We’ll give you the good news first: geothermal heating and cooling systems are famed for their reliability, longevity, and ease of maintenance. The bad news? Well, you might not have to face any – if you keep your system well maintained! Still, even the best of geothermal systems can experience an occasional hiccup or, yes, even break down once in a blue moon. In those instances, it’s nice to know the Columbus specialists at Patriot Air Comfort Systems are here to help.
Before you call us, though, you might want to cast an eye on the following checklist – just to ensure that the problem isn’t readily (and inexpensively!) solvable without us. :-)
Check …
- The Thermostat’s Seasonal Setting. Not enough heat? Not enough cool air? The difficulty could be as simple as having your thermostat set for the wrong season. If that’s the case, reset it and see if that doesn’t straighten things out.
- The Thermostat’s Temperature Setting. A house that’s already achieved the warmth or coolness of the thermostat setting won’t start up your geothermal system’s heat pump. Try setting the thermostat five degrees higher to get the heating system restarted in Winter – or five degrees lower to get the cooling system restarted in Summer.
- The Fan. A sufficiently maintained auto setting for the fan insures that it kicks in whenever your geothermal heat pump raises or lowers your home’s temperature. This helps enhance the energy efficiency of your system on the whole.
- The Circuit Breakers and Power Switch. It turns out more frequently than you’d imagine that the cause of a geothermal system fail is nothing more than a blown fuse. Or the result of the power switch – indoors or outdoors, dependent upon the type of system you have – being somehow shut off!
- The Room Registers. Are your return grilles and supply registers open? If the answer’s no, then it makes sense that you’re not getting the warmth or the coolness you want!
- The Filters. Here’s where consistent – and simple – self-managed system maintenance definitely proves its worth! If you aren’t changing disposable air filters every three months, or vacuum-cleaning permanent filters every one to three months, your geothermal heating and cooling system may well be handicapped by dust, dirt, and other airborne particulates getting into the heat pump. A sufficient buildup will hinder air circulation, lower the heating and cooling capability of the system, raise your utility costs, and slash a few years off your heat pump’s lifetime. By any means necessary, maintain your air filters!
Okay. So you’ve followed the checklist, fixed whatever needed fixing, and your geothermal heating and cooling system’s still malfunctioning? Now would be a great time to call us. The specialists at Patriot Air Comfort Systems have a flair for fixing whatever might hobble a geothermal system – as scores of harried Columbus homeowners will tell you!