Have a question about your heating or cooling system? You're probably not the first to ask it. Here are the questions we hear most often — answered honestly.
Don't see your question? Call us: 317-782-1900
Yes — any fuel-burning appliance can produce carbon monoxide (CO) if something goes wrong. Gas furnaces, gas water heaters, boilers, and similar equipment all burn fuel and produce combustion gases. The heat exchanger inside your furnace is designed to contain those gases and route them safely out through the flue. When the heat exchanger cracks, CO can enter your home's air supply.
Electric systems and heat pumps do not produce carbon monoxide — they have no combustion process.
Every home with gas appliances should have a CO detector on each floor, especially near sleeping areas. Replace detectors every 5–7 years (check the back of yours for the manufacture date — most people never look).
This is one reason we take heat exchanger inspections so seriously during every fall maintenance visit. See our heat exchanger answer →
Where: At minimum, one on each floor of your home, including the basement if you have one. Place them near sleeping areas so they can wake you up at night. Mount at standing height — CO is slightly lighter than air but mixes readily, so placement matters less than with smoke detectors.
How often: Every 5–7 years. Most people don't realize CO detectors expire — the electrochemical sensor inside degrades over time and will eventually fail to detect CO even while appearing to work normally. Check the manufacture date on the back of yours today.
If you have a combination smoke/CO detector, follow the more conservative timeline (smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years, CO every 5–7).
Call 911 first. Get everyone — including pets — out of the house immediately. Do not stop to collect belongings. Leave the door open behind you.
Do not go back inside until the fire department has cleared the home. They carry CO meters and can tell you whether there's an active source and whether the level is safe.
Once the fire department has cleared the scene — or if they've identified your furnace as the source — call us. We'll inspect the heat exchanger and the entire combustion system. If the furnace is the source, it stays off until we've identified and corrected the problem.
One exception: many CO detectors go into chirp mode (not full alarm) when the battery dies. A dying battery chirp is a different sound from a CO alarm — consult your detector's manual. If you're unsure what the alarm means, treat it as a real alarm and get out.
A healthy furnace flame should be blue — a steady, solid blue flame with possibly a small orange or yellow tip at the very top. That's normal and healthy combustion.
A yellow or orange flame is a warning sign. It indicates incomplete combustion, which means the fuel isn't burning cleanly. This can mean the burners are dirty, there's a ventilation problem, or gas pressure is off. Incomplete combustion produces more carbon monoxide. If you see a consistently yellow or orange flame, call us.
A flickering or wavering blue flame is less concerning — it can be caused by air movement near the unit. But a persistently yellow, lazy flame warrants a service call.
You can usually view the flame through a small sight glass or inspection port on the front of the furnace.
We've been serving Central Indiana homeowners for over 20 years. We started on the south side of Indianapolis and have grown to serve the broader metro area — from Zionsville and Westfield in the north down to Whiteland and Bargersville in the south.
We're a small, owner-operated crew. Rob Horton founded BHA and still oversees every job we take on. That's not a marketing line — it's just how we operate.
Yes. We are fully licensed as an HVAC contractor in the state of Indiana and carry full liability insurance. Our license number is posted in the footer of this website. We're happy to provide proof of insurance before any job.
Yes. Everyone who comes to your home has been background-checked. We take seriously the trust you place in us when you let us into your house.
We switched to American Standard exclusively in 2012 after researching every major brand available. The short answer: they still assemble their equipment in the United States, they manufacture their own compressors (most brands outsource this), and they stand behind their products with a 10-year parts warranty on registered equipment.
We've never regretted the decision. Our customers' long-term satisfaction — and the lack of compressor failures we've seen versus other brands — has confirmed it was the right call.
Yes. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for heating and cooling emergencies. When your heat goes out on the coldest night of the year, call us: 317-782-1900.
Before you call, run through this quick checklist — these are the most common causes of a furnace that won't run:
If none of these solve it, call us at 317-782-1900.
Not necessarily. During extreme cold — below 5–10°F in Central Indiana — your system may not be able to keep up. HVAC systems are designed to maintain indoor temperature at 5°F outdoor temperature ("outdoor design temperature"). Below that, it's normal for the home to lose ground.
