Regular Maintenance

If you’re a Houston homeowner, you know the drill: The weather drops below 60°, social media erupts with “winter is here” memes, and you finally switch your thermostat from “cool” to “heat — just for tonight.” But then it happens. Your heater kicks on and suddenly… your entire home smells weird. Burning. Musty. Metallic. A faint electrical tang. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes it’s “did something just catch on fire??”

Drafts might feel like a small nuisance — that little chill you notice when you walk past a window or sit by the back door. But those tiny leaks? They’re actually one of the biggest reasons Houston homeowners waste money on energy bills. The U.S. Dept of Energy estimates that 25–40% of heating and cooling energy loss comes from air leaks. In Houston, where AC is practically a year-round utility bill and heaters make surprise appearances during cold snaps, sealing drafts pays

When you think “winter problem,” you probably picture burst pipes and blizzards—aka, not Houston. Our winters are mild, short, and a little moody. But here’s the twist: winter is when indoor air quality (IAQ) quietly becomes a big deal. We close windows, spend more time inside, kick on the heat—then recirculate the same air day after day. If your home’s air was a playlist, winter is when it gets stuck on repeat.

Here’s the thing about Houston winters: they’re mild compared to up north, but they’re also unpredictable. One week it’s 80°, the next week you’re wondering if the pipes will freeze. That constant up-and-down has Houstonians running their HVAC systems in weird patterns — heat in the morning, AC by afternoon. It’s also when energy efficiency myths start circulating faster than the neighborhood group text about the next cold front.

Let’s be honest — Houston isn’t exactly Minneapolis. We’re not shoveling snow off the driveway or layering thermal socks just to get the mail. But when those cold fronts roll in, the chill can catch you off guard (and yes, 40° feels like the Arctic when you’re used to triple-digit summers). So what kind of heating makes the most sense for Houston homes: gas or electric? The answer depends on your home, your budget, and your tolerance for utility bills. Here’s the breakdown.

We hear this one all the time: “It barely gets cold here — do I really need a furnace tune-up?” Short answer: yes. Long answer: absolutely, yes. Even though Houston winters are mild, your furnace still plays a critical role in your comfort and safety. When temperatures drop, you don’t want to discover your furnace is more “decorative” than functional. And beyond comfort, skipping your tune-up can expose you to serious risks.

Buying a home is a big deal — equal parts exciting, nerve-wracking, and financially terrifying. Between inspections, appraisals, and trying to figure out if your couch will fit in the new living room, there’s one thing you cannot afford to overlook: the HVAC system. In Houston, where air conditioning is basically a life-support system, ignoring the HVAC is like buying a car without asking if the engine works.

Fall in Houston is… unpredictable. One day it’s sweater weather, the next you’re wondering why you ever put the shorts away. We get 50° mornings and 85° afternoons, sometimes in the same 24 hours. And while that’s mildly amusing when you’re trying to pick an outfit, it’s not funny when your HVAC system decides it’s not up for the challenge. That’s why fall is the perfect time to give your system some TLC. Here’s your ultimate fall HVAC maintenance checklist — Houston style.

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: the average home loses 20–30% of conditioned air through leaky ductwork. Translation? You’re paying to cool your attic, your crawlspace, and possibly your neighbor’s attic too. Your ducts are the hidden highways of your HVAC system, quietly moving air from point A (your unit) to point B (your living room). But when they spring a leak, those highways turn into toll roads you’re footing the bill for. So how do you know if your ductwork is betraying y

If we had a dollar for every time we heard, “It just needs more Freon”, we could retire and spend our days on a beach somewhere cooler than Houston in August. But here’s the deal — most of what you’ve heard about Freon (and other refrigerants) is about as accurate as a weather forecast from 1987. Let’s clear the air.

Houston summers are no joke. We’ve got heat that could fry an egg on your driveway and humidity that makes you question every life choice involving a blow dryer. But what happens when your AC decides it’s going to pull an all-nighter… every night? While it might seem like your system is just trying to help, an AC that runs nonstop can be a sign something’s not right — and it can run your energy bill higher than a Buc-ee’s billboard.

Summer in Texas hits hard — and when your A/C decides to start blowing hot air, it hits even harder. One moment you're standing in front of a vent expecting sweet relief, and the next you're wondering whether your A/C is working or if you're just imagining it. At Velocity Air A/C & Heating, we hear this complaint all the time, especially once temperatures reach “walking into a sauna” levels.

Summer in Texas is no joke. Your A/C becomes the MVP of your home — but even the best system can struggle if your air ducts are packed with dust, debris, or that weird mystery fluff no one wants to talk about. Most homeowners forget about their ductwork because it’s out of sight. But if you’re a hardcore DIYer (and not afraid of a little dust), cleaning your air ducts yourself is absolutely doable.

Ah, summer in Houston — when the humidity hugs you tighter than your grandma at Thanksgiving and your air conditioner becomes your best friend. But if you start noticing tiny, fuzzy bugs fluttering near your vents, your HVAC system might be hosting some uninvited guests: drain flies. Also called moth flies or sewer gnats, these little pests thrive in warm, damp environments — and your A/C’s condensate drain line or drip pan is the perfect vacation spot.