HVAC Repair Tips for Homeowners

I stood outside the mall looking in last week, and I thought they had done a beautiful job with their Christmas decorations.

It looked like it was snowing in the mall, which made it a winter wonderland.

I walked in to purchase my wife a Christmas present, and I realized the snowflakes weren’t a decoration. It really was snowing inside. As much as I hated to do it, I walked up to customer service and asked if they had an HVAC technician coming to fix the snow. She told me she didn’t know, but they had a mass exodus because of the sudden drop in temperatures. I waited while she talked to the manager, and she said they had contacted the local HVAC company. About that time, my work phone buzzed. The HVAC company was calling me to repair the heating system. I had to laugh at the irony, but I wasn’t ready to work. I didn’t have any tools with me, and I had driven my personal car to the mall. I explained this to the dispatcher, and she told me to hurry and get my stuff. The mall was losing business because of the furnace. I told the woman at the customer service desk that I was the HVAC technician, and I would return in five minutes. She told me it better be a fast five minutes, because the snow was beginning to pile up. I ran out of the store, and almost fell in the snow, but I got the furnace repaired in record time, and they still had two hours before closing time.

 

 

cooling equipment

I’m not sure what was happening, but last week I went to visit my dad and the heat was so intense it almost blew me away.

I couldn’t believe how hot it was in his house.

I asked if there was a problem with the furnace, and he said no. He thought it was cold in the house, and he turned the thermostat up. He turned the thermostat up to ninety degrees. I sat and talked to dad a couple of minutes after turning the thermostat down, and realized something was wrong. In less than half an hour, he asked me several times why I had come over. I told him I just wanted to stop in and see him. He asked if I thought it was cold and headed over to look at the thermostat. He turned the thermostat back up and walked over to sit down. I wanted to know if he was feeling okay, and he said he was fine. I called an ambulance and gave them dad’s phone number. The entire time he kept asking why I came to the house. When we got to the hospital, they told me he had a stroke. I now sit back and wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t stopped by that night. He could have succumbed to the heat because he was already dehydrated when he got to the hospital. While he was in the hospital, I moved all of his things to my home, and he is now living with my wife and I so we can keep an eye on him.

local business

Until I moved south, I’d never heard of an electric heat pump.

• When my husband and I toured homes for sale, the majority of potential properties were equipped with heat pumps.

The real estate agent provided this information like it was a big selling point. We had no idea what she was talking about. I looked up heat pumps and learned that they are a two-in-one unit. They are more expensive to purchase and install than conventional alternatives because they combine both heating and cooling. Having a single unit handle year round temperature control frees up space and reduces maintenance requirements. Plus, heat pumps are especially energy efficient and environmentally friendly. During the summer, the system operates almost exactly like a traditional air conditioner, using refrigerant to pull heat out of the home and convey it outdoors. When the outside weather cools off, the system reverses the flow of refrigerant. It takes advantage of ambient heat available in the outdoor air and delivers it indoors. Eliminating the combustion of fossil fuels avoids concerns with carbon monoxide, fumes and greenhouse gasses. My husband and I ended up purchasing a home outfitted with a heat pump. We are extremely happy with how quiet, clean and effective the system is. It keeps our utility bills reasonable. Because I want the heat pump to operate reliably and last as long as possible, I am diligent about scheduling maintenance for the equipment twice per year. I schedule a licensed HVAC technician to troubleshoot, clean and adjust the components in both the spring and the fall.

 

air conditioning installation

I now make sure to have the duct system inspected every year

It’s easy to forget all about the ductwork. The network of pipes is essential to the operation of both the furnace and air conditioner but largely concealed inside the walls and ceilings. The duct system is responsible for pulling the stale air out of the rooms and supplying the heated and cooled air. If there are holes in the ductwork or cracks at the seams, the conditioned air is allowed to escape. When the maximum amount of air fails to arrive at the various rooms of the house, the furnace or air conditioner are forced to run longer and work harder. There is greater wear and tear on components. More energy is used, leading to higher utility bills. The same imperfections that allow the heated or cooled air to leak out can also draw in contaminants. Neglected ductwork frequently harbors harmful toxins such as dust, construction debris, bugs, webs, pollen, mold and even decomposing rodents. Every time the furnace or air conditioner starts up, these pollutants can become airborne and introduced into the breathing air. Health complaints such as congestion, sneezing, coughing, sore throat and headaches can often be blamed on dirty ductwork. The first time I had my ductwork tested by a professional HVAC contractor, they were allowing nearly thirty percent of the heated/cooled air to escape. I now make sure to have the duct system inspected every year. I’ve realized that the ducts directly impact the health, comfort and efficiency of the living space. They significantly affect my budget and the reliability and longevity of the furnace and air conditioner.

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