Furnace Or Air Conditioning Issues? Call A Heating And AC Repair Company Today | Fort Worth, TX
Every system in your Fort Worth, TX home is designed for your comfort and convenience, and every system is essential to your daily life. For example, your electrical system makes it possible to power your lights, appliances, devices, and other home systems. Your plumbing system provides running water to your home that you need every day and removes water and waste from the house. Your HVAC system produces cold air during the summer and warm air during the winter, keeping your home comfortable all year long.
HVAC issues can be frustrating because some can affect the temperature in your home. Some problems can put your home and family at risk; therefore, it’s best to call a heating and AC repair company as soon as you detect the problem. Waiting too long can further damage the unit and increase the risk to your home and family; therefore, it’s best to have the issue resolved as quickly as possible.
If your HVAC system experiences any of the issues below, it’s best to schedule an appointment with a heating and AC repair company.
#1 Restricted Airflow
If your heater and air conditioner are working correctly, you should feel a powerful rush of cold or warm air when standing in front of the vents in your Fort Worth, TX home. If you feel very minimal airflow, it will be challenging for the unit to keep your home as cool or warm as you like. The heater and air conditioner will have to work harder than necessary to keep[ your home comfortable, drawing more energy and increasing your energy bills. In addition, the extra work will put added strain on the furnace and air conditioner, reducing the lifespan, and you’ll have to replace it sooner.
A few issues can restrict the airflow from the vents in your home, and you’ll need a heating and AC repair company to figure out what’s causing the problem.
- Clogged air ducts: The air ducts are designed to deliver the heated or cool air from the HVAC system to the vents throughout your home. Over time, large amounts of debris can accumulate in the air ducts creating a clog that reduces the airflow. Clogged air ducts are the most common cause of restricted airflow and affect your home’s air quality. When the heater or air conditioner runs, the debris in the ducts will circulate in the air, causing you and your family to develop allergy symptoms. Fortunately, a heating and air conditioner repair company can clean the duct to restore adequate airflow. The tech will also recommend having the air ducts cleaned every three to five years to prevent the ducts from getting clogged again.
- Damaged air ducts: If an area of the air ducts is cracked or broken or the seal has failed, the heated or cool air will escape from the damaged area before reaching the vents, resulting in restricted airflow. This problem can be challenging for you to detect because the ducts are hidden, and you’ll need to call a heating and AC repair company to find the area of the ducts where the treated air is leaking to make the necessary repair.
- Broken blower: Your furnace and air conditioner have a blower designed to force the treated air to the vents in every room in your house. If either blower isn’t working, the air won’t reach the vents, and you’ll feel minimal airflow from the vents.
Because restricted airflow can affect your home’s temperature, your family’s health, and your bank account, it’s best to call a heating and AC repair company as soon as the problem starts.
#2 Strange Smells
Your HVAC system should produce clean, odorless, cold, or warm air. If you smell something strange only when the system runs, it’s best to call a heating and AC repair company as soon as possible.
If you smell a dusty smell when you run the heat or air conditioner for the first time during the heating or cooling season, it isn’t a cause for concern. When either part of the system isn’t being used, the dust that has formed will burn off, and the smell will dissipate within a few minutes. If you smell any other foul odors in your Fort Worth, TX home when the heat or air conditioner runs, you should call a heating and AC repair company. Foul odors indicate issues that could put your home and family at risk; therefore, it’s best to call a professional.
- Mold: A moldy smell often indicates mold in the air ducts because certain conditions can turn the ducts into a perfect breeding ground for mold. The air ducts are dark, and if it gets humid in the house, condensation will form in the air ducts, and darkness and moisture are the perfect recipe for mold. Mold in the air ducts will do more than make your house smell bad and can put your family’s health at risk.
When the heat or air conditioner runs, mold spores from the ducts will circulate in the air. Mold exposure can cause several health issues, including:- Respiratory issues
- Chronic headaches
- Eye irritation
- Allergy symptoms
- Skin rashes
- Dry skin
- Weakened immune system
- Worsens pre-existing chronic lung or respiratory issues
- A heating and AC repair company can send a tech to your home to inspect the air ducts for mold. If they find any, it can be eradicated with an antimicrobial fogger, preventing future mold growth.
If the air ducts are mold-free, but you still smell mold when the air conditioner runs, the mold could be in the unit. This can happen if you neglect to maintain the unit every year, and the mold can be challenging to eliminate. If the tech cannot eradicate every bit of mold in the unit, you’ll need to replace it to keep your family healthy. - Burning: A burning smell indicates a wiring or electrical issue in your Fort Worth, TX home. If you only smell the odor when the heat or air conditioner runs, you should call a heating and AC repair company. All electrical problems can start an electrical fire that can quickly destroy your home, and if everyone doesn’t get out of the house, the fire can be deadly.
A heating and AC repair company can send a tech to find the wire causing the problem before a disaster occurs. - Rotten eggs: There’s likely an extremely dangerous gas leak if you smell rotten eggs when the heat is on. A gas leak can cause an explosion; therefore, you should turn off the heat, get everyone outside and call 911 the minute you notice the smell. 911 will send the fire department to cut the gas going to your home and open the windows to air it out. When they say it’s safe to go back inside, call a heating and AC repair company immediately. The gas cannot be restored until the gas leak has been repaired, and you can’t use the heat.
