Your home can be made much more comfortable with a good HVAC system. While many homes come with these systems in place, you may need to upgrade or replace it at some point. Knowing what an HVAC system is a great way to get the right products.
When you start making calls to get someone to help with your HVAC system, it’s a good idea to know what system you have before that phone call. Know the model and brand and find it’s maintenance history, if possible. That way you can provide the contractor with all the necessary information.
Know what type of your HVAC system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. This will enable you know that you’re able to give the contractor the information they might need.
Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to provide you with an estimate on the phone without knowing what your current setup is. It will be even harder if you cannot explain what you have done. So, you should know this beforehand.
Know what work you need before you select an HVAC contractor.It will be hard for a contractor to provide you a price estimate over the phone without knowing what your current system. It will be more difficult for him to assist you can’t figure out what they need to do.
Clean the debris on your condenser units. The dirt could pile up and harm your system. The whole thing can overheat, causing major problems and possibly an enormous expense for you.
Turn the power off first so nothing moves. Then, pop off its grills, pull the blades out, and gently clean them as well as the unit itself.
You need to lubricate parts of your fan condenser. They generally have a rubber or metal cap on them. Put about ten drops or less of a good non-detergent SAE 20 oil into each port.
Your outdoor HVAC units might suffer when your trees start to lose leaves. Make sure the fan’s grill is cleaned frequently when the leaves begin to fall. The fan must not have anything in the way so that air can flow into it, and if it is clogged, you will end up with many headaches with the unit.
When the weather cools down, turn your outdoor condenser off. If the temperature drops to under 60 degrees, you risk damage to the unit if you leave it on. This helps the system last much longer and will have to be repaired less often.
Make sure your HVAC systems is checked at least twice a year. This should be checked often for debris and the spring.
If you are a home owner, replace whatever single pane windows you have with more efficient double-paned versions. Windows that are double pane keep the cool air in and can greatly reduce the amount of time your air conditioner will need to run. Likewise, in the winter more hot air stays inside during the cold season.
Turn off any outdoor condensers you have when it’s getting cold. This should turn it off to prevent damage if the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This can keep it in good condition for many years.
Getting a programmable thermostats can be a terrific way to realize savings. These can save you around 10 percent on your heating and cooling costs by just turning it back 10 percent to 15 percent for around eight hours each day. Also, you’ll find that you can program your thermostat from a computer or anything connected to the web.
Research the reputation of companies that you consider using. Check with different references to determine the BBB and look for your situation. Doing all of this makes it more likely that you hire the best company for your HVAC needs.
Never let your home reach a dangerously hot temperature. Your average AC unit can only reduce the temperature in your home by about 20 degrees in a normal span of time. If your house’s interior temperature hits 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you would only be able to cool it down just above 80 degrees. Depending on humidity levels, this isn’t even a safe temperature for a human body to sleep at to recover from summer heat.
Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line may also freeze over. If you notice this, immediately put your thermostat on the fan setting to turn off your compressor. If this doesn’t work, call in help.
Air conditioners occasionally freeze up, literally. Many times people think there is a plumbing leak, but instead the drain line has water that is frozen. If you see this, immediately put your thermostat on the fan setting to turn off your compressor. If the issue persists, call in help.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to help you determine the size of unit you need for your home. Look in the manual to determine the manufacturer website for this information.
Before hiring an HVAC company, you need to find out how long they have been in business. Companies that are established have been proven, and you can use their track record to to determine if they provide good service. Hiring an inexperienced contractor can be risky.
There are now different online sites that allow customers talk about their experiences with different services. This is useful for finding people that you want to hire and those that you don’t.
Check reviews online to find professional help. Many online review sites provide an avenue for this information. This is a great way to find people you want to work with and those you don’t want to work with.
Figure out which direction your home faces in order to make your HVAC system can work better. The less your home is heated, the less work your AC will have to do.
Each contractor will have their own fee schedule, so make sure you get several different quotes before you hire anybody. If you call around before making a final decision, it can save you a lot of money in the end. Contact a minimum of five contractors so you can determine realistically what the price will be.
If you HVAC unit is clicking, check immediately for any debris that may have accumulated in it. Sometimes there is debris that gets in the cooling system fans. Look carefully at this prior to calling a technician.
If you hear a clicking in the HVAC unit at home, see if there are any obstructions right away. Often the issue is some sort of debris that’s hitting the fans in the cooling system. You just have to take out the obstruction and the problem is solved. Look before calling in a technician.
Make certain they are tightly sealed so air can’t seep in. You can get a professional out to help you test them.
Make sure that your doors and windows are efficient. Your windows and doors should be able to stay tightly sealed so air doesn’t get in or out. You can get a professional out to help you test things and a lot of the time the testing costs nothing.
Replace the air filter monthly to keep your HVAC system every month. This is an easy thing to do and it will keep your unit run properly.
Measure the area that needs cooling before buying a unit. In general, you need 20 BTU for each square foot. If you are cooling more than one room, sum their areas.
Pick HVAC business that understands the unit and works quickly to solve the problem. The best companies keep the technicians will always be on schedule. The technicians need to also know what to do to figure out what’s going wrong with an HVAC in no time. When they know what the problem is, they ought to have it fixed quickly and efficiently.
Before you decide on the location of your air conditioning unit, take a look at the air flow direction. For a corner location, check for a unit that has the ability to direct the air flow in a different direction from the wall.
If it must be in a corner, use one that doesn’t blow into the wall.
You should always ask a contractor a few simple questions before hiring them for a job, such as how long they’ve been working in this field. Make sure they are experienced with the kind of work that is needed. That isn’t to say that a worker with less experience can’t handle the job, we all have to start somewhere, but it’s not a chance you should take.
Ask a contractor about their experience.You need to verify they have done the type of experience needed to work you require.
Get references from anyone you are considering hiring. Call and ask if their service was everything they expected, timely, and that it stayed on budget. This will help you stay away from scam artists, but only if you call those references!
A good HVAC system is worth its weight in gold. If you have to upgrade, keep these tips handy. This can help you make a solid guess as to what to buy so that you can get a system you’re content with.
When you get someone to work on your HVAC, make sure you know what the total cost includes. Unfortunately, there are a few unscrupulous contractors that will tack un-discussed charges onto your bill. When you have a solid contract, these problems can be avoided.
