Your HVAC system is really important to maintaining the comfort level in your home. Without it, you’d have to suffer through the extremes of whatever the weather had to offer. Here are some of the signs that you need to be on the lookout for so that you don’t experience a total failure.
HVAC Age Plays a Factor
The age of your system will play a large part in how much longer it will last. On average, your heating system will last for about twenty years. An air conditioner tends to last for less time. This means that you might want to proactively replace your system before it has a chance to go out on you.
Hot and Cold Spots
One of the signs that your HVAC is about to fail is that you’ll notice uneven temperature spots in your home. This is because the fan isn’t circulating the air as evenly as it used to when it was newer. Have a company like Master Service Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration perform an inspection to check on the health of your unit.
Increased Energy Consumption
There are certain times of the year in which your HVAC system will use more energy. After a while, you should get a feel for what your bill should be running you. A large spike in consumption could mean that your system is about to fail. The cause of this is generally that it has to run more in order to maintain the same temperature.
Sour Smell in the Air
Poor indoor air quality is another common sign of impending failure. This is because your unit can’t properly circulate the air around your home. As the air starts to stagnate, you may notice a foul or sour smell. A burning smell could be that the unit is starting to overheat when it runs.
Constant on and Off
A HVAC unit that is constantly turning on and off isn’t functioning correctly. This means that your unit is having a great deal of trouble maintaining the temperature in your home. This may become more prevalent during extreme weather events as your unit struggles to play catchup.
The best idea for avoiding a failure is to keep tabs on your HVAC unit. Annual inspections will help you to maintain the peak efficiency of your unit for years to come. It will also help to identify a problem before it can develop into a larger issue for your home.