What Situations Require An Emergency Heating And AC Repair Service For Immediate Inspection And Repair? | Fort Worth, TX
All the systems in your house, be it the electrical, plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system, will give signs before they completely break down. These warning signs are a cry for help for you to contact a qualified technician to come and have a look. Unfortunately, most Fort Worth, TX homeowners do not understand the HVAC system’s signs or even notice them.
This begs the question; which times necessitate immediately calling an emergency HVAC repair service? And which ones can you as a homeowner wait till it is convenient? The main advantage is that these services are available 24/7 and will send a technician to you no matter what time it is. Therefore, this article will highlight the situations when calling an emergency heating and AC repair services is vital.
HVAC Breakdown in the Middle of Winter
Winter is one of the most challenging seasons of the year. During these freezing nights, the only thing that keeps you and your family members safe is the heat provided by your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. The HVAC system keeps your family members warm and cozy and ensures that the temperatures in your house are conducive for other systems in the house to operate.
Therefore, if your heating system fails in the middle of a winter night or day, you must immediately contact an emergency heating and AC repair service. This is because the situation poses an imminent danger to your Fort Worth, TX household. It exposes your family to the dangers of catching a cold; if this remains unsolved for long periods, it could escalate to hyperthermia. In addition, the longer the situation remains unsolved, the more problematic fixing it might be for the technician due accumulation of ice if the component needing fixing is outside the house.
In addition to the problems waiting can cause, the technician might not make it to you as soon as you call, depending on the severity of the weather. This means you might have to wait for hours before the technician arrives. Finally, since you do not know the underlying problem, the parts might be festering and getting more damaged, making the repair more difficult.
Foul Smells and Odors
During regular operation, an HVAC does not produce foul smells. Sometimes, your unit may produce a smell, especially during starting, but it does not last more than 30 minutes and is not foul smelling. This happens when the heat burns the dust around the unit. Therefore, if you experience a weird smell or foul odors from your unit, it is best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service provider immediately. You should explain to the technician the type of odor you are smelling since it can serve as a cue on what is going on. The heating and AC repair technician will then be in a position to guide you on the next step to take before the technician’s arrival. It is also important to note that different odors mean different underlying issues.
Rotten Eggs or Sulfur Smell
If you experience a Sulphur or rotten egg smell in your Fort Worth, TX home, it is advisable to open your windows to allow ventilation, switch off your HVAC system, and leave the premises. Call the gas company with an emergency heating and AC repair service at a safe distance. There is probably a natural gas leak in your home. Ignoring a rotten egg or Sulphur odor is hazardous. It can put your family in imminent danger considering natural gas is not only highly flammable but can also cause health issues such as nausea and dizziness. If natural gas is inhaled in high quantities, natural gas causes coma or death.
Plastic Burning Smell
The smell of burning plastic is mainly associated with electrical components, which could be overheating or burning electrical wiring. In addition, this smell also signifies natural wear and tear or something more serious such as an electrical part of your HVAC unit burning. Regardless of the cause, you must turn off your system and contact an emergency heating and AC repair service professional.
The prolonged burning of electrical components can start a fire or cause an explosion; hence, waiting is not advisable. Notably, the only time you can wait before contacting an emergency heating and AC repair service expert is when you smell a faint burning smell that resembles burnt bread. This is usually dust inside the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.
Water Leaks
Although it is rare to observe water leaks in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units, it is vital to cater for it once you spot it. Water leaks in your HVAC unit can be observed through stains around the unit or the presence of moisture near the system. Call an emergency heating and AC repair service technician to investigate the problem if you observe any of these signs.
An array of reasons could cause your unit to leak water. However, the main reason for the urgency to call an HVAC professional is because water damage is very severe, especially to the heating unit. Water damage is expensive to repair if left unattended for long. For example, stagnant water facilitates a conducive environment for the thriving of mold and fungus that compromises the integrity of your home.
Additionally, water leakage weakens your home’s walls which could eventually require you to tire down the compromised wall and replace it. However, the most dangerous type of water damage is damage to the foundation of your Fort Worth, TX house. Depending on the severity of the leakage, it corrodes the foundation to the point that it cannot withstand the weight of your house and thus become uninhabitable for safety reasons. Therefore, water leakage has the potential to turn into a very costly repair if not addressed immediately.
Refrigerant Leaks
For your Fort Worth, TX home’s HVAC system to operate efficiently, it requires refrigerant to cool it down. However, when there is a leak, it reduces the required amount, affecting the system’s efficiency. Therefore, the system overworks to cover your household temperature needs, resulting in a reduced lifespan of the HVAC unit. Therefore, if you notice a refrigerant leak in your heating system, immediately call an emergency heating and AC repair service technician.
