What's going on at your place?

Safe DIY fix

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — Yes — it's set right
• Go look at the outdoor unit. Is the top fan spinning? — Yes, it's running
• Have you replaced the air filter in the last 90 days? — No / can't remember

Replace the filter, then give it a few hours

On the Gulf Coast a 1-inch filter is done in 30–60 days during cooling season. A clogged one can cut airflow enough to make vents blow warm — and eventually freeze the coil solid.

1. Turn the system OFF at the thermostat.
2. Replace the 1-inch filter (arrow on the frame points toward the unit / ductwork).
3. If you saw any frost on the copper lines, leave the system OFF with the fan ON for 2–4 hours to thaw first.
4. Run COOL again. If vents still blow warm after a few hours with a clean filter, book a diagnostic — something beyond airflow is going on.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — Yes — it's set right
• Go look at the outdoor unit. Is the top fan spinning? — Yes, it's running
• Have you replaced the air filter in the last 90 days? — Yes — the filter is fresh
• Look at the copper lines at the outdoor unit and the indoor coil. Any ice or frost? — Yes — I can see ice

Ice with a clean filter usually means low refrigerant — pro territory

When airflow is fine and the coil still freezes, the refrigerant charge is the prime suspect — and refrigerant isn't “topped off” like windshield fluid. It circulates in a sealed system; being low means it leaked. Finding and repairing the leak requires EPA-certified handling. Never chip at the ice — the coil fins bend like foil.

1. Thaw check: system OFF, fan ON for 2–4 hours before the visit so the coil can be inspected.
2. Tech will measure the refrigerant charge and pressures.
3. Leak-search the coil, line set, and fittings.
4. Verify the blower and ductwork aren't contributing.

When to act: Book this week. Running a freezing system floods the compressor with liquid refrigerant — the repair goes from moderate to major.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — Yes — it's set right
• Go look at the outdoor unit. Is the top fan spinning? — Yes, it's running
• Have you replaced the air filter in the last 90 days? — Yes — the filter is fresh
• Look at the copper lines at the outdoor unit and the indoor coil. Any ice or frost? — No ice anywhere

Everything checks out but it's still warm — time for gauges

Thermostat right, outdoor unit running, filter fresh, no ice: what's left (refrigerant charge, a weak compressor, a heat-mode-stuck reversing valve on heat pumps) can only be confirmed with instruments.

1. Measure temperature split across the indoor coil (should be roughly 16–22°F).
2. Check refrigerant pressures against manufacturer spec.
3. Test compressor amp draw for signs of wear.
4. On heat pumps, verify the reversing valve isn't stuck in heat mode.

When to act: A day or two is fine — sooner in August. The system isn't damaging itself if it's running and not iced, it's just not cooling.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — Yes — it's set right
• Go look at the outdoor unit. Is the top fan spinning? — No — it's silent or just hums
• Find the breaker labeled AC, condenser, or compressor in your panel. Is it tripped (in the middle or OFF position)? — Yes — it's tripped

Reset the breaker — once, the right way

A single trip can be a one-off (a brush-out during a storm, a hard compressor start on a 100°F day). One full reset is safe. More than one is not — see below.

1. Flip the breaker fully OFF first — a tripped breaker won't reset from the middle position.
2. Then flip it firmly back to ON.
3. Wait 5–10 minutes; many condensers have a built-in restart delay.
4. If it holds and the outdoor fan starts, you're done. If it trips again, STOP — do not reset it a second time. A breaker that re-trips is protecting you from a real electrical fault, and repeated resets can overheat wiring. That's a call-us situation.

Stop — call a pro

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — Yes — it's set right
• Go look at the outdoor unit. Is the top fan spinning? — No — it's silent or just hums
• Find the breaker labeled AC, condenser, or compressor in your panel. Is it tripped (in the middle or OFF position)? — It trips again right after I reset it

Stop — a breaker that keeps tripping is doing its job

A breaker that re-trips immediately is detecting a short or a failing compressor drawing dangerous current. Every extra reset forces high current through that fault and heats the wiring. This is exactly the situation breakers exist for — leave it OFF and have a licensed tech find the fault.

When to act: Leave the breaker OFF and call today. Don't keep resetting it.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — Yes — it's set right
• Go look at the outdoor unit. Is the top fan spinning? — No — it's silent or just hums
• Find the breaker labeled AC, condenser, or compressor in your panel. Is it tripped (in the middle or OFF position)? — No — the breaker looks fine

Outdoor unit is getting power but not running — that's a tech visit

With power present and the fan dead, the usual suspects are a failed start capacitor or contactor — cheap parts, but they sit in a live 240-volt cabinet, and capacitors hold a charge even with the power off. Not a homeowner job.

1. Test the start/run capacitor (the #1 summer failure part on the Gulf Coast).
2. Check the contactor for pitting or a stuck coil.
3. Verify voltage at the disconnect and inspect wiring for heat damage.
4. Check compressor windings if the capacitor tests fine.

When to act: Book within a day or two in summer — the indoor blower running alone does nothing and the house will keep warming.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the thermostat set to COOL, fan on AUTO, and set below the room temperature? — No — it was on OFF, HEAT, or fan ON

Fix the thermostat settings first

This is the most common “warm air” call we get, and it costs nothing to fix. The fan setting is the usual culprit: ON circulates room-temperature air between cooling cycles, which feels warm at the vent.

