Signs You Need Emergency Heating And AC Repair | Richardson, TX
Photo By Kwangmoozaa at Shutterstock
If you live in Richardson, TX, then it is extremely important that you have a functional AC because the summer heat is intense. It is very easy to take your air conditioning system for granted, but the minute it breaks you will suddenly realize how lucky you were. While you can always call for emergency heating and AC repair, the goal is to keep ahead of any issues so that you can prevent the need for emergency heating and AC repair. The sooner you identify issues the more equipped you will be to fix them.
Preventive service is one of the best ways to avoid the need for emergency heating and AC repair, but even with proper preventative services things can still go wrong. Keep in mind that at the end of the day your HVAC system is just an extremely expensive piece of machinery, and all machinery will wear down eventually. Ideally, you can prevent the machine from breaking down for at least a decade since no one wants to purchase a new AC unit voluntarily.
However, HVAC systems can be confusing for the average homeowner. Most homeowners don’t know a lot about their AC units which means you may be missing signs that your system is starting to age. The following is a closer look at what your AC unit is, how it functions, how you can keep it in good shape, and common signs that it may be time for emergency heating and AC repair. Certain situations require quick action and emergency heating and AC repair in order to prevent larger damages from helping. A domino effect of broken components can occur very quickly if you don’t make certain repairs on a timely basis.
What Is an AC Unit?
Commonly referred to as an AC unit, the air conditioning system in your home is specifically designed to cool your home and keep the hot, humid Richardson, TX air out. The AC unit is able to do this by cooling the air and then pushing it out of the vents. Usually, an AC system draws air from the outside of your home and then runs it through condenser coils which cool it down. After the air is cooled down it is sent inside of the house and then sent through the evaporator coil to remove moisture and push it out into the air. The blower fan is responsible for circulating air and your AC unit has filters that help remove dust and other particles from the air.
As you can see, this is a very complex system, and any of the major components can break down unexpectedly if not properly maintained. This is one reason why proper maintenance is so important because it can save you from requiring emergency heating and AC repair. In addition, regular service is the best way to spot wear and tear so that you can proactively repair pieces that are damaged or broken. Many times a small part will break down before a major part, so identifying it and proactively making a repair can save you from a large component issue.
Most of the time when you need emergency heating and AC repair it is because a major component breaks down. While some parts can compensate for others when certain pieces such as the blower fan or condenser coils stop working the entire process is brought to a shocking halt. At this point not only will the air in your home start to warm up, but your AC probably won’t turn on putting you in a perilous spot and the mercy of the Richardson, TX, emergency heating and AC repair company’s schedule.
How To Keep Your AC Unit Functioning Properly
The best way to avoid finding yourself in this situation on the phone with an emergency heating and AC repair company is by booking an annual service. An annual service is generally very low cost and it is simple to take care of if you are proactive about what you need. In fact, booking an annual service is the best way to protect your investment since most HVAC manufacturers require you to have your system service at least once a year to keep your warranty valid. When you consider how much letting your warranty lapse could cost you, it just makes sense to book your service call.
However, outside of your warranty, there are other great reasons to have your HVAC system serviced. For instance, HVAC systems that receive servicing at least once a year tend to be much more energy-efficient than models that are not. Therefore, in addition to avoiding an emergency heating and AC repair, you can expect to pay less on your monthly energy bills with regular servicing. Considering the fact that your energy bills are probably sky high during the summer months due to the intense heat, saving some money each month is not a bad idea.
If you are still wavering, consider an HVAC service call to be similar to a yearly physical. While you probably walk into your physical feeling (mostly) fine, your doctor runs blood work and checks on your health to ensure that nothing is brewing in the background. The purpose of a yearly visit is preventive care to ensure that any health issues that are starting to form don’t cause major issues down the road.
An HVAC service call is intended to do the same. During the service call, the HVAC technician will carefully inspect every component of your heating and AC system to ensure that everything is working properly. They will also look for any signs of damage or weakness and then recommend trading out any parts that may be close to breaking. While your system is probably functioning just fine at the start of the service call, the intent is preventive care that will ensure it continues to function long after the service call is over.
