HVAC Archives - Thrive

The Most Common Issues Faced With Air Conditioners

4 Mins Read

An air conditioner not working is one of the worst things you can face. This is especially true for those living in hot and humid conditions or having an enclosed space that does not receive proper ventilation.

For offices, data centers and other commercial spaces where air conditioners are not just a luxury but an absolute necessity, malfunctioning ACs are a nightmare.

We have spoken before on how to increase the life of your HVAC unit on Thrive. Yet, even with our best efforts, things can go wrong and you are faced with emergency air conditioner repairs.

I am listing below some of the common issues that usually go wrong in air conditioners. This is not just with the intention of you taking care of your essential machine, it is so that you can quickly diagnose and get your air conditioner repaired at the earliest.

You need to keep in mind though that these are the more common issues people face with their ACs. This is by no means an exhaustive list and there are a number of other issues that can easily crop up in an air conditioning system.

Dirty or Clogged Air Filters

This is by far the most common issue people face when it comes to ACs. Overtime, the air filters in your air conditioners starts to accumulate dust and various other kinds of substances.

It is not just the air filters that get clogged due to foreign substances. Your AC pipes, ducts etc. all get clogged with regular usage.

The first thing that the AC annual maintenance contracts cover is regular cleaning of air filters and other parts. This is because, dust and other particles accumulation leads to the most number of AC malfunctions.

Hence if you feel that your air conditioner is not cooling as before or you find droplets of water leaking from the front unit, then it is most probably an air filter issue.

Dirty air filters can actually lead to your HVAC unit causing more harm in your home as well as office.

Gas Leakage

Split air conditioning units have a gas system that needs to maintain a certain pressure for the AC to cool an area effectively.

Overtime, there can be gas leakages that lead to depletion of the optimum levels needed for cooling. It could also be that the gas is simply used up if not refilled in a long time.

Hence, if your air conditioner is working properly and the issue is that it is not cooling properly, it can be a gas issue.

Unlike clogged air filters, if it is indeed a gas issue, then you will find you’re AC does not cool at all or the cooling is rapidly slowing down over a number of days of usage.

Severe gas leakage will lead to you’re AC not cooling at all.

AC Circuit Issues

The entire circuit system inside your air conditioner is essential for proper communication between the outdoor and indoor units of your AC.

It is also necessary for proper inputs from the AC remote or control system to the mechanical units of the machine.

Circuit issues can lead to malfunctions as the AC does not know how to communicate between each of its parts. It will also cause a problem for the AC to understand inputs from the user such as yourself.

Voltage Issues

While most modern day HVAC units do have voltage stabilizers, there are times when issues crop up in your air conditioner.

Voltage fluctuations in your home due to whatever reason can be a cause for your air conditioner and other machines to malfunction

Broken or Faulty Blower

Your air conditioner will have a blower or a fan in the indoor unit that is essential for cool air to blow out of the AC.

There are times when this blower stops rotating or parts of it become non-functional. In this case, even though you’re AC is actually working properly, it is because of the blower fan that your air conditioner does not cool effectively.

Broken or faulty blowers are a common issue faced in ACs and can be diagnosed quickly by any qualified technician.

Final thoughts

Even though I have mentioned it above, it is important to reiterate that the above given list of issues are not an exhaustive list. There are a number of other issues that can occur such as thermostat issues, coils and wiring problems.

If your air conditioner is not cooling effectively, you may first try to clean the air filters or get your gas levels checked. If even after that you find there are problems, it is best to get it diagnosed by qualified professionals.

In Home and DIY Projects

How to Increase the Life of your HVAC Unit

4 Mins Read

Both heating and cooling solutions have become an essential part of life. Regardless of whether you need HVAC units for commercial or residential purposes, they play an important role in maintaining the optimum temperature for us and our surroundings.

However, these units can be quite expensive and the last thing you want is extensive wear and tear resulting in a complete breakdown.

Ideally, you should maintain these units regularly before the worst case scenario or needing emergency HVAC repair services.

Some of the things you can do on a regular basis to increase the life of your heater or air conditioners are as follows:

1) Regular cleaning

Did you know it is possible that HVAC units can make your home dirtier than before? Yes, this is true considering these units have a number of parts including air filters, ducts, ventilation systems etc where dirt and other particles can accumulate.

As these particles continue to settle in various parts of your HVAC unit, the pressure on the machine starts to go up. It is not just about air quality but about your units ability to heat or cool itself.

