Air Conditioning Repair - Do It Yourself (DIY) HVAC Repair

Are you having problems with your heating or cooling? If your home is not as warm or cool as it should be and you’ve done what you can do to make sure your HVAC system is running efficiently (clean filter, ducts, condenser fan and fins, and so on), you may be tempted to call in a professional. There may be a few things that you can check before you make that phone call and spend the money for a repairman. Some problems may be easily fixed by you, yet other problems definitely require the handiwork of a pro.

Before pulling out the checkbook, which you know you’ll need to do when you call in a professional, check these things first to be sure that it isn’t a problem that can be solved easily yourself.

• Make sure that the thermostat is functioning properly and turned on. Change the temperature setting up and down and give it time, maybe even an hour, because some units have built-in fail-safes that go off.
• Breakers – many people waste money on a professional only to find out that there’s nothing wrong with their HVAC unit; it’s just a tripped breaker in the circuit panel. This is one of the first things that a pro will check. Also, some units have on/off switches somewhere on the body of the system that sometimes gets accidentally shut off (by kids?) so check that, too, and make sure it’s on.
• Check the filter. If you haven’t changed it in a while and it’s totally clogged, your unit may not function. Remember, HVAC units need adequate air flow to run properly and efficiently. Many people have suffered the wrath of having to pay, in effect, $80 for an air filter by calling in the pro too quickly.
• Check the gas. If your system runs on gas, make sure that the gas is on. If you have a tank, make sure it’s not empty. Check all the valves by closing them and opening them back up to be sure because sometimes valves can get stuck and closing them and opening them back up can restore the flow.
• Check the water drain line. HVAC units can drain off many gallons of water per day, and if that drain line becomes clogged, the water won’t properly drain and the HVAC unit will shut down if it has a fail-safe switch, which all units should (if you have an older model it very well may not have the fail-safe switch, so be sure to check the water drainage.) If you can, remove the drain hose and fill it with a bleach and water mixture (30%/70% respectively), wait a few minutes, flush it, and replace it.
• Check the ducts for a blockage or leak. If a blockage is the case, if you’re able to get to the ducts, then most likely you can fix the problem yourself. You may, however, have to call in a pro for this issue. If you do, make sure while he or she is there that a complete inspection is given.
• Go outside and clean any debris such as leaves, twigs, branches, or garbage that may be on or in the fins or the intake/exhaust ports.

You definitely need to call in a repairperson if your thermostat needs adjusting or the internals are not balanced (in this case, you’ll notice short cycles and the unit going on and off a lot more than usual), or a fail-safe shuts the HVAC unit off.  Additionally, if you notice a flame from the burner that’s irregular, it could mean that the burner is dirty or you could have a heat exchanger with a crack.  The flame should be nice and even over the whole surface of the burner, so if it’s not, you should call in a pro. 

Simple maintenance is often what HVAC systems need to continue to run well and efficiently, so take some time every month or two and have a look around, change the filter and see if anything else needs attention – you’ll be happy you did and you’ll get many years of good service from your unit.