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Putting off HVAC maintenance can make the need for heating and AC repair much more likely, while also making the problems that Rowlett, TX homeowners run into with their systems much more severe. It may seem like a cost-effective decision in the immediate term, but it turns out to be the opposite when the HVAC system starts to run into heavy but entirely avoidable problems.

Likewise, the apparent convenience of not having to put up with HVAC maintenance every few weeks is soon debunked when issues that disrupt the natural flow of a household’s daily activities pop up.

To make it less likely that you’ll be needing to have repair services visit your home to carry out a difficult and costly repair, make sure you are having regular checks done on your system. If not, these are four things that are likely to go wrong.

1. Undetected Refrigerant Leaks

Your air conditioner in particular needs just the right amount of refrigerant inside it for it to operate as efficiently as it can. If this amount is offset even a little, the drop in efficiency can be significant. You will simply notice that your home is no longer as cool as it is when there’s enough coolant inside the system, and this usually doesn’t take long to take effect.

Another sign that leaking refrigerant is the reason why the HVAC system in your home is failing to keep as cool as it ought to is a hissing sound coming from the system. The louder this gets, the more you can be sure that the problem is increasing in severity.

Having to bear the inconvenience that comes with an uncomfortably hot home and a dysfunctional HVAC system is all entirely avoidable. Regular maintenance ensures that these issues are checked for and picked out long before they take root and start to cause problems for you. To keep the costly heating and AC repair that comes with having to deal with this problem at bay, simply make sure regular checks are being carried out on your system.

2. Blocked Condensate Drain

There are a couple of reasons that can cause the condensate drain in your AC to become blocked, and they all mean trouble for both the system itself and the amount of comfort you can experience in your home. One of the reasons is a natural buildup, and another is biological growth within the drain.

If the condensate drain gets blocked, there is a large possibility that the system may entirely shut down, tragically leaving you without heating in the horrible summer heat. This will mostly happen when the drain has gotten so blocked that the drain pan has started to fill up. DIY is strongly advised against in a situation like this, as a blocked condensate drain leaves other parts of the system vulnerable. Heating and ac repair from a professional is certainly needed.

While you can quite easily check the state of your condensate drain by simply having a look at it, leave it to a professional to take a more in-depth look and go for those harder-to-spot signs of developing issues. When your condensate pipe is dripping water, that’s a sign that everything is going reasonably well. When it becomes completely dry, call a heating and ac repair professional straightaway.

3. Clogged Air Filters

Without air filters that are allowing maximum airflow, the HVAC system in your Rowlett, TX home loses a significant amount of its efficiency. This problem isn’t simply a matter of your home no longer staying as cool or as heated as you might like for your comfort, it’s also an issue that’s deeply tied to your health as well as your family’s.

Having fully open air filters has an effect on the cleanness and quality of air you breathe, which makes it an issue you might want to pay more attention to if you have conditions that you make vulnerable when the air quality is reduced. Having pets also makes it likely that you will need to have your air filters checked quite regularly as their fur adds to the rapidity with which they are blocked.

Even without those factors, the air filters are still going to get clogged quite quickly, requiring replacement in three months at most. If you find your own air filters lasting much less than that, heating and AC repair may be needed as that could be pointing to another issue within your system.

4. Dirty Ducts

By taking heed of the step above, you are able to significantly boost the efficiency of your HVAC system while taking a step towards ensuring that you are breathing in good quality air. Still, there’s more going on inside the ductwork itself, and this has an effect on the air you breathe as well as how well the HVAC system functions. When something is wrong within these parts of your system, heating and AC repair is unavoidable.

The main threat to the integrity of the ductwork tends to be dust, which quickly accumulates inside the ducts without making a noticeable impact unless a heating and AC repair professional is carrying out regular checks to make sure the ducts are functioning as efficiently as they ought to. Aside from dust, other factors you may have to watch out for include debris and pet dander, which all build up over time and significantly impact the system’s efficiency.

If you don’t get heating and AC repair professionals to look at this problem in time, you run the risk of the ducts starting to give off whistling sounds, which in turn attracts pests. This tends to happen after leaks have developed.

Regular maintenance is essential for keeping your HVAC system in good shape, ensuring that it’s able to keep up with the comfort needs of your household. If you have let any issue go too long without being addressed, however, call us at K&S Heating and Air for reliable heating and AC repair.