How To Know If You Need Emergency Heating And AC Repair Service | Dallas, TX
When something malfunctions in your home you may start feeling the stress of not being able to use it. This is true whether you are dealing with a broken microwave oven, or a garage door opener that has stopped working. But nothing can be more stressful than a malfunctioning HVAC system, in which case you are going to want to get it fixed right away, regardless of whether the problem arises in the middle of the night on a holiday weekend or it happens during regular business hours. Being without the ability to make your Dallas, TX home’s temperature comfortable at any time can seem like an emergency, especially if you are experiencing an extreme heat wave or a frigid winter storm. This isn’t always the case, and not all HVAC issues require a call to a professional emergency heating and AC repair service company.
With this in mind, the question that arises: How can you know when you should call an emergency heating and AC repair service for your Dallas, TX home? In order to help you decide whether you require an emergency heating and AC repair service company to help you get your home at a comfortable temperature once again, we will touch upon several scenarios in which emergency help is warranted. We will also present a series of recommendations that will help you decide whether you can wait for a regular technician or you must call an emergency heating and AC repair service immediately. So, without further ado, let’s get started on the signs that let you know you have to call for emergency service for your Dallas, TX home.
When Is the Problem an Emergency?
As we’ve already mentioned, not all of your Dallas, TX HVAC issues will require emergency heating and AC repair service, but if your system stops working completely in the middle of a heat wave or a winter storm, and not cool or warm air is coming out of your vents, you are going to need help right away and shouldn’t wait to make the call.
There are a number of situations in which you should call for emergency heating and AC repair for your Dallas, TX home as quickly as possible. Let’s take a look at the most common ones.
Your HVAC system stops working completely
Imagine the following scenario: there’s a winter storm raging outside and the temperature has dropped below freezing. Luckily, you are sitting at home enjoying the warmth produced by your HVAC system and sipping a cup of hot chocolate. Life seems perfect until you suddenly realize that the air in your house is getting colder and colder. Pretty soon you start shivering and looking for the cause. You go check the circuit breaker and the thermostat, but everything seems to be ok. Your family starts to complain about how cold your home seems to be. You go check your furnace and find that it has stopped working altogether. At this point you should start considering you have an emergency situation on your hands and should call a Dallas, TX emergency heating and AC repair service for immediate help.
The situation becomes even more dire when there are very young children or elderly relatives in your home, because they are the first to suffer the effects of extreme temperatures. So don’t wait for too long and call a reputable emergency heating and AC repair service as soon as you can, so you can return to enjoying a comfortable temperature in your home again.
Your HVAC system is leaking and damaging your home
Oftentimes your HVAC system might start leaking in ways that are not readily apparent. It could be that the drains have become clogged or water is accumulating in areas that you can’t easily see. As water spreads throughout your home’s HVAC system, the moisture might start damaging everything in its path, leading to the development of mold to the complete loss of your HVAC system. Because of how costly this type of damage can be, it is always a good idea to call for emergency heating and AC repair service as soon as you start suspecting something could be going on, in order to prevent the damage from spreading any further.
Your HVAC system is showing signs of electrical problems
Electricity is not something to fool around with, and an HVAC system with electrical issues should always be considered an emergency. Whether you start perceiving a burning smell coming from your vents, or your home’s lights dim when your HVAC system turns on, or even if it constantly trips the circuit breaker, the suspicion of an electrical problem in your HVAC system should always be a good reason to call for emergency heating and AC repair service right away.
Keep in mind that allowing the problem to continue while waiting for regular business hours can cause severe damage to your home and family’s health. From burning out your other appliances to causing an electrical fire that could reduce your home to ashes, electrical problems in your HVAC system should never be left to fester and worsen. Additionally, to make matters worse, an electrical issue could also result in carbon monoxide seeping into your home, which puts your family in grave danger. So, this is one occasion in which you should not doubt yourself and you should call a professional emergency heating and AC repair service as soon as you notice something wrong.
Other Things to Look Out For
Most of the problems you might encounter in your HVAC system are usually pretty minor and can wait for regular business hours, and the ones we mentioned above are the most pressing and grave. Even so, there are other things that could go wrong that would warrant a call to an emergency heating and AC repair service as soon as you can. Let’s take a look at some of them.