Regular cleaning is the number one thing you can do to increase the life of your heater, furnace or cooler. Lets put it this way, if you do not get your HVAC units cleaned regularly, then you are most certainly setting up a date with a repair service.

Now, I understand that cleaning HVAC units is not an easy task and you really need to know how these machines work if cleaning yourself. Hence it is advisable to take the help of professionals for such jobs.

If you feel you have a simple HVAC unit at home and can clean it yourself, please make sure you follow all precautions and guidelines set by the manufacturer. Last thing you want is to accidentally damage a part of your unit and create a large repair bill.

2) Ease the load

Most experts in the field would tell you that although these units are capable of extensive heating or cooling prowess, it is best if you take the load of them whenever possible.

So for air conditioners, you do not always want to keep it at the lowest setting. Increasing the temperature by just 2 degrees Celsius can make a lot of difference. Sometimes you may want to have a fan to provide assist with the air circulation. Fans allow you to set the temperature higher for air conditioners.

Same goes with heaters. If not too cold, adjust the temperature to ease the load on the machine. Whatever you can do to take some load off, will end up increasing your HVAC unit’s lifespan.

3) Keep an eye on voltage and electric fluctuations

This is a point often ignored by most users. HVAC units are ultimately machines powered by electricity. If there is even the slightest power fluctuation or some issue with the wiring, then you will face problems.

Obviously all good HVAC units come with power stabilizers and can take some fluctuation to a certain extent. The commercial grade units come with higher capacity energy stabilizers.

However, you never know when the power unit of the HVAC unit gives out thanks to some sudden power fluctuation. It is advisable to check if power supply in your home or office is stable and if any old wiring needs to be changed, go ahead and do so.

This is something you do not need to do often. Maybe a check every few months or so should be fine unless there were power outages recently in your area.

Final thoughts

HVAC unit repair costs can be quite high. Buying new units would definitely dent any budget. Therefore, you need to ensure you maintain your heating and cooling machines as well as you can.

Simple, regular servicing of air filters, ducts, ventilation systems etc. is enough to keep your unit running nice and smooth. And remember, take the load of your HVAC unit whenever possible. This will not only result in a better lifespan but also lower electricity bills.

In Home and DIY Projects

Simple Solutions Series – Winter Warmers

3 Mins Read

Winter is right around the corner, meaning cold weather and a requirement for you to make your home as warm and energy-efficient as you can.

Warming your home over winter can be something of a chore, but a necessary one. If you have a family to look after, they will turn to you for protection during the colder months, something you will have to provide with one eye on rising costs. Energy and heat do not come cheap and with many US states entering some form of restrictions, it is likely you and your family will be at home more. That means rising energy usage and rising costs.

How can you get ahead of the game and protect your home without breaking the bank? We have got some simple hacks that will help you look after your family and your bank balance at the same time.

Soft Furnishings

Traditionally, soft furnishings might not have been an element of home design that the man of the house concerned himself with, but when it comes to winter, they are essential. With darker nights the need for drapes is pressing, and the thicker they are, the better. Windows and doors can let in cool air, which ultimately costs you money and can pose a health risk for your family. Thick drapes help insulate your home, and rugs on hard floors stop the cold coming up from below as well. Think of it as putting a coat on your home, stopping the cold getting into the heart of your family.

Insulation

This one might cost you a few bucks, but the savings in the long term could be significant. Insulation is a huge part of protecting your family home, and you would be wise to check yours is adequate going into the cold months. If you do not have insulation in your loft space, HomeServe believes you could be losing up to a quarter of the heat from your home, so the best place is to start is the roof. Remember, not only is the money going straight out of your pocket and through your roof space, your house will be colder and less pleasant for your family if it is not insulated adequately.

Service Your HVAC

Many homes will be heated by a warm air system, rather than the older radiator and boiler system, so make sure yours is winter-ready and efficient as it can be. This could have health benefits for your family too, as we explored in our article Is Your HVAC Unit Making Your Home Dirtier? Even if you are on the older boiler system, it is still important to give it a service, just to make sure you are being as efficient, and thus cost-effective, as possible.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fan

Ceiling fans are great for the summer as they suck warm air upwards and away from your family. In the winter, you might think they are redundant, but that is not the case. If you reverse them to go clockwise, it will push the warm air back down, into the room. Good Housekeeping suggests that you could save up to 10% on your bills using this method, and it helps keep your home comfortable and warm for your family. Home Depot should have fans that you can reverse if yours does not have the function.

