Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Red Flags Telling You It's Time To Call In A Heating And Cooling Repair Company

By Donna Fox


Naturally, you pay for the ongoing cost of HVAC maintenance in the hope that it will uphold the reliability of your equipment. And while you may not be expecting its lifespan to be infinite, the last thing you want is for it to break down unexpectedly. Turns out that the risk of this happening is never too far away. Yes, that's right -- nothing can guarantee that your unit won't malfunction at some point. Still, learning the signs of an impending breakdown in advance can help you know when to contact a heating and cooling repair Prince Georges County service:

Frequent on-and-off Cycling: Most HVAC systems are designed to have cycles longer than 15 minutes. This is the amount of equipment run time needed to achieve an indoor temperature equal to that on the thermostat. If yours tends to run shorter cycles (i. E. It turns on and off multiple times per hour), it means that the unit is short-cycling. This may be a pointer towards an underlying problem or a poor installation job. Either way, short-cycling will degrade indoor comfort and take a toll on your unit's health.

Unusual Noises: You're already familiar with the sounds made by your equipment as it goes about its job, aren't you? This means you're bound to notice when it starts making strange noises (grinding, hissing, rattling, or any other strange sounds). All these hint to a serious mechanical problem inside the unit, and which could lead to a premature demise.

Warm and Cold Spots: Admittedly, such instances can be caused by draughts and extra sun exposure. Even so, a proper HVAC system should be capable of banishing them. In other words, the presence of warm/cold spots in your home is a sign that your equipment is ailing.

Pools: Ever heard water dripping inside your unit's cabinet? That's the sound of moisture from the evaporator coil dripping into the condensate pan. As normal as that sounds, the sight of pooling or dripping water is anything but -- it means that something has gone wrong somewhere within the system. Not to alarm you any further, but it's worth noting that moisture is a catalyst for mold growth.

Surging Energy Bills: It's perhaps the worst of homeowners' nightmares -- experiencing a sudden spike in your utility bills. Or an upward trend over the course of several months. Although either of these can be caused by other elements, a failing AC unit may very well be the culprit if all else has stayed constant. Why? Because it needs more energy to run when in this kind of state.

Strange Smells: You know you have a crisis brewing in your hands when your heating and cooling setup starts producing any kind of odor. The cause can range from something as simple as an overdue air filter change to a problem with the electrical system. Either way, running the equipment for any longer could cost you in more ways than one.

It's hard to swallow the thought that your heating and AC system could break down at any moment, but that's the harsh reality. Common sense therefore dictates keeping an eye out for suspicious signs as part of maintenance. As always, it would help to have the equipment inspected and repaired immediately before the situation gets worse.




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