Your Guide to Quality Affordable Furnace Repair

Read our 5 steps to ensure that your heating and air unit stays up & running and know when it’s time to hire a professional.

Furnace Repair & Replacements - Do you know which one you need?

Furnaces & Air conditioning units are something that people tend not to think about until it isn’t working. If you think about how often you use it during the warmer months, you’ll start to understand why it’s important that you maintain your HVAC system throughout the year.

Unfortunately, everyone runs into issues from time to time.

Luckily, many of these issues can be avoided with some simple maintenance that you can take care of yourself at home.

Sig Cox has provided affordable furnace repair in North Augusta, SC for several years, making us master technicians in the field!

Here are the 5 steps we think that almost every person can take on their own to ensure that their heating and air unit stays up and running:

Take Care of Your Filters

This step is so simple it’s a wonder anyone skips it! Cleaning and replacing old filters is the single most effective way that you can keep your air conditioning unit in good health. When your filters get clogged or dirty, it impedes the airflow and efficiency of your unit significantly.

Since the job of the filter is to clean the air that passes through the system, you start to understand the problems that may arise when they get clogged. If dirty air is moving through the system, dirt and debris can flow directly into the evaporator coil, which impairs its ability to absorb heat. By replacing a dirty or clogged filter, experts believe that you reduce your unit’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Also, clean air filters can significantly reduce allergens in your home.

If you have a central air conditioning unit, you can find the filters somewhere along the return duct’s length. The most common locations for filters are in the walls, ceilings, furnaces, or in the unit itself. For room units, you’ll find the filter located in the grill that faces towards you.

Depending on your filter type, you might be able to reuse it, while you should replace other completely. General best practices dictate that you should clean or replace your filters once a month or twice during the peak heat season. You can gauge this information on how often you use your unit, the amount of dust in the air, and whether or not you have pets.

Cleaning Your Coils

Over the months and years that you have your air conditioning unit, both the evaporator coil and the condenser coil tend to collect dirt. Changing filters regularly can help reduce dust, but it cannot prevent the buildup on coils entirely. When the coils start to collect dirt and debris, the coils can’t heat and cool as efficiently. For this reason, you should check your coils at least once per year.

If you have an outdoor unit, it’s especially important that you check your coils. Since dirt and foliage usually surround outdoor units, it’s difficult to keep the coils as clean as indoor units. However, you should more readily see dirt collecting on the coils in outdoor units. Factors like frost and flood damage may also affect outdoor units. Inspect them if you notice a change in air quality after a storm.

To keep your outdoor coils as clean as possible, it’s vital that you maintain the area around the unit. Clear foliage away as much as possible (trimmed back at least two feet from the unit), be mindful when mowing your lawn, and remove all debris to allow for adequate airflow to your unit.

Coil Fins

On your evaporator and condenser coils, you’ll find aluminum fins. Unfortunately, these fins become bent very easily. When they become bent, they prevent air from flowing properly through the coils. To fix this, you can purchase what is called a “fin comb.” With the fin comb, you can bend your fins back into a normal shape.

Keeping Drains Open

When your drains are clogged, it prevents your unit from reducing indoor humidity. When your unit can’t condense humidity, the excess moisture will eventually discolor your walls and carpet. To avoid a drain clog, run a stiff wire through the drain channels occasionally.

Check Your Window Seals

If you have a window unit in your room, it’s crucial that you check the seal between your unit and the window at the end of each cooling season. The seal should make contact with the unit’s metal case. Over time, the moisture from your unit can damage this seal. When it becomes damaged, cold air will begin escaping through the seal.

Winter is Coming

As winter approaches, it’s essential to take measures to protect your air conditioning unit. Whether you have a room unit or an outdoor unit, you should cover it for winter. Covering it protects it from the winter weather and debris.

When to Hire a Professional

Sometimes, your problem goes beyond what you can fix or prevent on your own. You might find that for your building the HVAC layout runs through hard-to-reach or dangerous areas of the building, like attic or rooftop. In such cases, you should find a reliable professional by asking around for recommendations and working only with certified and licensed professionals.

When you call a technician to your home, they should take care of the following:

Check for refrigerant
Test for leaks in ducts
Remove and recycle refrigerant responsibly and legally. Too many professionals choose to release refrigerants into the atmosphere illegally!
Measure airflow
Check electric control sequence
Inspect electric terminals
Tighten connections
Oil motors
Check thermostat

The more that you know about your air conditioning unit, the better off you are in regards to maintenance. If you’re able to take care of all of the essential maintenance yourself, you won’t have to call in a professional as often. In the long run, this saves you a nice chunk of change. Still, many contractors provide free quotes on inspections.

Whatever you decide, we’re here for you and all your HVAC needs! At Sig Cox, we have an experienced team of professionals who can provide quality and affordable furnace repair in North Augusta, SC, and the surrounding areas.

Feel free to give us a call today to get advice or to have someone out to your home. We can diagnose the problem, provide you with a free quote, and fix whatever problem you’re experiencing.

Schedule A Service Call!