3200 Northern Blvd., Rio Rancho
Straight answers to the questions New Mexico homeowners actually ask.
Your furnace smells funny the first time you turn it on. Your water heater started popping. The swamp cooler isn't keeping up, a drain won't clear, or a breaker keeps tripping. You want to know if it's normal, if you can handle it yourself, or if it's time to call someone.
That's what this page is for. After 40+ years of taking care of homes in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and the surrounding communities, we've heard just about every question there is, from heating and cooling to plumbing and electrical. Noah Howland, president of Affordable Service, answers the most common ones here.
Furnace 101: Is Your Heating System Ready for Winter?
How often should I change my furnace filter?
At least every three months. If you have refrigerated air, your furnace blower runs in both summer and winter, so stick to that three-month schedule year-round. If you have a swamp cooler, you probably only change the filter at the start of heating season. That's not enough. Change it at least one more time during the winter. And if you want to change it every month, even better. Keeping up with your filter is one of the best things you can do to avoid bigger problems down the road.
Is it normal for my furnace to smell when I first turn it on?
Yes, at first. When you turn the furnace on for the first time in the season, dust that settled on the heat exchanger burns off, and you'll smell it through the house. That should go away after the first few times it runs. If you're still noticing unusual smells after the first day, have it checked right away. A furnace is a gas appliance, and carbon monoxide is a real risk. Every home should have a carbon monoxide detector. It can save your life.
Why is my furnace making a squeaking, rattling, or grinding noise?
Any unusual noise is worth having a professional look at. It might still be blowing warm air, but a squeak, rattle, or grind usually means something is wearing out. Ignore it and one failing part can take others down with it, and a small repair turns into a big, expensive one.
Why are some rooms in my house colder than others?
Uneven heating is common, especially with older furnaces. Most older furnaces are single-stage. They're either fully on or fully off. Think of a car heater that could only blast on high or shut off. The back seat would never warm up. Newer furnaces can adjust how hot the air is and how hard it blows, so they can run at a lower setting, keep air moving, and heat the whole house more evenly. If some rooms in your home stay cold, we can come out, take a look, and walk you through your options.
How often should my furnace be serviced?
Regularly. Like anything with moving parts, if you take care of it, it takes care of you. Regular service is the best thing you can do to keep a costly problem from developing later.
When should I replace my furnace?
Most homeowners start thinking about it around the 15 to 20 year mark. At that age, if a major part fails, the repair often costs more than the system is worth, and many people choose to replace it instead. If your furnace is getting close to that range, get a quote now. That way you know your options before it becomes an emergency.
What can I do myself, and when should I call a pro?
Changing the filter is something any homeowner can do, and most of us should be doing it more often than we are. Anything inside the furnace is a different story. It's a gas appliance, and it can be dangerous. Leave internal service and repairs to a licensed, experienced technician.
Water Heater Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore
How long does a water heater last?
Most tank water heaters today come with just a 7-year warranty on the tank. As a tank ages, the risk of a leak goes up. Sometimes it's a small leak you can catch early. Sometimes the tank fails all at once and floods the garage or the house, which can mean drywall damage and an insurance claim. That's why a lot of homeowners replace an older water heater before it gets to that point.
Why is my water heater making a popping or rumbling noise?
That popping, gurgling, or percolating sound usually means sediment has built up in the bottom of the tank. New Mexico's hard water makes this especially common. Sediment makes your water heater less efficient, cuts down on how much hot water you get, and can shorten its life. Flushing the tank once a year helps clear it out.
Why is there water around my water heater?
Water near your water heater usually means a leak, and it's worth having it checked right away. A small leak caught early is a lot better than a tank that fails all at once. If the tank itself is leaking, it can't be repaired. It needs to be replaced.
Why do I keep running out of hot water?
Sediment buildup can cut into how much hot water your tank holds and how quickly it heats. If your household runs out regularly, with showers, laundry, and dishes all competing for hot water, a tankless water heater may be the better fit. It heats water on demand, so it doesn't run out.
Tank vs. tankless: which is better?
It depends on how your household uses hot water. A tank water heater stores a set amount, so a busy household can run through it. A tankless water heater heats water as you need it, so you never run out, and it's much more efficient than a standard tank. It's a strong option for bigger families and busy homes.
Should I repair or replace my water heater?
Smaller issues, like problems with the pilot or gas components, can usually be repaired. A leaking or ruptured tank can't. If the tank is leaking, it's time to replace the water heater.
Can I take care of my water heater myself?
There isn't much on a water heater a homeowner can service. If you're handy, you can flush the tank yourself. If you'd rather not add one more thing to your list, we can flush it for you during your Comfort Club visits.
Plumbing Problems That Start Small and Get Expensive Fast
Why is my drain so slow?
Most of the time, it's a buildup of hair or other debris in the drain. A slow drain is more of an annoyance than an emergency, but you don't have to live with it. No drain is too small for us to take care of.
Is a dripping faucet a big deal?
It adds up faster than you'd think. A slow, steady drip doesn't seem like much, but it can show up on your water bill. And here in the desert, every gallon has to be pumped and treated. With the drought, we can't afford to let any of it go down the drain. Get it fixed.
Why does my toilet keep running?
A running toilet wastes even more water than a dripping faucet, because the water goes straight down the drain and you can't see how much you're losing. Sometimes the fix is as simple as adjusting the mechanism inside the tank. Other times, some of the parts need to be replaced.
Why is my water pressure so low?
If your shower is down to a drizzle, have it looked at. Many homes have a pressure reducing valve, or PRV, that lowers the water pressure coming into the house to a safe level. When a PRV starts to fail, it can drop your pressure way too low. In many cases, the fix is just replacing the valve.
