Odd HVAC Problems A Heating And AC Repair Company Can Help You Solve | Frisco, TX
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One of the basic tasks of being a homeowner is keeping your HVAC system in working order. Not only does proper heating and cooling make your Frisco, TX home comfortable to live in, but it also keeps it safe. You need to properly cool your home during the summer months or it can actually get too warm to be safe for young children and elderly adults to live in. During the cooler months or the odd cold snap, you need your furnace to prevent your pipes from freezing.
With that in mind, you need to know a good heating and AC repair company in Frisco, TX that can help you as problems arise. Believe it or not, there are dozens of problems that can arise with your HVAC system, and some of them are so specialized that you really will need a heating and AC repair company. While your HVAC system is the most expensive appliance in your home, it is also sometimes the most frustrating. There are so many things that can go wrong between the indoor machinery components, the outdoor machinery components, and the ductwork that it can be exhausting.
Instead of attempting to troubleshoot some of these issues on your own, you need to seek out help from a heating and AC repair company. The problem with HVAC systems is that for most problems, the longer you wait the more serious the issues get. With this in mind, here are some odd situations that can arise if you own an HVAC system, and how a heating and AC repair company can help you. A few of these, you will have to read to believe, because you probably don’t realize the large role the HVAC system plays in the comfort of your home.
Dead Rodents in the Ductwork
Most likely before you became a homeowner you didn’t think much about what would happen if a mouse or a rat dies in your ductwork. In fact, in terms of nuisances, this ranks right up there with a bat making its home in your garage or attic. Unfortunately, it is not that uncommon for a rodent to get caught in the ductwork and then die, and it is something that most heating and AC repair company technicians have seen at some point.
The rodents usually take advantage of your ductwork as easy transportation around your home. You probably have no idea that they are even in your home, but then suddenly a very bad smell starts to seep out of your air vents and you are faced with the consequences. One thing we hear at our heating and AC repair company is customers who call and complain that it smells like something died in their HVAC vent, and we get to break the unfortunate news that they are probably right. So, if this happens what exactly should you do?
The best thing you can do is call your local Frisco, TX heating and AC repair company and let them handle it, but in the meantime, you can work on figuring out where it is. Most people don’t know there is a dead animal in their ductwork until it starts to decompose and the smell wafts upwards. Unfortunately, you don’t know if the rodent is in the ductwork, attic, basement, etc. Therefore, your only choice is to carefully follow the scent to determine where it lays.
If you have reason to suspect it is in your ductwork, then you should take off the vent cover and then place a flashlight inside and look around. If you can’t see the animal but you can definitely smell it, then you will need to call a heating and AC repair company to take it out. You should never try to take apart your own air ducts and don’t want to unnecessarily take apart the wrong areas. They have tools to help isolate where the issue is and then easily remove it for you.
In addition, you will need to thoroughly clean the area and disinfect it so that your air ducts are not spreading disease in the air. Plus, if you don’t clean up the area, there is a good chance that you are going to continue to smell it for some time. Finally, your ductwork is going to need to be inspected to figure out how the rodent got down in the first place. If they chewed a hole or there is a break in the system, it needs to be repaired to prevent air loss and future rodents from getting into it as well. This is one more good reason to just let a professional heating and AC repair company handle the task.
Why Is Water Dripping Near the Heat Pump?
Heat pumps can be a great way to heat your home during the cooler winter months in Frisco, TX, but from time to time they can be concerning when they start to leak. When this occurs, it is time to call a heating and AC repair company. While it is not something that is urgent, you don’t want to wait too long to take care of it because it can lead to mold growth and water damage.
Therefore, if you notice a leak coming from your heat pump you need to call a heating and AC repair company and schedule a time. It is okay to wait for a day or over the weekend unless you can already see water damage. Keep in mind that standing water can also cause something to short-circuit or wear down components so really while this is not an emergency, it is something that you have to take care of if you don’t want to end up spending a lot more on repair or replacement costs.
