HVAC Tips from Sears Heating and Cooling

List of Common Furnace Problems Once the first cold weather of the heating season hits, our phones start ringing off the hook with people having first of the season furnace problems. A lot of these following issues can be prevented by having annual maintenance completed on your furnace. Most of the furnace issues we see are basic repairs and can be fixed rather quickly. Here is a quick list of the most common furnace problems we hear about on a daily basis: Dirty, Clogged Filters A dirty filter by far the leading cause of breakdowns that we see on furnaces. Dirty or clogged furnace filters reduce airflow, making a furnace work harder to circulate indoor air. Left unchanged, a dirty air filter will eventually overheat your furnace and you will need a furnace repair. In some cases, a clogged filter may damage the limit switch, which will shut off your unit completely or trip a circuit breaker to prevent a fire from starting. If you have a standard 1'' filter, these should be changed every 30 days depending on the environment of the home. If you have a 6'' media filter, these are usually good for 6-12 months but should still be checked on a regular basis. Electronic Ignition or Pilot Light Problems All new furnaces today come equipped with electronic ignition. If you furnace has a pilot light it is most likely quite old. If your ignition system is not operating properly, there will be no heat coming from...

What Causes a Furnace to Blow Cold Air? If your furnace is blowing cold air, it will not properly heat your home. This type of issue is actually a very common HVAC problem to have. There are several possible causes of a furnace blowing cold air, so it can be hard to give advice without gathering further information. However, below are some common causes that will cause your heating system to blow cold air. Thermostat is Set to ON Position Is your thermostat set to the ON position instead of the AUTO position? Check your thermostat for this important setting. If you have your thermostat set to ON instead of set to AUTO, the furnace blower will blow air continuously even when the burners aren't warming the air, causing cool air to come out of your registers. By setting your thermostat to AUTO, the blower will only blow air when the furnace is heating. Some people choose to leave their thermostat on the ON position as it helps filter air throughout the house. Your Furnace Has Overheated It is possible that your furnace has overheated. Your furnace has a safety mechanism inside called a "limit switch" that monitors temperature and will shut down when it becomes too hot to prevent a fire from starting inside your furnace. The most common cause of a furnace overheating is a dirty air filter. Your furnace filter protects your furnace. If your filter is dirty, not much air can pass through and in turn,...

Air Conditioner Ice Build Up Does your air conditioner have a build up of ice on the outside? Wondering what could be the cause or fix for this? Read on to find out! Restricted Air Flow The major cause of ice build up on an air conditioner is restricted air flow. Without the proper air flow being able to flow over the evaporator coil, the temperature will easily drop below freezing and ice will begin to accumulate both inside and outside. Most people only notice their outside unit being frozen but chances are if you our outside unit is a block of ice then so is the evaporator coil that sits on top of your furnace out of view. R-22 refrigerant works to cool your home by making your indoor coil extremely cold as warm air blows over it. The best way to prevent ice build up on your air conditioner is by regularly changing your filter and keeping it clean. If your furnace filter is clean, there is a chance that your evaporator coil may be clogged with dirt, hair ect. If you have never had this cleaned in the past, it may be time. Other items that can cause your air conditioner to freeze: Blocked drain pipes Refrigerant leaks Low temperature outdoors Night time setting of your thermostat is too low Signs Your Evaporator Coil Is Frozen As previously stated above, if your outdoor unit is a bock of ice, chances are so is your evaporator coil. Signs that...

Why Does My Air Conditioner Smell Bad? Have you recently turned on your air conditioner only to find your house smelling foul a few minutes later? Dirty Sock Syndrome There is nothing worse than coming home on a hot day and walking into an air conditioned home that smells like a dumpster. If you have just turned your air conditioner on for the first time of the year, this is popularly known as "dirty sock syndrome" and is due to dirt and dust growth on your evaporator coil. If your air conditioner is creating foul smelling air all of the time however, there could be several things occurring. Here are a list of the most popular odors and their likely culprits. Air Conditioner Smells Musty If your air conditioner smells musty when you turn it on, you may have dust, mold or mildew growing in your duct work or indoor coil. Mold thrives in cool, damp and dark areas and the duct work and indoor coil of your home are prime culprits for this to occur. Your air conditioner's job is to actually remove humidity from your home and when that humidity cannot drain properly, mold will begin to grow over time. The only remedy to these issues is to have your duct work cleaned every few years and have maintenance performed on a regular basis to ensure no water is accumulating in the wrong spots. It is also possible to have your evaporator coil cleaned as well to ensure...

What Is the Best Month to Buy a New Air Conditioner? The HVAC Off Season The best time by far to purchase is a new air conditioner in Columbus, Ohio is during the "off season" which includes both early Spring and Fall. Winter and summer are the busiest months for HVAC. A lot of people assume that the best time to buy is during the winter when demand is the lowest, but this is not the case when it comes to getting the best deal. During the winter months in Columbus, HVAC companies are just as busy as the warmer months fixing and replacing furnaces instead of air conditioners. You are most likely to get the best deal when during an HVAC contractor's slow time when they need the business to keep the schedule full. I can tell you from over 7 years of working as an HVAC professional that February and March are absolutely the slowest months for the heating and cooling business in Columbus, Ohio. During this time of the year most furnace repairs have already been dealt with and it's just a waiting game until people start turning on their air conditioner's for the first time. You will likely find heating and cooling companies offer discounts during these months, even offering great deals for installing an AC and a furnace together. Avoid the Scams One popular deal that seems to be offered by HVAC companies is "buy an air conditioner and get a free furnace!". Don't buy...

