Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Troubleshooting’

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 Arlington, VA.

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As Summer Winds Down, Watch for These Potential Air Conditioning Problems

Thursday, August 17th, 2017

We hope that you’re enjoying the waning days of summer here in Northern Virginia. We also hope that you haven’t experienced any serious troubles with your home’s air conditioning system that might have interrupted the cool indoors you expect during this time of the year.

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Problems with Your Air Conditioner’s Compressor

Tuesday, August 15th, 2017

The end of summer is a period when you’ll still be running your air conditioner steadily but also have to deal with the immense amount of strain from the many months it’s been working. This is when you’re most likely to encounter AC malfunctions. The component in your air conditioner that has the highest chance of needing repair work is the compressor, which is at the core of the AC’s operation. Without the compressor, you don’t have a working air conditioner—period.

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Why Am I Not Receiving Enough Hot Water for My Home?

Thursday, August 3rd, 2017

You depend on a supply of hot water in your home every day for numerous tasks. It’s hard to take a shower each morning without hot water, and getting cooking and cleaning done is tough and sometimes impossible when there’s insufficient hot water coming from the water heater. If you notice that your home is running out of hot water sooner than it used to, call on water heater technicians to find out what is wrong and offer you options to remedy it.

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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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Alexandria, VA Air Conditioning FAQ: What is That Grinding Sound?

Sunday, July 16th, 2017

You never like hearing it, no matter what the situation: that grating, grinding noise of machinery parts scraping against each other. This is especially true with your air conditioning: an absolute necessity during the summer in Alexandria, VA regardless of whether you’re cooling a home or a business. Whatever the cause of it, that grinding sound likely means a visit from a qualified professional to make sure it doesn’t get worse.

Grinding sounds arise when two or more moving parts come together in ways they aren’t supposed to. With air conditioning, that probably means the fan, which may have bent or broken components striking another metal section of the unit. The fan belt, too, can cause a grinding sound when loose or broken parts start rubbing up against it. In fact, any loose screws or fittings might make a grinding noise when they come into contact with other moving parts. In some situations, the piston in the compressor may fail and need replacement.

Any number of issues can cause this sort of damage, from twigs and stones lodging in the fan array to general wear and tear that may lead to a breakdown. The good news is that it announces itself fairly clearly. You’ll never mistake that grinding noise for an air conditioning unit working like it should. That usually signals a complex problem, however, which means you need a qualified technician to give it a look, rather than attempting repairs yourself. Experienced air conditioning repair technicians can likely spot the source of the trouble very quickly, and diagnose a repair plan before the noise begins to interfere with your AC’s performance.

Alexandria, VA residents can look to OASIS Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc. to get that grinding noise checked out. We make service calls throughout Northern Virginia and are fully equipped to solve any problem quickly and efficiently before it gets out of hand. Our technicians are familiar with a wide variety of equipment and we’re dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. Give us a call today to talk to one of our Alexandria, VA air conditioning technicians; we’ll make that grinding sound a thing of the past and make your AC operate at peak efficiency again.

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Why Is My Air Conditioning System Leaking Refrigerant?

Thursday, July 13th, 2017

One of the problems that HVAC technicians often deal with during the summer is sealing refrigerant leaks in an air conditioner and then replacing the refrigerant that was lost. It’s a common misconception that an air conditioner consumes its supply of refrigerant as it runs and will eventually need to have more put in. The truth is that the refrigerant level in an AC (called its charge) will remains the same throughout the air conditioner’s service life… unless it develops leaks.

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3 Noises That Can Indicate a Need for Air Conditioning Repair

Tuesday, July 11th, 2017

Summer can be full of great sounds: birds chirping, kids running around and water spraying from hoses and sprinklers. Unfortunately, there can also be not-so-great sounds, like a clunk, hiss, or bump from your air conditioner. Many times, your air conditioner can still appear to run ok even though noises may occur. But as we’ve seen many times at Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc., those noises can indicate a developing problem, and they usually don’t go away on their own. So, when it comes to noises and your air conditioning repair in Alexandria, always call your trusted Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc. technician.

