We here at Bud Anderson Home Services have been working in the HVAC business since 1987. In that time, we’ve seen almost every different type of problem you could imagine when it comes to heating and cooling, but there are some issues that we tend to run into more often than others. These are some of the most common issues we encounter with our customer’s HVAC systems.
Baby Mice In Air Ducts
Baby mice mean that your air duct has become a nesting area for more mice. Mice can cause serious damage to your ventilation system by chewing holes in your various ducts and can also be a disease carrier. It is important to get rid of them quickly and seal up the areas where they are coming in.
Clogged Dryer Vent
Over time, the lint from your clothes can build up in your dryer vent and become a major fire hazard if it isn’t cleaned out regularly. This backup of lint and other debris restricts the airflow of exhaust gases and can eventually cause the entire thing to go up in flames.
Crushed Ducts Causing Air Restriction
Crushed air ducts reduce the airflow to your heating and cooling systems, and can work to severely limit their capacity and efficiency. This can mean that some rooms won’t get the right amount of hot or cold air, leaving them less comfortable than other rooms in the house.
Dirty Blower Motor
Having a dirty blower motor can spell doom for your system. The motor windings depend on the moving air from the blower motor to keep cool, and when it is choked off by dirt and dust, this can cause the winding to overheat and the motor to die. It can also result in the motor having to work harder up to that point, leading to increased energy bills.
Dirty Ducts
Making sure your air ducts remain clean will improve the air quality in your home and help air flow more freely through your ventilation system, meaning that your HVAC system will perform more efficiently throughout the year. Keeping your ducts clean can also help you and your family if anyone in the home suffers from allergies or asthma.
Dirty Fan Motor
When your fan motor gets dirty, it has to work harder to do its job. This means more energy used, and lower efficiency. Over time, this can burn the motor out, leading to overheating and total system failure.
Dirty Air Filters
Dirty air filters reduce airflow, and cause your entire system to have to work harder. This lowers energy efficiency and can cause a number of problems in various parts of your HVAC system. Dirty filters can cause dirt and dust buildup on other parts of your system as well, and over time, the reduced airflow can lead to system failure.
Dirt And Debris From Condenser Coil
Buildup of fur and other debris on your condenser coils can reduce your system’s efficiency by more than 30%. When the condenser coils to your unit are dirty, they are unable to transfer the heat from inside your home outside like they are supposed to, leading to higher temperatures in the home.
Dirty Furnace Blower Motor
Letting dirt build up on your furnace blower motor will dramatically reduce your furnace’s capacity. Not only will your heating costs increase and your comfort decrease, it can also shorten the life of your heat exchanger. Having dirt buildup on the fan blades can also throw off the balance of the fan, leading to noise, vibration, and bearing wear.
Dog Urine Dissolving Condenser Fins
The condenser fins on your outside unit work with your compressor to transfer heat out of your home and away from the unit itself. Dog urine and other harsh chemicals can cause these delicate aluminum pieces to dissolve, resulting in your compressor having to work harder to get rid of the excess heat from your home, making it harder to keep your home cool and raising your energy costs. Most of the time, the cost of buying a new unit outright is going to be cheaper than trying to find someone to replace just the fins, so preventing damage to them is extremely important.
Ducts Not Sealed
In many homes, up to 20% of the air that moves through your duct system is lost to leaks, holes, and unsealed sections of your air ducts. An unsealed section like this is letting your cooled or heated air escape and can also work to suck in dirt and dust from the surrounding area and spread it to the other areas of your home. Having these joints and gaps sealed will help make sure your hot or cold air is getting to the rooms you want it to, and also keep dirty air from being sucked in and causing issues in other parts of your system.
