4 Signs You Need To Call An Emergency Heating and AC Repair Service | Dallas, TX
When you turn on the heat in your Dallas, TX, home in the winter, you expect to feel a powerful rush of warm air when standing in front of the vents in your home. You also expect to feel cold air from the vents when running the air conditioner. Your HVAC system is essential to your family’s comfort, and it must function effectively when you need it the most.
One way to ensure the system works correctly is to have it maintained by a professional every year by a professional. Having the heating system maintained before the heating season begins and the air conditioner maintained before the cooling season will ensure the units function efficiently, providing maximum comfort. In addition, the HVAC tech can detect minor problems during the maintenance check; they can be fixed before escalating to an issue that is more challenging and expensive to repair.
Even if you make routine maintenance a priority, issues can occur between maintenance visits. Although some problems can wait until you can find an HVAC company with an opening in their schedule, some problems can’t wait and require a call to an emergency heating and AC repair service. Some HVAC issues can affect the temperature in your home and can be dangerous if it’s very hot or cold outside. In addition, some HVAC issues can put your family’s health and safety at risk.
If you notice any of the following issues in your home, it’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service as quickly as possible.
#1 Restricted Airflow
If you don’t feel a powerful rush of cold or warm air coming from the vents in your home when the HVAC unit runs, you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service right away. Restricted airflow will affect the temperature in your home and cause other problems. For starters, restricted airflow can cause your energy bills to increase. Without adequate airflow, the furnace or air conditioner will work harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature and will draw more energy than it should, and your energy bills will be more expensive. In addition, the extra work will put unnecessary strain on the HVAC system, reducing the unit’s lifespan. The last thing you want is to spend $5,000 to $10,000 on a new HVAC system; therefore, it’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service when the airflow becomes restricted.
A few issues can prevent adequate airflow, including:
- Clogged air ducts: The air ducts in your Dallas, TX home deliver the treated air from the system to the vents throughout the home. Over time, dust, dirt, and other debris from your home will get into the air ducts, and in just one year, up to five pounds of debris can clog the ducts, preventing adequate airflow. When debris blocks the airflow, it will circulate in the air when the system runs, affecting your home’s air quality and could cause your family to develop allergy symptoms. An emergency heating and AC repair service can clean the debris from the ducts, and recommend having a duct cleaning service performed every three to five years to prevent the ducts from clogging again in the future.
- Damaged air ducts: You won’t know if the air ducts in your home are damaged because they are hidden, and reduced airflow is a sign of damage in the air ducts. If there’s a crack or break in the air ducts or the seal has failed, the heated or cool air will escape from the damaged area and won’t reach the vents. An emergency heating and AC repair service can send an HVAC tech to inspect the ducts for damage and repair the ducts. If the ducts are damaged, the cold air or hot air outside will leak into the ducts through the damaged area, significantly impacting your home’s temperature.
- Broken blower: Your air conditioner has a blower to blow hot air through the ducts and to the vents, and your furnace has a blower to push the warm air to the vents. If either blower stops working, the treated air will have trouble getting to the vents, resulting in poor airflow.
An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to inspect the blower to figure out if it’s the reason the airflow is restricted, restoring the airflow.
Restricted airflow can affect your home’s temperature, your family’s health, and your bank account; therefore, it’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service as soon as you discover the problem.
#2 Strange Smells
When you turn on the heat or the air conditioner for the first time during the heating or cooling season, it isn’t uncommon to smell dust. When the heater or air conditioner isn’t being used, dust can settle and burn off when you turn on the unit, creating a dusty smell that typically dissipates within a few minutes. If you smell any other smells when the heat or air conditioner runs, you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service. Strange smells indicate serious issues that could put your home and family’s safety at risk and should be repaired immediately.
The odor in your home can give you an idea of what’s causing the problem and let you know what to do next to prevent a disaster.
- Burning; A burning smell indicates an electrical or wiring issue with the air conditioner or the furnace. These issues can start an electrical fire if you keep running the heat or air conditioner. You should turn it off immediately and don’t turn the unit back on until an emergency heating and AC repair service can fix the problem. The issue of an electrical fire will be eliminated when the problem is resolved, ensuring your home and family are safe.
- Rotten eggs: If you smell rotten eggs when the furnace in your home runs, there’s likely a gas leak that could cause your home to explode. It’s essential to turn off the furnace as soon as you notice the smell, get everyone out of the house, and call 911. The fire department has to cut the gas going to your home immediately to eliminate the risk of an explosion, and they will open the window to air out the house. When it’s safe to go back inside, you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service to fix the gas leak to turn the furnace back on to heat your home safely. This shouldn’t be ignored for even a few minutes and should be addressed immediately.
- Mold: A moldy smell indicates mold growth somewhere in the HVAC system. The most common area where mold growth occurs is the air ducts. The air ducts are dark and hidden, and if it gets humid in your Dallas, TX home, condensation can form in the ducts, creating the perfect breeding ground for mold. Even though you can’t see the mold, it doesn’t mean that it’s not a serious problem.
When you run the heat or air conditioner, and there’s mold in the ducts, mold spores will circulate in the air, which is dangerous. Mold exposure causes a variety of health issues, including:- Breathing and respiratory issues
- Allergy symptoms
- Chronic headaches
- Eye irritation
- Skin rashes
- Extremely dry skin
- If you or someone in your home have a chronic lung or respiratory condition, mold exposure can worsen the condition and the symptoms.
An emergency heating and AC repair service can come to your home to check the air ducts for mold. If they find any, it can be eradicated with an antimicrobial fogger that will also prevent future mold growth.