What you can do during extreme cold:
If your home isn't heating even in normal cold weather, or your system is running constantly without reaching setpoint in moderate temperatures, call us. That's a sign something is wrong.
Honest answer: it depends. Here are the factors we consider:
We'll always give you our honest assessment. If a repair is the right call for your situation, that's what we'll tell you — even if a replacement would mean more revenue for us.
It's serious, and we want to give you an honest answer — not a high-pressure sales pitch and not a dismissal.
The heat exchanger separates combustion gases (including carbon monoxide) from the air that circulates through your home. A crack in it compromises that barrier.
Modern furnaces have safety controls that reduce the risk of a dramatic CO event — but the real danger is often subtler: chronic low-level exposure causing unexplained headaches, fatigue, or illness during winter months that clears up when you're outside.
People most at risk: birds and small pets (very sensitive to air quality), young children, elderly individuals, anyone with respiratory issues.
What we do: When any BHA technician finds any breach in a heat exchanger, we shut the system down and provide written documentation of what was found. We don't overstate it and we don't minimize it.
We offer free second opinions on heat exchanger diagnoses — always. If any company has told you that you have a cracked heat exchanger, call us before making any decisions: 317-782-1900.
We install American Standard exclusively, but we service and repair all major brands — Carrier, Bryant, Lennox, Trane, Rheem, Ruud, Goodman, Amana, and others. If you have an existing system of another brand that needs repair or maintenance, we can help.
Turn the system off immediately. Running a frozen AC can damage the compressor — that's an expensive repair. Switch your thermostat to OFF (not just "cool"), then set the fan to ON so it continues to blow air and help the ice melt faster.
While it's thawing (usually 2–4 hours), check your air filter. A severely clogged filter is the most common cause of a frozen coil — it restricts airflow over the evaporator coil until the coil drops below freezing.
Why AC units freeze:
If replacing the filter doesn't solve it, or if the unit freezes again after thawing, call us — low refrigerant (a refrigerant leak) is the most likely culprit and requires a professional to address: 317-782-1900
Both furnaces and air conditioners produce condensate (water) as part of normal operation — this is expected. The problem is when that water ends up on your floor instead of draining away.
If it's your air conditioner: The condensate drain line is almost certainly clogged. This is the most common cause. The drain line runs from the indoor air handler to a floor drain or outside. You can try flushing it with a small amount of bleach or vinegar. If that doesn't work, call us.
If it's your furnace: High-efficiency furnaces (90%+ AFUE) also produce condensate because they extract so much heat from the combustion gases that the exhaust cools and condenses. A clogged condensate drain or pump failure is the usual culprit. Older 80% furnaces should not be producing water — if they are, it may be a flue pipe issue.
Turn the system off if water is pooling and risk damaging flooring, drywall, or the equipment itself. Then call: 317-782-1900
That's "dirty sock syndrome" — and you're not imagining it. It's caused by mold and bacteria growing on the evaporator coil and in the drain pan inside your air handler. When the system starts up, those organisms get blown through your ductwork and into your home.
It's particularly common with heat pumps because they operate at a temperature range that's ideal for mold and bacterial growth on the coil. It also happens when a system sits unused for a stretch and moisture builds up.
What helps:
If the smell is brief (just on startup) it's usually a mild case. If it persists throughout a cooling cycle, that's a sign the coil needs attention. Call us: 317-782-1900
A few clicks on startup is normal — that's the ignitor attempting to light the burners. But if you hear repeated clicking without the furnace actually firing up, the system is failing to ignite and locking out for safety.
Common causes:
After 3 failed ignition attempts, most furnaces lock out and need to be manually reset (usually by turning the thermostat off, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on). If it keeps locking out, call us rather than continuing to reset it.
Some popping and ticking from ductwork is normal — metal ducts expand and contract with temperature changes, and you'll hear that as they flex. A little noise on startup is not a concern.
But loud, repeated banging is often a sign of a real problem: excessive static pressure in the duct system. This happens when airflow is restricted — most commonly by a clogged filter, but also by closed supply vents, undersized ductwork, or a dirty coil. The ducts flex dramatically under the increased pressure.