1. Set the mode to COOL.
2. Set the fan to AUTO (not ON).
3. Set the temperature at least 3°F below the current room reading.
4. Give it 15 minutes, then feel the vent air again — it should be noticeably cold.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the thermostat screen blank or unresponsive? — Yes — blank / frozen screen

Bring the thermostat back to life

A dead thermostat can't call for cooling, so the whole system sits silent. Batteries are the usual cause; a tripped air-handler breaker is second.

1. If your thermostat takes batteries, replace them (most take AA or AAA behind the faceplate).
2. If it's hardwired, check the breaker labeled furnace, air handler, or FAU — flip it fully OFF, then ON.
3. Give the screen a minute to boot, set COOL, and listen for the indoor blower.
4. If the screen stays dead after fresh batteries and a breaker check, the thermostat or its low-voltage wiring needs a tech.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the thermostat screen blank or unresponsive? — No — the thermostat looks normal
• Check the panel: is the AC or air-handler breaker tripped? — Yes — tripped

One full reset — OFF, then ON

One trip after a storm or a brownout is common and a single reset is safe.

1. Flip the tripped breaker fully OFF (you should feel it click).
2. Flip it firmly back ON.
3. Wait 5–10 minutes for any built-in compressor delay, then try the thermostat.
4. If it trips again, STOP. Do not reset it a second time — that's a fault, not a fluke, and it's a call-us situation.

Stop — call a pro

• Is the thermostat screen blank or unresponsive? — No — the thermostat looks normal
• Check the panel: is the AC or air-handler breaker tripped? — It re-trips after I reset it

Stop resetting — that breaker is protecting you

Repeated trips mean the breaker is interrupting a genuine electrical fault — a shorted compressor, damaged wiring, or a failing breaker. Forcing it repeatedly pushes fault current through the weak point and can overheat the wiring inside your walls. Leave it OFF.

When to act: Call today. This one shouldn't wait, and it definitely shouldn't be reset again.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the thermostat screen blank or unresponsive? — No — the thermostat looks normal
• Check the panel: is the AC or air-handler breaker tripped? — No — breakers all look on
• Look at the indoor unit (attic or closet). Is there water in the drain pan under it? — Yes — there's standing water

Your float switch tripped — clear the condensate drain

The system shut itself off to keep that pan from overflowing into your ceiling. Clear the clog and it will run again. On the Gulf Coast, algae clogs condensate lines constantly — this is the #1 “mystery shutdown” in summer.

1. Find the white PVC condensate line where it exits outside (usually near the outdoor unit).
2. Put a wet/dry vac over the end and pull for 1–2 minutes — you're sucking the algae clog out.
3. Carefully remove standing water from the pan (towels or the vac).
4. Once the pan is dry, the float switch closes and the system can restart.
5. If the pan refills within days, the clog is deeper or the line needs re-piping — book a visit.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the thermostat screen blank or unresponsive? — No — the thermostat looks normal
• Check the panel: is the AC or air-handler breaker tripped? — No — breakers all look on
• Look at the indoor unit (attic or closet). Is there water in the drain pan under it? — No water, still dead

Power's on, no water, still dead — let a tech trace it

With the thermostat alive, breakers on, and no float trip, the failure is in the control chain: a blown low-voltage fuse, a failed transformer or control board, or a safety switch you can't see. Those all live inside equipment cabinets with live wiring.

1. Check the 24-volt control fuse and transformer.
2. Test safety switches (float, pressure, door) in the control circuit.
3. Inspect the control board for failure signs.
4. Verify the contactor is receiving the call for cooling.

When to act: Book same-day or next-day in summer — a fully dead system in Gulf Coast heat escalates fast.

Safe DIY fix

• First aid first: set the thermostat to OFF and the fan to ON. Now — was the air filter dirty when you last checked it? — Yes — it was dirty (or I haven't checked in months)

Thaw fully, replace the filter, then test

A clogged filter is the most common cause of freezing: weak airflow lets the coil drop below 32°F and every bit of humidity in the air freezes to it. This one is genuinely fixable at home.

1. Leave cooling OFF and the fan ON for 2–4 hours — until no ice remains anywhere on the lines or coil.
2. Replace the 1-inch filter (a fresh one every 30–60 days in cooling season here).
3. Make sure supply vents are open in every room, even unused ones.
4. Run COOL again and check the lines after a few hours.
5. If ice comes back with a clean filter, stop repeating the cycle — the refrigerant charge is low, and that's licensed-tech work.

Safe DIY fix

• First aid first: set the thermostat to OFF and the fan to ON. Now — was the air filter dirty when you last checked it? — No — filter is clean
• Are supply vents closed in some rooms, or is the return grille blocked by furniture? — Yes — some vents are shut / return is blocked

Open everything up and let it thaw

Closed vents don't save energy on a central system — they choke airflow the same way a dirty filter does, and the coil pays the price.

