Troubleshooting Tips for Homeowners
No one wants to pay an HVAC service technician to service a heating and air conditioning unit unless it is absolutely necessary. Here is a list of common problems that homeowners can often solve themselves. Simple things can save lots of money.
Some rooms in my house stay warmer or cooler than others.
- Make sure that vents are open and not blocked by furniture or other objects.
- Keep interior doors open. If you close a door to a room that does not have return air vents you will pressurize the room. This prevents air from circulating the house properly. If you’re not sure if your rooms have return air vents, check to see if the room has two vents. If one vent is used for return air, then no air will come through the vent. If air comes out of both vents, then keep the doors open.
- Check your air filters. Make sure they are clean. Replace them as often as necessary. A dirty air filter is equivalent to closing the vents altogether. Your system will operate more efficiently if air filters are properly cleaned and replaced throughout the year.
My HVAC unit is running, but not heating or cooling as much as I would like.
- First, check and make sure all of the breakers for your heating and air conditioning unit are turned on.
- Compare the temperature on your unit’s thermostat to that of a thermometer to ensure that the thermostat is accurate.
- It may be that your HVAC unit is low on refrigerant. When this happens, ice forms around the unit. This causes the unit to stop functioning properly. Homeowners should turn the unit off and turn the fan switch on the thermostat to the “on” position. This will allow the coils to thaw faster. Now call a service technician.
The thermostat on my HVAC control panel never reaches the temperature at which I have it set.
- Make sure the thermostat is accurate by comparing the temperature reading to that of another functioning thermometer in the house.
- If the thermostat is accurate then ask yourself if the temperature in the house is comfortable? Sometimes homeowners pay too much attention to the thermostat and less attention to comfort. For instance, if the outdoor temperature is 98 degrees, then your air conditioner should not be able to reach 70 degrees. So be realistic in your expectations.
My heating and air conditioning unit blows cold air during the winter months.
- First, be sure that the vents truly are blowing cold air. Any air that is less than human body temperature (98.6 degrees) may feel cool to the touch. Check the temperature of the air blowing from the vent with a thermostat.
- Sometimes the air blowing from the vent is not cold enough. For instance, if the vent is blowing air that is 60 degrees, but the thermostat says the house is 70 degrees then you have a problem that will require an HVAC service call.
- Take a look at the outside unit. Has snow drifted against it? Has ice formed on it? If so, this could be preventing your heating unit from functioning at full capacity.
When all is said and done, if these troubleshooting tips don’t solve the problem, you should contact one of Warren’s qualified HVAC service technicians. We’ll take a look at your heating and air unit and offer a variety of options to fit your budget.