Check your filter first. If it's clean and the banging continues, it's worth having us look at it — high static pressure stresses the blower motor and the equipment over time, and can shorten system life significantly.
Here's a quick reference. None of these should be ignored — the sooner you call, usually the less expensive the repair.
Call us with any noise you're not sure about: 317-782-1900
Twice a year — once in the spring before cooling season and once in the fall before heating season. This is what equipment manufacturers recommend, and many warranties actually require documented maintenance.
The fall heating tune-up is especially important. It includes an inspection of the heat exchanger — a cracked heat exchanger is a carbon monoxide hazard and can be dangerous if left undetected.
It depends on the filter type and your home. General guidelines:
The easiest rule: check it monthly and replace it when it looks gray and dirty. A clogged filter is the #1 cause of HVAC problems we see. It restricts airflow, causes the system to work harder, and can lead to equipment failure.
The honest answer is more nuanced than what most technicians will tell you — it depends entirely on what you're trying to accomplish.
If your priority is equipment longevity and energy efficiency: Run the fan on AUTO. Every time your system starts from a complete stop, it draws more energy and puts more stress on the equipment. Fewer on/off cycles = less wear.
If your priority is air circulation and consistency: Running the fan continuously on ON keeps air moving and can reduce hot/cold spots in some homes. But in summer it reduces the coil's ability to remove humidity, and in winter it can feel drafty.
Our honest recommendation: Do what feels most comfortable in your home. If you have uneven temperatures between rooms, it's worth a conversation about whether continuous fan is the right fix, or whether there's an underlying airflow or ductwork issue worth addressing.
Yes. Call us and we'll transfer the agreement to the new owners. It's actually a nice selling point when listing your home — documented annual maintenance and a transferable service agreement.
More than most people realize. Here's what actually happens when annual maintenance is skipped:
If you've missed a year (or more), the right move is to schedule a tune-up now — not to wait until next season. Call us: 317-782-1900
Honest answer: it depends heavily on the brand, and quality has declined significantly across the industry over the past 25 years. Furnaces that used to last 25–30 years now average 15 years. Air conditioners that lasted 20–25 years now average 12–17.
This is one of the core reasons we switched to American Standard exclusively. They still assemble in the United States and manufacture their own compressors. Our experience has been that properly maintained American Standard equipment significantly outlasts most competitor brands.
With proper maintenance, here's what we expect from American Standard equipment:
Bigger is not better in HVAC. An oversized system short-cycles (turns on and off too frequently), which causes uneven temperatures, higher humidity in summer, increased wear, and higher energy bills. An undersized system runs constantly and can't keep up on extreme weather days.
We perform Manual J load calculations before recommending any system. That's the industry-standard method for determining the right size based on your home's square footage, insulation, windows, orientation, and other factors. Don't let any contractor size a system by guesswork or "what you had before."
Yes — and the reason is straightforward. A single-stage system runs at 100% capacity or it's completely off. Like a car that can only go 75 mph or zero — it's inefficient, hard on the engine, and uncomfortable.
Two-stage furnaces run at ~65% capacity most of the time and only ramp to 100% when truly needed — which is less than 10% of the time in most homes. Less wear, more even heating, better efficiency. We've installed two-stage equipment as our standard for years.
Variable-speed systems adjust continuously from ~40% to 100% — like a car's accelerator. On a mild afternoon they barely run. On the hottest day of the year they work at full capacity. Real-world benefits: longer equipment life, lower energy bills, better humidity control, more consistent temperature.
If you're in your home for 10+ years, a variable-speed system is worth a serious look. The upfront cost is higher, but the efficiency savings, comfort improvement, and longer equipment life make a strong case.
Modern heat pumps have improved significantly. Today's variable-speed heat pumps perform well down to temperatures in the single digits — well below what previous generations could handle.
That said, Central Indiana winters do get extreme. Many homeowners choose a dual-fuel system: a heat pump that handles most of the heating season (more efficient than gas at moderate temperatures) paired with a gas furnace that takes over when temperatures drop below about 35°F. Best of both — heat pump efficiency for most of the year, gas reliability when it's truly cold.
