Heating and cooling systems rarely fail politely, and in Castro Valley, CA, a breakdown usually arrives on the hottest afternoon or the coldest night of the year. The tricky part is how many different failures produce the same symptom. A system that runs but never reaches temperature might be fighting a weak run capacitor, a pitted contactor, a low refrigerant charge, a dirty flame sensor, or nothing more exotic than a filter so clogged the blower is starving for air. A system that will not start at all could be a tripped float switch on a backed-up condensate drain, a failed transformer, a bad thermostat, or a control board that has stopped sequencing the equipment.
The repairs homeowners call us about most are AC Repair and Furnace Repair. If something has stopped working, start there.
Warning Signs for HVAC Repair
Recognizing the warning signs early can save you time and money. Keep an eye out for the following clues:
- Short cycling, where the system starts and stops without ever reaching the setpoint
- Air at the registers that is the wrong temperature for the mode you selected
- Puddles near the furnace or air handler from a blocked drain line
- A circuit breaker that keeps tripping when the system starts
- The outdoor unit humming but refusing to actually start
- Weak airflow from the supply registers throughout the house
- New noises such as grinding, squealing, buzzing, or banging
- Higher energy bills with no improvement in comfort
Don't Wait for a Total Failure
A failing capacitor, clogged condensate drain, or dirty flame sensor rarely fixes itself and usually gets more expensive to address the longer it runs. If you notice any of these signs, call (510) 201-4777 for a prompt inspection.
