Why Does Your HVAC Unit Have Airflow Issues? You May Need To Schedule Air Conditioning Repair To Get Your Airflow Back Up | Frisco, TX
As a homeowner, you understand that before any system fails in your Frisco, TX home, it will start by indicating signs that something is amiss. Unfortunately, most people either do not understand the sign given by systems in their homes or ignore them altogether, which leads to total breakdown leaving them stranded.
Your air conditioning unit is not exceptional in this logic. Before it ultimately gives in, leaving you and your family freezing in the middle of a winter night will give you warning signs. These warning signs, though not severe, indicate that you should contact an air conditioning repair service provider to investigate and fix the problem. Therefore, this article will outline the warning signs to look for in your air conditioning unit and how to prevent them from occurring.
Warning Signs That You Might Need HVAC Repair
The breakdown of an AC unit is not only inconvenient but can also cause severe impacts on the health of your family. Therefore, it is best to understand every sign before calling an air conditioning repair technician. Some of the signs that indicate an underlying problem include;
Cold and Hot Spots at Your Home
Are certain rooms in your house experiencing different temperatures from others, yet you have set the thermostat at the same setting? Then the problem could be your AC unit. Temperature variation is one of the significant signs that your HVAC system gives to indicate a brewing problem. Therefore, once you notice this, call an air conditioning repair technician before it is too late.
HVAC Blowing Warm air
The most obvious sign of a failing AC unit is blowing warm air, especially when you have set it to cool the house. Therefore, an air conditioning repair specialist in Frisco, TX, must investigate this airflow issue as soon as possible.
Weak Airflow
The efficiency of an air conditioning unit is highly dependent on the quality and speed of airflow with your vents. Therefore, if you can barely feel any air movement in your vents even after setting your AC unit at the lowest, something is wrong with your airflow.
Pressure Imbalance
Pressure imbalance is another sign your AC unit can give to indicate an underlying issue. Good indicators of pressure imbalance are air drafts such that your doors rattle or shut independently. This is because one room has a lower air pressure than the other; thus, the door closes involuntarily. Have you noticed this? Enlist the help of an air conditioning repair technician.
Causes of HVAC Airflow Problems and Their Solution
The advantage of knowing the above sign is that they show when things are deteriorating in your home’s air conditioning system. However, they do not answer the most important question; what causes these problems, and more so, what step can you take to solve them. Therefore, let’s start by identifying the major causes of these signs and then figure out the steps you can take to fix or prevent them.
Low Refrigerant Levels in Your Unit
A low refrigerant level in an air conditioning unit is another significant cause of airflow problems in many households. The refrigerant in an air conditioning unit is designed to provide cool air for the system. Therefore, if its levels are low, it will not efficiently provide the cool air needed. Hence you will notice a reduced or no air in your home’s vents.
In addition, there will be a significant reduction in cooling. The most responsible cause of refrigerant level reduction in an HVAC system is leakage through cracks and holes in an AC coil. Therefore, the best solution for this problem is to contact an air conditioning repair expert to refill the refrigerant to the necessary levels.
Blocked or Leaking Ducts
The primary purpose of ducts in your home’s AC is to deliver cold air throughout every part of your home. However, due to the lack of air conditioning repair and maintenance, this ductwork is open to the accumulation of debris and dust particles that eventually cause a clog. Additionally, the lack of efficient maintenance of the ducts can develop holes and cracks that go unnoticed and lead to reduced airflow through your home.
On the other hand, if your home is old, birds and rodents may have built their nests over time, causing unseen damage to the ducts, interfering with the HVAC air flow, or clogging the ductwork. Apart from causing reduced airflow in the HVAC system, a leaking duct also impacts your home’s air quality since it sucks in air from the surrounding with dust and other contaminants. Additionally, damaged air ducts can cause energy wastage which skyrockets your electric bill.
The ways to know if your HVAC system is suffering from leaking or blocked is by noticing dust in the air, uneven cooling, or if the ductwork seems twisted. Additionally, you can inspect the ducts for holes or cracks. Before beginning the inspection process, it is vital to note that most duct leaks occur in joints between two ducts. Therefore, you can place your hand close to these joineries to feel for any air. After finding the leaks, you can fix these problems using mastic air duct sealant or foil-faced tape.
However, the best solution for air leaks is using duct sealant compared to foil-faced tape. A duct sealant is a sticky substance you place over the holes and gaps. Once applied, the sealant hardens after drying. On the other hand, you can check for duct blockages by inspecting the vents for airflow. Note which vents have reduced airflow and those without any airflow. Although you can run a diagnostic of the vents in your home, removing the dust and dirt in them can prove challenging, especially if you have not done it before. Therefore, it is advisable to call an air conditioning repair professional for help.
Clogged Air Filters
The primary cause of airflow problems in most households is clogged air filters. Although, as a homeowner, according to the advice of an air conditioning repair expert, you may be cautious of the items in your home’s air supply and try to keep your house as clean as possible. However, dust, pollen, mold, and dirt particles will eventually find their way into your household. Since air filters are designed to keep the air circulation in your home clean, it sucks in all the contaminating particles from the air, depositing them on its surface.
