HVAC systems come with several different components. It may seem daunting to try and diagnose your problem without calling the professionals, but there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem before you make that call. Here are a few of the most common problems and what you can do to diagnose it.

  1. No heat: The first thing you should do is check to make sure your units are plugged in and turned on. While you're checking those, make sure there's no ice on the outside unit. Check both the thermostat and the heating unit. Also, check the circuit breaker to make sure the breaker hasn't been tripped.
  2. No cooling: Often the same issues for heat will occur with cooling. Check the power to the units and the circuit breaker. If those are in working order, try turning off your unit. Sometimes just turning it off for a couple of hours will reset it and allow it to work again on its own. If you're getting air that's just not cold enough, check your filters to make sure it's not time for some new ones. This can cause the air to come out warmer.
  3. Higher than normal bills: If your heating or cooling bills are running abnormally high, there are a few things you can check. The most obvious one would be to check the windows. Make sure they are closed tightly so no air can get in. Once you've done that, check the outdoor unit to see if it is iced up in the winter. Check the breaker. Check the air filters. And last but not least, check the ducts to see if they are leaking. If none of these things fix the problem, it's time to call a professional.
  4. Noisy air vents: While this is more of a nuisance than anything else, some air vents can be really, really loud if there's something going on. All vents make noise when they are running, but if it's louder than normal, here are some things to check. Are there closed vents? If you have too many closed vents, they will get louder. Is there furniture blocking your vents? Is there debris in your ducts? Be careful checking this one, especially if your vents are in the ceiling.

While there are many things that can go wrong with an HVAC system, these are the most common. If none of these quick fixes work, it's time to call a local heating contractor and let them handle it.

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