Your home · 10 guides
HVAC - Heating & Air: problems and fixes, explained by Brandon
Brandon Quigley is the only hvac - heating & air member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- What actually sets the price of a new AC or heating system in Dallas The price of a new heating and cooling system is set mostly by the house, not the equipment brochure. Here is what goes into the number, so you can read any estimate with a clear eye. The house sets the price, not the boxSize: why a bigger unit is not a better dealEfficiency and staging: paying now or paying every monthDuctwork is where quotes quietly split apart
- The upstairs never cools down in summer: fixing a hot second floor in North Texas In a two-story house, the upstairs fights the attic, the sun and the laws of physics all summer. Here is why it loses, what you can check yourself, and the fixes that actually work. Why the second floor loses the fightWhere all that heat comes fromWhat you can check on a hot afternoonDucts and returns are the usual culprits
- The first cold night of the year: furnace and heat pump warning signs worth a call Most heating problems announce themselves weeks before they leave you cold. Here is what is normal on the first chilly morning, what is not, and the one warning sign you cannot see or smell. Signs that deserve a call before the first cold frontWhat is normal on the first chilly morningNoises, smells and cycles that are not normalCarbon monoxide: the warning sign you cannot see or smell
- The HVAC jobs you can safely do yourself, and where to put the screwdriver down A handful of simple habits keep a heating and cooling system healthy between professional visits. Here is the homeowner's list, the technician's list, and the reasons the line sits where it does. Your half of the job, in one paragraphThe filter, done properlyOutside: let the condenser breatheInside: vents, returns, thermostat and drain line
- Replacing the AC: what happens from the estimate to the first cool night Most air conditioner replacements are finished in a single day. Here is how that day runs, how to get the house ready, the tests that separate a quality installation from a fast one, and what can stretch the job. Most replacements are finished in a dayBefore installation day: from estimate to calendarGetting the house readyWhat the crew does, in order
- Is an HVAC maintenance plan worth paying for? What it should include and catch A maintenance plan is worth paying for when it puts a technician on your system before each season, moves you up the line during a heat wave and lowers the cost of repairs. Here is how to tell a good plan from a coupon book. Worth it when it does three thingsWhat a tune-up should actually coverPriority service is the benefit you feel in JulyThe math: what the plan costs and what it returns
- Heat pump, gas furnace or both: choosing how to heat a Dallas-area home Both a heat pump and a gas furnace can heat a North Texas home well. The better choice depends on your house, your gas service and how you weigh upfront cost against the few hard-freeze days each winter. The answer depends on three things about your houseHow each system makes heatWhere a heat pump earns its keepWhere a gas furnace still makes sense
- Closed vents, 65-degree settings and routine duct cleaning: AC myths that cost you money Some of the most common air conditioning habits make the house less comfortable and the bills higher. Here are the myths I hear most often, why they persist, and what actually works. No, and no: the two myths I hear mostMyth: closing vents in empty rooms saves energyMyth: a lower setting cools the house fasterMyth: shutting the system off all day is always cheapest
- Before you hire an HVAC company: the questions that separate good ones from the rest How a heating and air company answers a few plain questions on the phone tells you most of what you need to know about how it will treat your house. Here are the questions and the answers to listen for. Five questions that tell you most of what you needIs the license real, and whose name is on it?How do you diagnose, and when do I see a price?Questions to ask while the technician is standing there
- The air conditioner is running and the house is still 80 degrees: what is going on An air conditioner that runs without cooling is the most common call we get every summer. Here is how to tell a filter problem from a failing compressor, and what to expect when a technician arrives. The thermostat says 78 and the house says otherwiseWhy a system runs without coolingTen minutes of checks before you pick up the phoneWhen to turn it off and wait for a professional