In addition, it lets the HVAC technician get a good idea of the shape and condition of your HVAC system, so if you do wake up and discover it has broken down, they are already familiar with your system and can hopefully troubleshoot the problem much quicker. When you are working with an emergency heating and AC repair technician, every minute counts because you want to get your air back on as quickly as possible. Having the ability to call a company that already knows you will help immensely. It may even give the company a head’s up on what may go wrong so that they can bring parts to the service call that are likely to be the main problem. Along this train of thought, you can consider your service call away to establish service with an emergency heating and AC repair company that you may need down the line.
Signs It Is Time for Emergency Heating and AC Repair in Richardson, TX
At this point, it should be pretty clear that it is worth getting an annual service for your HVAC system, but sometimes things just fail for no obvious reason. While a service is the best safe fall for preventing this, machines don’t always behave the way they should or people think they should. Working with a heating and cooling company that offers emergency heating and AC repair is vital for when this happens. While breakdowns are more likely to occur on older systems than newer systems, there is no specific timeline that dictates when a breakdown will occur.
Sometimes your AC system does not completely break down but starts to make noises or give off other signs that a breakdown is imminent. It is always in your best interests to head off the breakdown by turning off your system and calling for help. If you allow your system to keep running when it is damaged, even more, serious damage will occur. Here are just a few of the most common signs that it is time for emergency heating and AC repair. If you notice any of these, don’t balk at making the phone call.
Odd Noises Coming from Your AC Unit
Your AC unit should not make any type of noise outside of a gentle hum. If you start making odd noises this is a clear sign that something is going wrong. It is also a sign that you need emergency heating and AC repair. The most common reason that an AC starts to make odd noises is that a part or component is broken and rubbing on another. This friction will eventually lead a second piece to break down or your AC to work much harder than it should be leading to wear and tear.
A lot of people think that if they ignore a sound it will go away, and chances are it will go away, but what will happen is that when it goes away it will be because the system has shut down completely. Any knocking, squealing, whistling, banging, or otherwise abnormal sounds need to be promptly investigated.
Rapid Cycling
Another sign that your AC is starting to wear out is rapid cycling. Rapid cycling is when your AC is constantly firing up even though it was just on. This is usually a sign that something is wrong with your thermostat but it can also be a sign that something is broken within your system. Rapid cycling occurs when your AC is unable to properly cool down your home in one cycle. The system shuts off but is then forced to start right back up because you’re Richardson, TX is still not cool.
Rapid cycling is not something you want to ignore for a variety of reasons. First off, your AC consumes the most amount of energy when first starting up, so if your system is starting up repeatedly all day you are going to see your energy bills shoot through the roof. Second, this will drastically increase wear and tear on your AC system so by ignoring it you will be facing a new AC unit installation quicker than you probably planned. It is always a good idea to contact an emergency heating and AC repair company for help if you notice that your system is suddenly cycling too often.
Warm Air Is Coming Out of Your Air Vents
If it is the middle of the winter, this is not a huge problem, but if it is the middle of summer you shouldn’t have warm air pouring out of your air vents. While this should be a no-brainer that it is time for emergency heating and repair, some people wait under the premise that it will somehow fix itself. It won’t.
The one thing you can do as a homeowner is checking your thermostat to ensure that someone didn’t accidentally turn off the cooling function. Every so once in a while, we will visit a home where the only issue is that the fan got knocked on. This is always a best-case scenario and one that you can easily check on your own.
If this isn’t the problem, then there is probably an issue with your coolant or it is possible that the airflow in your home is blocked. It also can point to an aging compressor or a broken compressor. You need someone to come to take a look at the issue immediately and narrow down what the problem is. Given how hot it can get in Texas, this is not something that will resolve itself and you don’t want to be sweating for months.
Whether you need emergency heating and repair in Richardson, TX, or are thinking about scheduling an annual maintenance visit, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas can help. Give us a call and we can talk about any issues you may be having and schedule a visit by one of our qualified HVAC technicians or get someone to your home right now for emergency heating and AC repair.