Common Problems Affecting Residential & Commercial HVAC Systems
When your residential or commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is giving you trouble, Aire Serv® is the name to have ready in your phone contact list for any future emergency, 24 / 7. We offer complete home comfort, indoor air quality, and commercial services including installation, repairs and maintenance.
Is your heating and cooling system underperforming, leaving your home or workplace uncomfortable? Is your air conditioner lacking energy efficiency and leaving you with expensive energy bills? Is your furnace becoming expensive and unreliable lately, needing frequent repairs? Aire Serv can diagnose your problem and offer solutions in a hurry. This page covers some common heating and cooling problems and how our licensed technicians can help you.
Heat Outages
When your furnace suddenly goes out, the root of the problem depends on the type of heating system you have in your home, office or business location.
Common heating system types include:
- Forced air
- Steam or hot water-fueled boilers
- Radiant flooring or radiant heating
- Heat pump
Heating system breakdowns are often caused by:
- Duct leaks or blockages
- Water leaks
- Rusted or sediment filled boilers
- Older furnace equipment that may benefit from cost-effective replacement
- Thermostat issues requiring calibration or thermostat replacement
- Lack of scheduled maintenance inspections—heating equipment needs to be cleaned and moving parts lubricated
- Simple setting problems, such as a heat pump set to "cool"
- Clogged air filters
- Electrical outage or tripped circuit breaker
Cooling Outages
Air conditioning systems include:
- Central air conditioning systems
- Ductless mini splits air conditioners
- Window AC units
- Heat pumps
Cooling system breakdowns are often caused by:
- Refrigerant leaks
- Evaporator coil (indoor component) dirty or damaged
- Compressor (outdoor component) dirty or damaged
- Duct leaks or blockages
- Older cooling equipment that may benefit from cost-effective replacement
- Thermostat issues requiring calibration or thermostat replacement
- Neglected scheduled AC maintenance checkups, infrequent system cleaning, and lubrication
- Simple setting problems, like a heat pump set to "heat"
- Clogged air filters
- Electric outage or tripped circuit breaker
- Gas line / supply problem
Hot & Cold Spots in Your Home or Business
Hot and cold spots are typically caused by airflow or air circulation problems. Depending on the system and circumstances, one of these solutions is most effective:
- Invest in a two-stage furnace – Standard single-speed furnaces are either running on “high” setting or off. Constant “on / off” cycling can produce cold spots and cold air blasts, and can be annoyingly noisy.
- Upgrade to a variable speed blower – This enables the blower to run constantly—mostly on a low setting for energy efficiency—to better circulate conditioned air, either warm or cool.
- Add a zoning system – A zoned heating and cooling system sections your home into climate zones that can each be set to separate temperatures—all controlled from a central thermostat. Conditioned air is then routed most effectively and efficiently with a system of dampers within the ductwork. Homeowners save energy and money in the long term, while keeping all areas at desired temperatures.
- Duct sealing – Duct sealing dramatically reduces energy loss.
- Add air registers – You can balance airflow through the home by adding supply or return air registers to rooms as needed.
Allergies
Allergy flare-ups and the associated misery can come from mold and bacteria growth in a home or climate. Similar discomfort can occur where air in the home is too dry. Residents may feel exhaustion, fatigue, headaches, a dry cough, sneezing, or a dry mouth. Health issues include colds that are continually passed among family members in the household. Furnishings and home structure can also be damaged by mold growth and will crack and dry out in overly dry air.
Possible solutions include:
- Add whole house humidity control so that humidity levels are automatically monitored and adjusted along with air conditioning
- A whole-home air purification system, integrated with your central AC and heating system, can improve indoor air quality dramatically.
- UV lighting is part of the most effective air cleaning systems to retard mold growth in the HVAC equipment itself
- Use the highest quality filter compatible with your system and replace often
- Clean the ducts; some homes can benefit from this service if mold, insect infestation, excess dust and / or pet dander are found lining the duct system. A simple inspection can determine if cleaning is needed.
Long Running Times
Long running times are inefficient and comfort compromising. This condition happens in older single-stage heating and air conditioning systems that are not engineered to perform to modern standards.
Possible solutions include:
- Replace with or upgrade to variable speed blower motor or two-stage system
- Optimize thermostat settings and / or install a programmable thermostat
- Use ceiling fans for better air circulation so that your rooms require less heating and for a wind-chill effect in summer so that you require less cooling
- Schedule maintenance of heating and cooling systems to minimize most heating and cooling system performance issues, including long running times
Mysteriously High Energy Bills
Expensive energy bills can be caused by any of the above problems, but most commonly:
- An older, inefficient AC or heater system
- Lack of preventive maintenance tune-ups to maintain optimal performance and efficiency
- Energy loss through air leakage and thermal transfer, i.e. a lack of adequate insulation
Solutions to mysteriously high energy bills include:
- System replacement – Consider system replacement if your system is a decade old or older. Modern systems are better engineered for comfort and efficiency and can start paying for themselves immediately. Ask your heating or cooling technician to run the numbers to calculate your potential dollar savings and find out if heating and cooling system replacement is cost-effective for your home or business.
- Tighten the home envelope – Accomplish this by fixing air leaks / drafts in the home to improve airtightness; sealing the duct system against energy loss; or adding insulation to the attic, ducts, and other areas.
- Make an appointment with Aire Serv – Schedule an inspection and preventive maintenance.
- Get an energy audit for your home or an energy-efficiency inspection for your business – Your heating and cooling professional can inspect your home or building / office to locate and prioritize energy efficiency upgrades. The energy audit points out hidden air leaks and areas of thermal loss—i.e., inadequate insulation—and measures airflow to locate air circulation problems using specialized equipment. This provides a customized blueprint for you to follow in order to gain energy efficiency, increase comfort, reduce monthly operating costs and utility bills, improve airtightness, and reduce energy loss. Your technician can schedule needed repairs or you can choose to handle simple fixes on your own.
Why Call Us? We’re Like EMTs for Your HVAC!
Aire Serv is a national brand with local neighborhood values. We offer the best of both worlds to our customers. Aire Serv technicians have all the expertise you expect from a large national name, and the honesty, responsiveness and friendly service you expect from a local business.
Our well-trained, licensed and experienced AC and heating technicians are climate experts, skilled in helping homeowners deal with specific local home comfort challenges such as humidity, extreme heat or cold, energy efficiency issues or indoor air quality problems. We also repair, replace, install, maintain or upgrade AC / heater systems for all kinds of weather.
Call Aire Serv at (855) 679-0011 for an Appointment!
When your home comfort system breaks down in a mid-summer heat wave or mid-winter deep freeze, Aire Serv has your solution. When your commercial HVAC equipment needs repair but shutting down or interrupting your business spells disaster, Aire Serv will be right over. Call us anytime, 24 / 7, at (855) 679-0011.