Whether it is the heat of the summer or the chill of winter, it is crucial that your HVAC system is working. This will keep you and your family comfortable throughout the seasons. If you have a central, ducted system, then there are two distinct units. One cools and one heats your home. Often, your air conditioning unit is outside, whereas the furnace may be in the garage.
Unfortunately, as with any appliance, things can go wrong with your HVAC. Your best option when this happens is to turn to a specialist in furnace repair. Specialized technicians can not only diagnose your problem, but also can give you an estimate and help you fix it. Even when you have someone to help you handle it, it might help to know why your HVAC system isn’t working properly.
In some cases, you may have your system blowing warm air instead of cold. In other instances, it may not blow air at all. Here are some of the reasons your HVAC system might not work. In addition, you may learn what to do about it in Ballwin, MO.
Dirty Condensers and Evaporator Coils
The most likely cause of problems with an HVAC system is lack of maintenance. If you don’t have regular maintenance scheduled, then dirt and debris might clog the coils. This reduces how efficiently your system runs. This leads to your system aging faster and your system running down quicker than you thought it would. On your own, you may hose off the outdoor coil once you shut the power down. If the indoor evaporator becomes dirty, you may need a technician to clean it.
Leaky Water
Furnaces and air conditioners produce condensation. There are drainpipes that guarantee water drainage. Furnaces might leak if the lines are cracked or clogged. You can keep the lines clean if you pour bleach down the drain. Other leak sources might be the heat exchanger, collector box or evaporator drain pan. You may need a furnace repair technician to determine what the source of the leaky water is.
Tripped Breakers and Blown Fuses
Has your furnace tripped a circuit breaker? If this happens, it usually means that the blower is overworking. This tends to happen if there is something blocking the airflow. Your blower has to work extra hard to compensate. Dirty air filters are usually the biggest culprit. If the blower uses more energy, it can trip a breaker. It’s important to check the filter and then replace it as needed. If this doesn’t solve the problem, it could be due to duct leaks, dirty coils or blocked-off air registers.
Blower Runs Continuously
Furnace blowers can run continuously. If this happens to you, first you want to check the fan switch on the thermostat. If the fan is in the on position then the fan will run continuously. Sometimes, homeowners will accidentally switch the fan on. If that isn’t the case, there are other reasons that the blower might run.
A fan relay turns on the blower when there is a call for heat. Sometimes, the relay sticks so that the blower will not shut off. Furnaces have a number of safeties and limits. If activated, the circuit board will turn the furnace on to cool it down. If the safety does not reset, the blower stays on.
Furnace Makes Unusual Noises
You may expect to hear some noise from your furnace. This is due to normal operation. Unfortunately, some noises aren’t as normal. These sounds may be an indication of a bigger problem. Sometimes you can blame it on a mechanical issue. If your motor is squealing or whining then it might mean that the bearings in the inducer motor or blower motor is failing. Furnace repair technicians may replace a motor to avoid furnace failure. Some noises might be a sign of dirty burners or airflow issues. Either way, it’s important to have the noises checked out.
Mechanical Degradation
There are so many mechanical components as a part of your heating and cooling system. The whole system relies on these components. Over time, normal wear and tear affects your unit. This could simply be because of age or it might be because of lack of maintenance. Either way, mechanical degradation is a problem in every HVAC unit over time.
The bearings or belts might wear down and lead to overheating or airflow issues. Furnace repair technicians will check out your worn or stretched belts to find out what’s wrong. In addition, they may motors and other components.
Malfunctions With Thermostat
There are many different types of thermostats. Some are non-programmable while others are programmable. When a homeowner thinks that his or her furnace isn’t operating properly, it might really be the thermostat. You may be able to fix it by looking to your owner’s manual or by checking the operating instructions.
This won’t always work. In some cases, the programmable thermostat batteries fail and you have to replace them. If nothing works, then there may be a different problem with the thermostat. If you continue to have issues, it’s better to have a furnace technician look at the issue. This is the best way to get it fixed.
Ignition or Pilot Problems
Dirty burners, flame sensors or a dirty pilot might lead to a pilot outage, furnace lockout, short cycling or delayed ignition. In addition, it might lead to a gas supply issue and wear and tear on the ignition components. When this happens, it’s important to have professional furnace repair on your side. Trained service technicians can deal with high voltage and natural gas.
Leaky Ductwork
You feel the air circulating but the temperature is off. You know that it means the system isn’t running efficiently, but you can’t be sure why. One of the main causes is leaky ductwork. Warm air escapes through leaks instead. You may be able to check the ductwork for leaks. These may come from general wear and tear, improper installation or pests.
Dirty Filters
In order for your HVAC system to run property, you have to replace the filter regularly. It’s common that homeowners forget about the filters from time to time. The problem with forgetting is that it can wear down on your HVAC unit.
When your filter is dirty, it restricts airflow. This makes it more difficult to circulate air. If this is the case, your furnace undergoes unnecessary strain and may damage your furnace even more. Then, a dirty filter may also cause the furnace to overheat. When a heating and air conditioning unit overheats, it will shut off.
Refrigerant Leaking
Refrigerants make air conditioning possible. The refrigerant is contained within the coils of the HVAC system. These refrigerants cool and dehumidify the air inside your home. If your unit is low on refrigeration, then it can’t do its job very well. Sometimes, there may be leaks that lead to losing refrigerant. In addition to not cooling your home, it will cause the condenser to work overtime. This shortens the longevity of your unit.
Lack of Maintenance
One of the most common reasons that an HVAC system doesn’t work is because of lack of maintenance. To avoid costly furnace repair, you have to have maintenance performed regularly by a licensed contractor in Ballwin. Maintenance will ultimately help you save money on costly repairs in the future. Neglecting upkeep leads to costly breakdowns and poor performance down the line.
Improper Air Balance
The heated and cooled air travels through vents and through a variety of ducts before it gets to the room. The idea is that all of the rooms should heat or cool at about the same rate. Dampers help control the amount of airflow to each room. The damper will reduce air in one line and then allow more air in other areas. If one room is cooling faster than another is, then you may not have balanced dampers.
No Warm Air Delivery
In the winter, the last thing that you want to happen is for there to be no warm delivery at all. You rely on your furnace to keep your home comfortable. When the temperatures are freezing outside, it’s crucial to keep your home warm.
There are a lot of different problems that could be responsible. It might be a breaker issue, it may be a problem with your wiring or it might be the unit broke down completely. It’s difficult to narrow down what’s wrong with the unit on your own. Using a technician in HVAC repair is the only way to know for sure.
When it comes down to it, you want to keep your furnace maintained. Most of the time, problems can be avoided just through regular maintenance. Issues may be small at first. However, if you ignore the issues, they will continue to grow until the equipment shuts down. While furnace repair is affordable, not everyone has the money on hand to replace the entire system. It’s crucial to keep up with maintenance and utilize professional technicians to tell you what’s wrong with your system.