Denver HVAC Contractor UniColorado

Central AC

Follow these steps to trouble shoot AC:

  • Make sure cooling is turned on in the thermostat
  • Check to see if the furnace blower is running (air coming out of the vents)
  • Check to see if the indoor AC coil (on top of the furnace) is leaking or freezing
  • Check to see if the outdoor condensing unit is running


Based on your troubleshooting, read our other answers below.

Freezing is caused by a malfunctioning outdoor AC unit or indoor coil.

  • Change the air filter. The most common cause of freezing is a dirty air filter.
  • If your filter was dirty, de-thaw your system by turning cooling off in your thermostat & fan back on for 12-24 hours after changing it.
  • If a filter change & de-thawing didn’t do the trick, your system has to be professionaly inspected
  • Freezing is typically caused by low refrigerant, leaks in the refrigerant loop, malfunctioning compressor & more.

This means your furnace is not currently running. Your AC uses your furnace’s blower.

Your system has to be professionally inspected & diagnosed.

 

  • Check the AC breaker in your electrical panel
  • Check to see if there’s any noises coming from the unit when it’s on

If the outdoor unit is not turning on, your system has to be professionally diagnosed.

Capacitors, contacters & melted wiring are common isues that happen due to:

  • power outages
  • power surge
  • dirty filter
  • overworking of the system.

 

Is the hum different than usual?

  • Humming or buzzing may be a sign of the compressor overworking or getting closed to failure
  • Loud buzzes & fan buzzes are typically due to age. If it gets worse overtime, the compressor is failing.
  • Minor humming is alright, but if there’s a change in the sound profile of the unit, you may want to have it inspected.

 

The R22 refrigeration systems are being phased out worldwide because of their harmful effects on the ozone layer.

The US environmental Agency (EPA) has set January 1st , 2021 as the date when R22 is banned from production and importation in the United States. R22 Refrigerant is 4-8 times the price of normal refrigerant (R410) due to this restriction.

Leaking R22 systems will not be recharged by UniColorado as:

  • Leaks get bigger over time a
  • All the refrigerant will escape
  • Sealants do not work for more than a couple of months
  • Opening the unit to braze leaks is cost-prohibitive and often not successful.

Gas Furnaces

Follow these steps to trouble shoot AC:

  • Make sure heating is turned on in the thermostat
  • After turning on in your thermostat, it can take up to 10-15 minutes for the furnace to begin starting.
  • Check to see if the furnace blower is running (air coming out of the vents)
  • Check the breaker of the furnace

Based on your troubleshooting, read our other answers below.

Forced Air Furnaces have many moving parts & electronic boards that fail for a variety of reasons.

We recommend having the system checked by a professional.

#1 reason for short cycling is a dirty filter, which will damage the furnace & its sensors over time.

  • Change the air filter. The most common cause short cycling is a dirty filter.
  • If your filter was dirty & replaced, it should work normally.
  • If a filter change  didn’t do the trick, your system has to be professionally inspected

This means your furnace is not able to start.

Your system has to be professionally inspected & diagnosed.

Leaks happen for a variety of reasons such as:

  • Indoor coil freezing which is caused by a dirty filter or malfunctioning AC unit
  • Drain pipe failure or misalignment
  • Condensate pump (for houses that don’t have a drain near the furnace) failing. Condensate pumps fail frequently with high usage & typically have to be replaced every 3-5 years.

What to do when you notice a leak?

  • Investigate the origin
  • If water is coming from the indoor coil (typically installed on top of the furnace, part of the AC system), turn off cooling & turn fan on until the system is inspected.
    Keeping AC on while the indoor coil is leaking will lead to rusting & cracked heat exchangers in the furnace.
  • If water is coming from a drain pipe, make sure it’s aligned & draining properly. Drain pipes are typically white PVC pipes leading to a drain.
  • If water is coming from condensate pump, please make sure the pipes are inserted properly & determine if the pump is draining.
    If the condensate pump is not draining, it likely needs to be replaced.

Is the hum different than usual?

  • Unusual humming or buzzing may be a sign of the blower motor, inducer draft motor or the blower assembly failing.
  • Loud bangs & vibrations are typically caused by wheel assembly or blower motor failure. Please keep system off until inspected.
  • Ensure the noise is not from your ductwork. Ductwork (sheet metal) expands & contracts with temprature differences.
    Ductwork noise is fairly common in Colorado Winters.
  • Minor humming is alright, but if there’s a change in the sound profile of the unit, you may want to have it inspected.