Apart from a refrigerant leak affecting the overall efficiency of your HVAC system, it also puts your family’s health at risk. The refrigerant in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems is a toxic chemical that causes hazardous health effects. Since it is rather difficult to notice a refrigerant leak, some of the common signs your system will portray when it has insufficient refrigerant include;
Weird Noises from the AC
There are two significant noises to watch when checking for a refrigerant leak; gurgling and hissing sounds. Hissing sounds indicate that a small amount of refrigerant in the form of gas is leaking from your AC system. On the other hand, a gurgling sound indicates that the problem is more severe as more refrigerant is leaking from the unit.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
The other primary indicator of leaking refrigerant is frozen evaporator coils. Unfortunately, most homeowners will not notice this sign until an emergency heating and AC repair service professional is servicing the unit. Therefore, this is a valuable sign to the technicians, especially during scheduled maintenance.
Poor Performance
As outlined earlier, the performance of an AC system is highly dependent on the quality and quantity of the refrigerant in the system. Therefore, without enough refrigerant, your AC system will not perform as adequately as it used to. You might see this by the air coming out of the vent not being as cool as you would like it to be. Generally, most homeowners will not notice a refrigerant leak as soon as it starts, so it is crucial to call an emergency heating and Ac repair service technician since you do not know how long it has been leaking. Notably, this is also why you should have regular maintenance for your systems.
Weird Noises
The sign that should make you call an emergency heating and AC repair service technician for your Fort Worth, TX home is if you hear weird and loud noises from your AC system. This indicates that there might be loose or broken parts inside your system. Therefore, if you wait long without calling a professional technician, these loose parts can easily cause damage to the rest of the system or cause a complete breakdown. Some of the sounds you might hear from our AC system include;
Banging Sound
A banging sound indicates a broken fan belt inside the unit. Since the fan belt has become undone, it moves freely around the unit slapping the surrounding parts. Suppose you continue using your HVAC system in this condition without having an emergency heating and AC repair service profession fix it. In that case, the other components can easily break, eventually interfering with the operation of the whole system.
Humming Sound
When the contactor relay switch of your AC system is defective, it produces a humming sound. The contactor relay switch starts the outdoor condenser unit when it receives a signal from the thermostat. An emergency heating and AC repair service technician should always check a humming sound since it can make your system non-operational.
Rattling Sounds
A rattling sound has two primary causes. It might indicate loose materials in your air conditioners, such as sticks, dirt, or leaves. On the other hand, this might indicate a damaged electrical contractor. However, it is advisable to keep track of the different noises from your unit once you hear them. This is because these weird noises might not always be present. When this happens, it can be difficult for the emergency heating and AC repair service technician to diagnose the problem effectively. Therefore, keep detailed notes; they might come in handy in nailing down the underlying issue.
Electrical Problems
The other sign that can necessitate calling an emergency heating and AC repair service technician is electrical problems. For example, if your HVAC system is not turning on or if it is it turning on then going off, it is time to seek a technician’s help, especially if you can pick up a burning smell.
Therefore, you should not wait since the electrical components might continue getting damaged. Since there are times when a damaged electrical component causes more damage, it is best not to turn the system on again if you notice some of the above signs. Keep it off until a qualified technician gets there. It helps avoid costly repairs and further damage.
Ventilation Problems
The other major issue that leads most Fort Worth, TX homeowners to seek an emergency heating and AC repair service is problems with the ventilation. In most cases, you will notice a problem with the ventilation system using the vents and ducts. If the system is not correctly distributing cooled or heated air through every room of your home, then there is a problem with your ventilation system.
In addition, if the temperature between two rooms is uneven or your system constantly runs overtime, it might mean that a given part of the house has a ventilation issue. Ventilation problems are caused by factors such as blockage or obstruction in the ducts, clogged filters, or broken insulation. Additionally, it might be due to damaged ducts. A qualified emergency heating and AC repair service expert will investigate the problem, find the underlying issue, and fix it.
Emergency Heating and AC Repair Services
The seamless operation of your HVAC system is crucial to your family’s comfort, no matter the season. Therefore, it is crucial to watch the above signs to avoid being stranded when you need the system the most. If you need an emergency heating and AC repair service, contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth for round-the-clock services. Our technicians are prepared to deal with all HVAC emergencies anytime.