Therefore, when the air filter is left unattended and air conditioning repair and maintenance appointments are spread far over long periods, these dust, pollen, mold, and dirt particles will accumulate on the air filter. Eventually, they clog the air filter clogs and block the airflow. If you go for too long without maintaining your air conditioning units, a clogged filter will result in a complete stop of the system.
To solve the airflow issue caused by clogged air filters, you must change your home air filter at least once every 90 days or after 250 hours of usage. However, the changing duration of the air filters is also affected by the region you live in. For those in dusty or populated neighborhoods, the air filters should be changed more frequently than those in less populated areas. Smart devices such as a smart AC controller or a thermostat monitor the air filter cleanliness level. To ensure how long you need to change your home’s air filter, ask an air conditioning repair professional in Frisco, TX, for advice or use smart devices available on the market.
Debris Accumulation in the Outdoor Unit
An air conditioning unit is so designed that its seamless running depends on both its indoor and outdoor units. Therefore, if any of the two units is not working, it affects the whole system. As the name suggests, the outdoor system is mounted outside the house. It is prone to many interferences, especially if you do not build a reliable structure to keep all loose items outside. In cases where shrubs and others plants are used to cover it, it is possible for debris and leaves to accumulate around or get stuck in the unit.
When this happens, the outdoor unit will have to overwork to disperse the heat, impacting the airflow in your Frisco, TX, house. In addition, the system is prone to overheating due to poor airflow. Therefore, to avoid and solve this problem, it is advisable to formulate a regular cleaning routine with an air conditioning repair technician to keep the debris and leaves away.
Faulty Thermostat
If you have gone through all the above causes and counterchecked them and your airflow is still not restored, the problem might be your thermostat. Although it might seem like a long shot, your thermostat can also affect the airflow in your house. If it is either wrongly calibrated or malfunctioning, the thermostat can impact the functionality of your HVAC system and thus the airflow in your home.
Therefore, to solve the malfunctioning problem, you can call an air conditioning repair expert for help. However, you can start by checking if the thermostat has a power source. Hence if your thermostat is battery-operated, check the batteries and replace them if necessary. After ensuring the thermostat has a power supply, you can continue to check for dust and debris by opening its cover. If you find dust or other particles present, use a soft brush to remove the grime inside. However, if you do all this and your thermostat is still faulty, move to the next step and try fixing the calibration issue.
To find out if your thermostat calibration is correctly done, place a glass thermometer next to the thermostat, and after fifteen minutes, check both the thermostat and the thermometer readings. If there is a difference in reading between the two for more than one degree, re-calibrate the thermostat to match the thermometer’s reading. However, if you do all this and your airflow is not restored, consider calling an air conditioning repair expert.
AC Blower Not Working
The blower in an air conditioning unit is designed to push cold air through the ducts and throughout your house. Therefore, without its proper performance, the airflow through your home is significantly reduced. Excessive dust on the blades can also lessen the airflow even if the AC blower is operational. To solve this problem, turn off the air conditioning unit, locate the AC blower in your HVAC system and gently wipe it to eliminate any traces of dirt and grime.
However, it is essential to note that this is very dangerous. Therefore, be careful and use protection equipment around the blades or flow instructions from an air conditioning repair expert. When you are done wiping, turn the system back on and countercheck the airflow. Call a professional AC repair service in Frisco, TX, for inspection if the airflow is not restored.
Vents Blockage
Do the vents in your home have no air? This could be because the vents are blocked further up in the system. Unlike popular belief, vent blocking does not only happen through the accumulation of particles inside it. For example, you might have unknowingly pushed a piece of furniture, thus locking the airflow. Or you might have willingly blocked some vents on a chilly night and about them.
All the above actions restrict the airflow in the air conditioner, leaving your home uncomfortable and stuffy during hot summer days. The solution to this problem is to go through all the vents in the house and ensure they are all open and nothing is blocking them. If the airflow is not restored even after unblocking the vents, contact an air conditioning repair service provider for professional help.
Oversized and Undersized HVAC Unit
Perfectly matching your air conditioner size to the conditioning needs of your Frisco, TX home is one of the fundamental aspects of an effective HVAC unit. Although most people think that the bigger the air conditioning unit, the better the services rendered will be, this is not the case. If an AC unit is larger than the needs of your household, it has short cycles.
This means it will turn off frequently since the load is less than the capacity. Similarly, a small AC unit overworks as it tries to cover the house load leading it to overheat its components, such as the capacitor. Therefore, if you notice the above signs, the only way to solve the problem is to seek help from an air conditioning repair professional for the right-sized air conditioner for your home.
Why Choose Us for AC Repair?
The HVAC system is an essential appliance that ensures the comfort of your home during the fluctuating seasons, and thus it needs regular AC repair services. Therefore, when you require air conditioning repair services in the Frisco, TX area and its environs, ensure you pick us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas. We offer quality AC repair services. We have a proven track record and assure you of efficient, reliable, and outstanding services. Call us today for quality air conditioning repair services.