The first thing that the majority of homeowners and business owners do when their air conditioners or furnaces give them a hard time is hop on the internet in search of a quick fix. Google searches for “heater repair” and “DIY A/C tuneup” aren’t at all uncommon.
The fix might be as easy as flipping the reset button on the box of your basement’s burner or scrubbing your air conditioner’s filter. When you can find and address a simple problem like that you can save yourself a lot of money.
There are certain issues, though, that air conditioners and furnaces can experience from time to time that might indicate larger problems that need to be addressed by a trained HVAC professional. Knowing the kinds of jobs that require a professional is the first step to making the right call.
Knowing When to Contact an HVAC Professional
Dirty coils on your condenser unit can certainly cause your AC system to perform worse than it should. The problem is that heat energy is released in a way that worsens the energy efficiency of your entire unit. Are dirty coils and clogged filters necessarily a reason to call an HVAC professional?
It really depends. If you can get at your home’s AC coil, or simply remove the filter from your through-wall air conditioning unit, and there isn’t a lot of grime accumulation, then you might be able to get most of the grime off with a conventional garden hose or by simply scrubbing a removable air conditioning filter in the sink.
- Clue: Blower Fan On…Yet Reduced Airflow
While clearing away debris and fallen leaves from an outdoor HVAC unit might be a good first step to freeing up the airflow around your condenser unit, doing that alone might not get you across the finish line. Some jobs really do require the help of an HVAC professional.
If you notice a lot of grime around a coil or filter then you might need an HVAC professional to come over and fix the problem. What can you expect? In cases of high grime buildup, blocked airflow or a dirty internal coil in need of deep cleaning an HVAC pro would apply a solution to unclog things.
One huge clue that you’re dealing with a clog or grime buildup in one of your internal coils is when you notice that your blower fan is working overtime but there’s little (or no) air coming out of your vents. An HVAC professional can determine whether your issue is grime buildup, some kind of blockage or frozen coils.
Business owners or property managers might also be dealing with issues like low refrigerant levels or a malfunctioning blower motor. Both issues should be addressed by an HVAC professional. As a business owner you should have your refrigerant levels checked at least once annually.
Do You Need Professional Heater Repair Service?
You might, and here are some of the clues to look out for. It’s typical for your burner to cycle through an on-off cycle throughout the day, but you might need a pro to come in and take a look for certain issues.
A burner that constantly cycles, or cycles more than you’re used to, could be a sign that your controls are maladjusted or that your filter is clogged.
A sign that you absolutely need to call a heating professional is any kind of oily odor or high carbon monoxide reading. Noxious odors could indicate a combustion issue or leak that might even be an imminent safety issue. You shouldn’t wait: Get in touch with a heating professional immediately. Contact us for more information.