Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration Blog : Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Common Heat Pump Repair Needs

Monday, August 21st, 2017

One of the great advantages of having a heat pump for your house—indeed, what many people would call the greatest advantage of a heat pump—is that it can work all year long keeping you comfortable, no matter the season. So as we come to the end of the summer and begin to move into the fall, you won’t have to worry about changing over from an air conditioner and prepping a heater that hasn’t operated in months. If you’ve kept your heat pump current with a regular maintenance plan, it should be ready for any weather.

Heat pumps can still experience the need for repairs, no matter how well-maintained they are. Here are some of the more common problems they can encounter that will require making a call to professionals. OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc. is available 24 hours a day for heat pump repair in Arlington, VA. With our more than 15 years of experience, we are one of your best choices for heating and cooling services.

Heat pump repair needs you may encounter

  • Broken reversing valve: This is an issue that is specific to heat pumps; air conditioners do not contain a reversing valve. The valve controls the direction of flow of refrigerant through the system and toggles the heat pump between heating and cooling mode. Should the reversing valve fail, the heat pump will remain stuck in one mode. Repair technicians will need to remove and replace the broken valve.
  • Cleaning the condensate drain: Heat pumps have two sets of condensate drains, one for the indoor unit and one for the outdoor unit. Water condensation along the coils drips down into a pan and the drain removes the excess water into the plumbing system. Should the drain become clogged (algal growths are the usual culprit), water will start to overflow from the pan. Technicians will remove the pan from the drain and either clean out or replace the drain.
  • Thermostat recalibration: Even a small calibration problem with a thermostat can lead to the heat pump behaving strangely and failing to keep a house warm or cool. Homeowners often mistake this for repair needs within the heat pump, but trained repair technicians will track down the source to thermostat if it is the actual problem. Recalibrating the thermostat will often fix the problem, although sometimes more serious wiring repairs are necessary.

Heat pumps are complex appliances, and you should never try to troubleshoot malfunctions on your own. Only trust these repairs to trained experts in heating and air conditioning.

At OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc., we’re proud to have NATE-certified technicians on staff to help you receive the best possible heat pump repair in Springfield, VA.

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My Water Heater Is Rusty: Should I Replace It?

Tuesday, August 1st, 2017

Rust is never a good sign—on anything. Although you might expect to notice rust on your water heater at some point because it has water in contact with metal, rust and other types of corrosion are generally rare for a water heater until it’s near the end of its service life. The inside of the tank is glass-lined to keep water out of contact with the tank walls, and there are other precautions in place to defend against rust.

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Why Should I Replace My Thermostat?

Tuesday, July 18th, 2017

It’s easy to put your home’s thermostat out of your mind. It sits unobtrusively on the wall, and you only need to manipulate it to adjust your comfort. The air conditioner and the heater seem to be working, so the thermostat must be just fine. Why would you want to replace it?

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Smart Thermostats and Your Heating and Cooling Systems

Friday, March 31st, 2017

Our summers in Fairfax, VA are hot and muggy, and our winters can get quite cold, which means you need a heating and cooling system that can handle all kind of extremes. Most of the time, people focus such efforts on their HVAC system: adding upgrades and improving efficiency through routine maintenance visits. But you might want to examine other aspects of the system as well: particularly thermostats. If you have an older thermostat, consider an upgrade, which is easy with the right technician and can improve your options considerably. Smart thermostats and your heating and cooling systems go hand in hand.

Like programmable thermostats, a smart thermostat system allows you to program the times when you turn your heating or cooling system off and on. That lets you automatically turn it down when you leave for work each day, then turn it back up ten minutes before you arrive home. That’s very common these days, however, and smart systems can do so much more than that. For example, many systems work with your Wi-Fi system and/or allow you to program it remotely using an app on your phone. They also monitor your heating and cooling trends over time, helping anticipate your needs and respond to them accordingly. Even more importantly, they can provide key information to help you with your heating and cooling, such as informing you how long it takes to reach your ideal temperature and letting you know how much costs you are incurring as your month moves on.

All of that means that smart thermostats and your heating and cooling systems can make for a great combination at comparatively little cost. The experts at OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration Inc. can handle all aspects of cooling and heating in your Fairfax, VA home, and we can install a new smart thermostat for you with speed and efficiency. Pick up the phone and give us a call today. You’ll be glad you did!

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Does My Heat Pump Need a Spring Tune-Up?

Monday, March 6th, 2017

Heat pumps are hard workers. Unlike separate heating and cooling systems that get a break in off seasons, your heat pump works year-round to provide you with both heating and cooling. As such, it’s important to schedule your heat pump for maintenance at least twice a year. The ideal times of year to schedule maintenance are fall (heating) and spring (air conditioning), and with spring around the corner, this is the perfect time of year to schedule your heat pump for an AC tune-up in Arlington, VA. The professionals at OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc., have been helping customers with their heat pump needs since 1998, so call us today before the hot weather arrives!

Why AC Maintenance?

You may be thinking that your heat pump was doing something totally different from cooling while it was heating, but it really wasn’t. This is because heat pumps don’t generate heating or cooling; they simply transfer heat from one location to another. As such, all the components used for cooling your home are also used to heat your home, so heat pumps work twice as hard as a separate cooling or heating system would.

Extra work means extra wear and tear, and when a system is worn down, it will be more prone to malfunction and possible breakdown. During a maintenance appointment, your heat pump will be closely inspected to check for problems, cleaned, and if needed, the air filter will be changed. One of the most important checks the technician will do during the appointment is inspect the refrigerant level to make sure there are no refrigerant leaks in your heat pump system. Electrical components will be checked, as well as the compressor.

Get Ahead for Cooling This Summer

There is nothing more frustrating than turning on your AC the first hot day only to find that it isn’t working properly.

Scheduling an AC tune-up for your heat pump system helps get you ready to have a cool, dry summer indoors, so call the experts at OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc., today!

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Here’s How Often You Should Change Your HVAC System’s Air Filter

Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

Regular professional maintenance is a job you must schedule twice a year for your residential HVAC system: once in the spring for the air conditioner, and once more in fall for the heater. But between these times, there’s a key maintenance chore you need to take care of on your own, which is to change out the air filter on the AC/heat pump/furnace. If you neglect this task, the filter will rapidly become clogged and start to cut off airflow into the system. This will mean a drop in energy efficiency and possible heating or AC repair troubles in the future. If left long enough, a clogged air filter can even shorten the lifespan of an HVAC system.

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What Are The Benefits of a Maintenance Service Contract?

Monday, January 16th, 2017

The second half of January puts us midway between when the season for turning on heaters starts, and the time when the air conditioners kick in. If you don’t have a maintenance service contract with a trusted HVAC company (take a look at ours) then right now is great time to plan ahead and arrange for it.

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