HVAC know-how for North Texas homes
Every guide answers the question first, says plainly whether you can do it yourself, and tells you the moment to stop and call a licensed technician. Written for slab homes with the system in a 140-degree attic, blackland clay under the foundation, and a cooling season that runs from April to October.
Newest
22 guides- How often to change your AC filter in North Texas, and which one to buyEvery 30 to 60 days for a one-inch filter in cooling season, longer for a thick media filter. Why DFW dust, pollen and pets shorten that, and why a higher MERV is not always better.Do it yourself5 min read
- AC running but not cooling? The ten-minute check before you call anyoneSeven things to look at in order, from the thermostat to the outdoor unit. About a third of no-cooling calls in Collin County end at step three.Partly yourself6 min read
- How to check an HVAC contractor's license in Texas before they touch your systemEvery AC company in Texas works under a TDLR contractor license, and the number has to be on their ads, trucks and invoices. How to look it up in two minutes, what a technician's registration does and does not mean, and the red flags.Do it yourself5 min read
Something is wrong
What to check in the next ten minutes, what the symptom usually means, and when to stop and call.
- AC running but not cooling? The ten-minute check before you call anyoneSeven things to look at in order, from the thermostat to the outdoor unit. About a third of no-cooling calls in Collin County end at step three.Partly yourself6 min read
- Furnace clicks but will not light, or runs a minute and quits: what is happeningThe flame sensor, the ignitor, the pressure switch and the limit switch, in the order they fail in North Texas furnaces. Which one you can clean yourself and which ones you cannot.Partly yourself6 min read
- The capacitor: the most common AC repair in DFW, and why it is not a DIY partA $20 part that fails on the hottest week of the year. What it does, how it fails, the symptoms, and why the replacement is a professional job even though it looks simple.Call a professional5 min read
- Buzzing, clicking, grinding, hissing: what each AC noise usually meansA field guide to the six sounds a system makes before it quits, which ones can wait for business hours and which mean turn it off now.Partly yourself5 min read
- Why your AC freezes up in North Texas humidity, and what to do firstIce on the lines or the indoor coil is a symptom, not the problem. Here is what causes it and the one thing to do before calling.Partly yourself4 min read
Keep it running
The handful of things a homeowner can do that make a system last in a Texas attic.
- How often to change your AC filter in North Texas, and which one to buyEvery 30 to 60 days for a one-inch filter in cooling season, longer for a thick media filter. Why DFW dust, pollen and pets shorten that, and why a higher MERV is not always better.Do it yourself5 min read
- Why your AC drain line clogs every summer in Texas, and how to clear itAn air conditioner pulls gallons of water out of the air each day here. Where it goes, why the line clogs, what the float switch and the dripping eave are telling you, and the monthly habit that prevents it.Do it yourself6 min read
- Taking care of the outdoor unit: clearance, cottonwood, and a gentle hoseThe condenser does its work by moving air through its coil. Grass clippings, cottonwood fluff, shrubs and a west-facing wall all fight it. What to do, what not to do, and why a pressure washer is the wrong tool.Do it yourself5 min read
- What a real HVAC tune-up includes, and how to spot a sales visit in disguiseThe measurements a technician should take, the parts they should test, the report you should get, and the $29 tune-up that exists to sell you a system.Call a professional6 min read
- Thermostat settings that actually save money in a Texas summerWhy 78 is the number, why a big daytime setback backfires in a 140-degree attic, why the fan should be on Auto and not On, and the heat pump mistake that triggers the expensive strips.Do it yourself5 min read
Season by season
North Texas has two seasons that break HVAC systems. Get ahead of both.
- The spring AC checklist for Collin County: do it in April, not on the first 95-degree dayNine things to do before the heat arrives, in order, with the ones you do yourself marked. The first hot week of May is when every HVAC company in north Dallas is booked solid.Partly yourself5 min read
- How to get your heating ready for a North Texas freezeA short checklist for Frisco, Plano, McKinney and Allen homeowners before the first blue norther of the season.Partly yourself4 min read
- AC out in July: how to keep the house and the people in it safe until it is fixedWho is at risk in a 100-degree house, how to hold the temperature down for a day, when to leave, and how to get the right repair instead of the fastest sales pitch.Partly yourself6 min read
How your system works
Heat pumps, furnaces, attics, ducts, refrigerants and efficiency ratings in plain language.
- Heat pump or furnace? How to tell which one heats your house, and what that changesMost homes in Frisco, Plano and McKinney have a gas furnace with an AC on top. The all-electric subdivisions have heat pumps. How to tell in ten seconds, what is normal for each, and which problems belong to which.Do it yourself6 min read
- Why North Texas HVAC systems age faster: the attic, the ducts and the claySlab foundations put the equipment in a 140-degree attic, the ducts leak into it, and the blackland clay under the house moves everything a little every year. What that means for repairs and for what to ask of an installer.Partly yourself6 min read
- SEER2, HSPF2 and AFUE: what the efficiency numbers on a quote actually mean in DFWThe ratings changed in 2023. What the minimums are for Texas, what going from 14 to 16 saves on a north Dallas cooling bill, and where the math stops making sense.Do it yourself5 min read
- R-454B and the A2L transition: what it means if your system uses R-410ANew systems use a different refrigerant. Your current one is fine. Here is what actually changed and what to ask before you replace.Do it yourself4 min read
Repair or replace
The rules we use, what repairs cost around here, and how to read a replacement quote.
- How to read an AC replacement quote: the twelve lines that should be on itTonnage, the load calculation, SEER2, the refrigerant, the coil match, ductwork, the permit, the warranty split and the model numbers. What is missing from a quote tells you as much as what is on it.Do it yourself7 min read
- What common AC and furnace repairs cost in north Dallas, and what moves the numberMarket ranges for the dozen repairs that make up most service calls in Collin County, what is included, why the same part costs different amounts on different systems, and what to ask before approving any of them.Call a professional6 min read
- Repair or replace: the two rules we use on every quoteThe 50 percent rule and the 12-year rule, and why a second opinion is worth ten minutes before you sign for a new system.Do it yourself4 min read
Hiring a contractor in Texas
Licenses, permits, insurance and the red flags that cost Collin County homeowners the most.
- How to check an HVAC contractor's license in Texas before they touch your systemEvery AC company in Texas works under a TDLR contractor license, and the number has to be on their ads, trucks and invoices. How to look it up in two minutes, what a technician's registration does and does not mean, and the red flags.Do it yourself5 min read
- When HVAC work needs a permit in Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen and The ColonyRepairs and tune-ups do not. Replacing a system does, in every one of the five cities, and the contractor pulls it. What the inspection checks, why an unpermitted install costs you at resale, and what to do if yours was skipped.Do it yourself5 min read
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