Why You Shouldn’t try to DIY HVAC Repairs
Posted by Moore Home Services
HVAC Basics News
Some of our more cringe inducing calls are when we’re trying to fix a botched DIY job. When it comes to DIY HVAC repairs, the best thing is to leave that job to the professionals. Though there may be a YouTube video on how to fix anything, that can’t replace the years of experience and meticulous training the techs at Moore Home Services have.
The Reason You Shouldn’t Try to DIY HVAC Repairs
Carbon Monoxide
Gas is needed for a good number of appliances in your home. The oven, water heater, and HVAC systems are only a few appliances that use gas.
Since gas is such an important part of the HVAC system, we’re begging you to leave this work to a professional. Even a small puncture or crack in a gas line can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Electrical Issues
All electrical fixes should be left to the professionals unless you, or someone in your home, is a trained electrician. This also applies to HVAC.
Your HVAC system has complex and intricate electrical wiring. For safety reasons, and for the health of your system, leave the electric work to the pros.
We’ve seen Santa Rosa homeowners injure themselves trying to fix faulty or frayed wiring. Keep yourself safe and stay away from any electrical work.
Voiding Insurance Policies and Warranties
The easiest way to void a warranty is to try and DIY HVAC repairs. In most warranties, and homeowner’s insurance policies, there is language stating all work must be done by a certified and trained professional.
Say your repair doesn’t work and you need a second look. Even if the initial problem were caused by something faulty in the system, you just voided your warranty by trying to fix it yourself.
This “quick fix” can cost a lot of money and time in the long run.
DIY HVAC Repairs that Usually Go Wrong
Changing the Thermostat
This task seems simple, right? Though the act itself may be simple, there are a number of things that need to be taken into consideration.
What happens when you take off the old thermostat to find fraying or broken wires? We’ve also seen a lot of issues with people installing smart thermostats on their own.
Sometimes, a homeowner’s system is so old the new, smart thermostat can’t talk with the old system. Essentially rendering this expensive piece of equipment useless.
This is one of the many reasons it’s best to talk with a professional before installing a thermostat or choosing a new thermostat for your home.
Blocking Room Vents
We’ve gone into too many homes where certain vents are blocked off. This normally happens in guest rooms that aren’t used too often.
The rationale is that homeowners think they can save money by blocking off a room and just not having air distributed there. This is actually a very bad idea.
No matter how many vents are open, your HVAC system will automatically create enough treated air for the entire house. This means you now have too much air with nowhere to go.
This excess air can raise the pressure of your system and even tear a hole in your ductwork.
Cleaning the Outdoor Condenser
Yes, it looks very easy to just spray your hose at the outside of the condenser and call it clean. However, this action does more harm than anything else.
The pressure from your hose can break and bend the delicate coil. When it comes to cleaning your condenser, it’s a long process of carefully taking everything out. Then cleaning it. And finally, you need to correctly reassemble everything.
What you Can Do
Clean Around the Condenser
A great way to proactively take care of your HVAC system is to clean around your condenser and furnace. Just like anything else in this world, these machines need to breathe.
When there’s too much stuff around the furnace, including stored holiday décor, it doesn’t allow for the furnace to get the airflow it needs. You can care for your system by making sure nothing is packed too close.
Another great thing to do is clean around the condenser. The condenser is exposed to the elements all year. And while you don’t need to put a cover over it, cleaning around it can do wonders.
Change the Air Filter
If you want to do the best thing for your home and HVAC system, we recommend regularly checking and changing the air filter.
At Moore Home Services, we say your furnace should be changed at least twice every year. Once in the spring before you start using the AC and once in the fall before it’s time for the furnace.
You should also check your air filter after fire season to make sure its not full of smoke debris.
Battery Checks
Things like thermostats and carbon monoxide detectors are great for home safety. But they need to work.
Make it a habit to check the batteries in your thermostat, carbon monoxide detector, and smoke detector every few months.
Thinking about trying to do some DIY HVAC repair? Call the experts at Moore Home Services instead. Call the number at the top of the screen or click here to book an appointment online.
