Archive for the ‘AC service’ Category

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Is Your HVAC System Leaking? Having AC Drain Pan Problems?

Tuesday, July 16th, 2024

There are big problems, and there are little problems. It’s best for your happiness and comfort to avoid as many big problems as possible.

AC drain pan problems and leaks and overflows can cause big problems for your home, your quality of life, and your pocketbook.

photo of a condensate pump that removes excess water from the AC drain pan
Example condensate pump

If you have a heat pump or a regular air conditioner, and you suspect a problem, you’ll want to go inspect the indoor portion of your HVAC system. You’re looking at where the water drains from out of the cased coil into the line that exits the house, which it can do through a passive drain or a condensate pump.

If you see evidence of water leakage or mold, you could have a clogged drain line or other problem causing water to go where it shouldn’t be.

What Is a Drain Pan and Drain Line?

When water condenses on the coil in your AC and drains into the pan, it’s supposed to go out the drain line. The pan is a flat trough the sits below the coil (see item 1 in the diagram), and is usually about two inches tall. This pan isn’t visible from the outside of the unit. It is usually concealed by the metal casing (see item 7 in the diagram).

diagram of an air conditioner with labels for the different parts to understand ac drain pan problems

The drain line is typically a PVC pipe or clear tubing that the water drains into from the drain pan. For most air conditioners, this line leads into a small, powered box called a condensation pump. In other systems, the line passively takes water outside your home.

Photo of a p-trap that helps prevent leaks in an air conditioner
Example of a p-trap

There is also a P-trap, which is after the drain line exits the coil, but before the condensate pump. The same thing is present if your system uses a passive drain too.

So the pan and line are inside your home or garage, and the line takes any access water to the outside.

What Can Go Wrong with the AC Drain Pan?

If the drain line gets clogged, the pan can start to collect water. As you know, standing water doesn’t usually turn out to be a good thing. You can get mold, algae, rust, and other buildup that can be the reason the line clogged in the first place, or it can make what used to be a partial blockage much worse.

If this problem is left unattended, you can end up with much bigger problems, such as:

Frozen coil

This will reduce the functionality of the air conditioner, costing more money to produce the same level of cooling because it makes the system work harder. It’s worth noting that dirty air filters can contribute to this problem, because when air flow is hindered, it can cause the coil to freeze. When the coil thaws, you have a drainage issue. So if your AC isn’t performing well, check the air filter first before suspecting a clogged line.

System shutdowns

If the line is clogged, excess water or moisture from the coil thawing can cause the system to just stop working.

Water damage

If the drain pain or the line has a leak, that would be a serious situation because it could mean water is seeping into areas of the house where it will only cause problems.

Heat pump problems

If you have a heat pump, drain pan problems can affect the AC mode of your system in the same way. This can get technical, but if you have a 90-96% furnace, condensed liquid can cause the drain line to freeze. But it should not shut down the system unless the pumps fails and it has a float safety switch. Or, your system could have a water sensor that will shut off the system if it detects water.

What to Do If You Suspect a Drain Line Leak or Problem

If you leave these problems unattended, you could end up with a non-working air conditioning system and will have to fork over big money to replace the whole thing, or repair complex components.

So, it’s worth your while to look over your system for evidence of dripping or leaking water. If the system seems to be operating normally, it’s probably doing fine. You should also get routine maintenance done now and then so you can keep these bigger problems away. When we do maintenance on air conditioners, we also clean out the P-trap.

Manufacturers recommend checking your system every year, ideally in the spring before you need to use your AC that year.

If you do suspect a serious problem like a drain line leak or water collecting in the drain pan, don’t let it sit there getting worse. Contact your local AC repair service.

If you live in Snohomish County or any of the zip codes listed in the footer of our home page, B&C Comfort can come out and repair the problem. Click the link below to get on our schedule.

Schedule an AC maintenance appointment

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How to Change the Air Filter On Your Air Conditioner or Furnace

Friday, January 28th, 2022

So you’ve decided it’s time to change the air filter on your air conditioner or furnace. Good decision! The reality is, you should be changing this regularly, at least a couple times per year even in the mild climate of the Greater Seattle area.

But if you’ve never done it before, how do you change an air filter?

The good news is, it’s actually pretty simple in most cases. We’ll walk you through the basic process. However, if you still aren’t able to figure it out, you can always give us a call and we can try to talk you through it over the phone. Or if necessary, we can come out and help you in person.

