HVAC Repair

In Northwest Arkansas & having trouble with your HVAC system? Read on.

Try these things first

The good news is that HVAC issues can sometimes be fixed with basic troubleshooting. Before spending money on a service call, we always recommend people do the following:

1. Check your thermostat batteries. If your thermostat screen is blank or showing a battery symbol, there's a good chance bad batteries are the culprit of your HVAC issues. Changing them out is simple: just take the thermostat unit off the wall and toss a couple fresh batteries in it. Note: Even if your thermostat screen is lit, you can still have bad batteries. They may have just enough power to turn the screen on, but not enough to flip the relays that actually do the work of telling your system to come on.

2. Check that your HVAC circuit breaker isn't tripped or off. Sometimes HVAC issues can be traced back to the breaker box. To check, go to your breaker box and look for a switch labeled HVAC or AC. If the switch is on the opposite side of all the other switches, flip it. Voilà — your issue should be fixed. If the switch is in the middle position, your circuit breaker tripped because of an electrical issue. Flipping it may fix the issue, but we always recommend getting someone out there to figure out what tripped it. If it trips again, you absolutely need to have a technician out because something is seriously wrong.

3. Check your filter. HVAC systems work hard to push conditioned air through your home. A dirty filter can get in the way of that and cause your system to flat out quit on you. To rule that out, replace your old filter with a clean one (you can get them from Walmart for two to three bucks: make sure you get the right size!). If you've never changed yours before, first you need to locate it. Most are behind the big metal vent you see in your ceiling (usually a hallway). Here’s a typical one:

Once you find your return air vent, remove the grate and take out the filter. There should be some numbers on the side that tell you what size you need to buy. After buying a new one (Walmart & Amazon have them), place it in the grate with the arrow size facing up. Now just flip your HVAC system circuit breaker off and then back on (see above) and cross your fingers!

If you're tried the above and still no luck

If all of the above fail, you can feel pretty confident you have a real issue. That doesn't necessarily mean the repair is going to be expensive, just that you'll need an HVAC technician to work on it.

For HVAC repairs in Northwest Arkansas, call Franklin at (479) 282-0003.