Electric furnaces are a great choice for reducing your fossil fuel footprint.

The steps to convert a gas furnace to electric is as follows:

    • Electrical work to establish the system. This is typically a 240v circuit ran from the main panel to the furnace location. In addition, receptacles, new lighting & other code adjustments are typically needed.
    • Gas lines are capped off or removed
    • New electric furnace or airhandler is installed.

Dual Fuel Heatpumps are a great choice for reducing your fossil fuel footprint.

Dual fuel systems typically use a gas furnace backup + outdoor heatpump unit that can generate cooling as well as heating.

The steps to get a heatpump are as follows:

    • Have the property inspected
    • Approve the estimate
    • Done

We offer Denver Rebates on Heatpump

Heat Pump

In the most simplified terms, an AC unit that can also absorb heat from the outside using electricity in addition to providing cooling in the summer.
Since mid-2021, heatpumps have been hard to come by due to supply chain disruptions.
We expect the stock situation to improve & end-customer options to become more widely available in 2023 & beyond minus any further disruptions.
We will quote equipment based on currently available stock. Equipment availability is not guaranteed & often sparse.
If you have a gas furnace & AC, best way would be a dual fuel air source heatpump using your existing ducts.
If you do not have a central system, Minisplits are often the most cost effective
If you care about environmental sustainibility & are looking to modernize your HVAC system, yes. The incentives are very good & historically high. It all depends on your preference & budget.

Air Source Heatpumps

  • Typically retrofitted to existing forced-air gas furnaces in houses that have ductwork
  • Airsource heatpumps require ductwork

MiniSplit Heatpumps

  • Typically installed in houses with no ductwork or central system
  • Minisplit indoor units can be installed on the wall or floor & do not require ductwork

Dual Fuel

  • Typically uses a gas furnace backup
  • Heatpump generates heat up to approx 40 degrees ambient
  • Below 40, gas furnace kicks on

Cold Climate

  • Typically uses an electric furnace or airhandler
  • Usually 18SEER+
  • Heatpump generates heat up to approx 15-20 degrees ambient
  • Below 15-20, electric furnace kicks on
  • Typically hard to find & very expensive (new technology)

Yes, we sure do.

Schedule an estimate for Heatpumps & get up to a $9k reduction in price from Denver

MiniSplit

A MiniSplit is a system designed for properties with no ductwork (although ducted minisplit united are available).
MiniSplits consist of indoor unit(s) + outdoor condenser.
 
Indoor units come in varieties of:
  • Wall units (most common)
  • Floor units (for slanted walls)
  • Ceiling or Cassette Units (new construction)
  • Ducted Airhandlers (new construction)
 
Since mid-2021, heatpumps & MiniSplits have been hard to come by due to supply chain disruptions.
We expect the stock situation to improve & end-customer options to become more widely available in 2023 & beyond minus any further disruptions.
We will quote equipment based on currently available stock.
Equipment availability is not guaranteed & often sparse.
No. We do not provide labor-only installations for the following reasons:

 

  • There has a been flood of what we call “China-Split” Minisplits from a variety of brands who use the same Chinese unit with a different badge.These units are terrible in quality, difficult to install properly & typically fail within 1-2 years.
  • Grey market MiniSplit units (sold online) are typically overstock from South East Asian countries. These units are not supported by the brands’ distributors in Colorado.
  • MiniSplits are complicated & difficult to install correctly. Therefore, it’s best to have a quality unit installed that has actual warranty support. Cheap units terribly installed cost more money over the long term.


We’re a Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer & all of our Mitsubishi units come with a 12-year manufacturer warranty.

Three varities of MiniSplits:

Cooling Only

  • Only provides cooling
  • Single-zone

Heating + Cooling

  • Cooling
  • Heating up to around 20 degrees F
  • Single or multi-zone

Hyperheat / Cold Climate:

  • Cooling
  • Heating at all temperatures
  • Single or Multi Zone

Regular MiniSplit Heatpumps

  • Heating rated up to 13-20 degrees F, but recommended to switch heating off around 30 degrees F
  • Cooling

Hyper Heat / Cold Climate

  • Heating at all tempratures
  • Cooling

Air Source Heatpumps

  • Typically retrofitted to existing forced-air gas furnaces in houses that have ductwork
  • Airsource heatpumps require ductwork

MiniSplit Heatpumps

  • Typically installed in houses with no ductwork or central system
  • Minisplit indoor units can be installed on the wall or floor & do not require ductwork

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