Before we get to how to change it, let’s quickly address how you know it’s the right time to change the air filter on your air conditioner.

One good way to test this is to hang a white sheet about five inches away from one of your vents, and leave it there for an hour. If during that time the sheet turns noticeably gray, that’s a good sign your air filter is due for replacement. Also, if there’s a buildup of dust around your vents, no need to use the sheet because that’s also a clear sign your filter is probably clogged up.

And in case you’re wondering, here’s a post on why changing your air filter is so important, and how it protects your health, your wallet, and your comfort.

How to Change an Air Filter in 6 Steps

1. Find the Air Filter

This step might seem silly, but sometimes, especially in larger homes with multiple vents, ducts, and other HVAC equipment, finding the air filter can be a little challenging.

Generally, it will be in the main air handling unit or in the main air duct vent. It could be in the return air duct that pulls air from your home back into the HVAC systems. Or it could be near the air handler that blows out the warm or cool air. This is quite common if your heating and air conditioning systems share the same ducts, which is true in most households.

You probably will have to open up a metal panel on top of the unit if it’s in the actual device, and this might require some unscrewing. In other cases, the door may be held with hooks, or it might just open up with minimal effort.

2. Turn Off the Power

You can turn off the unit or just switch off the circuit breaker. But you want to make sure there is no chance of electricity still operating in the unit when you open it.

3. Remove the Current Air Filter

Next, once you find the air filter and turn off the power, you can remove the current air filter from its location.

When you do this, pay attention to the orientation of the air filter. There are usually arrows printed on the sides of it pointing in one direction, either toward where the air is blowing from, or away from it. You will want to insert the new air filter facing the same direction, so pay attention to the old one before you take it out.

4. Inspect the Current Air Filter to Decide on the Replacement

Once you remove the air filter, take a moment to look at it. It will probably be quite dirty, especially if you’ve never done this before or it’s been a while. Hold it up to the light. If you can’t see much light through it, it’s dirty.

Assuming you need to replace the air filter, you want to learn two things in your inspection:

  1. The size of the air filter that fits in your system
  2. The MERV rating

Air filters come in many sizes. Generally, you’re looking for a length and a width, and it should be printed somewhere on the filter. If you can’t find it, you can always just measure it yourself. To be sure, you can also just bring the filter into the hardware store and make sure the new one you buy is the same size.

MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value. The higher the MERV rating, the more effective the air filter is at filtering out particulates. Ratings above 10 are considered able to filter out microorganisms that can impact your health and air quality.

The lowest quality air filters are made of fiberglass. These cost less, but they don’t last as long and need to be replaced more often, like almost every month. Pleated air filters are higher quality and should last several months.

HEPA filters are the highest quality. However, these are so good that in some HVAC systems they can impede airflow so much that the system has to work really hard to heat or cool your home, increasing your costs and risking breakdown. So just going for the highest possible MERV is not necessarily the best idea.

If you’re in doubt, give us a call and we’ll try to help you out over the phone. In general, you should be okay with a MERV rating between 5 and 13.

5. Dispose of the Old Air Filter

Especially if it’s very dirty and filled with possible health hazards, it’s a good idea to slip the old air filter into a plastic bag and then throw it in your usual garbage can.

If you happen to have a reusable filter, then you’ll need to add a step here to clean it and wait for it to dry. Some reusable air filters can be washed with water. Others can be vacuumed. Check the instructions on yours to find out how to clean it.

6. Buy and Insert the New Air Filter

Then, go to the hardware store and pick out the new air filter of the right size and desired MERV rating. Or, order it online. But if you do that, be absolutely certain about the size. Going to the store is a less risky approach because you can compare the old filter to the new one right there.

To insert the new one, slip it in the same way the old one came out. Again, use the arrows on the side to make sure it’s facing the correct direction.

The arrows always face away from the return air duct, and toward the air handler system.  If that’s confusing and you aren’t sure if the original was installed right, give us a call and we will try to talk you through it.

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Why Is It Important to Change Air Filters on Air Conditioners and Furnaces?

Friday, January 14th, 2022

Clogged air filters are probably the leading cause of breakdown for air conditioners and HVAC systems. That’s the main reason why changing air filters is so important.

Air conditioners and heaters depend on airflow. With impeded airflow, the system doesn’t work as well, and problems arise. Here are four reasons why it’s so important to change your air filter, and what could happen if you don’t.