1. Open every supply vent in the house, including unused rooms.
2. Pull furniture, rugs, or curtains away from the return grille.
3. Keep cooling OFF, fan ON, until all ice is gone (2–4 hours).
4. Run normally. If it freezes again with everything open, book a diagnostic — the cause is refrigerant or blower-side, not airflow you can reach.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• First aid first: set the thermostat to OFF and the fan to ON. Now — was the air filter dirty when you last checked it? — No — filter is clean
• Are supply vents closed in some rooms, or is the return grille blocked by furniture? — No — everything's open and clear

Clean filter + open vents + ice = low refrigerant. That's a pro.

Refrigerant circulates in a sealed loop — if it's low, it leaked, and the fix is finding and repairing the leak, not just topping off. Handling refrigerant requires EPA certification, and running the system frozen can slug the compressor with liquid and kill it. This is a hard stop on DIY.

1. Keep the system OFF (fan ON) until the visit — don't keep running it frozen.
2. Tech will thaw-verify, then measure charge and pressures.
3. Electronic leak-search on the coil, line set, and service valves.
4. Repair the leak, pull vacuum, and weigh in the correct charge.

When to act: This week — and stop running the system in cooling mode until it's looked at. Compressor damage is the expensive version of this problem.

Safe DIY fix

• How bad is the water? — Damp spot or small puddle near the unit
• Can you find the white PVC drain line where it exits outside, near the outdoor unit? — Yes — I can reach it

Vacuum the drain line from the outside

The condensate line runs downhill from the indoor coil to a termination outside. An algae clog anywhere along it backs water up into the pan. Pulling from the outdoor end with a wet/dry vac clears most clogs in two minutes.

1. Turn the AC OFF at the thermostat.
2. Press the wet/dry vac hose over the outdoor drain termination — seal it with a rag or your hand.
3. Run the vac 1–2 minutes. You'll usually hear the clog release and see grey sludge in the vac.
4. Towel or vac out any standing water in the indoor drain pan.
5. Run the AC and watch for steady dripping at the outdoor termination — that's the drain working.
6. If the pan refills within a few days, the line needs professional clearing or re-piping — book a visit.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• How bad is the water? — Damp spot or small puddle near the unit
• Can you find the white PVC drain line where it exits outside, near the outdoor unit? — No — can't find or reach it

Drain needs professional clearing

If the termination isn't reachable, the line may drain into a plumbing stack or be buried in the wall — clearing it needs proper access. Meanwhile the float switch (if present) is your protection; if there isn't one, don't run the system with a full pan.

1. Locate and flush the full condensate run with nitrogen or vacuum.
2. Treat the line against algae regrowth (a Gulf Coast must).
3. Verify pan slope and the float switch — or add one if the unit doesn't have it.
4. Check the evaporator coil isn't icing (melting ice mimics a drain leak).

When to act: A few days is fine if the puddle is small and you can keep the pan emptied — sooner if it's near anything water-sensitive.

Stop — call a pro

• How bad is the water? — Water is coming through the ceiling / drywall is wet

Shut it off now — the ceiling is already taking damage

Water through drywall means the primary drain AND the backup pan have both been overwhelmed. Every hour the system keeps running adds more water to the wet drywall and insulation above your head. Turning it off stops the water; the drain repair and a damage check need a tech same-day.

When to act: Turn the AC OFF at the thermostat right now, then call. Same-day matters here — wet drywall and insulation get worse by the hour.

Safe DIY fix

• Have you replaced the filter in the last 60 days? — No / not sure

Start with a fresh filter

A loaded filter is the #1 cause of weak airflow, and it strains the blower motor the whole time it's clogged.

1. Turn the system OFF.
2. Replace the 1-inch filter — arrow toward the blower/duct.
3. Open every supply vent and clear the return grille.
4. Run it. If airflow is still weak after 30 minutes with a clean filter, come back and pick the other branch — the cause is deeper.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Have you replaced the filter in the last 60 days? — Yes — it's fresh
• Is airflow weak everywhere, or just in certain rooms? — Just certain rooms

Room-specific weakness is a ductwork problem

When some rooms get good flow and others don't, the trunk and blower are fine — the branch duct to those rooms is crushed, disconnected, leaking into the attic, or has a closed damper. Attic duct in our heat takes a beating; a disconnected branch can dump your cold air into the attic for years.

1. Inspect the attic runs to the weak rooms for crushing, kinks, or disconnects.
2. Check balancing dampers at the trunk takeoffs.
3. Measure airflow at each register to map the loss.
4. Check duct insulation — sweating, sagging duct usually leaks too.

When to act: Not urgent, but every month a leaky duct runs, you're paying to cool the attic. Worth booking within a couple of weeks.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Have you replaced the filter in the last 60 days? — Yes — it's fresh
• Is airflow weak everywhere, or just in certain rooms? — Weak everywhere
• Check the copper lines and indoor coil — any ice or frost? — Yes — there's ice

The coil is freezing — thaw it, then get it diagnosed

An iced coil blocks airflow like a wall of snow in the ductwork. With a clean filter already ruled out, the freeze is coming from low refrigerant or a blower-side fault — both instrument-level diagnoses.

1. Set cooling OFF and the fan ON for 2–4 hours to thaw fully. Never chip the ice.
2. Tech will measure refrigerant charge and pressures.
3. Leak-search if the charge is low.
4. Verify blower speed and motor health.

