Your heating and air conditioning unit might be trying to tell you something.

In the grand scheme of heating and air conditioning complaints, a flashing red light might not seem like much to whine about. However, homeowners should know this could be a sign of deeper mechanical trouble. If you watch enough science fiction and action movies, you will instinctively know a flashing red light is never a good sign. Not to mention, it’s an annoying.

Here’s what you need to know and what you can do when you are facing the dreaded flashing red light on your HVAC:

Identify a Procedural Shut Down

During normal operation, a heating and cooling unit will sometimes send a red light signal to your thermostat as an alert that it has shut down. When going into shut down mode, a system has registered an issue and attempted to create a safety net for itself. This is a diagnostic feature designed to keep small problems from escalating.

Read the Signs

Many systems are outfitted with different codes to communicate the precise origin of the red light issue. The emergency signal will communicate a series of flashes that can be interpreted by a professional, or may be included in the handbook guide to your system. If the code is more severe, calling a service technician might be the best way to generate a solution.

Restart Your Unit

The indoor unit will typically continue to operate if the outdoor unit shuts off, but it will probably be unable to meet the temperature demands set by the thermostat. If you don’t notice the red light flashing, you will eventually notice the house isn’t staying cool. Shutting the power off and then turning it back on is a good way to check if your red light is a true emergency or just a malfunction.

Still stumped by the flashing red light, or need some professional help to get your HVAC in tip-top shape? Click here or call 704-933-2256 to get more information about heating and air conditioning emergencies from the pros at G & S.

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