Why Your Sacramento HVAC System May Be Having Airflow Problems

AC Repair

Have you noticed that some sections of a room in your home are cold while others are warm? Your HVAC system may be having airflow issues. Read on and learn some of the common reasons why such airflow problems develop. Use this information to adjust the factors which you can handle and call a Sacramento HVAC professional for help on those issues which are beyond your capacity to address.

Obstructed Outdoor Unit

Heating and air conditioning professionals usually select the most appropriate locations in which to install the indoor and outdoor units of air conditioners. However, some Sacramento homeowners may unknowingly impede the performance of the AC by placing obstructions close to the outdoor units.

For example, a homeowner may place a disused appliance close to the outdoor unit. This can prevent that unit from performing its role of cooling the air which is coming from inside the home. Airflow problems will then result.

This problem is easy to solve. Simply check the outdoor unit and remove anything which is within the recommended clearance in the vicinity of that unit.

Blocked Registers and Vents

Many airflow problems result from a blockage in a register or a vent. For example, you may place a piece of furniture in front of an AC register. That furniture will impede the flow of air within the air conditioner components in that room of your home.

Fix such problems by checking the rooms where airflow problems exist. Remove everything that may be in the way of a vent or a register.

Clogged Air Filters

Another common cause of airflow issues is a clogged filter. Air will be unable to flow freely through the filter and into the room if that filter is dirty. Regular replacement of filters (in accordance with the recommended change intervals provided by the manufacturer) can ensure that a clogged filter will not affect the flow of air within the HVAC system.

Leaky or Blocked Air Ducts

The ductwork may also have a defect which is compromising the airflow within your air conditioning system. For instance, dirt may have bypassed a clogged filter and accumulated within the ducts. Such dirt can constrict the ducts and affect the flow of air. Damaged ducts can also leak conditioned air and limit the flow of air to the places where it is needed.

It is advisable for you to ask an experienced Sacramento air conditioning technician to inspect the ductwork and conduct the necessary repairs or cleaning to fix the airflow problem.

Defective Fan Blower

Blower fans push air through the ducts and channel it to the different rooms in your home. Those fans can become sluggish once the motor powering them grows old or weakens. Such a defect can only be remedied by a technical person who will decide whether the fan simply needs to be cleaned or the motor needs to be changed.

Improperly Sized HVAC Units

Some airflow issues in homes can be traced to an improperly sized air conditioning unit. An oversized AC will cycle on and off too frequently. Those short run times deny the system an opportunity to extract all the moisture from the air circulating inside the home. Consequently, the air will feel clammy and you will no longer be comfortable in the home.

Contact an HVAC expert in Sacramento and let that person advise you on the appropriateness of the AC for the size of your home. This analysis is particularly important in case the system is older and may have been installed at a time when the preference for bigger units was prevalent.

Low Refrigerant Charge

A refrigerant leak can also cause airflow problems. The loss of refrigerant causes the HVAC system to be unable to work properly. Don’t try to fix refrigerant leaks on your own. Ask a professional to use the appropriate tools to identify the leaks and fix them before recharging the system with the right refrigerant.

Many of the airflow problems in the discussion above can be detected and corrected early before they cause bigger repair challenges if you have a habit of inviting a Sacramento heating and air conditioning professional to inspect and service your HVAC system. Address all issues quickly so that your comfort isn’t compromised.

Contact Fox Family Heating and Air if you feel like you are experiencing air flow issues in your home. If you HVAC system is showing signs that it is not performing properly, now is the best time to have it checked out to avoid an unnecessary breakdown as Sacramento summer heat approaches.

How Long Can I Wait to Have My HVAC System Repaired?

Keep Your AC Running the Rest of the Summer

Today on the VLOG (Video Blog) I talk about what happens when you make quick-fix or band-aid repairs on your HVAC system.  If your system is operational but you know it needs a repair but you just don’t want to spend the cash, what can you do?

something else to consider, if your furnace or home air conditioner is more than 8-10 years old, and you are not having regular maintenance performed on it once or twice a year, you could be in for multiple repairs in the years to come. I share the details of what is under warranty and what is not.

We appreciate you tuning in and welcome your LIKES, COMMENTs or SHARES!

What Kind of Warranty Should I get with my HVAC Repair?