We're happy to walk through the options for your specific home. Call us: 317-782-1900
This directly affects anyone buying a new system right now and anyone with an older system on phased-out refrigerants.
Important: you cannot simply switch refrigerant types in an existing system. R22 and R410A are not interchangeable. When a system's refrigerant is phased out, the system eventually needs to be replaced, not recharged with something different.
Call us with questions: 317-782-1900
Yes — significant ones. The Inflation Reduction Act (2022) created federal tax credits for qualifying HVAC equipment installed through December 31, 2032:
These can often be combined with utility rebates from AES Indiana and other providers. We provide manufacturer certification documentation for all qualifying equipment we install. See full rebate details →
SEER2 (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) measures air conditioner efficiency — higher is more efficient. Indiana's minimum for new equipment as of 2023 is 14 SEER2. Our standard installations run 16–18 SEER2; our high-efficiency variable-speed systems reach 22 SEER2. Upgrading from 14 to 18 SEER2 typically pays back in 5–8 years in energy savings in the Indianapolis climate.
AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) measures furnace efficiency — it's a percentage of how much fuel actually becomes heat in your home. An 80% AFUE furnace loses 20% of its fuel up the flue. A 97% AFUE furnace captures almost everything.
Whether the efficiency upgrade pays back depends on how much you run the system, your gas/electric rates, and how long you plan to be in the home. We'll walk through the math with you during your estimate.
In almost every case, yes. Here's why:
The exception is when one unit is much newer than the other — if your indoor coil is only 3 years old and your 15-year-old outdoor unit fails, replacement of just the outdoor unit may make sense with careful attention to compatibility. We'll tell you honestly what we find.
No — and this is one of the most common and damaging DIY "energy-saving" moves we see.
Your HVAC system was designed to move a specific volume of air through the entire duct system. When you close vents, you don't reduce the amount of air the blower is moving — you just increase the pressure against it. This causes:
If you have rooms that are always too hot or too cold, the real solution is usually a duct assessment or a discussion about zoning — not closed vents.
No. Your outdoor unit is designed and built to handle outdoor conditions year-round — rain, snow, ice, and temperature extremes. The manufacturer doesn't recommend covers, and neither do we.
Covering the unit actually creates problems: it traps moisture inside, creating a perfect environment for mold, corrosion, and rodent nesting. Mice especially love a warm, covered AC unit as a winter home — and they'll chew wiring.
One exception: if a tree overhangs the unit and drops leaves, seeds, or debris into the top, a piece of plywood weighted down on top (not covering the sides) can keep debris out without trapping moisture. Leave the sides open.
Heat pumps: never cover a heat pump outdoor unit — it runs through the winter and needs airflow to operate.
Often, but not always — and it's worth asking before you buy one at a big-box store and discover it doesn't work with your setup.
Most basic systems (single-stage furnace + single-stage AC) work with virtually any smart thermostat. But complications arise with:
Call us before you buy — we'll tell you exactly what's compatible with your system: 317-782-1900
More things than most people realize. Here's what typically voids an HVAC manufacturer's warranty:
The takeaway: annual maintenance visits with a licensed contractor aren't just about preventing breakdowns — they're protecting the warranty you paid for.
Emergency Heat (EM HT) is one of the most misunderstood settings on a heat pump thermostat. Here's what it actually does:
A heat pump heats your home in two ways: the heat pump itself (which extracts heat from outdoor air), and a backup electric resistance heater inside the air handler. Under normal operation in cold weather, both may run together — the heat pump does the heavy lifting and the backup heater assists when needed. This combination is called "auxiliary heat" (AUX HEAT).
Emergency Heat bypasses the heat pump completely and runs only the electric resistance backup. It's designed for one situation: your outdoor heat pump unit is damaged, frozen solid, or otherwise unable to run, and you need heat while waiting for repair.
Why you should almost never choose Emergency Heat yourself: Electric resistance heating is far less efficient than a heat pump — roughly 3× more expensive to run. Using Emergency Heat on a cold day when the heat pump is actually fine will spike your electric bill dramatically, and it will also prevent you from noticing that the outdoor unit isn't running.