When to act: This week — repeated freeze-thaw cycles are hard on the compressor, the most expensive part in the system.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Have you replaced the filter in the last 60 days? — Yes — it's fresh
• Is airflow weak everywhere, or just in certain rooms? — Weak everywhere
• Check the copper lines and indoor coil — any ice or frost? — No ice

Weak everywhere with a clean filter — likely the blower

Uniform weakness means the air mover itself is slowing down: a failing blower motor or capacitor, a mis-set speed tap, or a matted-dirty blower wheel. All of it lives inside the air handler cabinet with live power.

1. Measure static pressure and blower amp draw.
2. Inspect the blower wheel for dirt loading (a caked wheel can lose a third of its airflow).
3. Test the blower capacitor and motor bearings.
4. Confirm the blower speed setting matches the system.

When to act: A week or so is fine — sooner if it's getting noticeably worse, which usually means a motor on its way out.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the filter fresh, and is the thermostat away from heat sources (lamps, TVs, direct sun) and supply vents? — Filter's old or the thermostat has a heat/draft source nearby

Fix the cheap causes first

Both of these confuse the system into stopping early: a clogged filter can trip the coil's safety limits, and a thermostat that's being heated or chilled locally satisfies (or panics) long before the house does.

1. Replace the filter if it's over 60 days old.
2. Move lamps or electronics at least 3 feet from the thermostat; block direct sun on it.
3. If a supply vent blows toward the thermostat, aim the vanes away.
4. Watch it for a day. Normal cycles run roughly 10–20 minutes. Still cycling in short bursts? Book a diagnostic — and don't sit on it.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the filter fresh, and is the thermostat away from heat sources (lamps, TVs, direct sun) and supply vents? — Filter fresh, thermostat placement fine
• Any ice on the lines, or water in the drain pan? — Yes — ice or a wet pan

It's cutting out on a safety — ice or a float switch

The system is protecting itself: an icing coil or a filling drain pan trips a safety, the unit stops, the ice melts or the float drops, and it starts again. The loop repeats until the underlying cause — airflow, charge, or drain — is fixed.

1. Thaw first: cooling OFF, fan ON, 2–4 hours.
2. Clear the condensate drain and pan.
3. Measure the refrigerant charge — icing with a clean filter usually lands here.
4. Verify the float and pressure switches reset correctly.

When to act: This week. Safety-loop cycling means every cycle is a stressed start on the compressor.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the filter fresh, and is the thermostat away from heat sources (lamps, TVs, direct sun) and supply vents? — Filter fresh, thermostat placement fine
• Any ice on the lines, or water in the drain pan? — No — dry and ice-free

Electrical or sizing — a tech call either way

With filter, thermostat, ice, and drain ruled out, the remaining causes are a weak run capacitor (the compressor starts, sags, and drops out), failing pressure switches, or a system that was oversized on day one and has always cooled in gulps. A tech can tell you which in one visit.

1. Test the run capacitor under load — the classic Gulf Coast failure.
2. Watch a full cycle and log what triggers the cutout.
3. Check pressures and the high/low-pressure switches.
4. Compare system tonnage to the house's actual load if oversizing is suspected.

When to act: Book within a few days. Short-cycling is the single fastest ager of compressors — it's cheaper to fix the cause than replace the part it kills.

Safe DIY fix

• When do you notice the smell? — Mostly when the AC first kicks on
• Is the filter over 60 days old, or does it look damp/discolored? — Yes — old or damp

Swap the filter and reassess in a couple of days

A filter that's been sitting damp in Gulf Coast humidity becomes its own mildew farm — and every cooling cycle blows across it.

1. Replace the filter (fragrance-free, pleated — see our filter guide for the right MERV).
2. Check around the indoor unit for standing water; if the pan is wet, clear the drain too.
3. Run the system normally for 2–3 days.
4. Smell still there at cycle start? That's coil/pan biofilm — professional cleaning territory, and worth doing before it seeds the ductwork.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• When do you notice the smell? — Mostly when the AC first kicks on
• Is the filter over 60 days old, or does it look damp/discolored? — No — fresh and dry

Dirty-sock syndrome — the coil needs a professional cleaning

The evaporator coil is cold, wet, and dark 9 months a year here — ideal for the bacteria that cause the classic “dirty sock” smell at cycle start. The coil sits behind the cabinet and refrigerant circuit, so cleaning it right is a tech job, not a spray-can job.

1. Inspect and deep-clean the evaporator coil with a no-rinse coil cleaner.
2. Scrub and treat the drain pan; flush the condensate line.
3. Assess whether a UV light at the coil makes sense (it prevents regrowth at the source).
4. Check duct interiors near the air handler for spread.

When to act: Not an emergency, but the biofilm only grows. A few weeks at most — sooner if anyone in the house has allergies or asthma.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• When do you notice the smell? — All the time, whether it's running or not

A constant musty smell is a humidity problem, not just an AC problem

If the smell never leaves, moisture is winning somewhere — indoor humidity riding above 60%, damp ductwork, or growth in walls or the attic. An IAQ assessment measures where the moisture is and what's growing on it, and the fixes (whole-home dehumidification, duct remediation, filtration) are all standard Gulf Coast equipment.

