that the heater leaks after you purchase the house !! Therefore, you would have not have seen any signs of past water damage on the floor.

or

b) You have a shower in the basement that causes leak on the basement floor. If this is the case, you inspector would have been able to detect it based on past incidences of water leak (water marks on the floor, damp carpet, etc) and by running the water for a while. Inspectors do run the faucets and showers to check for pipe and faucet leaks, water pressure and quality of heat on the water.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I can answer more.

Mind you, all houses (new and old) have some problems. They are never problem free. Most are minor. So, take it easy and enjoy the beauty of homeownership. If this is your first home, you will learn a lot and it is a very rewarding experience.

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Dimple2001