What Noises Coming From Your Air Conditioner Can Mean

Your air conditioner will make a number of noises; some will be operational, others can indicate a problem. Here are some of the more common sounds that may indicate a potential problem with your system:

Hissing – a hissing sound usually indicates that air is escaping from somewhere in your system; the trick is finding out where. Refrigerant leaks can create a hissing sound, which may also be accompanied by a bubbling sound if the refrigerant is bubbling out from the leak. Leaking valves, can also create a hissing sound. Your air conditioner is a closed system, so a sign of leaks anywhere is something that will require inspection and possible repair.

Banging/clunking – when pieces of components come loose in your system, such as fan blades or a loose motor mount, they can bang and clunk around your air conditioner while it operates. Loose or broken components should be repaired as soon as possible to help prevent damage to other parts of your air conditioner.

Screaming – a screaming or screeching noise can indicate a serious problem with your compressor. Your compressor operates under a great deal of pressure; a screaming sound can mean that the pressure inside the compressor has gotten too high. A compressor with too much pressure is a dangerous one. If you hear a screaming sounds coming from your air conditioner, turn the system off immediately and contact your air conditioning specialist.

Don’t Ignore That Sound Coming From Your Air Conditioner

Preemptive repair to your air conditioner may seem like an inconvenience, but it will be a much bigger inconvenience if that sound becomes a serious problem.

Don’t hesitate when you hear something “off” with your AC – call Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc., at 703-339-3877 today for all of your air conditioning repair needs in Alexandria.

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Air Conditioning Repair in Fairfax, VA: AC Constantly Running

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

There are a few sure signs that an air conditioning system is in trouble, and an AC that runs constantly is definitely one of them. There are many different reasons why your air conditioner may be running constantly, and it is always necessary to contact a professional Fairfax, VA air conditioning repair technician if you experience this problem in your home. During the hot summer months you cannot afford to take any risks with the condition and performance of your air conditioning system. Call OASIS Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc. at 703-339-3877 at the first sign of trouble with your AC. Protect your comfort and the condition of your air conditioning system during the hottest time of the year.

Why is My AC Constantly Running?

One reason that your air conditioning system won’t stop running is simple user error. If you have set your thermostat incorrectly your AC may be struggling to reach a temperature it cannot attain. Make sure that you have not accidentally set your thermostat too low and that you have it set to “auto”. If you have the fan set to “on” then it will continue to run until you adjust the setting. Of course, not all problems with your AC will be as simple to resolve. It is also possible that your thermostat is faulty. If it is not able to read temperatures accurately then your system will not operate correctly.

Another problem that could lead to this issue is leaky ductwork. If your air conditioner is producing cold air but it is being lost en route to the different areas of your home through air leaks, it will continue to replace that lost energy. This not only has a negative impact on the comfort level in your home but can also put unnecessary strain on your system, leading to further problems and high cooling costs.

Contact Oasis Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc.

To learn more about possible system failures that could cause your AC to run constantly, call the Fairfax, VA air conditioning repair professionals at OASIS Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc. Our skilled technicians will be able to determine with certainty what the issue is and how best to repair the problem.

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When to Schedule Air Conditioning Repair

Monday, June 19th, 2017

Sometimes it can be difficult to know when you need to call for air conditioning repair – homeowners start to notice problems with their system, but they just ignore them and hope they go away. This usually just results in the problem getting worse. Call the Alexandria, VA air conditioning repair professionals at OASIS Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc. for you think something is wrong with your system. We have years of experience working with countless homeowners to help them get their AC system back up and working again fast. Check out some of the common signs that could mean that you need to call for repair.

Strange noises – This is one of the best ways that you can tell if you need AC repair. Your AC unit has a number of moving parts that should make some noise during operation, but pay attention if you AC gets louder or starts making a sound you haven’t heard before. Hissing can be a sign of a refrigerant leak, squealing could be a problem with your fan belt, and gurgling could be a problem with your condensate drain.
Inefficient operation – If you notice that your utility bills are going up even though you haven’t been running your air conditioner more often, it could mean that your AC is having problems cooling that are causing it to use more energy. This likely means that you need to call for air conditioning repair.
The air filter – One of the easiest to prevent air conditioning problems is a clogged air filter. Your AC’s filter is there to make sure that any dust and dirt don’t get into the internal moving parts. If the filter isn’t changed regularly it can get clogged and cause inefficient cooling or a frozen evaporator coil.

For air conditioning repair in Alexandria, VA, just call the friendly specialists at OASIS Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Inc..

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