1. Measure indoor relative humidity room by room (target: under 55%).
2. Inspect ductwork and the air handler for internal growth.
3. Check attic/crawlspace moisture sources.
4. Recommend right-sized dehumidification or filtration only if the numbers justify it.

When to act: Book within a week or two. Persistent indoor humidity above 60% grows more than smells — it feeds mold, dust mites, and wood rot.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the vent air actually cold, or just “not as hot as I expected”? — Lukewarm — warmer than the room, cooler than a furnace

That's likely normal heat-pump behavior

Heat pumps deliver steady 85–95°F air over longer run times instead of short 120°F blasts like gas furnaces. If the house is holding its setpoint, nothing is wrong — this is the efficiency trade that makes them cheap to run here.

1. Check that the house actually reaches and holds the set temperature.
2. Avoid big setbacks (more than 2–3°F) — recovering a deep setback forces expensive auxiliary heat on.
3. If the house is NOT holding temperature on a mild day, that's different — book a checkup.

Safe DIY fix

• Is the vent air actually cold, or just “not as hot as I expected”? — Genuinely cold — like the AC is on
• Is the thermostat set to HEAT (not COOL, and not EM HEAT), with the setpoint above room temperature? — Oops — it wasn't on HEAT

Set it to HEAT and give it a few minutes

Someone in the house bumped it to COOL, or it's sitting on EM HEAT from the last cold snap (which works, but costs 2–3x as much to run).

1. Set the mode to HEAT — use EM HEAT only if the heat pump itself is broken.
2. Set the fan to AUTO.
3. Raise the setpoint a few degrees above room temperature and wait 10–15 minutes.
4. Vents should turn clearly warm. If they stay cold in HEAT mode, come back through this tree — the answer changes.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the vent air actually cold, or just “not as hot as I expected”? — Genuinely cold — like the AC is on
• Is the thermostat set to HEAT (not COOL, and not EM HEAT), with the setpoint above room temperature? — Yes — HEAT mode, setpoint is right
• Look at the outdoor unit. Is it covered in a solid shell of ice (not just light frost)? — Yes — it's a block of ice

Defrost has failed — switch to EM HEAT and book a visit

An iced-over outdoor coil can't pull heat from the air, so the system blows cool and strains the compressor. The defrost board, its sensor, or the reversing valve has failed — all sealed-system or control-board work.

1. Set the thermostat to EM HEAT for now — it heats the house on backup elements while protecting the heat pump.
2. Don't chip the ice or pour hot water on the unit.
3. Tech will test the defrost board, sensor, and reversing valve.
4. Charge and coil condition get checked once it's thawed.

When to act: Book within a day or two. EM HEAT keeps you warm meanwhile but costs meaningfully more per hour, so you don't want to live on it.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Is the vent air actually cold, or just “not as hot as I expected”? — Genuinely cold — like the AC is on
• Is the thermostat set to HEAT (not COOL, and not EM HEAT), with the setpoint above room temperature? — Yes — HEAT mode, setpoint is right
• Look at the outdoor unit. Is it covered in a solid shell of ice (not just light frost)? — No — clear or lightly frosted

Cold air in HEAT mode with no ice — reversing valve or charge

The prime suspects are a reversing valve stuck in cooling mode or a low refrigerant charge — both sealed-system diagnoses that need gauges, and both licensed-tech territory.

1. Verify the reversing valve is energizing and shifting.
2. Measure the refrigerant charge in heating mode.
3. Check the outdoor coil and fan operation.
4. Confirm auxiliary heat stages in correctly when it should.

When to act: A day or two — sooner if a real cold snap is coming. Use EM HEAT in the meantime if the house won't hold temperature.

Stop — call a pro

• Do you smell gas — rotten eggs / sulfur — anywhere near the furnace or in the house? — Yes — I smell gas

Stop. Leave the house now.

A gas smell is the one situation where you don't troubleshoot anything. Don't flip switches (including light switches), don't unplug anything, don't start the car in an attached garage — any spark can ignite accumulated gas. Get everyone out, then call your gas utility's emergency line from outside. They come free and fast, 24/7. Call us after the utility has made it safe.

When to act: Immediately. Gas utility emergency line first, from outside the house — then us for the repair once it's safe.

Safe DIY fix

• Do you smell gas — rotten eggs / sulfur — anywhere near the furnace or in the house? — No gas smell
• Is the thermostat on HEAT with the setpoint above the current room temperature? — No — it was off / set wrong

Set it and give the furnace a minute

Furnaces run a deliberate startup sequence — inducer fan, igniter warmup, then burners, then (about a minute later) the blower. It's not instant, and that delay makes people think it's broken.

1. Set HEAT, fan AUTO, and the setpoint 3–5°F above room temperature.
2. Listen at the furnace: a small fan (the inducer) should start within a minute, then you'll hear the burners light.
3. Warm air arrives a minute or two after that — the blower intentionally waits for the heat exchanger to warm up.
4. If nothing happens at all after a few minutes, continue through this tree.