In Home and DIY Projects

Is Your HVAC Unit Making Your Home Dirtier?

5 Mins Read

HVAC units are brilliant for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. However, when they develop faults, they can be responsible for making your home a dirtier and dustier place.

If things go wrong here, it’s important to act fast, because it’s been proven time and again that dust in your home can make residents sick if it’s left long enough. Fortunately, you can get ahead of the curve quite easily here.

Consequently, here are some tips on what you can do to make sure your HVAC unit isn’t making your home dirtier.

Introduce The Right Filters

The first course of action will be to check your HVAC system and select the right filters for it. For example some systems use MERV 13 filters. If you are using lower quality or clogged filters, then before long they’ll be working against you rather than with you, blowing lots of dirt and dust all over the place. Therefore, it’s important to switch them out as soon as their usefulness comes to an end.

Consider buying some top-quality filters from Filterbuy, which offers a range of MERV filters at various standards, so you can find the right ones for your unit and needs. The company helps you buy them in bulk on prearranged orders, which means this ordeal practically handles itself. It’s totally easy, whereas combatting dust and dirt after it has made itself at home is not quite so! Maintaining your home can be a long-winded task but opting for services that organize themselves is a great way to remove some of the bother. A lot of companies are offering discounts and offers to customers that prefer to shop on a subscription basis.

Remember, if you have pets or allergies, then you’ll likely find yourself replacing filters more often than those without. Consequently, it’s important to keep your lifestyle in mind to give you a rough idea of how often changes will be necessary. It would help if you also considered a higher MERV rating to capture larger particles.

Check Airflow

If you were too late to change the filters, then problems may have arisen elsewhere in the HVAC unit. That’s why it’s so important to check in on the filters on occasion. If they have been faulty or dirty for a while, then chances are that other parts of the unit have started to become affected also.

Dust can accumulate on your furniture when there’s not enough airflow wafting through your house to stop it from settling. Unfortunately, faulty filters restrict the flow of cold air inside the machine and can lead to uneven cooling problems. Obviously, you don’t want to be grappling with airflow problems in the midst of another alarming heatwave in the States, so it’s best to keep an eye on things here regularly. Give it all an occasional inspection, and things should be okay.

But how does this correlate to dirt and dust? Well, dust settles in any environment where there isn’t at least some airflow, so your HVAC unit could well be preventing the stuff from building-up in your home when it is fully operational. Therefore, checking this aspect of the HVAC, along with the filters, will help you keep your home cleaner.

Dusty Ducts

Even if your filter is working, the HVAC can still spread dust and dirt through your home if the there are gaps in the ducts of the unit. Still, at least this situation will inform you on how important the filters really are!

Check the ductwork sealing and ensure that everything is sufficiently closed up. Otherwise, not only will the air conditioning or heat escape, but any dust or dirt rattling around in there will too. Run your hands over the ducts, and if you feel air escaping, then that’s where much of your dust will be coming from because it isn’t going through a working filter first.

If you discover these faults or suspect them, call a seasoned professional out so that they can inspect and repair the unit to get it back in good working order. A sealant solution might do the trick if you’re wanting to put things right yourself, but it’s best to call the people in the know for peace of mind.

Examine Air Registers and Vent Covers

A lot passes through the ducts; dead skin, pet hairs, and anything else of that variety. Left to lurk around long enough, other things like mold will begin to form and present problems, as bacteria love to feast in unexpected places undisturbed. So, it’s best to inspect everything to see where the dust and dirt is most prevalent.

If grubby filters really have left everything else in the lurch, then it’s quite likely the registers, and vent covers will be covered in some fresh hell of yucky grossness. Problems can snowball quite easily with these kinds of issues, because if things still aren’t addressed, then you’ll find all sorts of surprises spewing out of these places and right into your home in time.

If you want to see how bad things have gotten, check the registers and vent covers. In the worst of times, one good luck at them will be enough to teach you a lesson in replacing the filters.

Final Thoughts

If your HVAC is making your home dirtier, then you need to focus on sorting the issue out as quickly as possible. Most of the potential problems come from a failure to regularly replace air filters, so as long as you’re on top of that side of things, a tidy and dust-free HVAC unit and home you shall have!