Topics: Home Remodeling | June 20, 2018

Are you experiencing low water pressure? What about random coughing fits in your home?

 

Believe it or not, these could be signs that your home heating and cooling system needs maintenance right away. Here’s a list of more common warning signs from Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia:

Your air conditioner isn’t working.

There’s nothing worse than sweltering heat in the middle of July and no air conditioning in your home. It could be a simple fix like plugging it in again or troubleshooting the thermostat.

However, it could be a bigger problem. What if there’s a faulty part? Did an outdoor critter chew through the wires? Is the air filter clogged? Did the circuit breaker trip after a summer storm? Is your garden too close to the unit?

If your A/C unit is having problems this summer, it may need some maintenance from a MOSS professional in Northern Virginia.

You don’t have warm water.

After you’ve been doing yardwork or were out at your kid’s soccer tournament all day, a shower sounds great — until you don’t have any hot water.

This is likely a boiler problem, which requires HVAC maintenance (or repair or replacement, depending on how bad the problem is).

Other common signs of boiler problems include the following:

  • The pilot light keeps going out.
  • You hear banging or kettling, which sounds like a stovetop kettle going off.
  • You lose water pressure in the shower and faucets.
  • You have thermostat issues, such as less accurate readings, misread temperature settings, and an HVAC system that turns on and off by itself.
  • The boiler is leaking or dripping.
  • The radiator isn’t hot.

You have a high heating or cooling bill.

Opening a bill is never fun, especially when it’s way higher than you thought it was going to be. What gives?!

Turns out, it could be a lack of HVAC maintenance that caused your bill to skyrocket. Not caring for your home heating and cooling system can lead to weak or damaged insulation, leaky ductwork, an out-of-date furnace, thermostat issues, and faulty window ventilation.

When these parts don’t work well, heat and cool air escape from your home, which means you turn it up (thinking that it’s not enough) and your money flies out of your wallet.

Your allergies are so bad.

You might notice that this year’s allergies are worse than ever. It could be due to the increase of pollen or ragweed in your area, but it could also be because the air filter isn’t working.

An air filter is meant to catch microscopic allergens and pathogens, which are particles of triggering germs that you cannot see. If the air filter is too full or ripped, these allergens escape and worsen your symptoms.

This is worse if you live in a home with excess dust, hair, smoke, or pet dander. Sorry, pups!

To stop sneezing and rubbing your watery eyes, replace the air filter and call a professional for regular HVAC maintenance.

When it comes to keeping your home clean and your family happy and healthy, HVAC maintenance should be taken seriously. If you don’t put effort toward this semiannual chore, appliances will break, bills will skyrocket, and allergies will worsen.

Put it on your refrigerator, garage door, or family corkboard! If you need help with this chore, call Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com for information on our HVAC Service Agreements.

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