It is frustrating to have a failing HVAC system when the weather is at it’s peak.Learning as much as you can about HVAC systems prior to contacting a professional will help you choose the right person to repair it. Read on to learn how to do just that.
Before calling for help, know the system you have. Know the model and brand and find it’s maintenance history, if possible. In this way, you can be sure your repair person has all vital information.
If your HVAC doesn’t seem to be working properly, check out each room in your house before calling for assistance. This will help the contractor determine where the problem is and how to fix it.
If you are having issues with your HVAC, do a tour of your house before you call in help. You will be looking to see which of your rooms feel hotter or colder than they should be. This can help contractors quickly figure out the issue and how to fix it easily and quickly.
Hvac Contractor
Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. They won’t be able to offer you a quote if they haven’t seen your system. They also won’t be able to offer you a quote if they don’t have a detailed idea of what you want done. Having this information handy will make the process much smoother.
Know what work you need before you select an HVAC contractor.It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to provide you a price estimate over the phone without knowing what your current setup is. It will be way more hard if you don’t know what’s wrong.
In order to keep your outside condenser fan running efficiently, make sure the coils and the fan blades are cleaned before the cooling season begins. Always shut the power off before doing any work or cleaning on the unit. Additionally, it’s important to clear out leaves and other debris from the outside condenser unit.
Clean the debris that accumulates on your condenser unit. Debris can pile up at rates that increase during rainy or windy weather, bringing potential damage with it. It can cause a disaster with your unit.
Be sure to clean the fan blades and coils of the condenser fan. First, turn the power off so nothing moves when you’re working with it. Take the grill off and pull the blades out to clean them.
Don’t get grass clippings pile up against your outside unit. Direct the grass clippings away from the equipment. This applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in debris.
When selecting a location for an outdoor compressor, opt for a shady area, if possible. This will limit the work that it has to do.
Your HVAC units might suffer when your trees start to lose their leaves. Make sure the unit’s fan grill is cleaned often during the fall. The fan must not have anything in the way so that air can flow into it, and if it becomes blocked, then your system could suffer.
If you want things to be more efficient, get new units outside or have your current one moved into the shade. It will reduce the temperature of the air going into the unit, meaning that it will not have to work as hard to cool it.
Lubricate your condenser at least once each year. These are often covered by a rubber or metal cap. Use a lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
Make sure you have your HVAC system checked at least twice a year. It’s best to have it checked before you turn it on for the summer and again for the winter. You should have it looked at even if no problems are occurring; there could still be a problem or potential problem.
Put outdoor condensers in places with shade.
Replace any single-paned windows with double-paned versions. During the summer, the use of double-pane windows will help keep the cool air locked inside of the home. This also works during the cold months to keep the warm air inside.
Turn off any outdoor condensers you have when the weather turns cold. This means that you should be done when the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This will maximize the system running efficiently for many years to come.
Installing a programmable digital thermostat can help save money. Programmable thermostats can automatically dial back settings, saving you money. You can often control it from your mobile phone!
A programmable thermostat can help save money on air conditioning costs. Some can even be controlled from your smart phone or computer.
If you want your energy costs to go down, have the heating an cooling system you own serviced every year at least. During this service visit, they will inspect the motor of the system, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. This will keep you energy efficient and comfortable.
During your service visit, the contractor will oil parts, oil the unit’s moving parts and ensure the unit has proper freon levels. These things will boost the performance of your system running at peak performance.
If everyone is out, turn the air conditioner off. Turning it off does allow the temperature to rise, but only so far. Leaving your heating or cooling running full blast while you are away is a waste of money and energy.
Don’t let your home to become dangerously hot. An AC unit is really only able to reduce the internal temperature by twenty degrees in a fair time. If your home become 100F or more, 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.
If you don’t know who to call to maintenance, repair, or install your HVAC, search for reviews online. Lots of sites exist where customers can leave feedback and reviews. This works both in finding those you want to hire and also with those you want to avoid.
Research the companies before hiring them. Check with the BBB and online reviews posted by former customers. These simple steps are going to help to ensure your decision is a wise one.
You shouldn’t rely on a single quote from one contractor to gauge the cost, because different specialists set their own price. You should save some money this way. To get the best picture and get an idea of what rates are reasonable, call five or six different contractors.
If your HVAC system is producing any type of clicking sounds, see if there are any obstructions right away. Often the issue is some sort of debris hitting the fans in the cooling system. Check it out before spending on a professional.
If your system isn’t working as it should, test its ducts for leaks. The local utility may be able to test for you, and their services are frequently free or low cost. When the leaks are repaired, you’ll find that the testing paid for itself.
Make sure they are tightly sealed so air inside. You can also hire someone to test things and a lot of the time the testing costs nothing.
To keep your HVAC unit running at full capacity, you should have quality doors and windows installed that are efficient. They should have tight seals so outside air cannot get in and inside air can not get out. Testing for energy efficiency may be free, if you are interested in hiring a professional to find out.
Square Footage
When determining which size of air conditioner to buy, first measure the area which needs to be cooled. For each square foot you’ll need 20 BTU of cooling power. If you need to cool multiple rooms, make sure to add the square footage together.
Measure the living area you wish to cool before going air conditioning. You can usually substitute 20 BTU per square footage of the room. If multiple rooms need cooling, be sure to add their square footage together.
Be sure to select an experienced and competent HVAC company. Companies who understand their customers are important often require their workers to follow a schedule and show up to all appointments. These techs should be able to figure out what is up with an HVAC rather quickly. Once they are able to locate a problem, they should be able to fix it as fast as they can.
When you think you want to get HVAC help it may be hard to think about because there are so many options out there. This article has given you the things you need to know to be confident. Hopefully you are now prepared to take all of this on so that you can work on this if you have problems in the future.
When deciding where to place your AC, condition the direction of air flow. If it has to be placed in a corner, get a unit where the air won’t be trapped against the wall.