What seemed like a simple AC repair call turned complicated…

Has it ever happened to you? You paid an HVAC repairman to replace a capacitor for your blower motor. Then he told you the problem was fixed. You only paid $125 bucks for it! Now, two years later the capacitor has already failed, and your furnace is not blowing warm air again. No air is coming out! You call the repairman only to find out he won’t answer his phone or reply with any sense of urgency to your call for service.

HVAC Warranty

In the field of HVAC, the brand of parts used for the repair means so much these days. GE used to make a capacitor in the 70’s that still meets manufacturer specs to this day. Goodman has been a system that had been known to have capacitors that fail early. I mean, I’m okay with parts lasting ten to fifteen years, but come on, these capacitors that are failing within the first five years are just a lousy brand of parts and equipment to get. Trying to find the contractor to uphold some warranty on these replacement parts would help your pocketbook, right?

Company Warranties

Some companies will offer no warranty or one or two-year warranties on the parts they replace. That’s great, but even the worst capacitors are not failing within the first two years. The companies that are making these inferior parts are savings pennies. Fox Family Heating and Air Conditioning technicians use a trusted brand of capacitors from MARS. There are some other capacitor brands we will use, but if at all possible we are using the MARS brand of capacitors. Why? Because we offer a lifetime warranty on all of our replacement parts. For as long as you own the house, our part might fail on you, because things do happen, but we are going to replace it because we think we are giving you the best part on the market. I think if we are going to sell you a part, we should back it up.

This is the same for all parts we replace your system except for a few. Refrigerant, compressors, heat exchangers, and evaporator and condenser coils are not covered by the lifetime warranty. These are significant components of your system.

Fox Family Heating and Air Warranties 

The next time your system fails and you pay an HVAC company to come out and fix your system, ask them if they will stand behind their product like Fox Family Heating and Air does. Why they are skimping on the money to buy cheap capacitors for your house is hard to understand for me. It’s no way to earn an excellent reputation in Sacramento. When someone tells me they are going to repair my HVAC system, the part they use is just automatically going to be a durable, time-tested part that is going to last 5 to ten years at least! Fox Family is interested in creating long-lasting relationships with our clients. That is why we are offering a lifetime warranty on our parts. We think these are the best parts on the market, so we stand behind the products we install in your system because it means a lot to us when you call us for your HVAC needs.

What happens during an AC Tune-Up

What happens during an AC Tune-Up

What Happens During an AC Tune-Up? It’s important for homeowners to know what a technician will do when he or she comes to perform an AC tune-up in Sacramento. This helps the homeowner to confirm that proper maintenance work has been done. Read on and discover some of the things you should expect when your air conditioner is tuned-up.

Tune-Up Activities on the Indoor Unit

Electrical Component Inspection and Adjustment.  Your Fox Family technician will check all the electrical components on the indoor unit before adjusting anything that needs it. For instance, loose electrical connections will be tightened during this service call.

Thermostat Inspection and Adjustment.  AC tune-ups also involve assessing the thermostat to confirm that it is working well. This important instrument will be recalibrated in case the performance test reveals that the thermostat was no longer taking accurate readings of the temperature within your home.

Refrigerant Checks. The AC tune-up will also include checking whether any refrigerant leak exists. The technician will check the level of the refrigerant and adjust it if any anomaly is discovered.

Electrical Consumption and Performance Measurements. Fox Family Heating and Air technicians also perform tests to confirm that all electrical components consume power within their design specifications and that they are still working well. For example, the motors will be tested to ascertain how much power they are drawing. Appropriate air conditioner repairs  will be done on defective components.

Air Filter Inspection and Cleaning. Attention is also paid to the air filter to make sure that it is still capable of doing its work.  Your technician will clean the filter in case you have a reusable one. He or she may replace the old filter in case you use disposable ones.

Outdoor Unit Tune-Up Items

Coil Inspection and Cleaning. The outdoor unit has condenser coils which help to dissipate the heat absorbed by the refrigerant as warm air from your home flows over the evaporator coils in the indoor unit. The service technician from Fox Family Heating and Air will inspect these coils and clean them so that nothing stops heat exchange from taking place effectively.

Fan Blade Checks and Adjustment. The indoor unit of your AC has fan blades which help to push the air from your home over the evaporator coils so that heat can be extracted from that air. The alignment and structural integrity will be checked and any needed adjustments will be made.

