ABC Blog
Choose a City

Why Is Cold Air Blowing Out Of Vents When The Heat Is On?

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
Cold air blowing out of vents when heat is on

When you come home on a chilly day, the last thing you want is to be met with is a gust of cold air blowing out of your vents when the heat is on. This unpleasant surprise is common, unfortunately, and can make uncomfortably cold weather that much more difficult to handle. Thankfully, there are a few common causes of this issue that can help you identify a solution.

Your Air Filter Is Dirty

Did changing your air filters slip your mind? Clogged air filters could be causing cold air to blow out of your vents. A dirty air filter can block airflow over your furnace’s heat exchanger, which can cause it to overheat. Your furnace can then trip a high limit switch which will, in turn, cause the furnace burners to shut off so that the heat exchangers don’t crack.

Your Pilot Light Is Out

If you have an older furnace with a … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How To Reduce Humidity In A House In Summer

. Posted by in • Austin
how to reduce humidity in house in summer

Recently you’ve been trying to escape the heat and humidity by heading inside, only to experience the same muggy feeling. With that in mind, you are probably wondering how to reduce humidity in a house in summer. What can you do to create a cool, comfortable sanctuary that will keep your family, pets and guests happy?

A humid indoor environment is a warning sign that your air conditioner is not working properly. What most homeowners don’t realize is that your AC system not only circulates cool air, but also dehumidifies incoming air. If it’s uncomfortably damp inside, you may have an oversized unit, leaks in your ductwork, insufficient refrigerant or a mechanical problem in your system.

In very humid climates, your system could have a hard time reaching an ideal level of humidity, even if it has no other underlying issues. In those situations, while buying a dehumidifier is an option, your … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Why Is My Air Conditioner Turning On And Off Repeatedly?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Air Conditioner Turning On And Off Repeatedly

Our air conditioners are complicated appliances which serve a vital function in our homes. When they are working properly, we hardly think about them at all. When they aren’t, we realize how much we take our cool, comfortable living spaces for granted. When you notice your air conditioner turning on and off repeatedly, you probably realize something is wrong, but you likely have little clue as to why this is happening, much less what to do about it.

There are a few reasons your air conditioner could be cycling on and off. The first and most likely is that your AC unit is too large for your home. When it comes to choosing an air conditioner, you may have fallen victim to a common misconception: the bigger the better. Unfortunately, unscrupulous contractors have an incentive to add extra capacity “just to be safe”, even when you really don’t need it, since … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

AC Unit Fan Not Spinning: What Should I Do?

. Posted by in • Austin
AC Unit Fan Not Spinning

Air conditioning is a way of life in the southern parts of the U.S. for at least half the year. The price we pay for our mild winters is that we basically skip spring and head straight into summer. That’s why it is so troubling to come home and be hit with a blast of lukewarm air, especially when upon closer inspection, you discover your AC unit fan is not spinning.

Your air conditioner’s fan is usually located in your outside unit. The fan pulls in hot air and delivers it over your condenser coil, where the air cools to your desired temperature and can then be pumped into your home. While your fan can stop spinning for a number of reasons, in most cases, the resolution is not a simple DIY fix. Because of the complexity of air conditioning systems, the dangers of working with electricity and the simple fact … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Outside AC Unit Not Running But Inside Is: What’s Going On?

. Posted by in • Austin
Outside AC unit not running but inside is

Maybe you finally bit the bullet and turned your air conditioner on, or maybe you’ve been running your AC for weeks now. Either way, to your surprise, something is not quite right. Despite hearing the sound of the AC turning on, your house is not cooling down as it used to. After some investigating, you determine that your outside AC unit isn’t running but the inside is.

Typically, this means one of two things: your outside AC hums but the fan doesn’t spin or the entire outside AC unit isn’t working at all. What could be causing either of these problems, and, more importantly, what can you do about it? In this post, we’ll go into detail about some scenarios you may run across with your air conditioner and how your components work together to create a comfortable, cool indoor living environment.

