Why Is My Furnace Short Cycling?

August 19, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

If you turn on your furnace and discover it’s not heating your home properly, you probably realize how much you take your heater for granted. In some cases, it may seem as though your furnace shuts off just about as quickly as it turns back on. If this has ever happened to you, you probably have asked yourself: Why is my furnace short cycling?

Homeowners in this situation can usually blame one (or more of the following) culprits for this issue: a clogged air filter, a dirty flame sensor, an oversized unit or a malfunctioning thermostat.

Clogged Air Filter

When your system’s filters are caked with dust particles, pet hair, pet dander and other debris that make it into your indoor environment, this buildup restricts airflow. The warm air becomes blocked in your furnace, raising its internal temperature. This warm air sends a signal to your system to shut off.

A furnace that turns … Read Full Post »

Why Is Cold Air Blowing Out Of Vents When The Heat Is On?

August 12, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Corpus Christi

Cold air blowing out of vents when heat is on

When you come home on a chilly day, the last thing you want is to be met with is a gust of cold air blowing out of your vents when the heat is on. This unpleasant surprise is common, unfortunately, and can make uncomfortably cold weather that much more difficult to handle. Thankfully, there are a few common causes of this issue that can help you identify a solution.

Your Air Filter Is Dirty

Did changing your air filters slip your mind? Clogged air filters could be causing cold air to blow out of your vents. A dirty air filter can block airflow over your furnace’s heat exchanger, which can cause it to overheat. Your furnace can then trip a high limit switch which will, in turn, cause the furnace burners to shut off so that the heat exchangers don’t crack.

Your Pilot Light Is Out

If you have an older furnace with a … Read Full Post »

What Causes An Air Conditioner To Freeze Up?

June 10, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Corpus Christi

After a long day of working, running errands or playing outside on a hot day, nothing feels better than that blast of cool air from the AC—until it freezes up. It seems impossible for anything to freeze as the temperature climbs, but this is actually a common occurrence. What causes an air conditioner to freeze up even when it’s hot out?

There are a number of possibilities.

Refrigerant Could Be Low

Refrigerant is the substance that keeps your air conditioner’s evaporator coils cool and transforms your indoor air from humid and hot to dry and cool. When this compound leaks, it results in lower pressure in the evaporator coils. The lower the pressure, the lower the temperature, which eventually causes a frozen coil and AC unit. Due to the potential health risks for you, as well as other members of your household, if you suspect you could have leaking refrigerant, it’s best to … Read Full Post »

How To Reduce Humidity In A House In Summer

June 3, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Austin

how to reduce humidity in house in summer

Recently you’ve been trying to escape the heat and humidity by heading inside, only to experience the same muggy feeling. With that in mind, you are probably wondering how to reduce humidity in a house in summer. What can you do to create a cool, comfortable sanctuary that will keep your family, pets and guests happy?

A humid indoor environment is a warning sign that your air conditioner is not working properly. What most homeowners don’t realize is that your AC system not only circulates cool air, but also dehumidifies incoming air. If it’s uncomfortably damp inside, you may have an oversized unit, leaks in your ductwork, insufficient refrigerant or a mechanical problem in your system.

In very humid climates, your system could have a hard time reaching an ideal level of humidity, even if it has no other underlying issues. In those situations, while buying a dehumidifier is an option, your … Read Full Post »

Why Is My Air Conditioner Turning On And Off Repeatedly?

May 22, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

Our air conditioners are complicated appliances which serve a vital function in our homes. When they are working properly, we hardly think about them at all. When they aren’t, we realize how much we take our cool, comfortable living spaces for granted. When you notice your air conditioner turning on and off repeatedly, you probably realize something is wrong, but you likely have little clue as to why this is happening, much less what to do about it.