Code Violations. The service technician will check whether the outdoor unit is installed in accordance with the applicable codes of your area. For example, some jurisdictions put restrictions on how much clearance should be maintained between the outdoor unit and any nearby structure, such as the exterior wall of your home. Any debris found around the unit will also be removed so that air circulation isn’t impeded.

Lubrication of Moving Parts. Air conditioner tune-ups are incomplete if lubrication hasn’t been given attention. The moving parts can wear out quickly if they aren’t well lubricated at all times. The lubrication will, therefore, be topped up to avert this premature wear of the components.

Drain Line Inspection and Cleaning. The process of conditioning the air in your home leads to the collection of water in the drain pan. This water is taken out of the home through the drain line. Technicians from Fox Family Heating and Air will inspect the drain line for clogs, mold or other forms of damage. The drain line will then be cleaned in case it is found to be free from damage.  

The discussion above may not have provided a comprehensive list of all the tune-up activities which may be done when a licensed technician comes to your home. Ask your Fox Family technician to give you a copy of the checklist used during the tune-up. You will also be given a report after the service call. Use that report to plan how to address any developing issues that were identified.

When It Is Better to Replace Instead of Repair Your HVAC System

what to expect from us

Some homeowners in Sacramento may not know when they should pull the plug on an HVAC unit and replace it. This article discusses some of the considerations you should have a mind as you decide between repairing the unit and replacing it. So when is it better to replace instead of repair your HVAC system?

Level of the Defect

The level of malfunction from your HVAC unit is a good starting point when thinking about repairing or replacing that unit. Some defects, such as shorted electrical wires, are a no-brainer since they cost very little to fix. However, it may be wiser for you to replace the unit in case a Sacramento heating and air expert tells you that a major component, such as the compressor, has failed.

The decision to replace the air conditioning unit becomes more obvious in case the system is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Install a new unit so that you reduce your anxiety about more costly repairs.

The Type of Refrigerant

The type of refrigerant in your HVAC system can also help you to decide whether you should replace the unit. Many AC defects, such as refrigerant leaks, require the system to be charged with additional refrigerant after repairs have been completed.

Older refrigerants, such as R-22, are more costly to use because their supply is limited. Such refrigerants are being phased out due to environmental concerns. Switching to a new system can save the cost of recharging the system each time a defect develops.

Changes to Your Home

Has an HVAC defect come at a time when you recently made major changes to your home? It may make more sense to replace an HVAC unit instead of repairing it at such a time.

Why is that recommended? Major home modifications can affect the sizing of the HVAC unit. For example, extensions increase the load which the AC unit must deal with on a daily basis. The AC may now be overworked because it was selected to address a different set of conditions.

Replacing that AC is, therefore, a good move because you will be able to pick a unit which is ideal for the new conditions in your modified home.

Older Units

The different components of your AC are designed to last approximately the same number of years. Does it make sense to keep repairing one component after another as they start breaking down due to age?

It may be more cost-effective to replace an older unit instead of spending money on various repairs.

Reliability Issues

How often do you find yourself having to call a Sacramento HVAC professional each year? Frequent repairs mean the HVAC unit may be approaching the end of its life.

Think of the cost of repairing that unit when compared to replacing it. For example, multiply the repair estimate by the age of that AC unit. Any result which exceeds $5000 (the average cost of a new unit) should bias you towards buying a new unit. Talk to an air conditioner replacement expert in Sacramento in case you are unsure about the correct calculations while determining whether repairing or replacing the AC unit will address the reliability issues which you have been experiencing.

So is it bettert to replace instead of repair your HVAC system? It may not always be easy to decide whether it is worthwhile to keep repairing an existing system or replace it with a new HVAC system. Consult with heating and air conditioning professionals in Sacramento to avoid replacing an HVAC system that has many years left. Whether you decide to replace or repair your HVAC system, Fox Family Heating and Air is here to help.

Air Conditioner Repair Call Ride Along

Complicated AC repair Sacramento

What seemed like a simple AC repair call turned complicated…

It’s no secret Sacramento has been delivering some unbearable summer heat these past few weeks! With the heat comes a lot of broken air conditioners. We try and gauge the type of call we are going on as we schedule appointments. With this air conditioner repair call we had a pretty good idea of the problem and were ready to tackle it.

Check out the details in our latest VLOG. See if Greg fixed it and if so how and what it took to get the cool air blowing again. Contact us for all of your Sacramento area AC repair needs.