Some HVAC unit issues don’t necessarily require a professional to handle them if you are slightly handy and can follow written instructions. Some of the more common HVAC issues and some simple repairs could help you get your own HVAC unit running again.
Possible Causes of A/C Blowing Mild or Hot Air
When the temperature is set correctly, the air conditioning system should produce cold air rather than warm or hot air. Your system might have a clogged air filter. The filter will always be the simplest and most important item to examine. Otherwise, your condensate drain line may not be flowing water correctly, or the refrigerant may be low or leaking.
Potential Solutions
Dirty/Incorrectly Installed Air Filters
Changing your HVAC system’s air filters should be a fairly predictable maintenance program. The filter could become blocked if you are late. Alternatively, activities that generate dust, such as lighting a wood-burning hearth or construction inside, might cause filters to clog up faster than usual. Remove and discard the existing filter. Install a new filter. Make that the filter is going the right way, as indicated by the indicators on the filter.
Blocked Condensate Line
Remove any service panel to gain access to the line and condensation drip pan. Vent after removing the threaded plug. Vacuum out the drain with a professional vacuum in wet mode. Locate the end of the drain pipe and use the shop vacuum to remove any obstacles.
Low Or Leaking Freon
Call an HVAC expert if you believe that the coolant is low or leaking. A leak test will be performed by the technician. If leaks are identified, they can be repaired. The technician canalso refresh the refrigerant if it is needed. Do not attempt to replenish the refrigerant on your own.
Possible Causes of the Furnace Blowing Cold or Chilly Air
If the heater component of an HVAC system isn’t providing warm air, this is always a reason for concern. The filter might be blocked, decreasing the rate of air. The heated air will have dropped down by the time it reaches the vents. If it isn’t the filter, your pilot light might well have gone out. Or the heater may heat up, however the blower isn’t operating, preventing hot air from reaching the vents.
Potential Solutions
Filter:
Replace the furnace filter. Check that it is oriented in the proper direction for optimal ventilation.
Light the Pilot Light:
Turn the furnace (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furnace_(central_heating) off at the thermostat. Locate your lamp at the furnace’s bottom. Wait around three minutes after turning it off. Turn the dial to PILOT and push the button to activate the piezoelectric lighter. If it lacks a piezoelectric lighter, use a kitchen lighter to light the pilot.
Blower:
The blowers in gas furnaces are driven by electricity. Even though the gas is turned on, the fan may not function. Examine the power supply panel to discover whether a breaker has been tripped. If this is the case, flip the breaker backward (toward the box’s outside edge), then forward until it snaps into place.
If Your Thermostat Isn’t Working Properly
Possible Root Causes
If the temperature gauge isn’t operating properly, nothing else in the HVAC system will. The temperature gauge is the system’s central processing unit. Every thermostat requires power. Batteries, a low voltage cable, or both can power thermostats. The temperature gauge will not function if electricity is interrupted. Thermostats aren’t always installed correctly. Yours might have been positioned in direct sunshine or near a cool room with a draft.
Potential Solutions
Dead Batteries:
If the thermostat is powered by a battery, the very first step is to change the battery first with a new one.
Power at Low Voltage:
Remove its front plate and take out the screws securing the thermostat to the wall to examine whether it has a low wattage wire. Pull the device outward gently to ensure that all of the wires are connected. Occasionally, there would be some unneeded wires with plastic covering on their ends. The 18/5 thermostat line is inexpensive to replace, but wiring it from the Heating system to the thermostat might be difficult.
Problems with Placement:
You may adjust the circumstances that are confounding the thermostat without relocating it, for example by erecting curtains to block the sun.
If the heat exchanger or furnace is never turned off, and instead constantly runs, there could be a few other issues.
Possible Root Causes
The home may be so inadequately insulated that now the heat pump or heater must operate all the time to keep up with the needs. Alternatively, the exterior unit may be frozen over or even have a snowdrift piled against it, obstructing the vents. Another possibility is that return air is just so chilly that the unit is overworked. When inside air is restored to the unit, it should be warm. When the air is excessively cold, the unit needs to work harder to keep up.
Potential Solutions
Insulation:
In other cases, the house’s walls and ceilings are so inadequately insulated that inside temperatures plummet dramatically in the winter. The remedy is to seal the walls, either by removing drywall from the inside and installing roll and batt fiberglass insulation, or by installing cellulose sealing to closed walls. Insulating attics can be accomplished by either putting insulation batts in between joists or blowing cellulose material into the attic.
Scrape away any ice or snow on top of the external unit. Brushes snow and shovels snow drifts away.
Return Air:
A disconnected or leaky return air vent that pulls chilly air from the attic is a possible culprit. While a unit is operating, inspect the ducting. The duct may sometimes be accessible from the attic. Locate a duct and use a flashlight to look for auditory or visual signs of leaking. If you discover any signs of a leak, you can find a local HVAC company by searching AC repair near me, and following the information from there.
Symptoms of a Leaking Duct
- a sloppy duct connection
- conduits with holes
- Ducts that have been crushed
- Duct tape is either missing or not holding.
- When the system is functioning, there is a whistling sound.