Safe DIY fix

• Do you smell gas — rotten eggs / sulfur — anywhere near the furnace or in the house? — No gas smell
• Is the thermostat on HEAT with the setpoint above the current room temperature? — Yes — set right
• Is the furnace's service switch ON, and its breaker not tripped? — Found it off / breaker tripped — fixed that

Power restored — let it run its sequence

A bumped service switch or a single tripped breaker is a common, innocent find — especially after attic work or storms.

1. With the switch ON (and the breaker reset fully OFF then ON if it was tripped), set the thermostat to call for heat.
2. Give it 3–5 minutes to run its full startup sequence.
3. If the breaker trips again, STOP — leave it off and call. A re-tripping breaker is a fault, not a fluke.
4. If power is fine but it still won't light, book a diagnostic — the failure is in the ignition system.

Stop — call a pro

• Do you smell gas — rotten eggs / sulfur — anywhere near the furnace or in the house? — No gas smell
• Is the thermostat on HEAT with the setpoint above the current room temperature? — Yes — set right
• Is the furnace's service switch ON, and its breaker not tripped? — Everything is on, still no ignition

Ignition components are gas-side work — this is a call

With power and settings confirmed, what's left is the ignition chain: a cracked hot-surface igniter, a carbon-fouled flame sensor, a failing gas valve, or a control board locking out for safety. These parts decide when gas flows and when it ignites — the reason they're sealed behind safety interlocks is the reason a licensed tech should be the one testing them. Don't repeatedly power-cycle the furnace to force ignition attempts; each failed attempt puts unburned gas through the system.

When to act: Book today or tomorrow — no heat in a cold snap escalates, and lockout codes are easiest to diagnose while they're fresh.

Stop — call a pro

• When you reset the breaker, does it trip again immediately — instantly or within seconds? — Yes — snaps right back off

Stop — that's a short circuit. Leave the breaker OFF.

An instant re-trip means the breaker sees a dead short — damaged wiring, a failed device, or water in a box somewhere on that circuit. The breaker is doing exactly its job. Forcing it repeatedly sends hundreds of amps through the fault each time and can start a fire inside the wall. Leave it OFF, unplug what you can on that circuit, and have a licensed electrician trace it.

When to act: Today. Leave the breaker OFF until it's traced — this is the classic “the breaker saved the house” scenario.

Safe DIY fix

• When you reset the breaker, does it trip again immediately — instantly or within seconds? — No — it holds for a while, then trips later
• Does it trip when a specific appliance runs — space heater, microwave, window AC, hair dryer? — Yes — it follows a specific appliance

That circuit is overloaded — redistribute the load

High-draw appliances (anything that heats: space heaters, hair dryers, toasters) pull 10–15 amps alone. Two on one 15-amp circuit, or one plus a TV and lights, and the breaker trips exactly as designed.

1. Move the high-draw appliance to an outlet on a different circuit (a different breaker).
2. Never run a space heater on a power strip or extension cord — wall outlet only.
3. Reset the breaker once: fully OFF, then ON.
4. If it still trips with the load moved — or the same appliance trips other circuits too — stop there and book an electrician: either the appliance is failing or the circuit needs professional attention. Rooms that regularly need this juggling are the textbook case for a dedicated circuit.

Stop — call a pro

• When you reset the breaker, does it trip again immediately — instantly or within seconds? — No — it holds for a while, then trips later
• Does it trip when a specific appliance runs — space heater, microwave, window AC, hair dryer? — No — random, or I can't find a pattern
• Is the panel warm to the touch, or is there any burning/fishy smell near it or any outlet? — Yes — warm panel or a burning smell

Warm panel or burning smell — call now

Heat or a burning/fishy smell at the panel means a connection is overheating — arcing, a failing bus bar, or a loose lug. This is the precursor to an electrical fire, and it's inside equipment only a licensed electrician (ours carry Lic. #TECL 558211) should open. Never remove a panel cover yourself: the incoming lugs stay live even with the main breaker off.

When to act: Now — this is our emergency-call category. If you ever see smoke or flame, that's 911 first.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• When you reset the breaker, does it trip again immediately — instantly or within seconds? — No — it holds for a while, then trips later
• Does it trip when a specific appliance runs — space heater, microwave, window AC, hair dryer? — No — random, or I can't find a pattern
• Is the panel warm to the touch, or is there any burning/fishy smell near it or any outlet? — No — panel feels normal, no smells

Random trips need a professional trace

No pattern and no heat usually means a breaker wearing out (they do age), a loose neutral, or an intermittent fault that only shows under load. An electrician can pinpoint it in one visit with a circuit trace — guessing by swapping parts is how people mask real faults.

1. Thermal-scan the panel for hot connections.
2. Test the suspect breaker's trip behavior against spec.
3. Trace the circuit for loose junctions and worn devices.
4. Load-test to reproduce the trip condition.

When to act: Within a few days. It's not an emergency while the panel is cool and trips are occasional — but intermittent faults never fix themselves.

Stop — call a pro

• What exactly are you seeing at the outlet or switch? — Buzzing, crackling, scorch marks, or a burning smell

Kill that circuit and call — this is arcing

Buzzing or crackling is electricity jumping a loose connection; scorch marks and heat with no load mean it's been doing it a while. Arcing at a device is one of the most common origins of house fires, and the fix — opening the device and the boxes upstream — is licensed-electrician work, period.

