Follow these helpful tips to put yourself in the best position.
Before you start calling to find someone to fix your unit, make sure you know the type of system that is installed. Know the model and brand and find it’s maintenance history, if possible. This helps make sure the contractor has the information they will need.
If you have some problems with the HVAC system, tour your home before calling a technician. This will help the contractor determine what the problem is and how to fix it.
Before an HVAC expert comes to your home to do any repair work, walk around the home and check out the temps in every room. Determine which rooms feel cold and which feel hot. This will allow a contractor to quickly figure out what the issue is and how it can be fixed fast.
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Clean your condenser’s fan blades and coil in the spring. Before you get started, cut the power. Then you need to get the grill popped off and get the blades out so you can clean them and your unit gently.
Know what you want done before you select an HVAC contractor. It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to give you with an estimate over the phone if they have not seen your current system. It will be more hard if you can’t figure out what they need to do.
When the leaves start to fall, the HVAC equipment can be harmed. Make certain you are cleaning the fan grill often if trees nearby have leaves that are falling. The fan needs unobstructed air flow, and if debris is blocking this air flow, then your system could suffer.
Clean the debris that accumulates on your condenser units. You never know when things can pile up, like right after it’s windy or rains, and that can ruin your system. It can also cause the unit to overheat and break down.
If the fan on your condenser includes oil ports, they must be lubricated annually. The port usually has either a rubber or metal cap on top of it. Put about ten drops or less of a good non-detergent SAE 20 oil into each port.
Your outdoor HVAC unit may suffer when your trees lose their leaves. Make sure the unit’s fan grill is cleaned often during the leaves begin to fall. The fan must stay clear in order to function, and if it becomes blocked, you’ll have a lot of headaches eventually.
It is very important that your HVAC system is serviced two times a year. Check into it twice a year before you head into the hot and cold months. A quick check is worth it to avoid problems down the road.
Put your outdoor unit in the shade.
Turn off your outdoor condenser when it’s getting cold. This means that you should turn it off to prevent damage if the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This will help keep your HVAC system in good health for years, which means you will save on repair bills.
Install a thermostat you can program to save energy costs. Some programmable thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or computer.
It is always a good idea to swap out single pane windows for double pane ones. During the summer, the use of double-pane windows will help keep the cool air locked inside of the home. It also facilitates heat retention in winter.
Don’t let your house get overly hot. An AC unit is really only able to reduce the temperature of your home approximately twenty degrees in a fair time. If the temperature in your home rises above 100 degrees, then you will only be able to reasonably cool to around 80. This won’t be a safe and comfortable temperature for you to sleep in.
In order to keep energy costs down, make sure heating and cooling systems are services at least once per year. During the service check, the system motor will be inspected, the moving parts will be oiled and the freon levels will be checked These simple tasks will help keep your HVAC system running smoothly.
Look for calculators online to help you determine the size of unit is necessary for your home. Look in the manual to determine the recommended size for this information.
Keep your air conditioner off when people aren’t home to save you money. By raising the temperature from, for example 78 to 80, your house will be warmer, but only up to 80 before your AC kicks in. If you decide to set the temperature to 82 or 83 or so on, your AC won’t go on until it reaches that temperature. The longer the unit stays on, the more it ends up costing you in energy bills.
Companies with proven track record that you can use to decide if they are worth the time and money. Hiring a newer contractor means taking a considerable risk.
Some air conditioners can ice up. Freezes also occur in your drain line. These freezes are easily confused as leaks to the untrained eye. Change your thermostat in situations like this. While switching the system to the fan setting should begin the ice melting process, the best thing to do is to hire a professional to deal with the problem.
Speak with someone close to you to see if they can recommend someone good to service their HVAC contractor. People will tell you who have had a good experience are worth calling. This will also provide you to figure out some names of businesses that you should avoid hiring.
When you need the services of an HVAC professional, ask your friends and family if they can recommend someone to you. You should be able to find someone that has had a good experience. This can also be used to see who you should avoid.
Think about getting a radiant barrier installed in your attic so your HVAC system. It blocks outside heat from coming in which will serve as a barrier between your home cool when it’s hot outside. You may even find that you can use the attic as part of your living space more effectively.
You can always search the Internet when you aren’t entirely sure who you should call for proper HVAC repair or maintenance. There are a number of great sites out there that let customers talk about how they were treated by services. This can help filter out the people you would like to work with.
Figure out which direction your home is facing so your HVAC system can work better. The less amount of heat inside of your home, the easier time the air conditioner in your home will have.
Contractors are responsible for their own charges and fees, so make sure you get quotes from several contractors before you make any hiring decision. You should save some money this way. Compare the rates of at least 5 or 6 contractors to help you decide on the most reasonable rate for the job you need done.
Make sure they are tightly sealed so air inside. You can hire a professional.
Check out your ductwork for leaks if your whole home isn’t being cooled or heated. Call your utility company and ask if they test for free, as many do. You’ll see the test pays for itself once all leaks are fixed.
Measure the living area that needs cooling before going air conditioner shopping. You generally need about 20 BTU per square foot of the room. If you are cooling more than one room, just add their total square footage.
If you HVAC unit is making a clicking sound, check immediately for any debris that may have accumulated in it. Sometimes debris interferes with the cooling system fans. Removing the debris solves the issue. Take a look before calling a service technician.
Pick an HVAC business that is fast and works quickly to solve the problem. The most reliable companies will ensure that their technicians stay on schedule. A licensed technician should also easily diagnose any problems with your HVAC. After a quick diagnosis, it’s just a matter of time before they have it back and running properly.
Pick out an HVAC business that is fast and knows what to do. A reliable company will arrive on time and have the job finished in a jiffy. Techs must be knowledgeable about diagnosing and repairing your system quickly. When they know the issue, they ought to have it fixed quickly and efficiently.
If you can only put the unit in the corner, be sure you can change the direction of air flow to avoid having it hit the wall.
When placing your AC unit, think about the direction the air will flow. Make sure you have plenty of air flow control options if you are forced to install the unit in a corner.
Ask any potential contractor about their experience prior to hiring them. You need to verify they have done the type of experience needed to work you require.
Ask any contractor you’re thinking of hiring for references. It helps to find out whether prior customers were satisfied with their overall experience. If you check references carefully, you can avoid being scammed.
Any HVAC contractor you hire should have a 24-hour emergency number available to customers around the clock. They should be able to get to your home whenever you need them there, whether during a heatwave or a terrible snowstorm.
Find an HVAC contractor that can be contacted 24 hours a day, in case of an emergency. Whether a hurricane just blew through or it’s the hottest day of the year, they need to be able to come and fix your system.
Some contractors attempt to overcharge you after the work is complete for fuel charges. Having a written contract will let you avoid issues like this.
Make sure you know about the cost of HVAC work when getting a contractor to work on it. Some contractors will attempt to overcharge you on material fees and other charges. Solidly written contracts let you prevent such issues.
If you want to live comfortably, your HVAC has to be in good working condition. Without proper maintenance, you will not feel comfortable in your home. You can avoid this catastrophe by reading the tips above once more and implementing them within your home.
Cover your condenser unit for protection in the winter time. This helps protect your unit from damage. Also, it is not a good idea to run a compressor when the temperature dips below 60 degrees. Switch your fan on instead so the unit doesn’t get strained.
