FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Air Conditioning
Air conditioners can keep your home comfortable when designed properly. We recommend maintenance once per year on this type of system to keep operations safe and efficient.
Common signs of low refrigerant charge are freezing (signs of ice) or longer run times. Refrigerant is used to exchange heat from the inside to the outside of your home. If the refrigerant levels are low, this will cause poor performance and cause the compressor to overheat. We recommend turning the unit off to protect against damage and scheduling a service call to repair.
The outdoor fan moves air to reject heat in cooling mode. If the fan stops running it could be related to a starter or capacitor, or motor failure. We recommend turning the thermostat off to protect the system and scheduling a service call for repair.
Formulation of ice on your air conditioner indicates something is wrong. Common causes are a dirty air filter, low airflow from the duct or motor, and low refrigerant charge. If the coil is frozen due to a dirty filter, we recommend turning the unit off to give it time to thaw before turning back on with a clean filter in place. If freezing occurs with a clean filter, we recommend scheduling a service call for repair.
Heat Pumps
According to industry experts, it is highly recommended that your heater is professionally inspected and serviced on a yearly basis. Typically, you should schedule yours in fall to ensure your unit will be most reliable throughout the heating season.
Heat pumps will produce ice on outdoor units. A defrost cycle will melt this ice as needed. Excessive ice buildup could be a sign of defrost board failure, or refrigerant loss. We recommend using emergency heat to protect outdoor units against damage, and scheduling service one of our comfort specialists to inspect operations.
Heat pumps will consume more energy when electric strip heat is on. This can be caused by low refrigerant charge, or failed starters in the electric heater package. We recommend calling for system evaluation if electricity bills are higher than normal, or outdoor unit does not run when heat is on.
Heat pump outdoor units can stop running if the defrost board registers an alarm or malfunctions. This will cause high energy use, so we recommend always being mindful of the outdoor unit operations and auxiliary heat indicator on the indoor thermostat. If the unit runs longer or shows auxiliary heat for long periods of time, we recommend scheduling a service call for further inspection.
Gas Furnaces
According to industry experts, it is highly recommended that your furnace is professionally inspected and serviced on a yearly basis. Typically, you should schedule yours in fall to ensure your unit will be most reliable throughout the heating season.
Clogged or dirty filters can reduce the airflow through your furnace. Reduced airflow can cause noise, poor performance and premature failure of the heat exchanger. Filters can last up to 6 months, but under extreme weather conditions may require changing once per month.
Dirty or worn ignition components will cause a furnace to malfunction. For proper operation, we recommend having the flame sensor cleaned and ignitor inspected once a year.
A noisy or rattling furnace often points to blower motor or wheel issues. For an in-depth inspection of your blower wheel and motor, call us to schedule service today. Nobody likes noisy furnaces.