If you see "AUX HEAT" (or "Auxiliary Heat") come on during very cold weather — that's normal and expected. The backup heater is assisting, not taking over. AUX HEAT and Emergency Heat are not the same thing.
If you genuinely have a heat pump failure and need to run Emergency Heat, call us as soon as possible: 317-782-1900
Auxiliary heat (AUX HEAT) is completely normal and expected on a heat pump — it's not a warning or an error.
When outdoor temperatures drop below a certain point (usually around 30–35°F), the heat pump alone can't keep up with your home's heat demand. At that point, the backup electric resistance heater kicks in to assist. The thermostat shows "AUX HEAT" to tell you this is happening.
On very cold Indiana days (teens or single digits), it's normal to see AUX HEAT running nearly continuously. Your system is working correctly — it's just working hard.
When to be concerned:
If you're unsure, call us: 317-782-1900
Almost certainly not — that's the defrost cycle, and it's completely normal.
In heating mode, a heat pump extracts heat from outdoor air, which causes the outdoor coil to get very cold — sometimes cold enough for frost or ice to form on it, especially in damp weather around 32–40°F. To remove that ice, the system periodically reverses itself to briefly run in cooling mode, which melts the ice off the outdoor coil.
During defrost you'll see:
Defrost cycles typically last 5–10 minutes and happen as often as every 30–90 minutes in icy conditions. After defrost, the system returns to normal heating operation.
What would be concerning: a solid block of ice that doesn't melt off, or the outdoor unit encased in ice even when temperatures are above 35°F — that suggests a refrigerant or defrost board issue. Call us.
Most standard replacements — swapping out an existing furnace or AC for a new one in the same location — are completed in one day, typically 4 to 8 hours. We arrive in the morning, remove the old equipment, install the new system, test everything, and are usually done before dinner.
Installs that take longer:
We'll give you a realistic timeline estimate when we do your free estimate. If it's going to be an overnight job, we'll tell you upfront.
Yes, you can absolutely stay home. Here's what to expect:
Keep pets and young children away from the work area. There's equipment being moved, tools and parts on the floor, and at some point refrigerant lines and electrical connections being made. It's safer and easier for everyone if pets are in another room.
Yes, in virtually all Indiana jurisdictions a permit is required for HVAC equipment replacement. We pull the permit — you don't have to do anything.
The permit process involves a local building inspector verifying that the installation meets code. This is a good thing — it's a check on quality and safety that protects you. An installation done without a permit has no such check, can create problems when you sell your home, and may affect your homeowner's insurance coverage for HVAC-related claims.
If you get a quote from a contractor who says "we don't pull permits, it's faster/cheaper" — that's a red flag. Either they don't know the requirement, or they're intentionally bypassing it. Don't hire them.
We handle permits as a standard part of every installation. It's built into the process.
Yes — and they can be stacked on top of federal tax credits. Here's the landscape as of 2026:
AES Indiana offers rebates on qualifying high-efficiency HVAC equipment for residential customers. Amounts change, but commonly $150–$300 for qualifying high-SEER air conditioners and $100–$200 for 95%+ AFUE furnaces. Check aes-indiana.com/rebates for current amounts.
Federal tax credits (25C):
These can be combined. A qualifying heat pump installation could net you a $2,000 federal tax credit plus a utility rebate from AES Indiana — meaningfully reducing your net cost.
We provide all manufacturer certification documentation needed to claim the federal credit. Call us for current rebate availability at the time of your estimate: 317-782-1900
This is a problem we're seeing more frequently — and most homeowners have no idea why it started happening.
Government efficiency mandates have required manufacturers to achieve increasingly higher SEER ratings. The engineering tradeoffs required to hit those numbers have had unintended consequences — one of which is reduced moisture removal. Many newer high-efficiency systems don't dry your home the way older systems did.
