HVAC emergencies are a pain because they disrupt your daily life, can be very costly and can put your family’s safety on the line. Fortunately, many emergencies you may experience with your HVAC system are preventable with the right attention at the right time. The following 10 common problems are often emergencies, depending on when they occur, and many are preventable with routine maintenance.
1. Clogged Condensate Drain Water Damage
Your HVAC system has a special drain for the moisture that condenses during heating and cooling cycles. However, this drain also clogs easily when neglected over time, resulting in water overflowing the drip pan and onto the floor around your unit. Depending on your unit’s location, this may result in water damage to the floor, to walls, to electrical wiring and to anything you have stored nearby.
During a maintenance visit, your HVAC technician will inspect the condensate drain. In most cases, they’ll also flush the drain to ensure that it’s working properly. If you notice a problem with the drain outside of a maintenance visit, you can flush it with distilled vinegar and water to help clear it out and prevent odor-causing bacteria from growing. Experts do not recommend using bleach to clean the drain because of the toxic fumes it may release and the damage it can do to structures in your system.
2. Frozen Coils
Frozen coils are often the result of insufficient refrigerant in the system stemming from refrigerant leaks. The result is that the refrigerant expands more than intended in areas it shouldn’t. Expanding refrigerant gets cold and, in an improper location, freezes the moisture from the air on the lines or coils. This can become an emergency when it happens during the hottest parts of summer. The result of a frozen coil is often restricted airflow through the system, leading to ineffective cooling.
A technician checks the refrigerant level in the system during routine maintenance. If they find that it’s insufficient, they will identify the leak, fix it and recharge the system.
3. Compressor Failure
If your AC or heat pump compressor fails, it won’t expel heat as intended, limiting its ability to function. The most common cause of compressor failure is an insufficient refrigerant charge that puts excess strain on the system. In addition to checking the refrigerant charge, a maintenance technician will also test the compressor to ensure that it’s not showing early signs of working insufficiently.
4. Short Cycling
Short cycling is when an HVAC system terminates heating or cooling cycles prematurely. While this adds tremendous strain to your system, it becomes an emergency because it prevents your system from heating or cooling your home effectively. Short cycling has many possible causes ranging from restricted airflow and overheating to a clogged condensate drain. A technician will check if your system is short-cycling and will check for many of the problems that may cause it.
5. Blower Motor Burnout
Every central HVAC system depends on a circulating fan and its motor to draw air in through return vents and then push it back out through supply vents. The blower motor is susceptible to failing, especially if there’s an issue with the motor bearings not receiving sufficient lubrication. A technician will inspect the blower motor during maintenance and look for unusual resistance while it is turning, plus they’ll clean the built-up dust on the fan wheel. They’ll also balance the fan wheel and tighten the mounting hardware to prevent unusual wear on the motor spindle which can also prematurely wear the motor.
6. Overheating
Overheating is a significant concern with gas furnaces and there are safety mechanisms in place to prevent it. Not only does major overheating cause a fire hazard, but any amount of overheating risks cracking the heat exchanger. Overheating is often caused by insufficient airflow through the system combined with a faulty upper limit switch. During maintenance, a technician checks the airflow through the system. They also test that the upper limit switch is operating within optimal parameters.
7. Delayed Ignition
Delayed ignition happens when the burners don’t ignite properly at the beginning of a gas furnace’s heating cycle. The indication of delayed ignition is usually a booming sound at the start of the cycle. This may seem faint for minor problems but will become louder and could shake your home with more major problems. The bigger the problem, the bigger the consequences, including damaging your furnace and causing a fire in more extreme cases. A maintenance technician solves most of the problems causing delayed ignition, including cleaning the thermocouple and the flame sensor and adjusting and cleaning the burners.
8. Cracked Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is responsible for two things. First, it moves the hot exhaust from the burn chamber to the flue. As it’s doing this, it transfers most of the heat from the exhaust to the air circulating through the system. If the heat exchanger cracks, it allows some of the toxic exhaust gases to escape into your home, including carbon monoxide. Much of the work performed during maintenance helps prevent the system from overheating, which is one of the leading causes of a cracked heat exchanger. A maintenance technician will inspect the heat exchanger for any signs that it is cracked.
9. Tripping Circuit Breaker
Sometimes your HVAC system may trip a circuit breaker. Once is usually not a major issue, but when it recurrently happens during most heating or cooling cycles, it becomes a major problem. The tripped circuit breaker indicates the system is drawing too much power. A problematic compressor is one of the major culprits causing circuit breakers to trip, though faulty blower motors can also cause this problem. As your maintenance technician works on your system, one of the key tasks is checking individual high-draw components to ensure it’s drawing the proper power. Overdrawing is a sign of increased electrical resistance, which can signal the possibility of needing to replace the component.
10. Mid-Season Failures
Most HVAC emergencies occur during the height of the summer or winter where the temperature puts the most strain on the system. It’s these temperatures that tip a system over the edge when it’s already straining from suboptimal components. A major part of routine maintenance is testing many of the components in the system to find those that are wearing and are no longer working within optimal parameters. When your technician does find these, you have the opportunity to correct them before resulting in a mid-season emergency.
With more than 20 years of industry experience, Blue Best Plumbing, Heating, Air, Generators is the go-to service provider for property owners around Bountiful. Our expert team provides heating and air conditioning maintenance, repair and installation along with indoor air quality solutions and a wide range of residential plumbing services including drain and pipe repair, water heater installation and repair, water softener installation, gas line maintenance and toilet repair and installation. Call to schedule a maintenance visit with one of our award-winning technicians and learn about our award-winning maintenance plan.