Is a slow leak under my sink a problem?
Yes. Water that keeps dripping into the cabinet can soak into the wood and damage your home's structure over time. It can also lead to mold and mildew, which can be a health hazard. The sooner you deal with it, the easier it is to fix, and the less chance the damage spreads.
Why does my house smell like sewer?
It depends. A sewer smell can point to something serious, like a burst pipe in a crawl space. It can also be something simple. If you have a bathroom that doesn't get used much, the P-trap in the drain can dry out and let sewer gas into the house. Running the faucet or the tub for a bit refills the trap and keeps the smell where it belongs. If the smell doesn't go away, give us a call.
How do I know if I have a hidden water leak?
Sometimes you'll see water coming up out of the ground. But with a leak under the slab, you may not notice anything until your water bill comes in much higher than it should be. That's why it's worth keeping an eye on your bill. If it jumps and nobody's been using more water, that's your cue to have it checked. Slab leaks can be hard to find, but we have the tools to help locate them.
Electrical Warning Signs Around Your Home
Why is my outlet or light switch warm?
A warm outlet, a warm light switch, or a switch that buzzes usually means that circuit is carrying more electrical current than it should. Modern electrical systems have built-in safeties designed to prevent the worst from happening, but this is still a warning sign that can lead to problems down the road. Have it checked.
Why are my lights buzzing?
Sometimes a little buzzing is harmless. But often it means the circuit wasn't sized for those lights. That can happen when fixtures were added or upgraded later, or when a home wasn't originally planned for that kind of lighting. We see it a lot with chandeliers and other fixtures with multiple bulbs. Each bulb pulls its own load, and together they can add up to more than the circuit was designed to handle. If your lights buzz, it's worth having an electrician take a look.
How do I plug in Christmas lights without overloading a circuit?
As tempting as it is, don't run your whole display off one outlet. Use extension cords to spread your lights and decorations across several different circuits so no single outlet is carrying all the load.
Plugging power strips into power strips doesn't solve the problem. No matter how many times you split it, everything still goes back to one outlet in the wall, and that outlet is on one circuit.
What you plug in matters too. Most LED lights use very little power and are a lower risk. Inflatable decorations with fans use a lot more, so plan for those.
Should I fix an electrical problem myself or call an electrician?
In most cases, call a pro. Electricity can be dangerous. Even something as simple as taking the cover plate off an outlet can get you shocked if you touch the wrong spot. It's not worth the risk. Call us, and we'll take care of it.
Furnace Not Heating? Winter Heating, Hot Water, and Cost Questions Answered
Why is my furnace running but not heating my house?
Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to heat, turn the temperature up so it's calling for heat, and set the fan to auto. If the fan is set to on, it runs nonstop, so it can seem like the furnace is running when it isn't actually heating.
Next, check the filter. A dirty filter can cause the furnace to overheat. When that happens, the fan keeps running to cool the system down, so it looks like it's working when it isn't producing heat.
If the thermostat is set correctly and the filter is clean but you still don't have heat, the problem may be in the furnace's safety or ignition systems. Those need a trained technician to diagnose and repair. Give us a call, and we'll send a licensed, experienced technician to take care of it.
Why is it warm by the thermostat but cold in my bedrooms?
The most common cause is heating and cooling equipment that isn't the right size for the home. Think of a car heater. It blows harder in the front seat than the back, and a house works the same way. Some rooms get more airflow than others. When the system blows too hot and too hard, the area around the thermostat warms up first, and the system shuts off before the cold bedroom ever catches up.
Newer systems are designed to solve this. Every home is different, so give us a call and we'll walk you through options that fit yours.
Is my water heater broken if I keep running out of hot water?
It could be. If your water heater used to keep up and now it doesn't, a few things inside it can cause that. The tube that's supposed to carry cold water to the bottom of the tank can come loose, so the water doesn't heat the way it should. In an electric water heater, the heating element may be going out. Or the tank may be full of sediment because it's never been flushed. Any of these is best checked by a technician, so give us a call and we'll get it sorted out.
Why does it take so long for my shower to get hot?
In most homes around here, water runs one way, from the water heater to the faucet. Before hot water can reach you, all the cold water sitting in that pipe has to come out first.
Some homes are built with a recirculating loop that keeps hot water moving to the fixture and back, so it's hot right away. If your home wasn't built with one, there's still a fix. A comfort manifold installed under the fixture turns the cold water line into part of a hot water loop, so you get hot water on demand. We'll take a look to make sure your home is a good fit.
How much does a new furnace, AC, or water heater cost?
It depends on what your home needs and what you want. Asking what a new system costs is a lot like asking a grocery store how much food costs. The good news: estimates for replacing your HVAC system, furnace, or water heater are always free. A licensed, experienced technician will come to your home and give you the details at no cost.
For repairs, there's typically a $99 diagnostic fee. A technician will explain what's wrong, and if you move forward with the repair, the diagnostic fee is waived.
Let us worry about it
You've got enough on your plate. Whether it's heating, cooling, plumbing, or electrical, you don't have to figure it out yourself or track down a different company for every job. Leave it to the pros at Affordable Service. One call covers it all.
Want to stay ahead of problems? Comfort Club is our maintenance membership for your heating and cooling system. We come out twice a year, in the spring and fall, to get it ready for the season and catch small problems before they turn into expensive ones. Members also get priority scheduling and repair discounts, with plans for homes with refrigerated air or a swamp cooler.
Call 505-255-COOL (2665) for service, or to find the right Comfort Club plan for your home.