Don’t Panic, Get Help. 6 Signs You Need Emergency Heating And AC Repair | Richardson, TX
No one is excited to find out that they need emergency heating and AC repair, but there are things you can do to make the process a little easier. The very first thing you need to do is make sure that you call for help the minute you suspect something is going on with your HVAC. The longer you wait for help, the more likely it is that your emergency is going to snowball into the type of situation that you are attempting to avoid. It doesn’t have to, though, and that is why learning the signs of problems is your best way to avoid future problems.
Waking up to no AC is a major problem, and no doubt at that point, you know that you need emergency heating and AC repair. However, there are usually a few signs that happen before it gets to this point. Your job is to learn how to identify the problems in advance so that you don’t find yourself dealing with this type of thing in the middle of the night.
The best way to do this is by learning a bit about your HVAC system and how it may be talking to you. While the age of smart HVAC systems is probably not too far away, it isn’t here yet, which means that you probably can’t just check in on your HVAC system and let it tell you what is wrong. That means you have to learn how to listen to the subtle signs of a problem with your HVAC. The good news is that it is not a horrible task, and if you take a few minutes to read through the signs, you can help prevent a lot of late-night emergency heating and AC repair phone calls.
Best Way to Prevent Emergency HVAC Repair
Of course, the very best way to prevent emergency heating and AC repair is by booking an annual service visit. While this can not prevent all breakdowns because mechanical machines are still prone to unexpected problems, it can help troubleshoot many of them. This is because, during the inspection process, the mechanic who does the annual service will be looking for signs of wear and tear so that they can be proactively handled.
When you proactively replace components that are worn down, you don’t have to worry about them breaking because once a component shows signs of wear, it is only a matter of time before the entire system breaks down. The even better part about an annual HVAC service is the fact that it allows you to space out and budget for repair. If you suddenly have to deal with a broken component and call for emergency heating and AC repair, you have no time to prepare for whatever expense comes your way.
However, when you work with a technician who comes for an annual service, you get a list of what needs to be repaired and then have time to budget each repair. Most people find this is a lot better than getting slapped with an emergency heating and AC repair that you were not expecting. Plus, as a bonus, you have time to spread out repairs based on their urgency and what is going on. You can also find out the overall health of your HVAC system so you are more prepared if it looks like a replacement unit might be in your future.
Planning to replace your HVAC unit is always preferable over finding out that you have to order and replace a new unit right now so that you don’t get baked all summer. After all, in Texas, you cannot live within a HVAC system, so it is something that you have to take seriously. Getting some deep insight into how your HVAC system is really performing and how it looks inside is worth paying a little for each month. In the end, what you get is peace of mind and a head’s up that something may be wrong.
With all of that in mind, there are still some other signs outside of an annual HVAC service that can indicate something is going on with your HVAC system. These are signs you need to learn to pay attention to so that you are confident when the time comes to call for an emergency heating and AC repair visit. The following is a quick list of the top six signs you need to call for help. Instead of panicking, take action and get to the root of the problem before it turns into a disaster.
Circuit Breakers Keep Tripping
One of the top indications that there could be something wrong with your HVAC system that might require emergency heating and AC repair is if you notice that your circuit breakers keep tripping every single time that your HVAC unit cycles. It is not unheard of for a circuit to trip when your HVAC system flips on for a cycle if you happen to be using an unusually large amount of electricity at the same time. For instance, if the oven is on and you have all of the lights in the area on, and you have plugged in several new appliances to the same circuit.
If this happens, you will need to take the appliances off the circuit and put them on a new one, and that should solve the problem. However, if your circuit continues to trip or trips more than twice within the same week, you have a problem that needs to be looked at. Most likely, either the circuit is overloaded or experiencing a power surge, and both are huge problems that demand a phone call to an emergency heating and AC repair company.
