With the large number of home owners experiencing a diminished cash flow and financial hardship trying to find ways to save every penny should not come at the expense from the necessary home maintenance. Letting home maintenance tasks slide will actually create a greater expense in the near future. Nowhere is this truer than with heating and air conditioning.
Unless the home is located in a tropical paradise, the home owner will be running the heat starting in November. Should the home be located in a northern state such as Pennsylvania, the heat has probably been set to come on in October as the nightly temperatures can dip down to the 40 degree mark. What happens when the HVAC system is not operating properly?
Some potential problems can easily be checked by the home owner directly. The first step in troubleshooting any mechanical system is to start with the basics. Special skills are not required to check the basics. The only tools which may be necessary are a screwdriver and possibly a flashlight.
A common problem which can easily be overlooked by the home owner is to check the air filter(s). Many times there is a small access panel located on the air handler which will house an air filter in addition to the air filter which is located at the air return vent. If either of these air filters is full of dirt and dust, this can cause the HVAC system to strain unnecessarily and greatly restrict air flow throughout the ducts.
When the heat does not work at all the cause may simply be a tripped breaker if heating system is electric. With gas furnaces a pilot light may have been extinguished. It is extremely important not to attempt to re-light the pilot immediately in case there is a build up of gas.
The first step should always be to turn the shut off gas line valve and open the nearby windows in order to vent the build up of gas to the outside. Only after a suitable amount of time has passed can the gas be turned back on and the pilot light lit. Many tragic accidents and house fires can be easily avoided with just a little caution.
Many heating and air conditioning companies offer annual HVAC inspections for the home owner. It may also be a good idea to take advantage of a service program that may be offered. A routine service at regularly scheduled intervals can be helpful to keep the heating and cooling system working at peak efficiency. Many times a problem can be discovered and fixed for a few dollars before it develops into a major expense.
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