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Signs Your Home Heating & Cooling Need an HVAC Professional’s Help

air conditioner maintenance

Get Air Conditioner Maintenance and AC Repair in St. Louis

In St. Louis, where, like most of Missouri, the weather can change drastically in a day, it’s important to have a fully functional HVAC system that can seamlessly transition between heating and cooling when you need it. For most systems, that can be done with the flip of a switch (or pressing a couple buttons on your thermostat). And if that doesn’t work? Then you need to call in a St. Louis HVAC service provider to fix the problem.

Thankfully, before your heater or air conditioner goes out, there are some signs you can watch for so you can be prepared for whatever your equipment needs.

Strange Noises and Smells from HVAC Unit

HVAC systems make noise, of course. But you should know what your unit sounds like when it’s functioning properly so that you can listen for noises that indicate there’s a problem (or at least an air conditioner maintenance task that needs done). Unfamiliar sounds, or ones that sound like banging, scraping, squeaking, or grinding, need to be looked at by an HVAC pro at Meyer Heating and Air.

Units emitting odors also likely have an issue that needs correction. Moisture can enable mold growth, or perhaps your ducts simply need to be cleaned to remove build-up from over the years. Regardless, odors are never normal!

Humidity and Moisture In Your Home

A small amount of condensation around your unit is fairly normal. However, excess moisture can also indicate a refrigerant leak. If you suspect you have a leak, contact Meyer Heating and Air to come out and get it fixed. Refrigerant, like the Freon used in older systems, can be poisonous if consumed or inhaled. A water leak is less of a serious problem, but it still needs to be seen by a professional.

If you’re running your air conditioner, but your home feels humid, your AC unit is not doing its job properly. An AC unit normally performs dehumidification. When it doesn’t, you feel the effects of high humidity: frizzy hair, sticky skin, and an overall feeling of heaviness in the air. Your unit might need a simple tune-up, or more serious repairs could be needed.

Air Conditioner Is Blowing Hot Air

In Ballwin or St. Charles, air conditioners get turned on in late spring, sometimes early summer, to keep residents cool in the hot and humid St. Louis summers. If your air conditioner is blowing hot air at you, there are two things to consider: you have a problem, or you should be a little more patient.

Especially if you’ve just turned the air conditioner on, the air coming through your vents may be a little warmer than you expect. It can take a few minutes to reach the cool temperature you’re looking for. However, if it’s been a while, and there’s still no chilly air, it’s time to bring in a professional to diagnose the problem.

HVAC is Not Blowing Air at All

If your system is on, but isn’t blowing air at all, there are a few possible causes. First, you might have an airflow issue, like a malfunctioning blower or a clog, but it could also be more serious, like your evaporator coils are frozen, or your ducts are leaking excessively. Calling in Meyer Heating and Air to diagnose the problem saves you time on investigating it yourself; we bring all the tools we need to perform checks as needed until we identify and solve the problem.

HVAC is Continuously Running

Your HVAC system and thermostat are designed to only run the air conditioner or heater when it reaches a certain temperature in your home. If your system is continually running, that indicates a problem. Sometimes it’s a broken thermostat, not telling your system to turn off and on at the right times. Sometimes, it’s something else. One of our HVAC pros will come to your home in Chesterfield, Sappington, O’Fallon, and the surrounding areas to diagnose the issue and get your system running properly again.

Things You Can Do To Check on Your System

One of the very first things an experienced HVAC tech knows to do is check the air filter. A clogged air filter can make your system function poorly. Switching to a new filter is especially important if you have pets, carpet, or live near areas with lots of construction or dusty gravel roads. Most filters should be changed every couple of months, but ask your HVAC pro from Meyer Heating and Air for best practices for your HVAC.

You can also check all your home’s vents and returns are not blocked by furniture or other debris. Furniture or plants should be at least two feet away from vents when possible to maximize air flow. If your furniture is in front of a floor or wall vent, or perhaps you’ve pushed your sofa up against your baseboard heater, you’ll find that you get less air flow and have to turn the thermostat way up or down to get comfortable. That costs you a lot of money on your energy bill.

Change thermostat batteries. When your heat or air conditioning isn’t kicking on when it should, you might be sent into panic mode, bracing yourself for having to call for a repair. One of the most common reasons we see for systems not functioning is a thermostat simply needing batteries, especially the more modern, “smart” devices. The old school dial thermostat spoiled us with its simplicity, but the amazing programming technology of new thermostats enables you to save even more money on your energy bill, or at least change the temperature of your home without ever getting off your couch.

Check the condensing unit outside your St. Louis area home. It’s so easy to forget the condenser unit. However, it is one of the most important components of your system. Debris around or on the unit reduces important airflow and prevents your system from running optimally. You can turn off the power to the unit and spray it with your garden hose to clean the unit.

Get St. Louis Area AC Repair Today

Need help diagnosing an air conditioner problem? Or perhaps it’s just time for annual maintenance? As a family-owned business, Meyer Heating and Air has more than 30 years of HVAC experience in the greater St. Louis area. Because we care about your comfort, we’re available 24/7 for emergency repairs, too. Call us at 314-845-1929 to make an appointment.