1. Flip the breaker for that circuit fully OFF and leave it off.
2. Don't plug anything into that outlet or use that switch.
3. If you see smoke or active scorching, call 911 first.

When to act: Same-day. A buzzing device is actively arcing right now — this is what our emergency line is for.

Safe DIY fix

• What exactly are you seeing at the outlet or switch? — It's warm while running something heavy (space heater, etc.)
• Unplug the heavy load and wait 30 minutes. Is the outlet still warm? — No — it cooled right down

That outlet was working too hard — lighten its load

Mild warmth under a sustained heavy draw isn't automatically dangerous, but it's the outlet telling you it's near its limit — and older outlets with worn contacts run warmer at the same load.

1. Plug space heaters and other heating appliances directly into a wall outlet — never a power strip or extension cord.
2. Keep heavy loads to one per circuit (remember several outlets usually share one breaker).
3. If this outlet runs warm regularly, or it's an older home, have an electrician check its terminals and consider a dedicated circuit for the heavy appliance.

Stop — call a pro

• What exactly are you seeing at the outlet or switch? — It's warm while running something heavy (space heater, etc.)
• Unplug the heavy load and wait 30 minutes. Is the outlet still warm? — Yes — still warm with nothing plugged in

Kill that circuit and call — this is arcing

Buzzing or crackling is electricity jumping a loose connection; scorch marks and heat with no load mean it's been doing it a while. Arcing at a device is one of the most common origins of house fires, and the fix — opening the device and the boxes upstream — is licensed-electrician work, period.

1. Flip the breaker for that circuit fully OFF and leave it off.
2. Don't plug anything into that outlet or use that switch.
3. If you see smoke or active scorching, call 911 first.

When to act: Same-day. A buzzing device is actively arcing right now — this is what our emergency line is for.

Stop — call a pro

• What exactly are you seeing at the outlet or switch? — Warm with nothing plugged in

Kill that circuit and call — this is arcing

Buzzing or crackling is electricity jumping a loose connection; scorch marks and heat with no load mean it's been doing it a while. Arcing at a device is one of the most common origins of house fires, and the fix — opening the device and the boxes upstream — is licensed-electrician work, period.

1. Flip the breaker for that circuit fully OFF and leave it off.
2. Don't plug anything into that outlet or use that switch.
3. If you see smoke or active scorching, call 911 first.

When to act: Same-day. A buzzing device is actively arcing right now — this is what our emergency line is for.

Safe DIY fix

• How widespread is the flickering? — One lamp or one fixture

Start with the bulb — it's the fix 9 times out of 10

A single flickering fixture is almost always the bulb itself or an LED arguing with an old dimmer designed for incandescents.

1. Switch OFF, let the bulb cool, and re-seat it snugly.
2. Still flickering? Swap in a bulb you know works.
3. On a dimmer: check the bulb is marked dimmable, and if the flicker persists, the dimmer needs to be an LED-compatible model — a quick electrician swap.
4. If a KNOWN-GOOD bulb still flickers in that fixture, stop there — the fixture or its wiring has a loose connection, and opening it up is electrician work.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• How widespread is the flickering? — Several rooms — mostly when big appliances start

Appliance-start dimming — your panel is asking for a checkup

A brief dip when the AC compressor starts is common. Lights dimming noticeably across rooms every time a big load kicks on means the panel or its feeders are straining — undersized service, a weakening main connection, or a panel from an era before a house ran two AC systems and an EV charger. Worth measuring before you add anything new.

1. Measure voltage drop at the panel during appliance startup.
2. Thermal-scan the main lugs and bus for hot spots.
3. Check panel capacity against the home's actual load.
4. Recommend fixes honestly — sometimes it's one loose lug, sometimes it's a panel at end-of-life.

When to act: Within a week or two — sooner if it's getting worse, or before adding any major appliance or EV charger.

Stop — call a pro

• How widespread is the flickering? — Whole house, at random

Whole-house random flicker — call now, this can be a loose service neutral

When the entire house flickers at random — often with some outlets oddly strong (bright bulbs, hot-running electronics) while others sag — the leading suspect is a loose or corroded neutral at the service connection. A floating neutral lets voltage swing wildly, and it can push up to 240 volts into your 120-volt appliances and electronics. This sits at the meter/service level: not just no-DIY, but genuinely hazardous.

When to act: Today. If lights are surging bright (not just dimming), unplug sensitive electronics and call immediately — your utility may also need to check its side of the connection.

Safe DIY fix

• Open the panel door and look closely: is any breaker tripped — OFF, or resting in a middle position? — Yes — found one tripped

Reset it properly — fully OFF, then ON

Tripped breakers won't reset from the middle position, which is why “I already checked the breakers” so often precedes finding one.

1. Flip the tripped breaker fully OFF — you'll feel a firm click.
2. Flip it back ON.
3. Confirm the dead rooms are back.
4. If it trips again — immediately or soon after — leave it OFF and call. A re-tripping breaker is protecting you from a fault, and repeated resets make it worse.