4 Reasons to Change the Air Filter on Your AC / Furnace

1. Changing the Air Filter Saves You Money

Yes, you have to pay for the air filter. But the more clogged your air filter gets, the harder your system has to work. That means it is using more energy to produce and push the same amount of cool or warm air. Using more energy means you pay more for the same benefit. That’s a bad deal.

And in case you’re wondering, the air filter does get used in both summer and winter because the same fan moves the air either way. The mechanism for producing the warm or cool air may be different, but the fan that moves it and the filter the air passes through is the same.

Changing the air filter also saves money because it extends the healthy life of your HVAC system. And as you can imagine, air conditioning and heating repairs cost a lot more than buying an air filter every few months.

2. Changing the Air Filter Improves Performance

As time goes by, air filters will get clogged by various types of debris. This makes it harder to produce the same amount of warm or cool air.

This means, especially in the extreme hot and cold months, a fresh air filter will help your home warm up and cool down faster than it otherwise would. If it seems like it’s taking longer to warm up or cool down your house lately, there’s a good chance your air filter is the main culprit.

And by the way, if you want us to come out and do a maintenance check, we can also show you where your air filter is and how to change it. Sometimes, it is a little tricky. Here’s a quick guide on how to change your air filter yourself.

3. Changing the Air Filter Improves Indoor Air Quality

There are all kinds of pollutants and particulates floating around inside and outside. A good air filter will capture many of these and thus improve your air quality. Especially if you have kids, elderly residents, or people with medical conditions such as asthma or allergies, pristine air quality is a must.

Consistent replacement of your air filter is a low cost way to make a big difference in your air quality.

A saturated air filter will struggle to corral things like dust, spores, pollen, pet dander, hair, and microorganisms. Plus, all that gunk can collect moisture and lead to mold growth. If the mold gets in your ducts and the inner workings of your HVAC system, now you’ve got a serious and much more costly problem, for your health and your pocketbook.

4. Changing the Air Filter Reduces Your Environmental Footprint

Because a clean air filter allows your air conditioner and furnace to work more efficiently at heating up and cooling down the house, you will use less energy and thus reduce the cost your HVAC system is putting on the environment – especially if you’re relying on gas or electric power.

What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Air Filter?

If you neglect to change your air filter frequently enough, a number of problems will begin to mount over time.

First, because your air conditioner and heater will have to work harder, this extra strain will increase the wear and tear on the system and can cause it to overheat and break down. Again, in our experience, clogged air filters are the number one cause of costly and expensive repairs for HVAC systems. Extending the useful life of your system saves thousands of dollars.

Also, very old air filters can start to break down themselves, and this may release fibers into the air handling system. These fibers can interfere with the functionality of the HVAC system and require expensive repair and maintenance.

And, as already mentioned, not changing your air filter will make your home take longer to heat up or cool down, increasing your costs for no extra benefit.

The health problems that can be caused by the buildup of mold are well-known, and if mold is infesting your HVAC system, then your family is breathing unhealthy air. You can prevent most or all of this simply by regularly changing your air filter.

One way to tell if it’s well past time to change your filter is if there’s a buildup of dust near your vents, including on furniture near the vents. If you see this, then your air filter is probably well past due for replacement.

How Often Should You Change Your Air Filter?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this. Energy Star recommends a minimum of changing your air filter every three months. Some experts recommend every month.

But really this depends on several factors, such as the type of air filter you use, and how often you use your air conditioner and heater.

In the mild climate of the Pacific Northwest and Snohomish and North King County, we have pretty temperate springs and falls, and many people don’t use their systems at all during those months. There would obviously be no reason to change the filter if it isn’t being used.

But in summer and winter, it probably gets pretty heavy use. So keep an eye on it, and don’t let it sit there unchanged for too long.

As for the type of air filter, lower quality fiberglass air filters need to be replaced more frequently than higher quality ones.

If you want a professional HVAC repair and maintenance technician to come take a look at your system or show you how to change your air filter, feel free to schedule an appointment, and Bob will come out to take a look.

We are often booked several months out, so if you suspect problems with your HVAC system, don’t wait too long to call us!

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Posted in AC service, Energy efficiency | 1 Comment »

7 Reasons Your Home Heater Is Blowing Cold Air & What To Do

Thursday, November 8th, 2018

Home Heater Blowing Cold Air? Here’s What It Could Mean

7 Possible Reasons Your Home Heater/Furnace Is Blowing Cold Air

A friend of ours bought a new house recently. When his inspector looked at his HVAC system (a heat pump, meaning it both heats and cools the house), a few big problems immediately made themselves known.

new homeowner's heater blowing cold air and ac was blowing warm airWhen he turned on the heater, the outdoor unit didn’t seem to be working right, but the indoor unit, an air handler, came on and seemed to heat the house. Though on closer inspection, the heat seemed pretty weak. When he turned on the air conditioner, warm air came out.

