Podcast episode (single-speaker) explaining common reasons an HVAC system may fail to maintain indoor temperature and practical maintenance/troubleshooting advice. Main causes covered: dirty/clogged air filters, thermostat problems (mode/calibration), ductwork distribution issues (leaks, disconnections, crossover ducts), low refrigerant or refrigerant leaks (and improper recharging), and aging/under-capacity systems. Speaker gives actionable recommendations: check/change filters monthly or at least every three months, verify thermostat settings and calibration, inspect and seal/repair ducts, locate and repair refrigerant leaks instead of repeatedly recharging, and consider system replacement when near end of life.
Chapters
Reasons why your H VAC system air condition heating isn't keeping up to temperature in your house. You know, as a homeowner, one of the main concerns is is keeping your home comfortable, especially during extreme weather or temperatures. However, when the when the AC or the heat fails to keep up temperature is frustrating. It can be frustrating and also can be unhealthy. And here are some reasons why you could be having challenge number one. Dirty air filter. A dirty air filter is the most common reason your HVC system is not keeping up. It's responsible for trapping dirt, dust particles from. It's responsible for trapping those so your system does not get clogged up with those, you know, dust, debris and particles. Over time, the filter can become clogged because it's so full. But to prevent this issue, make sure you replace your filter at least every three months. I would check them every month. Check and change your filter every single month. When you get into the times of extreme heat or extreme cold, the system is running more and therefore the filter will need to be changed more often. So a good rule is check it every month, but at least change them every three months. Also, you could be having a thermostat issue. Another cause of the problem is the faulty thermostat. Your thermostat controls the temperature inside your home and if it's not working correctly, it can't send the information to the unit to adjust the temperature. So make sure thermostat is properly programmed and properly calibrated and set. One of the common problems, especially when you change seasons around here, is sometimes you forget to change serve to cool from heat. Sometimes you forget to change it from from from heat to cool. Don't let that happen. I love the auto feature on program of thermostats. That's what I use at home. That way you see your temperature for cooling and for heating. If the temperature gets warmer than this, the coolant comes on. If the temperature gets colder than this, the heat comes on. But if you want those light to sit on cool or light sitting on heat, make sure it's in the right mode for what you're looking for. Also, ductwork issues the ductwork, the duct system is responsible. The unicam can work perfectly. But if the duct system isn't delivering the air that needs to grow through the home, you're going to have a challenge. Your unit's not going to keep up. So the ductwork is a key component. I tell folks there's three components to every system. There's the unit, there's the duct system, which is the air distribution. And there's the envelope, the home. What is going on? So if one of these three are off, you're not going to be comfortable. So the duct system should be checked. When you have the check twice a year or like our club members do, don't work is part of that check. What's going on? Is there holes? If some. Is something falling down? Does something needs need to be reattached, just need to be sealed. All that can happen during regular maintenance. But if you're having a challenge, everywhere in the house feels good. Except for this room over here. Well, it's probably gonna be a door challenge. If you're in a module home or mobile home, and one side is cool, one side is hot, one side is hot, one side is cool, then you're probably missing what was called the crossover duct. It's probably falling down. Something happened to needs to be replaced or reattached. So it could be something as simple as that. Also, it could be low refrigerant levels. The refrigerant, if you have heat pump, the refrigerant is used to cool well. If you have an air conditioner or a heat pump, the refrigerant is used to remove heat from the environment. So you have cool air in the home, the refrigerant is responsible for that. Now, if you have a heat pump, it also does that in the heating cycle. If you have gas bag or a gas furnace, there's your heat. But refrigerant is key because it needs to be at the right levels. It needs to pump what it needs to pump in the system. I kind of compare this to your body and your blood. You know, if you're running low on blood, you're going to not feel great. If your system is running low refrigerant, it's not going to be operating great. And if it's low is because there's a leak somewhere. Or it could be installation challenge where it wasn't, you know, charged to spec. So check that out. And if you have a leak, some people think it's normal to add, you know, 12 pounds of refrigerant every single summer, you know, to get as bias normal. No, it's not normal. It's like, it's like me going to the doctor and saying, hey, I need, I need a another pint of blood. I've been leaking blood for the last year and it's time for refill blood. The doctor is going to say, what are you doing? So it's not normal, don't think it's normal. So if you need one or two pounds of refrigerant, every single year is leaking out. You need to find the leak, fix the leak, stop, delete so your system runs better, so you run better again. It's not normal. Could just be an aging HVC system. I mean systems do lose capacity over time. It could be at that point where, hey, it's unworthy. Good. A couple years ago, last year, last summer, everything's normal, door looks fine, unit is doing the best it can. Nothing's really changed in the house design wise. I mean the unit's 20, 20 years old. Maybe, maybe that's the issue. It could be something as simple as you need a new system, it's aging, it's beyond its lifespan so it's time to look at replacing that. But those are some common issues to why your HVC system is not keeping up to temperature.