Air Conditioner Outside Unit Fan Not Working

Maybe you notice that … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How Many Tons of AC Per Square Foot Do I Need?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

As temperatures begin to climb higher and higher, some homeowners realize that the time has come to purchase a new air conditioner. If you have added to your square footage in recent years or had ongoing heating and cooling issues, you may ask yourself: How many tons of AC per square foot do you need to keep your home comfortable and your energy bills low? Buying the right size AC unit for your space is critical for anyone who wants a unit that will work efficiently and last for years. If you install an AC that’s too small, it won’t be powerful enough to cool your living space effectively. This will run up your electricity bill and could potentially burn out the motor and other components as the unit stays on for prolonged periods of time, churning out cool air in vain.

If you install an AC unit that’s too large, … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

AC Compressor Not Working: What’s Going On?

. Posted by in • Austin
AC Compressor Not Working

It’s a hot day, and you’ve just returned home after a long afternoon out in the grueling Texas heat. The first thing you probably want to do is plop yourself down on the living room sofa and enjoy a refreshing rush of cold air. Except that today, of all days, you realize that something seems to be wrong with your air conditioner. How could this be? You hear the machine powering on and the familiar sound of air whirring through the system. Maybe it’s because of your AC compressor not working or another component that’s broken. Perhaps it’s another problem entirely.

Understanding how HVAC systems work can help you diagnose the problem you are having and determine what to do next. In this blog post, we’ll explain some of the common air conditioner problems, including why your air conditioner compressor might be turning on, but not cooling, and why an important part of … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Furnace Leaking Water In Winter: What Should You Do?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
furnace leaking in winter

It’s winter, and that furnace you don’t think twice about for the rest of the year is finally getting some work.

Not that you typically gave your heater much thought, even during the colder months. When your house started to get chilly, you’d turn the temperature up on your thermostat to get things toasty, and that was that.

That is, not until last week. That day, you were in the attic and you saw something that gave you pause: the furnace was leaking water. Is it supposed to be doing that? Should you get it fixed?

This is an issue that heating professionals get asked all the time, and the short answer is pretty simple: no, your furnace should not leak, and yes, you absolutely need to have it repaired if you notice an accumulation of water around this appliance.

Before you start to panic, however, it’s important to understand two things:

  1. This is actually a pretty … Read Full Post »
Comments Closed

Should I Cover My AC Unit In The Winter?

. Posted by in • Austin
HVAC tips for winter

Anyone who lives in the southern portions of the United States will tell you that having a good air conditioning system is essential because, for about two-thirds of the year, your unit is going to be running pretty much nonstop.

You’ll depend upon your AC to survive our hot, sweltering summers, when the temperatures frequently hit triple digits. You’ll also rely on your system during much of the spring and fall, since the 80s and 90s stick around for much longer here than in many other parts of the country.

During the hottest times of the year, homeowners may regularly clean or replace filters, pay attention to how their system is running and remove debris from around outdoor vents.

When the cold weather (briefly) sets in, however, many of us promptly forget all about our AC, basking in lower electric bills while we can. Some homeowners might not even give the air conditioner … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

No Air Coming Out Of Vents: How Can I Get My AC Working?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
No air coming out of vents

When the sun is out and temperatures are brutally high, homeowners know that it’s critical to have a working air conditioner. Without a properly functioning AC, when summer temperatures rise into the 90s and 100s, you are not just uncomfortable indoors—it can actually be dangerous for humans and household pets, not to mention potentially harmful to your appliances and electronics. So what should you do if your AC suddenly stops working?

When your AC isn’t functioning well—or at all—it may be due to a problem that requires an experienced professional to fix. Certain common AC issues, such as a broken capacitor, are risky for inexperienced DIYers to try handling themselves; even cleaning your own AC condenser coils carries the risk of shorting out your unit. There are certain things, however, that the average homeowner can do to troubleshoot a problem with an air conditioner and resolve an issue on their own. … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed