Heating and Air LLC

Can’t be an interior designer 😂

Well then......Thoughts have been coming as to what I can do to help people with their HVAC needs.
Today we will try to gain some idea of the what and how to do simple troubleshooting. Naturally everything posted here should be verified by someone familiar with how these systems work.

With all that in mind.....you just arrived at home to a "warm" house. Obviously there is something wrong as it was cool and comfortable when you left. What is the first thing to do?
Turn it off.
This is always the first step. If it is not cooling all that is happening by leaving it on is you are burning power and possibly, depending on what has gone wrong, destroying expensive parts.

What comes next?

First step is to turn the fan to on at the thermostat. System off. Fan on. Does the indoor blower work? Is air moving out of the registers?

If not there are only a couple of common things that can be wrong. First would be the blower motor or capacitor have failed. The other is the system has created a "block of ice" out of the ev***rator coil. Neither is a good thing. And naturally if the blower motor has failed the coil will be a block of ice anyhow.

unless you are very comfortable working with machinery etc. Now would be the time to call a professional.

What comes next?

The next step would have to mean the blower is running and there is air flow. Assuming these are true, turn the system back on and hurry outside to the condenser.

Is the fan on top running? Good. Touch the two "pipes" running into the house. One is about 3/8 of an inch the other is ~3/4 inch. The small one should be warm. The bigger should be cold. If not there is something wrong with the compressor, capacitor or the refrigerant levels.

No matter what if the system is not cooling turn it back off as soon as possible to reduce the possibility of ruining other parts.

Questions?

We are going to attempt to add content weekly. This may or may not happen as sometimes work gets in the way.😮
Those who know me also know I am not what most would call a salesman. As such I may not get to sales related information unless someone asks a question.

Today I want to talk about basic maintenance and check ups.

If your system is over 5 years old, warranty or not, it should be checked every spring ( temperatures should be above 75) for proper refrigerant levels and operation. This is one of the single most important things you can do for your A/C system. A leak can and does not only reduce the efficiency but can cause major components to wear out or break. The sooner a leak is identified the better for you and your pocketbook.
Most regular maintenance can be done by the owner. It does not take any special tools, in most cases. The filter should be checked at least once a month. If it is beginning to change color it is probably time to change it. A dirty filter will cause multiple issues.
If it becomes dirty enough to reduce airflow the system could "freeze" up. As the system is designed to operate at a given air flow the reduction can cause the ev***rator coil to cool below freezing which will then cause it to slowly seal over with ice.
Also a dirty filter, after a point will collapse allowing dust, dirt and sundry other things to flow through the furnace ev***rator coil and duct work. the build up of contaminants can also cause the system to freeze, lack of air flow, the blower motor to overheat, and other forms of destruction related to the type of contaminant.

The condenser should be hosed off at least 3 times during the cooling season. This removes dirt, bug nests, grass and other vegetation. The air flow through the condenser is responsible for removing the heat the refrigerant has pick up from inside your home or business. If it is dirty the system will not work as well as it should.

I would also say you should wash and polish your system a few times a year. J/K But there are those who do!

Thanks for reading.