Emergency services
To ensure that your family stays comfortable throughout the year, it’s necessary to have home heating and cooling systems. Just like any other system throughout your home, you’ll probably experience a few breakdowns over the lifetime of your units. We’re going to address some of the most common problems that homeowners experience and how to troubleshoot them below.
Thermostat Not Working
With your thermostat being the brains behind your entire heating or cooling system, if it’s not working, your system isn’t going to work. If the display screen on your thermostat is not showing, it could be the result of a couple of different problems. First, you want to see if the circuit breaker for your HVAC system has tripped. If so, simply reset it, and your thermostat should go back to working. If it doesn’t, then you want to have an HVAC professional evaluate the reason why it keeps tripping.
If the circuit breaker didn’t trip, you want to install fresh batteries in your thermostat. If this doesn’t solve the issue, you may have loose wiring running to your thermostat that isn’t providing a solid connection. Or, you may simply have a faulty thermostat that needs to be replaced. Most thermostats will last for around 10 years.
Poor Airflow
One of the most frustrating issues you may deal with is poor airflow coming out of your vents. This is likely going to develop slowly over time as you notice that your HVAC system is becoming less efficient. The most common culprit to this issue is a dirty air filter. You’ll want to pull out your existing filter from its housing and hold it up to a light source. If you notice that you can no longer see through the filter, it’s time to replace it.
If the air filter is fine, you may have an issue with your ductwork or air vents. You want to ensure that all your registers are fully open. If you notice that some rooms of your home are not getting adequate airflow while others are, it could be an indication of a blockage in your ductwork. You want to have your ductwork undergo cleaning service to remedy this problem.
Another culprit behind this poor air flow could be excess debris at your outdoor condenser unit. When debris like leaves and twigs get pushed up against your unit, it can restrict its ability to disperse air. This, in turn, will reduce the overall efficiency of your HVAC system. If none of these other problems are present, then you may have a low refrigerant level. You’ll need to have a professional HVAC technician recharge your refrigerant.
Furnace Not Starting
If your thermostat seems to be working but your furnace simply won’t turn on, it’s an indicator that you have a problem somewhere with your ignition system. Some older fuel-burning furnaces rely on a pilot light to start the burner. This light is meant to remain burning all of the time. If it gets blown out by a breeze, it can prevent your furnace burner from starting.
This is a fairly simple fix as you’ll just need to safely relight the pilot light. If your system relies on a more modern electric ignitor, then you could have multiple problems. The ignitor itself may be bad, the flame sensor may be dirty, or the fuel valve orifice may be clogged. A professional should further evaluate the igniting problem.
If your furnace burns propane or heating oil, then you’re going to have a storage tank on site. You should ensure that there is adequate fuel in your tank. If your fuel tank is empty, your furnace isn’t going to be able to burn any fuel to create heat. You’ll simply need to reorder some.
AC Water Leak
As your air conditioner system cools down the air in your home, it will remove excess humidity. These droplets of moisture will form on the evaporator coil and drop down into the drain pan below. The water proceeds to go down the drain, which typically leads to a safe location outside your home.
If the drain line or the drain itself becomes clogged with debris, the water in the drain pan will not be able to drain adequately. This can cause water to back up into the drain pan and eventually overflow onto your floor. To remedy this problem, you’ll need to have a professional clear out the clog in your system.
System Noises
While your HVAC system will create some noise while it’s running, anything out of the ordinary should be a cause for concern. You may experience noises like rattling, grinding, squealing, or even whining. The particular sound will give some insight into where the issue is located within your system. For example, a whining or squealing noise will typically indicate an issue with a pulley or belt. A rattling or vibrating noise will likely be a loose component. You should turn your system off and have an HVAC technician further evaluate the issue. Never run your heating or cooling system if it’s creating weird noises as doing so could lead to further damage.
Inefficient Cooling
If you’ve noticed that your air conditioning system simply isn’t cooling your home like it used to, it could be due to a couple of different issues. You want to start by checking your air filter to ensure that it’s in good condition. Next, you want to take a look at the evaporator coils inside your indoor air handler unit. If these coils have dirt and grime on them, they’re likely creating your problem.
This nasty grime formed by dust, debris, and other airborne particles will form an insulating layer on top of your evaporator coil. This will make it extremely challenging for the coil to absorb heat. You’ll want to have the coils cleaned if they are dirty. If they look clean, then the issue may simply be low refrigerant.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
If your evaporator coils are overly dirty, they can create an insulating layer that prevents heat from being absorbed by the refrigerant inside the coil. Without your refrigerant absorbing heat, it will get way too cold and end up forming ice on the surface of the coils. Your air conditioning system will go from producing a poor amount of cold air to not producing any at all.
To thaw out your evaporator coils, you can set your HVAC system to fan mode. This helps to circulate air throughout your home over the coil that allows it to naturally thaw out over time. If you’re looking for a quicker solution, you can use a hair dryer on a low setting. It’s important that you address the cause of the frozen coil, such as cleaning the evaporator coil, to prevent the issue from happening again.
Expert HVAC Repair Service
865 HVAC offers expert HVAC repair service for the entire Knoxville, TX community. Our technicians can also help with all your heating, cooling, generator, indoor air quality, ductwork, duct cleaning, and emergency service needs. Simply call us today to get the professional assistance that you need. We also offer a comprehensive HVAC maintenance plan to keep your home comfort working efficiently all year long!