When your HVAC system runs and creates a foul smell, dangerous situations can occur that can affect the health and safety of your home and family. It’s best to call a heating and AC repair company as quickly as possible to have the issue resolved.
#3 The Furnace Isn’t Producing Warm Air
Winter days in Fort Worth, TX are relatively mild; however, you still need to run the heat during the winter. The average daytime temperature is between 59 and 63 degrees, and your home will get cold without heat. The temperature drops considerably to 36 to 41 degrees or lower at night. If your furnace isn’t working, your home will stay warm for several hours if your house is well insulated and will drop drastically. The warmer your home is before the furnace stops working, the sooner your home will cool down when it stops. Without heat, the temperature inside can get dangerously cold; therefore, it’s best to call a heating and AC repair company.
You should check a couple of things before making the call to avoid the cost of an unnecessary service call. If the thermostat isn’t set correctly, the furnace won’t get the proper signal and won’t produce warm air. Make sure the thermostat is set to the heating mode, and the fan has to be set to auto. It will keep running between heating cycles if it stays on, and you’ll feel cool air from the vents. Finally, make sure the temperature in the house is cooler than the setting on the thermostat.
Next, check the filter. Furnace manufacturers recommend changing the filter regularly, based on the filter you’re using. Smaller filters have to be replaced sooner than large filters, and if the filter is clogged with dirt and soot, the air won’t circulate in the unit, causing it to overheat and produce cold air.
If everything checks out on your end, it’s time to call a heating and AC repair company. A few issues can prevent the furnace from producing warm air, and you’ll need a tech to find the cause.
- Broken or dirty thermocouple: If you have an older furnace in your Fort Worth, TX home, it has a pilot light that must be lit for the furnace to produce warm air. If the pilot won’t stay lit, it indicates that the thermocouple is dirty or needs to be replaced.
A heating and AC repair company can send a tech to solve the problem and restore the heat. - Flame detector issues: If you have a more modern furnace, it has a flame detector rather than a pilot light. This component ensures each heating cycle will be completed successfully, and if it’s dirty or failing, the furnace will lose heat quickly, causing it to blow cool air.
A heating and AC repair company can send a tech to inspect the flame detector to determine if cleaning it will solve the problem or if it should be replaced. - Fuel issue: Your furnace needs a steady fuel supply for the burners to generate heat. The furnace has a safety feature that causes it to shut down when there isn’t an adequate fuel supply, and the unit will produce cold air.
If there’s an adequate amount of fuel in the tank or there isn’t a widespread gas outage, it’s best to call a heating and AC repair service. An HVAC professional can inspect the furnace to figure out why the fuel isn’t going to the furnace the way it should to resolve the problem and restore the heat. - Clogged condensate hose: Newer, top-of-the-line furnaces have a condensate line to help remove moisture from the unit. If the furnace in your home has a condensate line and it clogs, the burners will deactivate, and the furnace will produce cool air.
It’s impossible to remain comfortable in your house without heat; therefore, if the furnace produces cold air, call a heating and AC repair company.
#4 The Air Conditioner Isn’t Producing Cold Air
Summers in Fort Worth, TX, are very hot. On a typical summer day, the temperature can reach 92 to 96 degrees, and at night you won’t get much relief because the temperature drops to around 76. When it’s this hot outside, spending more time in your air-conditioned home is advised to prevent heat-related illnesses. If your air conditioner produces warm air, you may need to call a heating and AC repair company. When it’s 90+ degrees outside, the temperature inside can reach 120+ degrees, putting you and your family at risk for heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Before making the call, check the thermostat to ensure it’s set correctly. It has to be set to the cooling mode, the fan has to be set to auto, and it has to be warmer in the house than the thermostat setting.
Next, check the air filter. If you’ve neglected to change the filter regularly, it will get clogged with dirt and debris, and the air won’t move through the unit, causing it to overheat and produce warm air.
If the thermostat is set correctly and the air filter is clean, it’s time to call a heating and AC repair company. A few issues can cause a lack of cold air, and you’ll need an HVAC professional to find the cause.
- Refrigerant leak: The air conditioner in your Fort Worth, TX home relies on refrigerant to produce cold air. When acid starts to eat away at the metal that holds the refrigerant, it can create tiny holes, causing it to leak.
A heating and AC repair company can fix the leak and refill the refrigerant. However, if the unit was installed before 2010, you’ll need to replace it. Older units use R-22 refrigerant, which is banned in the U.S. The tech can fix the leak but won’t have refrigerant to refill the unit, and it will need to be replaced. - Broken compressor: The indoor unit and outdoor compressor work together to create cold air. If the compressor isn’t working, call a heating and AC repair company to have the problem repaired to restore cold air.
- Frozen evaporator coils: The evaporator coils extract the heat from your home to start the cooling process. If the coils are frozen, they can’t do their job, and the air conditioner will produce warm air. A heating and AC repair company can send a tech to thaw the coils and determine why they froze to prevent this from happening again.
Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth Today
If you have issues with your HVAC system, call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth. We are a full-service HVAC company serving customers in the area since 1988. Our techs are professionally trained and have the knowledge and experience to handle all HVAC jobs. If you have an issue that can’t wait, we provide emergency service and will get a tech to your home as quickly as possible.
To schedule an appointment with one of our highly skilled techs, give us a call today.