Buildings in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California commonly need cooling in the summer months and some form of heating in the relatively mild winter months. If you have limited space inside your L.A.-area home or commercial building, you may choose to meet your heating and cooling needs with a compact gas/electric packaged system rather than a larger HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. Unfortunately, like other heating and cooling solutions, a packaged system can develop a number of problems during normal operation. If your gas/electric unit no longer functions properly during summertime or wintertime, count on the professionals at West Coast Chief Repair for affordable, reliable maintenance, repair and replacement services. The term packaged unit is used to describe a heating or cooling system that contains all of its functions in one section, rather than in split indoor and outdoor sections like an HVAC system. This single section performs all of the functions of a split system in one location.

As a rule, packaged units are placed on the outside of a building. However, smaller units can also fit into an unfinished interior space such as an attic or crawlspace. Common outdoor locations for unit placement include rooftops and concrete slabs placed next to a building. Compared to split systems, packaged units take up much less space, although they sometimes operate less efficiently.outdoor ac unit brands Packaged units come in several different cooling and/or heating configurations, including packaged air conditioners, packaged heat pumps, dual-fuel systems and gas/electric packaged units. in room cooling unitsA gas/electric packaged unit combines an electricity-powered air conditioner with a furnace powered by natural gas or propane. window ac heat pump units

The air-conditioning portion of the unit operates like any other air conditioner during warmer months of the year, while the furnace operates like any other gas-powered furnace during colder months. Some manufacturers produce gas/electric packaged units that rival the energy efficiency of split HVAC and central air systems. If you have a gas/electric packaged unit, you rely on a single device for both your cooling and heating needs. This means that, in summertime or wintertime, a malfunctioning unit can result in serious inconveniences that include an uncomfortable or even dangerous temperature inside your home or business, as well as a potentially steep rise in your typical utility costs. If your gas/electric unit malfunctions, you also lose some of the unique benefits of this cooling/heating approach. These benefits normally include a significant decrease in the space required for the equipment that heats and cools your property, as well as a significant savings in the initial cost of purchasing heating and cooling equipment.

Since gas/electric packaged units combine the functions of electricity-powered air conditioners and gas-powered furnaces, they can develop problems common to both of these types of systems. Potential indications of problems in the AC side of your unit include a failure to produce adequate amounts of cool air, lack of adequate airflow, an inability to reach or maintain your desired temperature, the presence of unusual noises or smells, and unexpected increases in your utility bills in the summertime. Potential indications of problems on the furnace side of your unit include a failure to produce adequate amounts of heated air, a pilot light that goes out, a pilot that fails to light, an inability to maintain your desired temperature, the presence of gas smells or other unusual smells, and unexpected increases in your utility bills during wintertime. If you experience problems with the AC or furnace side of your gas/electric packaged unit, give the professionals at West Coast Chief Repair a call.

With the information you provide, we can quickly decide if you have a simple maintenance issue, a repair issue that can wait for a scheduled visit, or a repair issue that requires immediate attention from our staff of expert technicians. In addition, we can show you how to perform preventive maintenance steps that will help keep your unit free from major issues in the future. As is true for separate AC units and gas-powered furnaces, the problems affecting gas/electric packaged units have a range of causes. For instance, possible reasons for a lack of cool air output on the AC side of your unit include low Freon levels and a failed compressor. Potential sources of unusual noise on the AC side of your unit include worn motor bearings, belt slippage and lack of proper component lubrication. On the furnace side of your unit, pilot light problems have potential sources such as a clogged pilot opening and a gas valve malfunction. Unusual noise in the furnace side of your unit has possible causes that include belt slippage, ignition problems within the burner, and the failure of any one of several components.

Inadequate heating may stem from anything from pilot light problems or thermostat malfunctions to leaks in your ducting system. Since gas/electric packaged units combine so many functions, it takes a well-trained, experienced technician to explore all potential issues and find the specific cause of any given problem. A technician who lacks the required training or real-world experience can easily overlook important issues or mistake one underlying cause for another. In addition to costing you money, such a scenario will leave you with the same problems you had before. In some cases, it may also leave you with significant health and safety hazards. At West Coast Chief Repair, we’re experts at diagnosing and repairing all of the systems contained in gas/electric packaged units. Whether you experience an issue on the AC side or the furnace side of your unit, we will quickly track down the source of the problem, make the required repair, and restore your unit to reliable working condition.