In case you are curious, there are several reasons why a heat pump will start to drip. The most popular reason we see is that the rain gets clogged or overflows. Other times, the refrigerant can start to get low and ice will start to form on the coils which will mess up the cooling process and get in the way of the heat pump’s proper function. This is actually a big issue for a number of reasons and can even completely ruin your AC system, so if you notice ice on the evaporator coils you need to call a heating and AC repair company in Frisco, TX right away.
Why Is My Home Always Dusty?
Does it seem like no matter how many times you dust your home it is always dusty? Can you dust off the tops of picture frames or the mantle and see dust accumulating there in just a few days? If you happen to live with a construction worker or very young kids who live in the sandbox this may make sense, but if you don’t, then you may be very frustrated and wondering why you can never keep your home clean. Believe it or not, the answer might lay in getting someone from a heating and AC repair company to help you. Your HVAC system is responsible for filtering the air in your home, especially during the summer months when your windows are sealed shut. If it is not working properly, then it may be the cause of all of your issues.
The most obvious thing you can do is attempt to reduce the amount of dust you bring into your home. Don’t wear shoes while inside the home and change clothes if you notice that you are especially dirty for some reason. Beyond that, you will have to start looking at potential issues with your HVAC machine.
One common problem that you can take care of on your own is the air filter. If your air filter is old or clogged then it will be unable to properly trap dust from getting into the air of your home. As a result, the air will lift dust out of the filter and into your home where it settles back down onto everything. Sometimes all it takes to solve the problem is a new air filter.
Other times, you will need to consult with a heating and AC repair company. It’s possible that you have leaky ducts in your home that are forcing your HVAC system to work harder and allowing dusty air to drip into your home before it has the chance to be filtered. This might be the issue if you have noticed that your utility bills are higher than usual as well. You also might see lint near vent registers which is another sign that it is time to call a heating and AC repair company to come to inspect your ductwork and look for broken seals or leaky joints.
What Temperature Should My Thermostat Be Set At?
This is the stuff that arguments are made of. Rarely do two people agree on what temperature the thermostat should be set at, but some heating and AC repair company technicians do agree that there are ranges that are generally accepted. While we can’t help you argue a degree or two, we can help you learn the proper ranges for summer and winter if you want the most energy efficiency out of your HVAC system.
During cooler months it is recommended to buy a smart thermostat so that you can adjust it for when people are in the house and when they are out of it. When no one is home it is fine to keep your home at 68 degrees, but then once everyone comes home you can bump it up to the low seventies. Some people find that lower settings also work well at night when you are less likely to notice, some people even like sleeping in cooler temperatures. At any rate, lowering the temperature of your home by at least seven degrees for eight hours every day can help you save as much as 10% on your energy bills.
During the summer, you might be surprised at the recommended house setting. While most people argue over how cool it to be, the actual recommended setting is closer to 78 degrees. While it may feel hot when you have been inside for a lot, 78 is a perfectly liveable temperature and a huge difference compared to the hot weather during a hot Frisco, TX summer. You might even consider hitting it up a few degrees when you leave to save even more energy.
Of course, you need to keep in mind that these are just suggestions. If you care about comfort more than costs then do what you want, but if you are worried about energy use then you need to know that the closer the temperatures indoor and outdoor are the more you will save. There are other factors you need to consider such as if you have someone elderly in your home or a young infant at which point the recommendations differ.
How Do I Keep My Sunroom Hot During the Winter?
If you have a sunroom you may hate having to let it go during the winter months, but if you consult with your heating and AC repair company you may not have to. You can easily keep your sunroom hot by making a few adjustments. First of all, you might consider having a separate HVAC system installed there. This is not as expensive as it sounds and solves your heating issue.
You also could consider purchasing a portable unit like an electric fireplace or talk to your local heating and AC repair company about extending the ductwork in your home to feed the sunroom as well. If you need help with this or any of the other situations discussed above, contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas today.