3 HVAC Problems That Require A Call To An Emergency Heating And AC Repair Service | Dallas, TX
Living in Dallas, TX, you rely on your heating system as much as your cooling system. The temperature often reaches 90 degrees or higher on summer days, and you need an air conditioner to keep your home cool and comfortable. Winter days are relatively mild; however, the temperature drops significantly at night, with temperatures around 35 degrees, and you rely on your heating system to keep your home warm.
Many HVAC problems can wait until you can find an HVAC company with an available appointment, and some issues are more serious, and should be fixed immediately.
If either part of your heating system experiences any of the following problems, it’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service immediately.
#1 Strange Smells
Your heater and air conditioner should produce clean, odorless air. If you smell something strange when the HVAC system runs, there could be a problem that can put your home and family at risk. The odor in your Dallas, TX home will give you an idea of what’s going on.
- Burning: A burning smell indicates an electrical issue. The problem can cause the wire’s rubber coating to burn, causing the burning smell. You should never ignore a burning smell, because it can start an electrical fire, putting your home and family at considerable risk.
An emergency heating and AC repair service will send a tech to find the affected wires and make the necessary repair. - Rotten eggs: A rotten egg smell indicates a gas leak, which is a very dangerous problem. You should turn off the heat as soon as you detect the smell, get everyone out of the house and call 911. A gas leak can cause an explosion, and it’s best to get your family as far away from the home as possible.
The fire department will come to turn off the gas and open the windows to air out the house. When the fire department allows you back inside the house, you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service immediately. The fire department won’t restore your gas service until the leak is repaired, so the leak should be fixed as quickly as possible by an emergency heating and air conditioner repair service. - Mold: If you smell mold in your Dallas, TX home when the heater or AC run, there’s likely mold somewhere in the HVAC system, and is a significant health risk. When the HVAC system runs, mold spores will circulate in the air, creating a health hazard. Mold exposure causes a variety of health issues, including allergy symptoms, skin rashes, chronic headaches, respiratory problems and a weakened immune system.
Because mold exposure puts your family’s health at considerable risk, you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service right away.
The best place for mold growth is the air ducts. The air ducts are hidden and dark, and when it gets humid in the house, condensation will accumulate in the ducts, creating the perfect environment for mold growth.
An emergency heating and AC repair service will send a tech to inspect the ducts for mold growth. If there is mold in the ducts, the tech can use an antimicrobial fogger to eliminate the mold and prevent future growth. If there is no mold in the ducts, it is likely in the air conditioner. If you don’t have the air conditioner maintained regularly, mold growth will occur, and it can be challenging to eradicate. If the tech cannot get rid of the mold, you’ll have to replace the air conditioner.
#2 The Furnace Is Producing Cold Air
If you feel cool air coming from the vents in your home when the furnace runs, it’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service right away. When the temperature drops to the 30s at night and the furnace isn’t working, your house can get dangerously cold, and the furnace should be fixed as soon as possible. A few issues can cause this problem, and you’ll need an HVAC professional to troubleshoot the problem.
Before you call an emergency heating and AC repair service, check the thermostat settings. User error is a common cause of this problem, so it’s best to check the thermostat first to avoid an unnecessary service call. The thermostat must be set to the heating mode for the furnace to produce warm air. Next, make sure the fan is set to auto. If you leave it on, it will keep running between cycles, causing the furnace to produce cold air. Finally, check the temperature setting. It has to be cooler in the house than the set temperature for the unit to produce warm air. If the thermostat is set correctly, it’s time to call an emergency heating and AC repair service to determine which of the issues is causing the problem.
- Dirty air filter: HVAC experts recommend replacing the filter every 90 days. If you neglect to change the filter, the dirt, dust and debris on the filter can prevent adequate airflow in the unit, causing it to overheat and shut down.
- Pilot issues: If you have an older furnace in your Dallas, TX home it will have a pilot light designed to ignite the burners and begin the heating process. If the pilot is out, the burners won’t ignite and the unit won’t produce cold air. An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to figure out why the pilot won’t stay lit, to make the necessary repair and then relight the pilot.
- Faulty high limit switch: Newer furnaces have a high limit switch and if the high limit switch trips often, it will wear out over time. When this happens, the furnace will go in lockout mode, and the furnace won’t function until the limit switch is replaced. An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to inspect the high limit switch and replace it.
