Common heating and cooling problems, what they usually mean, and what to check first:
It’s blowing warm air
What it usually means
- A tripped breaker or switch at the outdoor unit, so only the indoor fan runs
- A failed capacitor or contactor, the parts that start the outdoor unit
- Low refrigerant from a leak
Safe things to check first
- Set the thermostat to Cool, a few degrees below room temperature
- Check the breaker for the outdoor unit and the switch box beside it
- Look at the air filter. Replace it if it’s gray and clogged
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
It runs all day but the house won’t cool
What it usually means
- A clogged filter or dirty coil choking the airflow
- Low refrigerant or a weak compressor
- A system that’s too small for the house, or near the end of its life
Safe things to check first
- Replace a dirty filter
- Clear leaves, grass and plants at least 2 feet back from the outdoor unit
- Close blinds on sunny windows and give it a few hours
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
There’s water by the indoor unit
What it usually means
- A clogged condensate drain line, very common in Gulf Coast humidity
- A full drain pan or a tripped safety float switch
- A frozen coil that’s thawing
Safe things to check first
- Turn the system off at the thermostat to stop more water
- Mop up and move anything that could get damaged
- Check whether the drain pan under the air handler is full
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
There’s ice on the pipes or coil
What it usually means
- Restricted airflow from a dirty filter or blocked vents
- Low refrigerant
- A blower motor that’s slowing down
Safe things to check first
- Turn cooling off and run the fan only, so the ice melts
- Replace the filter and open closed vents
- Don’t chip at the ice. It can puncture the coil
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
It won’t turn on at all
What it usually means
- Dead thermostat batteries or a blank screen
- A tripped breaker
- A clogged drain that tripped the safety switch and shut everything off
Safe things to check first
- Replace the thermostat batteries
- Check the breakers for the indoor and outdoor units
- Look for water in the drain pan (see the water answer)
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
My summer power bill jumped
What it usually means
- A dirty system working harder for the same cooling
- A failing part that makes it run longer
- Leaky ductwork. ENERGY STAR estimates a typical house loses 20 to 30% of duct air to leaks
Safe things to check first
- Replace the filter and check it monthly in summer
- Compare this month to the same month last year
- Note whether it runs nonstop or cycles on and off quickly
Not an emergency, so there’s no need to call right now. Request a check-up and we’ll call you back within a day (after-hours requests: the next business morning).
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
There’s no heat at all
What it usually means
- The thermostat is set to Cool or Off, or its batteries are dead
- A tripped breaker for the air handler or the heat strips
- A failed part in the heat pump or furnace
Safe things to check first
- Set the thermostat to Heat, a few degrees above room temperature
- Check the breakers for the indoor and outdoor units
- Replace a clogged filter
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
The air never feels warm
What it usually means
- Heat pump air feels cooler than a furnace’s. That part is normal
- If the house can’t reach the setting, it may be low on refrigerant or a reversing valve may be stuck
- Leaky ducts losing heat in the attic
Safe things to check first
- Hold your hand at a vent for a minute after it starts
- Check that supply vents are open and not blocked by furniture
- See if the outdoor unit is running
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
It’s stuck on emergency or aux heat
What it usually means
- The heat pump outside isn’t carrying the load, so backup electric heat strips run instead
- That’s why the power bill jumps
- A defrost or outdoor-unit problem is the usual cause
Safe things to check first
- Make sure the thermostat isn’t set to Emergency Heat by mistake
- Look at the outdoor unit. Is the fan turning?
- Check its breaker
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
The outdoor unit is iced over
What it usually means
- A little frost on a cold morning is normal. The unit melts it with a defrost cycle
- Solid ice that doesn’t clear within a couple of hours means the defrost isn’t working
- Low refrigerant can cause it too
Safe things to check first
- Make sure a gutter isn’t dripping onto the unit
- Clear leaves or debris off the top and sides
- Don’t chip the ice or pour hot water on it
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
It smells like burning
What it usually means
- A dusty smell for the first few minutes of the season is usually dust burning off the heat strips
- A smell that lasts, or an electrical or plastic smell, is not normal
Safe things to check first
- If the smell lasts more than an hour, or smells electrical, turn the system off at the thermostat and the breaker
- Replace a dirty filter
- If you smell gas near a gas furnace, leave the house and call the gas company from outside
Still not right after those checks? Call us Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.
My winter power bill jumped
What it usually means
- Heat strips running more than they should
- A heat pump that’s low on refrigerant or overdue for service
- A thermostat setting that triggers backup heat too often
Safe things to check first
- Watch whether the thermostat shows “aux” or “emergency” often
- Replace the filter
- Avoid big temperature jumps. They can call for backup heat
Not an emergency, so there’s no need to call right now. Request a check-up and we’ll call you back within a day (after-hours requests: the next business morning).
Leave anything inside the panels to a licensed technician. Units run on high voltage.