Fixing an Air Conditioner Refrigerant Leak Did you know that it's technically possible to fix a leak in an air conditioner? Although it may not be the most cost efficient repair to make based on the age of the unit, fixing a leaking air conditioner can buy you some extra time to get the money needed to have a new one installed. Let's take a look at what all goes into repairing a refrigerant leak in an air conditioner. Determining the Type of Refrigerant This first step is extremely important due to the fact that putting the wrong refrigerant in your air conditioner will destroy the compressor. You will need to determine the age of your air conditioner to verify what type of refrigerant it is using. If your AC was manufactured before 2010 then it is most likely using R22, the old and now phased out refrigerant. If it is newer than 2010 it will utilize R410-A refrigerant. Locating the Refrigerant Leak Evaporator Coil By far, the most common place for a refrigerant leak to occur in an air conditioner is at the indoor evaporator coil. This coil sits on top of your furnace and is what absorbs the heat from the indoor air before sending it outside to be dispersed. This coil which is shown below, is also commonly called an "A-coil" due to it being the shape of the letter "A". Most refrigerant leaks are very small pinhole sized leaks that can only be detected by a...

Should I Get an Air Conditioner or a Heat Pump? Heat pump, air conditioner, they're all the same thing aren't they? I mean they both sit outside and look the same right? Well, kind of, but they are also both quite different in how they operate and their overall energy costs. Depending on where you live, one may be more economical than the other. Let's take a look at both units and see which one might be better for you in the long run. Heat Pump: A heat pump system can both cool and heat your home. Heat pumps work by having the ability to literally reverse it's operation through the use of a reversing valve. During the hot summer months, the heat from the indoor air is collected at the evaporator coil inside and then transferred to the outside condenser through the use of refrigerant. If you feel the copper refrigerant lines going into your indoor coil, you can feel the heat being removed from your home. Once at the outside unit, the heat is dispersed into the air. This process happens in the opposite order during the colder months in heating mode. Heat from the air is collected at the outdoor unit and then transferred inside to warm your home. The only downside to this is that sometimes it is too cold outside for your heat pump to adequately heat your home. Normally, once temperatures drop below 32 degrees you will need to use your auxiliary heating source,...

Is It Possible For My Air Conditioner To Give Me Headaches? Believe it or not, air conditioning can actually be the cause of headaches for some people. Cold Air Can Cause Dehydration Did you know that your air conditioner not only cools the air in your home but also acts as a large dehumidifier as well? Yep! While lowering the overall humidity indoors is a good thing during the hot summer months, lowering it too much can cause dehydration which will in turn lead to head aches. Even mild dehydration can cause headaches so be sure you drink plenty of water even though you are inside your cool home. Another option is to have a humidifier installed that will work with your HVAC system to keep your home at a constant humidity level.  Cold Air & Blood Vessel Contraction If you keep your home too cool, it can actually cause the blood vessels in your head to start to contract causing a headache. Most home cooling modes are set anywhere from 69-72 degrees. If you have your thermostat set much lower than this, try turning it up a few degrees to give your head a break. Mold & Other Pollutants Mold is well known for causing headaches if the concentration is high enough. Your HVAC system can be a prime spot for mold growth in the summer due to it's damp, cool conditions. The most likely place for mold to grow is on your evaporator coil which sits on top...

List of Annual Festivals | Columbus, Ohio Annual festivals are something to look forward to attending with your family each year and Columbus, Ohio has plenty to choose from. During the warmer months, it seems as if there is a festival happening in the city somewhere each weekend! Check out the seasonal list below for some of the most popular events to attend. We have listed the festivals in the order they occur. Summer Festivals   Arnold Sports Festival This annual event draws thousands of people to Columbus, Ohio from across the Midwest states each year. Established in 1989 and named after the famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the event is a multi-sport expo that consists of bodybuilding, strongman, fitness, and a figure and bikini weekend expo. The annual event is held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and occurs at the beginning of March each year with the next event scheduled for March 4-7, 2021. Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival Held in mid-May of each year, Sonic Temple is a 3-day music festival features around 50 of the most prominent rock and hard rock bands from around the world. Past headlining acts have included Metallica, Slipknot, TOOL and Evanescence. You can choose to attend for just one day or buy a 3-day pass for around $299. This event is held at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Asian Festival Held in Franklin Park, the Columbus Asian Festival is a 2-day event that occurs in late May each...

Best Ice Cream Places | Columbus, Ohio Here at Sears Heating & Cooling, we love our ice cream! Ice cream is good any time of the year but with summer fast approaching it's popularity will start to climb. Get acquainted with all the best ice cream spots in Columbus, Ohio by checking this top 5 list we have compiled. This list is in no particular order. 1.) Jeni's Founded by Jeni Britton Bauer, a previous student at Ohio State University, this place was actually started and is still headquartered here in Columbus, Ohio. They are well known for their unique flavors such as "Queen City Cayenne" which is chocolate flavored with cayenne pepper to spice it up! They offer an assortment of normal ice cream flavors to choose from as well. Jeni's splendid ice creams currently has over 47 storefronts across the United States.  2.) Graeter's Graeter's was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1870 by Louis C. Graeter. The company is well known for it's handcrafted "french pot style" ice cream that is still made in small 2.5 gallon batches to this day. This type of process produces a denser than average ice cream. Also, with 14% milkfat and high quality ingredients, Graeter's ice cream is considered a "superpremium" real ice cream. You will pay a little more than other places but you do get what you pay for! Sears Heating & Cooling recommends their "Black Raspberry Chip" flavor. There are currently 10 Greater's locations in the area and they...