- You smell something burning – the only time you should perceive a mild burning smell that goes away after a few minutes is when you turn on your furnace for the first time in the season. This smell will probably come from accumulated dust on its components throughout the year, which will burn off as soon as the furnace components start heating up. But, when the smell doesn’t go away after a little while, you should start suspecting something more serious could be going on. In these cases, calling an emergency heating and AC repair service for help, even if the issue turns out to be something very minor, can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing nothing serious is going on and you and your family are safe.
- There is smoke coming out of your unit or vents – A burning smell can be a minor issue, but when you see smoke coming out of your HVAC system or your vents, you might be experiencing a house fire, which is definitely an emergency situation. Because of the way smoke and air can travel through your vents, it could put your family in a potentially hazardous situation, especially if you consider that the smoke could completely invade your home very quickly, making it difficult to breathe. If this happens, you should take the necessary steps to evacuate your home and call 911. Once they have taken measures to ensure that fire is not the source of the smoke, you should call a professional emergency heating and AC repair service to take care of the problem.
- Your HVAC system is making weird noises – Strange loud noises coming from your HVAC unit are a surefire sign of mechanical problems. Noises such as hissing, banging, buzzing, or rattling can point to a very serious problem going on in the deep recesses of your system. When faced with this type of situation, your best bet is to turn your HVAC system off right away and call an emergency heating and AC repair service right away for help. While you may have to deal with the discomfort of a house that is too hot or too cold for a few hours, you will be able to prevent incurring in costly repairs or even the expense of replacing your entire system due to the potential damage that could result from waiting.
- Your HVAC unit is overheating – When your HVAC system starts overheating you could be facing a potentially hazardous issue. At the very least, leaving the problem to fester while you wait for regular business hours, can completely ruin your system, leading to the need for a replacement
- You hear strange noises in your ductwork – If you hear scratching, screeching, or other noises coming from your ducts, it could mean that some type of pest or vermin has infested your system. This problem is most common in the cold months because squirrels, rats, and other small animals look for a warm place to spend the winter. The reason why this should be considered an emergency is because these animals can chew on your HVAC system’s wires, creating a severe electrical problem that could lead to a fire. Additionally, they will leave droppings and other types of debris throughout your ductwork, which could represent a danger to your family’s health. While you may think that it’s cute to have squirrels wintering in your ducts, the situation is bad enough to warrant a call to a professional emergency heating and AC repair service for their removal.
Why Maintenance Matters
Nobody enjoys the stress produced by emergencies, but there is one way to prevent this from happening. A regular maintenance schedule to be performed on your HVAC system, at least once or twice a year, can be crucial to preventing emergency situations and the hassle of having to deal with them and finding an emergency heating and AC repair service for help.
Maintenance should be performed during early spring and fall to inspect and prepare your Dallas, TX HVAC system for the upcoming hot and cold seasons. During the visit, the technician will be able to ascertain whether any of the components of your system have become worn and require replacement before they cause your system to present an emergency situation. As with any piece of machinery or household appliance, maintenance is the key to prevention. By performing regular maintenance you can avoid having to pay for emergency heating and AC repair service, expensive repairs, or even the costly replacement of your entire system, and that doesn’t even include the danger a malfunctioning HVAC system could represent to your family and property.
Plan Ahead
Nobody likes to think they may one day encounter an emergency situation that will force them to act. Unfortunately, emergencies are a fact of life and can’t be completely avoided (especially if you ignore those cute squirrels in your ducts!). Because of this, you should plan ahead and prepare for an emergency by finding a reputable emergency heating and AC repair service company that will be available 24/7 in case you are ever faced with an unexpected problem. Talk to the members of your household about what should be done in case you ever find yourself in one of the scenarios we listed above, and prepare an evacuation plan for your home in case of fire. Above all, if you suspect there might be trouble brewing in your HVAC system, don’t wait until the holiday weekend is over and you can reach somebody during regular business hours.
At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas we are always happy to help you with any emergency heating and AC repair service you could require, allowing you to return to a comfortable temperature as quickly as possible. So, if you are dealing with an HVAC emergency, don’t hesitate to pick up your phone and give us a call right away. We are proud of our years of experience resolving all types of HVAC emergencies, so don’t wait until the sun comes up, just give us a call and we will be on our way!