So, when the new homeowner called an HVAC specialist (not us, because he was outside our service area – click here and scroll down to see if you’re in it), he learned what was really happening.

A system error in the controls of the heat pump was forcing an automatic system shutdown just seconds after it started. That was tripping on the air handler, which was supposed to be only for emergency heat. Even more strange, the previous owners had rewired the system somehow so the air handler came on every time, even for air conditioning. Hence the hot air.

But the heat pump was also just very old, and repairing it would have cost nearly the same as just getting a new one, which is what they ended up doing.

Why tell this story? Because it illustrates just one of many reasons why a heater might blow cold air, and an air conditioner might blow hot air.

7 Reasons Your Heater Blows Cold Air/AC Blows Hot Air

There are many reasons an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system might stop working. But all you have to work with are the symptoms. The heater’s blowing cold, or the AC is blowing hot. Here are just a few things that could mean:

1) Dead Batteries in Thermostat

Seems silly, but you’d be surprised how often this has happened. You’re standing there pushing buttons trying to heat up the house, but it’s just not working. You can hear it blowing, but no heat is coming out. Sometimes this happens simply because your batteries have died. (This problem depends in part on the type of thermostat, of course).

It’s also possible you have it on the wrong setting, such as ‘fan’ as opposed to ‘heat’. Again, this depends on your specific type of thermostat.

2) Clogged Air Filter

filthy clogged air filters are one possible reason your heater is blowing cold air
For a heat pump or heater to produce warm air, air must flow easily through the filter. Otherwise it has to work a lot harder just to pull the air, which means you’ll get less warm air coming out than you should. Likewise for the air conditioner. The harder it has to work to pull air through the filter, the less efficient it will be.

If energy efficiency is as important to you as heating or cooling your house, making sure you have a clean air filter is a critical troubleshooting and maintenance step.

3) Interrupted Startup Sequence

This was part of the problem our friend was dealing with. His heat pump was starting up and then shutting off immediately, and the emergency heat was taking over. When he had a professional look into why this was happening, he learned it would be an expensive repair job on an outdated heat pump.

4) Improper Installation

The previous owners in our friend’s house probably realized their heat pump was failing, so they rewired the system in a convoluted way to get around the problem, rather than deal with it properly. Their improper installation thus led to the air conditioner blowing hot air.
an improper installation led to this ac blowing warm air

5) Dead Circuit Board

Maybe it got shorted out. Maybe it just died of old age or malfunction. But a dead circuit board ends your furnace’s attempt to heat your house real quick.

6) Worn Down or Busted Motors

Motors that turn the fans and make the conversion process from warm to cold (or cold to warm) work right can get old and rusty, or break down for other reasons. If that happens, your heater (or AC) will not produce the temperature of air you want it to.

If you hear that irritating screeching sound when your system turns on, this could be the reason (though it’s not the only reason that happens).

7) Damaged Ducts

It could be that your heater is working just fine. If your ducts have cracks or worse, then the cold air blowing into your house might be coming straight from outside right into your ducts, mixed in with the warm air your perfectly functional furnace is producing.

What Can I Do If My Heater Is Blowing Cold Air?

You’ve got three basic options.

three options for what to do if your heater is blowing cold air
First – make it worse. That’s what our friend’s former homeowners appear to have done. They worked around a failed heat pump by making the emergency heat the main heat. This rendered the AC useless. And, it increased their heating costs a ton, because the air handler is a far more expensive way to heat a house than the much more efficient heat pump.

Second – test out the simple explanations. Check the air filter. Check the thermostat. You might even try turning your circuit breaker off and back on. These simple fixes might solve the problem, saving you lots of trouble, frustration, and expense.

Third – hire a professional. If your heater is blowing cold air, and it’s not one of the first two possible explanations on this list, then you’ll need a specialist to at least come and take a look. You might be able to tell if your ducts have a leak, but fixing them is another issue.

The last five items on the list above require a professional or a new furnace or heat pump to fix them.

If you need a professional and you live in our service area, we’d love to help.

Click the link below, scroll down to see if you’re in our service area, and if you are, tell us what’s going on with your HVAC system.

Help Fix My Heater/Heat Pump

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