There are a few reasons your air conditioner could be cycling on and off. The first and most likely is that your AC unit is too large for your home. When it comes to choosing an air conditioner, you may have fallen victim to a common misconception: the bigger the better. Unfortunately, unscrupulous contractors have an incentive to add extra capacity “just to be safe”, even when you really don’t need it, since … Read Full Post »

AC Unit Fan Not Spinning: What Should I Do?

April 17, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Austin

Air conditioning is a way of life in the southern parts of the U.S. for at least half the year. The price we pay for our mild winters is that we basically skip spring and head straight into summer. That’s why it is so troubling to come home and be hit with a blast of lukewarm air, especially when upon closer inspection, you discover your AC unit fan is not spinning.

Your air conditioner’s fan is usually located in your outside unit. The fan pulls in hot air and delivers it over your condenser coil, where the air cools to your desired temperature and can then be pumped into your home. While your fan can stop spinning for a number of reasons, in most cases, the resolution is not a simple DIY fix. Because of the complexity of air conditioning systems, the dangers of working with electricity and the simple fact … Read Full Post »

Outside AC Unit Not Running But Inside Is: What’s Going On?

April 1, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Austin

Maybe you finally bit the bullet and turned your air conditioner on, or maybe you’ve been running your AC for weeks now. Either way, to your surprise, something is not quite right. Despite hearing the sound of the AC turning on, your house is not cooling down as it used to. After some investigating, you determine that your outside AC unit isn’t running but the inside is.

Typically, this means one of two things: your outside AC hums but the fan doesn’t spin or the entire outside AC unit isn’t working at all. What could be causing either of these problems, and, more importantly, what can you do about it? In this post, we’ll go into detail about some scenarios you may run across with your air conditioner and how your components work together to create a comfortable, cool indoor living environment.

Air Conditioner Outside Unit Fan Not Working

Maybe you notice that … Read Full Post »

How Many Tons of AC Per Square Foot Do I Need?

February 20, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

As temperatures begin to climb higher and higher, some homeowners realize that the time has come to purchase a new air conditioner. If you have added to your square footage in recent years or had ongoing heating and cooling issues, you may ask yourself: How many tons of AC per square foot do you need to keep your home comfortable and your energy bills low? Buying the right size AC unit for your space is critical for anyone who wants a unit that will work efficiently and last for years. If you install an AC that’s too small, it won’t be powerful enough to cool your living space effectively. This will run up your electricity bill and could potentially burn out the motor and other components as the unit stays on for prolonged periods of time, churning out cool air in vain.

If you install an AC unit that’s too large, … Read Full Post »

AC Compressor Not Working: What’s Going On?

January 16, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • Austin

It’s a hot day, and you’ve just returned home after a long afternoon out in the grueling Texas heat. The first thing you probably want to do is plop yourself down on the living room sofa and enjoy a refreshing rush of cold air. Except that today, of all days, you realize that something seems to be wrong with your air conditioner. How could this be? You hear the machine powering on and the familiar sound of air whirring through the system. Maybe it’s because of your AC compressor not working or another component that’s broken. Perhaps it’s another problem entirely.

Understanding how HVAC systems work can help you diagnose the problem you are having and determine what to do next. In this blog post, we’ll explain some of the common air conditioner problems, including why your air conditioner compressor might be turning on, but not cooling, and why an important part of … Read Full Post »

Furnace Leaking Water In Winter: What Should You Do?

December 17, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

It’s winter, and that furnace you don’t think twice about for the rest of the year is finally getting some work.

Not that you typically gave your heater much thought, even during the colder months. When your house started to get chilly, you’d turn the temperature up on your thermostat to get things toasty, and that was that.

That is, not until last week. That day, you were in the attic and you saw something that gave you pause: the furnace was leaking water. Is it supposed to be doing that? Should you get it fixed?

This is an issue that heating professionals get asked all the time, and the short answer is pretty simple: no, your furnace should not leak, and yes, you absolutely need to have it repaired if you notice an accumulation of water around this appliance.

Before you start to panic, however, it’s important to understand two things:

This is actually a pretty … Read Full Post »