Gauges on an AC blowing warm air
Heating and air conditioning in South Fulton
AC blowing warm air, a furnace that won't heat, water dripping from the indoor unit: we fix them in South Fulton, Union City, Fairburn, East Point and College Park.
How long does an HVAC system last in South Fulton?
An NAHB study shows central air conditioning has a life span of around 10-15 years. Many systems in South Fulton are over this. The median home in the city was built in 2003. 38.3% were built between 2000-2009 meaning many original systems will be between 16-26 years old. Long humid summers keep them running. Units in an attic will work harder than ones in a closet. On the east side (Old National Highway and Red Oak) most homes were built in the 70s. In the newer areas (Cliftondale, Enon and Campbellton) the first replacements are coming up. Most owner occupied homes will have a gas furnace with a split air conditioning system. Around a third will have electric heating.
What are the main components of an HVAC system?
Find the part on the house drawing, or pick it from the list. Each one opens to what tends to go wrong with it and the repair page that covers it.
AC on, air warm?
AC running but not cooling?
Why an AC runs without cooling, and the checks you can do safely before anyone calls: the thermostat setting, the filter, the breaker and the outdoor unit. Then when to stop and call.
Read the answerPick a part
-
The outdoor unit sits on a pad beside the house and holds the compressor, the condenser fan and the capacitor that helps start them. When it fails, you hear a hum with no fan turning, or the fan spins while the vents blow warm. A weak capacitor is the classic July call.
AC Repair -
Many homes have the air handler in the attic with a metal tray underneath. The coil removes moisture from the humid air and drains it outside. If this becomes blocked, the tray will fill up. Often the first thing you notice will be a brown patch coming through the ceiling.
Emergency AC Repair -
Two copper lines run from the outdoor unit to the indoor coil, which sits on top of the furnace or inside the air handler. Since January 2025, new systems are built for lower-GWP refrigerants, so a replacement usually means a new outdoor unit and a matching coil together.
AC Installation & Replacement -
The gas furnace will be in a hallway closet, attic, basement or crawlspace. The AC coil usually sits on top of it. Issues will show as cold air coming from the vents, the burner lighting but going out or just clicking with no flame. If you can smell gas, get out.
Furnace Repair & Replacement -
Newer 2 story homes often have a second system for upstairs. Sometimes a heat pump outside with an air handler in the attic. On cold mornings the outdoor coil will frost up and the unit will defrost briefly. You will see a little steam. This is normal. If it is frozen solid, it isn't.
Heat Pump Repair & Installation -
The filter sits behind a return grille in a hall ceiling or wall, or in a slot at the furnace. A clogged one chokes the airflow, and the coil can ice over. The thermostat on the wall runs the whole system, and a wrong setting looks a lot like a breakdown.
HVAC Maintenance & Tune-Ups -
Supply ducts carry cooled or heated air from the unit to a register in each room, and in many homes they run through the attic or a crawlspace. Warning signs: dust puffing out of a register, a room that never cools, or debris you can see inside the duct.
Air Duct Cleaning -
A mini-split is a wall unit inside and a small outdoor unit, joined by a line set through the wall, with no ductwork at all. It suits a bonus room, a converted garage or an addition. When it struggles, the room stays warm or the indoor unit drips.
Ductless Mini-Splits
What South Fulton homeowners ask about heating and air
The questions we hear most on the phone, grouped by system. Don't see yours? Call, or send the form and we'll call you back.
Cooling
Is it cheaper to keep AC on or turn it on and off?
Keep it on, and set it a few degrees warmer while nobody's home. Turning the AC fully off in a humid summer lets moisture build up indoors, and the system can take hours to pull the house back to comfortable. A programmable or smart thermostat handles the setback for you.
How cool should my house be if it's 100 outside?
Leave it at your normal setting. Even a healthy system may run nonstop on a 100 degree afternoon and be a few degrees higher than your thermostat. Setting it lower won't cool it quicker. We have around 47 days a year where it is 90+ degrees, so closing the blinds on the sunny side helps.
Heating
What is the coldest you should let your house get?
There's no single number, but don't shut the heat off; South Fulton averages January lows near 36. The DOE estimates up to 10 percent a year saved by turning the thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day. With a heat pump, keep setbacks small so the backup strip heat stays off.
Should I replace my furnace before it dies?
Often yes. If it's old and you want to pick the timing. A mild October day gives you time to compare quotes. If it is a cold night in January and you have no heating, rarely. Age alone isn't the trigger. Constant repairs, rising gas bills and rooms that won't heat are.
Air and ducts
What AC is best for allergies?
No AC cures allergies, and the filter matters more than the brand on the outdoor unit. The EPA recommends MERV 13 or as high as your system fan and filter slot can take, so ask what yours handles. Leaky return ducts can also pull hot, humid attic air into the system.
What is the black stuff that comes out of my air conditioner?
Most often it's dust settled on or just inside the register, and moisture on a cold register makes it stick and look darker. Wipe it off and check that the filter fits its slot with no gaps. If fuzzy growth keeps coming back after cleaning, have the ducts and coil looked at.
Tune-ups
How often does air conditioning need to be serviced?
Once a year, ideally in spring before the heat sets in, with the furnace or heat pump checked in fall. A cooling tune-up covers cleaning the coils, checking the refrigerant level, testing the capacitor and electrical connections, and clearing the condensate drain. In a long, humid summer, that drain line does a lot of work.
What is routine maintenance for HVAC?
Check the filter often and change it when it's dirty, and keep leaves and pine straw off the outdoor unit. If you ever see water at the indoor unit, turn the system off at the thermostat. A float switch in the drain pan may already have shut it down, which is it doing its job.
Five towns along I-85, I-285 and South Fulton Parkway
We cover South Fulton, Union City, Fairburn, East Point and College Park. South Fulton Parkway goes through the middle of the city towards Union City. I-85 runs between Union City and Fairburn. I-285 runs along the east side with East Point and College Park. The houses vary. Near Old National Highway and Red Oak, many are from the 70s. Old National is mostly gas heated. Red Oak is mostly electric. Cliftondale, Enon and Campbellton are mostly 2000s developments. Enon is mostly gas furnaces. Cliftondale and Campbellton have lots of heat pumps. Not sure which area your street is in? Call us.
- Union CityShannon Glen, Wellington, Brandon Hill, Christian Corners, The Woods
- FairburnFireside, Rosegate Manor, Shannon Chase, Durham Lakes
- East PointFrog Hollow, Jefferson Park, Center Park, Colonial Hills, Semmes Park
- College ParkCollege Park Historic District, Cooks Crossing, Lakeview Heights, Pleasant Valley, Brandy Chase
Ask if your street is coveredCall (470) 912-2502
No cooling or no heat today?
Tell us what the system is doing, whether it's gas heat or a heat pump, roughly how old it is if you know, and your town. That helps us send the right tech with the right parts.
(470) 912-2502Open every day, 7am to 7pm
Before you call, check
- The thermostat. Set to Cool and a few degrees below the room, or to Heat and above it. Fresh batteries if it takes them.
- The breakers. The one for the furnace or air handler, and the one for the outdoor unit.
- The filter. At a return grille or in the furnace. If light will not pass through it, change it.
Smell gas? Leave the house without touching light switches or phones, then call 911 or the gas company once you are outside. If a breaker trips again after one reset, leave it off and call us.