When Your Heating And AC System Is On The Brink: What To Do With Heating And AC Repair | Fort Worth, TX
Photo By Irina Shatilova at istock
Heating and AC repair service is critical, and those who live in Fort Worth, TX know that living without air conditioning can be a serious inconvenience during those tortuous summer months and winter months. The climate of Texas leaves very little room for comfort, and air conditioning is critical to your inner comfort in the height of summer.
We’ve all come to rely heavily on our heating and AC units to keep us relatively comfortable regardless of what the weather is like outside. Intense heat and cold can impact us in so many ways, and there’s nothing worse than a unit that’s on the fritz. Those living in the Fort Worth, TX area know that basic maintenance may be able to prevent some of this from happening, but anything that can go wrong will at any time, and it’s best to be prepared. Knowing when to call for heating and AC repair service is critical, and making yourself aware of the signs of heating and AC failure will help keep you informed when the going gets tough.
There’s nothing more aggravating than coming in from the heat and turning on your air conditioner only to be greeted by silence. Nothing comes on, which can have you in a bind. Knowing that you’ve been relying on that steady blast of cool air is enough of a hassle, but thinking of the repair costs involved is even worse. You start to wonder if you even need to replace your old unit with something new at this time. Fortunately, your heating and AC repair technician will know the answer right away.
Certainly, there are older units that will need to be replaced at some point, and the signs of age are evidence enough. Lack of airflow is one of them, and could be a sign of motor failure. Units that rely on duct work have a different story altogether. Clogged duct work may be the culprit for the restriction of airflow to your home, and simply having them inspected and cleaned during routine heating and AC repair service is the answer.
Squealing, grinding noises that are emitted from your unit are signs that you should probably look into having it replaced by your heating and AC repair company as soon as possible. Grating or grinding noises could be the result of a worn out belt that’s grinding to the point of breakdown. The noise that comes from this may also be the result of a belt being torn loose and rubbing up against all the other parts of your air conditioning unit, which presents another set of problems.
Loose or worn belts can cause issues with other parts, and the problem only gets worse if left unattended. Catching the problem before it reaches this stage only means that you might have to replace the belt, which is nothing. But letting it get to this level may result in other costly repairs, which means that having your unit replaced is the only answer.
Refrigerant is a dangerous chemical, and allowing it to continue to leak can produce health hazards in addition to causing further damage to the unit’s internal valves. Refrigerant, or freon, as it’s sometimes called, is not a substance that homeowners should try to handle on their own. Freon is not only dangerous and hazardous to your health, but it is considered an environmental toxin that has an impact on ozone layers. When it leaks, you should call a heating and AC repair specialist right away to address the problem in a timely manner.
Strange or foul odors that come from your unit may signal that you need to have it cleaned. The problem most likely lies in your evaporator coils, which should be inspected and cleaned professionally by a contractor. Odors that are simply musty may be the direct result of mold or mildew that has collected on the inside of your unit or within your duct work, which is a simple task that your heating and AC repair specialist can tackle for you.
Mostly, a problem like this lies in a dirty air filter, which can collect particles and harmful toxins from both inside and outside your home. If you happen to live in an urban area with a lot of road traffic, then the chances are great that your unit’s air filters may be collecting environmental pollutants that come from the exhaust of cars or factories in your area. Having the filters checked and replaced may need to be done more frequently in these circumstances, as a dirty air filter can have an impact on your breathing as well as your unit’s ability to keep the temperature steady within your home.
System compression failure happens, and when this does, your unit has a funny way of letting you know. You may turn it on one day to find that only warm air is coming out, or, worse yet, nothing at all. When the AC compressor fails, your freon will not be able to absorb and transform the hot air into cool air as well or at all. When this happens, having the compressor checked by a heating and AC repair specialist in Fort Worth, TX is vital to the life of your unit.
The compressor is the heart and soul of your heating and AC unit, as it pumps the air into your home well enough to provide hours and days of relative indoor comfort. Air compressor failure can go wrong for any number of reasons, including the age of your unit and a waning ability to circulate the air properly for better indoor comfort.
There are many signs for compressor failure, including loud, strange popping noises and the failure of the compressor to work. Both can happen as you try to turn on your unit, which can serve as a major headache when you’ve come to expect indoor comfort. When your entire heating and AC unit starts to vibrate or make loud, banging noises, the problem could be far more severe than you think. In fact, it may signify that you might need to replace your old unit with something new, and that is something that can be easily done by a heating and AC repair specialist at your request.
There may be times when the fan inside your heating and AC unit may be running but you may not hear the compressor. This is simply known as compressor failure, and this is something that should be addressed right away. If this happens, you should turn off your unit and call a heating and AC repair specialist right away. Although compressors can be replaced, they are often very expensive, and this is especially true with units that are over ten years old. In that case, replacing the entire unit is best, and your contractor should be able to help you decide which one you should buy for your home.
Failing compressors can have an impact on your home’s electricity. Compressors that continuously trip up your breakers while losing power are signs of impending compressor failure, which means that it simply is requiring way too much juice just to operate at a standard level. When this happens, the compressor is overheating, and this may result in a possible electrical fire down the road. With this knowledge in mind, it may be time to consider the age of your unit before deciding on an entire replacement.
Heating units present a different set of challenges, some of which can be somewhat similar to the ones you may experience from your air conditioning unit. As the summer wanes and the winter approaches rapidly, it’s time to look at the signs that your heating may be on the brink. Keeping track of these things will ensure that your home will remain relatively warm despite the harsh cold outdoors.
Most HVAC units that heat your home come equipped with heat exchangers, which are responsible for keeping your warm by transforming the heat inside your home. Yet they can get holes and cracks in them, which can be a fatal problem. This can result in lethal levels of carbon monoxide being released into the atmosphere of your home, and this poses many health risks to you and your family. If you or your loved ones happen to show signs of nausea, burning itchy eyes, or constant headaches, you should turn off your unit and call an heating and AC repair specialist right away, as this is something you should not put off by any means.
Unless your system is a zoned one, your heating should be consistent from room to room. If one area of your home is warmer than the other, you know that this is a problem that needs attention as soon as possible. The problem is most likely related to the size of your unit, as it may be much too small for your home. In this case, contacting your heating and AC repair specialist is critical to getting a newer one that’s size-appropriate for your home installed.
Weird noises can happen at any time, and some may lie in the mechanism of your HVAC system. Heating that’s turned on may emit its own version of odd or bizarre noises, which can have origins in the internal working parts of the unit itself. Fan motors that are on the fritz can cause odd, humming noises to come forth, and if the motor has been knocked out of balance somehow, you could soon be hearing rattling sounds. These may also originate from duct work that’s faulty and loose, and that is something that can be easily addressed by a heating and AC repair technician.
A drastic and sudden spike in your monthly energy bills can have their origins in an aging HVAC system, which simply means that it’s time to replace your old unit with a newer one. This is especially true in cases where the cost of heating and AC repairs exceed the actual value of your unit. In this latter case, you should consider investing in a brand new one, and a qualified heating and AC repair technician can assist you in making the right choice for your home’s needs.
Fortunately, there are some prevention measures that you can take to help sustain and possibly extend the overall life of your heating and AC unit. Simple, routine heating and AC repair can be done on an annual basis, and this should begin with having your unit inspected for dust, mold, and certain signs of wear and tear.
When having an inspection done, your heating and AC repair technician should first check the condition of your air filter to see if it needs to be cleaned or replaced. A dirty or grimy air filter can have an impact on your unit’s evaporator coils, which is largely due to loose dust and other particles that escape and get onto them. As a result, you may not get the kind of temperate climate you’ve come to rely on, which simply means that having your air filter changed and getting the evaporator coils professionally cleaned need to be done right away. This should become a vital part of routine heating and AC repair service, and is something that should be done at least once per year.
Routine heating and AC repair in Fort Worth, TXis the most important aspect of keeping your HVAC system up and running in the years to come. For heating systems, this may include a thorough inspection of your boiler system to ensure that it is up and running properly, and systems that rely on duct work may need to be cleaned periodically. Either way, these measures are an excellent investment in extending the life of the unit for your benefit.
Keeping your home at a temperate level is important to your health and safety. When the system breaks in your Fort Worth, TX home, there is no need to worry. All you have to do is call or visit One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating today and set up a time to speak with a professional.