Poor Air Current
Another issue that can cause big issues with your home HVAC system right away is if you notice that the air coming out of your vents is very low. While this might not seem like an emergency heating and AC repair situation, it is once you start to think about what reduced airflow will mean for your home. If there is not enough air flowing through your home, then there will not be enough air to cool or heat your home, posing a big problem moving forward.
It also means that your system will likely start to cycle more to keep up with the increased demand. Continual cycling leads to increased wear and tear, which means that your system will be much more likely to suffer a breakdown that will put you into a more recognizable emergency heating and AC repair situation. However, the problem does not stop here. When your system starts up, it consumes the heaviest amount of electricity in the entire process, and that means that your electricity bill is probably going to jump up as well. This is the type of situation you want to get ahead of quickly to help keep the final expenses associated with it down.
Odd or Suspicious Odors
Another major problem that needs to be addressed immediately is the sudden occurrence of odd or suspicious odors. If you smell something odd coming out of your air vents, it needs to be addressed right away. While some odors will not require a call for emergency heating and AC repair, some certainly will, such as the smell of electrical burning or gas-like odors. Both situations can turn drastically bad in just a matter of hours, so you need to take quick action if you notice either.
Smoke can denote an electrical problem with the wiring in your HVAC system, which is undoubtedly an emergency heating and AC repair situation since it could lead to a house fire if not adequately addressed. A gas-like smell often described as sulfur or rotten eggs, is equally dangerous because it could indicate a natural gas leak within your HVAC system. Keep in mind that a gas leak can occur even if the furnace is not on, so if you smell this odor during the summer months, you should still be alarmed.
High Humidity Inside Your Home
Another clear sign that something may be going on with your AC system is if you notice that there is a high level of humidity in your home. One of the underrated jobs of your HVAC system is to remove humidity from the air. If this is not happening, then your AC system is not working properly and it is time to have someone out to look. While this is not always something that indicates you need emergency heating and AC repair, it can make you very uncomfortable within your home.
If your home has a high amount of humidity, then you will never feel cool even if the temperature in your home is low. Therefore, your AC will continuously run without actually making any tangible progress. This can quickly cause wear and tear to add up and your energy bills, and you still won’t feel comfortable. For this reason, if there is a large amount of humidity in your air, it may be time to call for emergency heating and AC repair to get to the bottom of the issue so you can go back to relaxing when you are in your home.
Vents Are Blowing Room Temperature Air
Another sign that you have a problem with the HVAC system in your home is if you notice that your air vents are blowing out room temperature air. Whether it is winter or summer, the air coming out of your air vents should not be room temperature. During the winter months this can indicate that something is wrong with the heating element in your furnace or during the summer it can indicate that something is wrong with the compressor. Either way, it is equivalent to your system not working at all which is why you need to call for emergency heating and AC repair right away.
Regardless of what season it is, room temperature air will not change the quality of air in your home or make you more comfortable. Eventually what it will do is cool your home down or heat it unbearably depending on the season, so you need to call an emergency heating and AC repair company right away to troubleshoot the problem and figure out why it is happening.
You Spot Ice on Your Outdoor AC Unit
Finally, the last indicator that it may be time for emergency heating and AC repair is outside of your home instead of inside of it. This is the emergence of ice on your outdoor AC unit, and it is not something that you should ignore. Some people think that because an AC produces cold air, it only makes sense that ice would form, but this is not the case. Usually if this happens it occurs near the evaporator coil and is a sign that something is seriously wrong with the system.
If the ice is allowed to remain it will crack the evaporator coils which will force you to replace the entire AC unit. With that in mind, it is always worth a call to an emergency heating and AC repair company if ice appears so that you can get to the bottom of the issue before that occurs. Time is of the essence because if there is a leak in coolant that is causing the ice or some other mishap, the coils are going to buckle under the extreme temperatures at some point. This is something that you never want to ignore. It is also easy to fix when a phone call to an emergency heating and AC repair company is all it takes to address it.
If you have noticed any of the above signs of trouble or have another reason to be concerned about your HVAC system, contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas today.
See our previous blog on this topic here.