Not all HVAC woes require a pro to come out and offer an opinion and repair. Some items can be tackled by you, DIY style, though we do offer some guidance and education there. There’s a lot of common reasons you may be experiencing issues with your HVAC unit or system, and many of them can be tackled all by yourself, without the need to call out a pro or pay the labor costs. We love to offer you world class service, but we also want your HVAC system to be running as smoothly as possible, even when we’re not there.
Among the most common causes for troubleshooting and DIY HVAC fixes is the various parts of the system or unit that should be cleaned. Proper inspection throughout the year is one of the best moves you can make to save yourself time and money by preventing problems from coming up. Luckily, it’s fairly easy to fix units in need of a good cleaning and you avoid an even costlier fix later down the road.
Dealing with dirty filters
If you have an airflow malfunction, there’s a very good chance that the first place you should look for to find the culprit is the air filter. Air filters are designed to capture debris like dust particles out of the air to keep them from circulating and being breathed in by you. But, they don’t last forever; that dust has to go somewhere. So, you need to be vigilant about your air filters. A dirty air filter can cause more than just airflow problems, they can cause AC units to freeze and furnaces to overheat. They can become dangerous, which is why you should routinely monitor and replace them when they’ve become too dirty.
Cleaning the condenser coil
The condenser coil has the crucial job of cooling the liquid refrigerant in the system that keeps the air and machine cool. A condenser coil that’s dirty will fail as a method of heat transfer and cause the system to freeze up. It can even kill the compressor, causing even more problems. The good news is, they’re an easy clean. As long as the machine is turned off, you can easily hose down the condenser coil to clean off dirt and debris and get it working again. Be sure to routinely check it for cleaning needs.
Indoor coil maintenance
The evaporator coil is located inside your home and sits on top of your furnace or air handler system. It has the important job of capturing hot air from inside your home. If it gets dirty, it runs into a similar problem as the filter — air flow gets restricted. While this one is cleanable by you, it’s often hard to diagnose problems on your own and requires a set of professional eyes to get right. Having your furnace inspected regularly is one way to prevent this.
Give us a call to discuss your HVAC troubleshooting needs or have a professional head out to your home to help!