- The energy source: Problems at the energy source can affect how the furnace performs. If you have a propane or oil-fueled furnace, make sure there is gas in the tank. If you have an electric furnace, make sure there’s power going to the unit. Finally, check with a neighbor or contact the gas company to rule out a widespread outage if your furnace runs on natural gas.
If everything looks okay to you, call an emergency heating and AC repair service. There could be something affecting the energy source from getting to the furnace, and you’ll need an HVAC professional to fix it. - Flame sensor issues: If the flame sensor gets dirty or fails, the burner will shut down, and the unit will produce cold air. An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to determine if the flame sensor needs to be cleaned or replaced to restore the heat.
- Burner issues: If the burner is clogged with dirt and grime, the furnace won’t get enough fuel to produce warm air. An HVAC tech can inspect the burner and clean it if necessary, and the heat in your home will be restored.
DIY furnace repairs aren’t recommended, because working with fuel and electricity is very dangerous. An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to your home who has experience working with furnaces, ensuring the problem is resolved quickly and safely.
#3 The Air Conditioner Is Producing Warm Air
You should feel cold air from the vents in your Dallas, TX home when the air conditioner runs. If you feel warm air, you may need to call an emergency heating and AC repair service. This problem is considered an emergency because your home can get dangerously hot without air conditioning. If it’s 90 degrees outside, the temperature inside will reach 120 degrees, putting your family at risk for heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
You should check a few things before calling an emergency heating and AC repair service to avoid an unnecessary service call. First, check the thermostat. It has to be set to the cooling mode, the fan should be set to auto, and it should be warmer in the house than the set temperature.
Next, check the air filter. HVAC experts recommend replacing the filter every 90 days, and if a family member suffers from asthma or allergies, you should replace the filter every 45 days. If it’s been a while since you changed the filter, the dirt and grime can prevent airflow in the unit, causing it to overheat and produce warm air.
If the thermostat is set correctly and the filter is clean, it’s time to call an emergency heating and AC repair service. A few issues can prevent the AC from producing cold air, and you’ll need a professional to troubleshoot the problem.
- Frozen evaporator coils: This is one of the most common reasons air conditioners cannot produce cold air. The coils extract heat and humidity from the house to start the cooling process. If the coils are frozen, they can’t do their job, and there are a few issues that cause the coils to freeze.
- Dirty coils
- Refrigerant issues
- Clogged drain pipe
- It was too cold outside when you ran the AC.
- An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to thaw the cold and fix the problem that caused them to freeze so it doesn’t happen again.
- Refrigerant leak: The air conditioner in your Dallas, TX home needs an adequate amount of refrigerant to produce cold air. Over time, acid can eat away at the metal, causing tiny holes that cause the refrigerant to leak.
If your air conditioner was installed after 2010, the HVAC tech can fix the leak and refill the refrigerant. If your AC was installed before 2010, you’ll need to replace it if there’s a refrigerant leak. Older units use R-22 refrigeration, which is toxic and depletes the ozone layer. R-22 was banned in the United States on January 1, 2020, so the tech won’t be able to refill the unit after repairing the leak. - Broken compressor: The indoor unit and the outdoor compressor work together to produce cold air. If something goes wrong in the compressor, the unit cannot produce cold air.
You’ll need to call an emergency heating and AC repair service to figure out what’s wrong with the compressor to make the necessary repair, allowing the two units to work together again.
Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas
If you have an urgent HVAC problem and need to hire an emergency heating and AC repair service, call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas. We are a full-service HVAC company, serving customers in the area since 1988.
Our techs are professionally trained, licensed and NATE certified. We want you to feel safe when you let our techs into your Dallas, TX home, so they must also pass a background check, drug test, and resistor with the state of Texas before they’re hired. HVAC technology is constantly evolving, and our tech are required to receive ongoing education to ensure they can work with the latest HVAC equipment. Our techs install new equipment and maintain and repair your existing equipment, and can keep the system running correctly.
We have earned an excellent reputation in the community over the years, so many of our customers have been loyal customers for decades. In addition, we’re an Accredited Business with the Better Business Bureau and have an A+ rating. We also have a 5-star rating on Google, and should feel confident that we can do the job right.
We are an emergency heating and AC repair company, and will get tech to your home as quickly as possible, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you need to install new equipment, we can help you choose the best air conditioner or furnace based on the size of your home. We can also give you current information on rebates and tax credits to reduce the final cost of the new equipment.
To schedule an appointment for HVAC installation, maintenance or repair, give One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas a call today.