Here's something most homeowners and many technicians don't know: the best time to remove humidity is after the system has been running for about 15 minutes. A standard thermostat shuts off the moment the temperature setpoint is reached — which may be before that 15-minute window. The system cools the air temperature quickly, shuts off, and never reaches peak humidity-removal efficiency.
American Standard thermostats with the overcool feature can be programmed to keep the system running a little longer after the temperature is satisfied — specifically to capture that humidity-removal window.
If your home feels clammy, the answer may not be a new air conditioner. Sometimes the right thermostat, properly programmed, solves the problem entirely. Call us before assuming you need new equipment: 317-782-1900
Probably yes. ASHRAE, the EPA, and NIH all point to the same healthy indoor humidity range: 40–60%. Indiana winters regularly drive indoor humidity below 20% after cold outdoor air is heated.
Below 30–40% indoor humidity: dry sinuses, increased susceptibility to respiratory infections, cracking wood floors and furniture, static electricity, homes that feel colder than they actually are (meaning you run the heat higher than you need to).
Research shows that at 50% relative humidity, less than 1% of viruses remain viable after two days. Getting your home's humidity into the right range is one of the most impactful things you can do for year-round health during flu and cold season.
We offer bypass, fan-powered, and steam humidifiers. Call us to discuss what's right for your home: 317-782-1900
We don't offer duct cleaning — and we want to be straightforward about why.
Our honest assessment: unless you have a documented reason to believe there's a problem in your ductwork — significant mold growth, a rodent intrusion, visible heavy debris from a renovation — duct cleaning is generally unnecessary for most homes. It's often sold as routine maintenance, but it isn't.
What actually keeps your air clean day-to-day is a great filtration system. The American Standard AccuClean whole-home air cleaner captures particles 100 times smaller than a standard 1-inch filter can reach. For the vast majority of homeowners, a quality air cleaner does far more for ongoing air quality than a one-time duct cleaning.
One more thing: duct cleaning isn't always harmless. We had a customer who had duct cleaning done and it stirred up a heavy concentration of settled dust and dust mites throughout her home. She was unable to sleep in the house for nearly a month while things settled. We're not saying this happens every time — but it's a real risk for anyone with allergies or respiratory sensitivities.
If you're concerned, call us and we'll give you our honest read: 317-782-1900
Home warranties can be genuinely helpful — we've seen them save people real money. We've also seen them keep people from getting what they actually needed. Here's what most homeowners don't know going in.
The contractor serves two masters. When a home warranty company dispatches a contractor to your home, that contractor has a responsibility to you — but also to the warranty company, which wants the cheapest solution. This doesn't mean dishonesty — it means the system creates pressure toward the most economical repair, not necessarily the best long-term outcome.
Pre-existing conditions. Home inspectors sometimes skip HVAC tests during a home inspection. If an inspector misses an existing problem and it surfaces after you move in, the warranty company may classify it as a pre-existing condition and deny the claim. Read your contract carefully.
The refrigerant leak situation. Many warranty agreements won't authorize an electronic leak check until the leak rate is confirmed significant — often 2–3 pounds per year. You may be watching a slow leak worsen before the warranty covers the full fix.
Labor coverage when the warranty lapses. If equipment is installed under a warranty claim and you later let the warranty lapse, you lose the labor coverage going forward. The parts warranty from the manufacturer continues, but parts are only part of repair costs.
Our honest take: Know what you have. Read your contract before you need to use it. And if you ever want an independent opinion on what a warranty contractor has told you — call us.
Do you offer free estimates on new systems?
Yes. Call 317-782-1900 to schedule.
Do you pull permits?
Yes, where required by local jurisdiction.
Do you haul away the old equipment?
Yes — included in every installation.
How long does installation take?
Most standard replacements are completed in one day — 4 to 8 hours.
What payment methods do you accept?
Cash, check, and major credit cards. Financing also available.
Do you handle warranty registration?
Yes — we register your equipment with the manufacturer as part of every installation. You receive confirmation.
Are you open on weekends?
Emergency service is available 24/7. Non-emergency appointments by arrangement.
Do you service commercial HVAC?
We specialize in residential. For commercial, call and we'll discuss whether we're the right fit.
Call us — we're real people who will give you a straight answer.
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