The home is meant to be a place of warmth and comfort. But what happens when the home suddenly feels uncomfortable to be in? What should homeowners do? The feeling of comfort in a home can be easily disrupted when the HVAC system has a breakdown. If it’s the heater that malfunctions, the house becomes unbearably cold. If it’s the AC unit that malfunctions, the house becomes too hot and humid to stand. Homeowners should learn to recognize why HVAC systems fail to avoid this unfortunate situation in the future.
1. The Unit Is Covered With Debris
One of the biggest causes of HVAC breakdowns is debris covering and surrounding the unit. If the unit is located outdoors, think about all of the dirt, leaves, and other debris floating around it. It can easily cover the unit, clog it up, and prevent the unit from functioning efficiently.
The same is true with indoor units. They can accumulate dust and dirt from the air inside the home, which could inhibit the unit’s functionality. No matter where the unit is located, homeowners should regularly clean it to prevent problems.
2. The Unit Is the Wrong Size
The size of the unit also makes a huge difference in its functionality and efficiency. If the unit is too small, it can’t support all of the rooms in the house. This is especially common for homeowners that have added onto their homes. If there are one or more extra rooms, the HVAC system now has a greater level of responsibility. It has more room to heat and cool, so it has to kick into overdrive to keep up with the work.
Once the unit starts working overtime, it experiences faster wear and tear and can break down more easily. Therefore, if homeowners are experiencing HVAC problems after recently adding to their homes or thinking about adding to their homes in the near future, they should consult with a professional to determine if they need to replace the HVAC unit with a larger size.
3. The Unit Is Fine, but the Thermostat Is Malfunctioning
If the HVAC system starts malfunctioning, many homeowners turn directly to the heating or AC unit to identify the problem. However, there could be a completely separate component of the system at fault: the thermostat. If the thermostat is malfunctioning, it won’t be able to communicate with the rest of the HVAC system to adjust the temperature in the house appropriately.
Here are a few of the biggest reasons that thermostats fail:
Placement:
If the thermostat is placed in direct sunlight, it can misread the home’s temperature. This causes the device to think the house is warmer than it really is, so it won’t send the proper signals to the heating unit.
Too dirty:
The thermostat sits on the wall all day and all night, so it will start to collect dust and dirt over time. However, too much dirt can inhibit its functionality.
Old age:
The average thermostat will last for about 10 years. After that time, the components can start to experience wear and tear simply from old age.
When there’s a problem with the HVAC system, homeowners should always consider the thermostat when figuring out the underlying cause of the issue. They may even consider installing a new programmable thermostat in the future!