When your HVAC equipment doesn’t work properly, it becomes a huge inconvenience. Not only do you experience great discomfort with the temperature change, it can be a costly repair. Your first instinct is to get the problem fixed as quickly as possible. However, in many instances, the HVAC service technician will need to order the part or wait until the shop reopens the next business day.

So what’s the next best thing? Not a temporary fix. As much as you want the issue addressed right away, don’t be tempted to bypass the reason the HVAC equipment doesn’t work. If the service technician bypasses an issue to make a temporary fix to the HVAC, he may be doing a work around a safety that was placed on the furnace to either protect the health or safety of the occupants or perhaps the safety of the property.

So what are the risks involved? Technicians and homeowners alike often question what could possibly happen. When customers tell us the story, they say it sounded like a good plan at the time and didn’t realize the danger they were placing themselves in.

These are the 3 reasons NOT to bypass on your HVAC system:

1. The safety that shuts off the furnace due to extreme temperature – This is one of the bigger safety advances in the production of furnaces and designed to protect you from home fires. There is an online video where the homeowner needed heating and the technician bypassed this safety, which resulted in the house burning down. The owner describes what happened in the video; it clearly shows how it endangers people’s lives. Don’t bypass this safety and put your family at risk!
2. The flue has an obstruction – In this scenario, the technician can’t determine the issue and realizes that the furnace will work with a bypassed safety. This can cause the super heated furnace as explained in Situation #1. In addition, an obstructed flue can cause fumes such as carbon monoxide, which is odorless and colorless and potentially deadly.
3. Another safety feature that is bypassed relates to the air conditioning system. It deals with the drainage of the condensation that accumulates as the air conditioning system functions.  If the condensate drain doesn’t work properly and a sensor is bypassed to shut down the air conditioning system, there can be extensive damage. Water can cause serious damage to a home, which can result in dry rot and even hazardous mold. Even though it may not appear to be as life-threatening as a fire or carbon monoxide, it can wreak havoc on your health.

As tempting as it is to bypass a safety feature to minimize further inconvenience, we don’t recommend it. Fix it the right way the first time and avoid it from spiraling into a huge disaster.

At Cold Craft, Inc., we’re an HVAC company that’s more concerned about your health, safety and property. We’re Silicon Valley’s answer to your comfort needs. Call us today at 408.374.7292.