HVAC service calls heat up as temperatures plunge

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) -- As temperatures drop, business for HVAC companies heats up.

We met Anthony Leeds-Mally, a service technician with Day and Night Heating and Air Conditioning Company on the end of his shift. It's a homeowner's or tenant's worst nightmare when temperatures drop below freezing at night.

"When we have severe temperatures drops, that normally brings in business to us and other HVAC contractors," said Leeds-Mally. "Their issue is they currently have a no-heating call."

He calls these kind of service calls normal for this time of year, but avoidable with routine maintenance checks. The family living in the home he serviced, had been without heat for a day or so. In order to fix it, he had to crawl under the home.

"Don't just check your furnace, but your whole heating and air conditioning equipment. It's a mechanical device. It's prone to break down," said Leeds-Mally. "I have to go check to see why power isn't going to the unit."

Between checking circuits, he discovered the home had a bad breaker, which meant an electrician was needed. He even gave tips on why you should never let leaves build up around your heat pump.

"It's not able to efficiently pick up the heat. You're clocking the air flow around the coils," Leeds-Mally said. "This is actually a common problem with older homes. The breakers become old and outdated."