Safe DIY fix

• Open the panel door and look closely: is any breaker tripped — OFF, or resting in a middle position? — No — every breaker looks fully ON
• Now press RESET on every GFCI outlet you can find — bathrooms, kitchen, garage, laundry, outdoors. Did power come back? — Yes — a GFCI brought it back

A tripped GFCI was the culprit

GFCIs protect a chain of downstream outlets, so one trip in the garage can black out outlets three rooms away. A one-off trip (storm humidity, a marginal power tool) is normal.

1. Note which GFCI it was.
2. If it trips again soon, unplug everything on that chain and reset — plugging items back one at a time exposes the offender.
3. If it trips with nothing plugged in, the GFCI itself or its downstream wiring has a moisture/ground fault — that's an electrician visit, not a bigger RESET press.

Stop — call a pro

• Open the panel door and look closely: is any breaker tripped — OFF, or resting in a middle position? — No — every breaker looks fully ON
• Now press RESET on every GFCI outlet you can find — bathrooms, kitchen, garage, laundry, outdoors. Did power come back? — No — a large area is still dead

You've likely lost one leg of your service — call today

Homes get two 120-volt legs; 240-volt appliances (AC, range, dryer) straddle both. Losing one leg kills roughly half the circuits and feeds your 240-volt appliances half their voltage — which can burn out motors and compressors while you wait. The fault sits at the main breaker, the meter, or the utility's connection: all strictly professional territory.

When to act: Today — and until it's found, keep 240-volt appliances (AC, dryer, range) OFF. Your utility may need to check their side; we handle everything from the weatherhead in.

Safe DIY fix

• Which kind of generator? — Standby (permanently installed, starts itself)
• Is the controller switch set to AUTO, and is the generator's own breaker (on or beside the unit) ON? — It was in OFF / breaker was off — fixed that

Set to AUTO — now verify it actually exercises

In AUTO, the controller starts the engine itself when utility power drops. OFF means it will sit silent through any outage — the single most common “failure” we find.

1. Leave the switch in AUTO and the unit's breaker ON.
2. If the outage is ongoing, it should crank within about 30 seconds.
3. After power's back, confirm the weekly self-exercise runs (you'll hear it at its scheduled time).
4. If it missed exercises for weeks before this, book a service visit — a standby that sat idle needs its battery and fluids checked.

Needs a diagnostic visit

• Which kind of generator? — Standby (permanently installed, starts itself)
• Is the controller switch set to AUTO, and is the generator's own breaker (on or beside the unit) ON? — Already in AUTO with the breaker ON — still won't start
• Is there an error code or warning light on the controller display? — Yes — there's a code / red light

Write the code down — that code is the diagnosis

Controllers log exactly why they refused to start: low battery, low oil pressure, overcrank, underspeed. Give us the code when you book and the tech arrives with the right parts instead of a clipboard. Don't clear the code repeatedly to force restart attempts — lockouts protect the engine and your home's wiring.

1. Photograph or write down the exact code and any text on the display.
2. Leave the switch in AUTO; don't repeatedly clear-and-retry.
3. Tech will pull the full fault log, then test battery, oil pressure, fuel supply, and the starting circuit.
4. Post-repair, we verify a full transfer test under load.

When to act: During an active outage: call now and read us the code — some lockouts are safely clearable by phone, and we'll tell you honestly if yours is. Otherwise, within days: a standby that no-started once will do it again.

Stop — call a pro

• Which kind of generator? — Standby (permanently installed, starts itself)
• Is the controller switch set to AUTO, and is the generator's own breaker (on or beside the unit) ON? — Already in AUTO with the breaker ON — still won't start
• Is there an error code or warning light on the controller display? — No — display is dark or shows nothing

Dead controller — likely the battery, but stop at the cabinet door

A dark display usually means a dead starting battery (they last 2–3 years and die quietly between exercises). But everything past checking the display sits in cabinets that share space with live wiring — and the transfer switch cabinet is a hard stop for everyone but a licensed tech: it lands utility power and generator power on adjacent lugs, and it can re-energize without warning. Never open it.

When to act: During an outage, call now — dead-battery no-starts are a fast fix for a tech. Longer-term: this is why generator maintenance plans exist; the battery that died today was measurably dying at its last skipped service.

Safe DIY fix

• Which kind of generator? — Portable (wheel-out, pull-start or key)

Run the portable checklist — outdoors only

Portables that won't start after sitting are almost always fuel, choke, or the low-oil cutoff. All safe to check yourself — with one absolute rule: run it OUTDOORS, 20+ feet from the house, exhaust pointed away. Never in a garage, even with the door open. Carbon monoxide from portables kills people in every major outage.

1. Check the fuel: gasoline older than ~30 days without stabilizer gums carburetors. Drain and refill fresh if in doubt.
2. Check the oil level — most portables have a low-oil shutoff that blocks starting entirely.
3. Set the choke to FULL/CLOSED for a cold start; return it to RUN once the engine catches.
4. Confirm the fuel valve is OPEN and the engine switch is ON.
5. Plug appliances directly or via a heavy-duty OUTDOOR-rated cord — and never backfeed a wall outlet; it can electrocute utility line workers.
6. If it still won't start — or you're doing the gas-can shuffle every hurricane season — a standby generator with an automatic transfer switch is the permanent version of this fix. We size and install them.