Name: Bounds Heating & Air
Address: 25645 West, Newberry Road, Newberry, FL, 32669
Telephone: 352-472-2761

6 Pro Tips for Troubleshooting Your Heater

While Florida’s winter is relatively moderate, it is still nice to have your heat available when you want it. Finding that your heater isn’t working well (or not running altogether) can be stressful, but you may not need to call an HVAC technician just yet.

First, try some of these tips to troubleshoot what may be happening — then give the pros at Bounds Heating & Air a call:

HEATER NOT WORKING

There can be a litany of reasons behind why your heater isn’t running, and not all necessitate you hiring a professional to handle the issue.

Check the Thermostat

The first move you should make is to check your thermostat. While you may assume that your thermostat’s settings are what they’re supposed to be, you should still make sure it is set to “heat.” For the heater to switch on, the temperature on your thermostat may need to be at least five degrees above room temperature.

Also, check to see if your thermostat is set to “auto” versus “on.” If it’s set to “auto,” the heater should start up automatically when your home’s temperature drops a few degrees below the temperature specified on the thermostat. If your thermostat is set to “on,” then your system’s fan will continue circulating air even if your heater isn’t heating it. This setting can make it feel like cold or room temperature air is coming from your air vents, so you may want to switch to “auto.”

It’s best to make sure your settings are correct to avoid the embarrassment of hiring a technician only to find out nothing was wrong.

Check the Circuit Breaker

If your thermostat settings are fine, you should check your home’s breaker panel and look for the circuit that controls your heater’s indoor unit. If you own a heat pump, also check the circuit associated with the outdoor unit. If you find that the breaker has been set to the “Off” position, or it’s in the middle, you should test your breaker by flipping it back and forth. After flipping the breaker, make sure that it is placed in the “On” position.

Flipping the switch will restart the circuit that controls the heater’s indoor unit. If it’s still not working despite resetting your circuit breaker, you might have an issue with the wiring in the circuit or the circuit breaker itself. In that case, it’s better to hire an experienced professional to fix your problem.

Check the Furnace Door

As a safety precaution, some furnaces won’t run unless their door is closed securely. Double-check that the door is in place by opening it and firmly shutting it.

HEATER STRUGGLING TO WARM YOUR HOME

If you turned your heating system back on for the winter and found it struggling to warm your home effectively, the problem may not be as severe as you might think.

Replace Your Clogged Filter

If your furnace is struggling to produce the usual amount of heat, this could signify that your furnace’s filter is clogged. This common maintenance chore is a relatively easy fix and is an excellent way to improve your air quality.

Air filters typically last for up to 90 days, but heavy HVAC system use can clog a filter in as little as 30 to 60 days. Replace the filter with a new one but make sure your filter is pointed in the right direction because that could hurt its effectiveness.

Clear and Clean the Space Around Your Furnace

Did you know that heaters require proper airflow and ventilation to function well? If your heater isn’t working well, you might need to declutter and clean the surrounding area.

If the area around your furnace is surrounded by objects, it can hurt how effectively your home is heated. Not only can clutter around your furnace affect your heating, but it also represents a potential fire hazard.

Regularly cleaning the area surrounding your heater is a great way to maintain its health while removing the flammable items from the site. Dust and lint also pose a fire hazard and can cause clogs sooner than usual, which requires you to replace your filter more often.

Check Your Vents

Blocked vents could be hurting the heat flow in your home. It would be best if you walked through your home, checking all your ducts to make sure that they’re unblocked. You should remove any piece of furniture or debris blocking the openings of your vents to allow the heat to flow freely throughout your home.

If all your attempts to troubleshoot your heating system fail, call (352) 472-2761 to have the experienced professionals at Bounds Heating & Air handle all your HVAC issues.

How to Improve Air Quality to Prevent Asthma and Allergies

Indoor air quality has a huge impact on the health and wellness of the people living inside your home. Unhealthy indoor air is full of pollutants, microbes, and pathogens that can aggravate various respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies.

One effective solution to alleviating such problems is to install a proper HVAC system in the house. However, regular HVAC maintenance is also required to prevent allergens from accumulating and spreading once again. Here are other things you can do to help your HVAC system alleviate asthma and allergy symptom:

Clean Air Intake Vents

Microbes and other air pollutants can enter your house through your air conditioning system. Your AC will suck in dirty air from the outdoors if the system is surrounded by organic materials, dust, and dirty objects. Cleaning the area surrounding your AC condenser will be a great help in preventing this problem.

Replace Filters

HVAC systems improve air quality by filtering the air. With pollutants, particulates, and other allergens trapped, they can’t be inhaled, limiting the likelihood of asthma and allergies being triggered. To keep air quality up, a regular maintenance schedule has to be in place, ensuring filters are routinely replaced. Regular maintenance is also a great way to keep HVAC repair expenses down.

Let Water Pans Drain

Mold grows when the environment is moist, which is common in air conditioning systems. Your AC system makes use of moisture to provide cold air, but as water accumulates in drain pans, it can lead to rapid mold growth. You can get rid of the excess water by placing drain pans at a slight slope.

Bounds Heating & Air is your leading choice for quality services, including air conditioning repair, heating maintenance, and indoor air quality solutions. To learn more about what we can do for you, simply give us a call at (352) 278-9123 or fill out our online contact form. We serve Newberry, FL, and surrounding communities in Florida.

Your Trusted HVAC Maintenance Checklist

It’s that wonderful time of year again when HVAC maintenance is one of the things on your home maintenance to-do list. Or at least, it’s the time to call a professional to perform the maintenance for you. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly the maintenance personnel are tinkering with as they work on your HVAC unit, Bounds Heating & Air can answer that question for you.

In this post, our experts go over an HVAC maintenance checklist in order to help you understand the maintenance process a little better.

Filters

Filters are essential in preventing debris from getting into your HVAC system. They work to protect the system from premature damage, which in turn helps you avoid frequent HVAC repair. If you want to prolong the life of your unit, it’s critical for your filters to be cleaned regularly and replaced as needed.

Condenser Coils

Condenser coils remove excess heat from your system. It’s important that they’re cleaned as well, otherwise, the heat could end up trapped in your system, potentially causing damage to your HVAC unit.

Drip Pans

These pans are used to catch excess water released by your system. During maintenance, the technician will drain them to prevent overflow that could reach other vital parts of the unit. An overflowing pan can damage your unit, encourage the growth of mold and mildew, and create puddles that are a slipping hazard.

Inspect the Unit Thoroughly

Dust is unavoidable, and one way or another your system will at some point attract dust and sometimes even mold, which can be hazardous to the homeowner’s health. That’s why it’s important that the maintenance personnel inspect the unit thoroughly and wipe away any dust.

Replace Broken Parts

A broken HVAC unit is a cause for immediate repairs. If your heating unit has broken parts such as pulleys or belts, call your air conditioning repair company and have them fix it ASAP. Otherwise, more parts could end up breaking, costing you even more. A broken HVAC may also make strange noises, emit foul odors, or even short-circuit, which is a safety hazard.

Check for Leaks

Leaks are usually a telltale sign that part of the unit is damaged, so if you notice any leaking, it’s best that you call a technician to find the source and fix the leak immediately.

Thermostats

Your thermostat helps maintain an ideal indoor temperature in your home by controlling the heating system and is one of the parts that must be checked during maintenance. If not repaired quickly, a broken thermostat control could wreak havoc on your home’s temperature levels and cause your electricity bill to rise.

To learn more about our services at Bounds Heating & Air, call us at 352-472-2761. Fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation with us. We serve Lake City, FL, and other cities in Florida.

Category: Filters