Your heating and air system consists of a lot of disparate components that work together to provide you with a comfortable indoor environment. Keeping those systems as efficient as possible requires maintenance and at least a little knowledge of how they work. When a problem occurs, you have to know what you can check and what you need a professional for.
What Do You Do When Something Goes Wrong?
All kinds of things can occur with your HVAC system. Do you know what to look into when things start to go wrong? What if you receive uneven heating? What if your central air shuts off and doesn't come back on? What about a gradual increase in your utility bills when you haven't done anything differently?
It helps to call in the professionals, but it's not cost effective to do that every single time you have even a small problem. Here are some of the most common issues that affect HVAC systems.
Vent issues—Blocked or partially obstructed vents can prevent air from getting into the area you're trying to heat or call. Make sure your vents aren't covered, closed, or blocked.
Dirty filters—Dirty or clogged filters can block air partially or altogether. Make sure you swap out or clean your filters routinely.
Dirty compressor unit—Your outside AC unit cannot adequately perform heat transfer if it's dirty or blocked. Keep it clean, wiped down, and free of debris such as leaves.
Your thermostat—Tons of HVAC issues can stem from having your thermostat on the wrong setting. Check to make sure it's working correctly and is set properly.
There are many issues you won't have full control over. You can and should check whatever you can if an issue develops. If you can't solve the problem, or if the problem recurs, then you should call in an HVAC specialist to take a look.
Most importantly, you should not let any issues just go on without looking into it or having someone else look into it. It's easy to grow comfortable with an issue.
For example, you may notice you need to keep the thermostat a few degrees higher than you're used to. You can grow accustomed to doing that. That's a problem that can indicate a larger issue that will only grow if left unchecked.
Ask the Professionals
You should have your HVAC system inspected, serviced, and cleaned annually. This can help you in a number of ways. A professional can spot potential issues before they develop into outright problems. Your annual visit is a preventive measure and is important for preventing major issues even if you don't currently have any issues.
In addition, you can watch the heating-repair technician to see what he or she does. You can learn more about your heating and air systems. You can ask about what things you can do to keep your systems running efficiently between the annual maintenance routine.
Share18 January 2017
While sitting in my living room on a hot summer day, I could feel the heat coming through the ceiling out of my attic and making the house warm up more than it should. I crawled up into the attic one evening to find out that the roof vents weren't working any longer because they were clogged with all sorts of debris. Did you know that when this happens, your home's temperature can rise to very uncomfortable levels? Did you know that your home could actually be damaged if the attic isn't well vented? This blog will show you all about attic ventilation.