Water Dripping Outside

Because of the high humidity that we commonly have in the Houston area, it is not uncommon to have the drain lines become restricted and drip water outside of the house. Please note that this is not a good sign. Although the water may be good for your plants, many times that drain plugs up and the water comes through the ceiling of your house! The damage resulting from the water damage can be very expensive to repair. So, if you see water dripping outside your house we recommend that you call immediately and have the drain lines cleared!

For more information concerning drain lines here is a link to a video showing how to clear drain lines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUzXDXxzcHI

Foul Odors From Registers

If you turn on your air conditioner and you are buffeted by foul odors coming from the registers, the smell might make you wonder: did a group of teenagers sneak into my house and leave dirty gym clothes all over the place?

We in the air conditioning industry have a colloquial term for what you are experiencing: Dirty Sock Syndrome. This condition happens quite a bit here in the Katy area, where the air is humid, and the temperatures can go from cold to hot in one day. This change in seasons provides the perfect climate for Dirty Sock Syndrome to occur. If your air conditioner smells bad, here is a few options:

Option #1 Install UV Light in the plenum (recommended)

Option #2 A less expensive option is that when you go from heat to cold, turn A/C unit on so that it runs the A/C for 20 minutes straight, drop the temperature setting lower than normal. Many of our customers that do this report that it seems to help get rid of the smell. However, if you re-use your heater again you will need to repeat this process again.

If your unit will not turn on

Turn the thermostat from the cool position to the off position. Then turn the "Fan On" switch from "Auto" to on. If the fan comes on that is a good sign. If not, the blower either does not have any power, the blower is not being called for or the motor is dead. One of the most common problems results from someone accidentally turning off the service switch in the attic.

This will require you to open a service call so that we can find out what is wrong.

If your unit will not cool

First - Turn the thermostat from the 'cool' position to the 'off' position. Then turn the "Fan On" switch from "Auto" to "On". If the fan comes on that is a good sign. If not, the blower either does not have any power, the blower is not being called for or the motor is dead.

This will require you to open a service call so that we can find out what is wrong.

Second - If the fan did come on, turn the other switch back to cooling and see if the condenser outside comes on. If it does that is also a good sign. If you hear the blower motor coming on, but have no air flow, check your filter and see how dirty it is. A dirty filter can cause the unit to Ice-up, You will need to remove that filter and shut the unit off for at least 4 hours to let it defrost before it will start blowing again.

If your unit will not heat

First - Turn the thermostat from the heat position to the off position. Then turn the "Fan On" switch from "Auto" to on. If the fan comes on that is a good sign. If not, the blower either does not have any power, the blower is not being called for or the motor is dead.

This will require you to open a service call so that we can find out what is wrong.

Second - If the fan did come on, turn the other switch back to heat and see if the burners in the attic come on. If it does that is also a good sign. If you hear the blower motor coming on, but have no air flow, check your filter and see how dirty it is. A dirty filter can cause the unit not to blow, you will need to remove and replace that filter.

The unit runs too long

Many units normally run too long to cool the house down because:

First - The filter is too dirty to get proper air flow across the coil. Check your filter.

Second - The condenser outside may be packed with dirt and need to be cleaned by a trained professional.

Third - The unit may be low on freon and need to be serviced.

Fourth - If the unit has always had a problem keeping up, it may be too small for the area that it is intended to cool.