If you smell mold when the air conditioner runs and there’s no mold in the ducts, it could be in the unit, which can be more challenging to eliminate. Mold in the air conditioner often occurs if you neglect to maintain the unit every year. If the tech cannot eradicate all of the mold, you’ll need to replace the unit to ensure the air in your home is safe for your family to breathe.
Strange smells when the furnace or air conditioner runs indicate serious problems that could put your home and family at significant risk; therefore, it;’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service as soon as you detect the odor.
#3 The Air Conditioner Produces Warm Air
On a typical summer day in Dallas, TX, the temperature outside can reach 92 to 96 degrees, and you’ll be more comfortable in your air-conditioned home. If you turn on the air conditioner and feel warm air coming from the vents, your house will get dangerously hot. When it’s 90 degrees outside, the temperature inside can reach 120 degrees, putting your family at risk for heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
The problem could be something simple that you can fix on your own; therefore, you should check a couple of things before calling a professional to avoid an unnecessary service call.
If the thermostat isn’t set correctly, the air conditioner can’t produce cold air, so you should check the settings before calling an emergency heating and AC repair service. Make sure the thermostat is set to the cooling mode. Next, make sure the fan is set to auto. If you leave the fan on, it will keep running when the air conditioner cycles, producing warm air. Finally, make sure it’s warmer in the house than the setting on the thermostat.
Next, check the air filter. HVAC manufacturers recommend replacing the air filter every 90 days, but for maximum efficiency or if a family member has allergies or you have pets, it’s best to replace the filter every 45 days. If the air filter is clogged, air won’t move through the unit efficiently and can overheat, and the unit will produce warm air; and changing the filter will solve the problem.
If the thermostat is set correctly and the air filter is clean, it’s time to call an emergency heating and AC repair company. A few issues can prevent the unit from producing cold air, and you will need an HVAC tech to troubleshoot the problem.
- Broken compressor: The indoor AC unit and the compressor work together to keep your home cool. If the compressor has no power or isn’t working correctly, the unit won’t be able to produce cold air, and your home will be dangerously hot.
An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to check the compressor and make the necessary repair.
- Low refrigerant: Over time, acid can eat away at the metal where the refrigerant is stored, creating small holes causing the refrigerant to leak. The air conditioner needs an adequate amount of refrigerant to produce cold air, and a refrigerant leak will prevent the unit from doing its job.
If your air conditioner was installed less than ten years ago, an emergency heating and AC repair company can send a tech to fix the leak and refill the refrigerant. If the unit was installed over ten years ago, you will need to replace it. Older units were designed for R-22 refrigerant, which was banned in the U.S. in January 2020 because it’s highly toxic and depletes the ozone layer. The tech can fix the leak, but they won’t have R-22 to refill the unit, and you’ll need to install a new unit.
- Frozen evaporator coils: The air conditioner in your Dallas, TX home has evaporator coils that extract the heat and moisture in your home to start the cooling process. When the temperature of the coils falls below 32 degrees, the water vapor in the air around the coils will cause them to freeze, and a few issues can cause the coils to freeze, including:
- Faulty leak pan
- Low refrigerant
- Malfunctioning defrost cycle
- Poor airflow in the unit
- You ran the unit when it was too cold outside.
- An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to thaw the condenser coils and determine why they froze. The tech will need to fix the problem causing the coils to freeze, so it doesn’t happen again.
When the temperature outside reaches 90 degrees or higher, you need a properly functioning air conditioner to keep your home cool and your family safe. An emergency heating and AC repair service can determine why the unit isn’t producing cold air to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
#4 The Furnace Is Blowing Cold Air
Winter days in Dallas, TX, are cool, and the nighttime temperatures can reach below freezing, and you rely on your furnace to keep your home warm. If the furnace isn’t doing its job, your home can get dangerously cold. When the furnace stops producing warm air, your home can stay warm for about eight hours if your home is well insulated. The temperature will start decreasing quickly; therefore, you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service when the furnace stops producing warm air.
Before making the call, ensure the thermostat is set to the heating mode, the fan is set to auto, and the temperature is set correctly. Next, check the air filter. If it’s been a while since you changed the air filter and it’s clogged with soot and debris, replacing it should solve the problem.
If the thermostat and air filter aren’t the problem, it’s time to call an emergency heating and AC repair service. A few issues could cause this problem, and you’ll need a professional to find the cause.
- Pilot light: Older furnaces have a pilot light that has to be lit for the unit to produce warm air. If the thermostat doesn’t stay lit there could be dust or dirt on the thermocouple that blocks the sensor, and the pilot won’t stay lit. An emergency heating and AC repair service can send a tech to repair the issue, so the pilot light remains lit.
- Flame detector: Newer furnaces have flame detectors instead of pilot lights that activate the heating process. If the flame detector is dirty or isn’t working correctly, the furnace will lose heat quickly, and you’ll feel cold air coming from the vents. An emergency heating and AC repair service can clean or repair the flame detector to allow the heating process to begin.
- Clogged condensate lines: Newer, more expensive furnaces have condensate hoses to remove moisture from the unit. When the condensate lines get blocked, the burners will shut down, and the furnace will produce cold air; therefore, you’ll need to call an emergency heating and AC repair service to unclog the line, allowing the unit to heat the home.
Heat is essential during the winter; therefore, if the furnace in your Dallas, TX home isn’t keeping your home warm, it’s best to call an emergency heating and AC repair service immediately.
Call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas Today
If you have an urgent HVAC issue and need help from 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 and have the knowledge and experience to handle any HVAC job. They must receive ongoing training to ensure they can work with the latest HVAC technology.
To schedule an appointment for emergency heating and AC repair or any other HVAC service, give us a call today.