Your home will feel comfortable with a HVAC system. Lots of homes come with this, but others may require installation or repair later on. Knowing what you time and money.
Before calling anyone to repair your system, know what system you have. Write down the brand and the model and have all maintenance records on hand. This will help you give the new contractor the necessary information.
Know the name and type of system before looking for a repair person. This will enable you to give your chosen contractor any information they need.
Regularly remove debris from outside condenser units. The dirt could pile up and harm your system. Left unchecked, your unit is more likely to break down.
Turn the power off so you don’t get hurt or break something. Then, pop off its grills, pull the blades out, and gently clean them as well as the unit itself.
Don’t let your outdoor HVAC units get smothered with clippings anytime you mow the yard. Make sure you shoot the clippings in the other direction from the unit. This also applies when you blow leaves, so be very careful near your exterior HVAC units when you move debris.
Grass Clippings
Lubricate your condenser yearly if it has oil ports. The port usually has either a rubber or metal cap on top of it. Put 10 drops of lightweight, non-detergent SAE oil in each port. Be careful not to use too much.
Don’t get grass clippings pile up against your outside unit. Aim the grass clippings in the unit. This applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in debris.
Try to choose a shady place to locate the outdoor compressor device. If you have a unit taking in air that’s cooler, it won’t have to work so hard to cool air that it sends to your home.
Your HVAC units might suffer when your trees start to lose their leaves. Make sure the fan’s grill is cleaned often during the leaves begin to fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if debris is blocking this air flow, you will end up with many headaches with the unit.
If you are a home owner, replace whatever single pane windows you have with more efficient double-paned versions. Having a double pane window helps limit your need for air conditioning during the summer months. This will help you save a lot of money.
Put your outdoor unit in the shade.
Installing a programmable digital thermostat can help save money. It may save you as much as 10 percent of your overall utility bill if you turn your thermostat down by 10-15 degrees for a portion of the day. There are also some programmable thermostats that can be controlled with a computer or other web-connected advice.
Have your heating and cooling system inspected twice per year. This should be checked often for debris and again in the spring.
If nobody is home, turn off the AC. The house will only heat up to a certain point. If will be constantly fighting the heat and using lots of electricity if it is left on all day.
Turn off your outdoor condenser units when it becomes cold out. This should be done when the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit.This simple tip will help keep the system running efficiently for years and save you a lot on repairs.
Never allow your home to get dangerously hot inside. An air conditioner can only cool your home by 20ºF quickly. If you have your home at above 100 degrees then you can only get it to about 80 or above. Depending on what the humidity is, this may not be cool enough to be a safe temperature to sleep at when recovering from the harsh summer heat.
A programmable thermostat can really help save money on air conditioning costs. Some can even be controlled from a PC or other device.
Air conditioners occasionally freeze up, literally. The drain line can freeze, making you think it’s a plumbing leak. Try switching to fan-mode and disabling your compressor to test whether the water is a leak or melting ice. If the problem persists be sure to call in a professional.
Don’t let your home get dangerously high. Air conditioners really can cool a home by just twenty degrees in a reasonable amount of 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 you should contact to do your HVAC maintenance or any installations, look online to see if you can find reviews. There are a lot of sites these days that let customers talk about their experiences with contractors. This is a good way to locate contractors that do good work and ones that are poor.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to truly understand what size of unit is necessary for your home. Look at the manual to determine the manufacturer website for this information.
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. 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.
There are a lot of great sites out there that let customers talk about their experiences with contractors. This is a good way to find contractors that do good work and ones that are poor.
You should think about putting in a radiant barrier in order to help your system run efficiently. This will block the heat that comes in. It it’s installed properly, you might even be able to use your attic as an extra room.
Are you thinking about having a HVAC system installed? You need to think about several things. Systems have a rating based on how well the system is able to cool or heat an area. You are wise to err on the side of a unit rather than purchasing one that is a smaller one.
To keep your HVAC unit running at full capacity, you should have quality doors and windows installed that are efficient. Your windows and doors should be able to stay tightly sealed so air doesn’t get in or out. You could have a professional run a test for you, and sometimes this testing is done at no charge.
Check the ducts to find any leaks if your unit seems to not up to snuff. When these leaks are fixed, you’ll see that the tests paid for themselves.
You can’t know what sized air conditioner to purchase unless you measure the area you need cooled. You can usually substitute 20 BTU for each square foot in the area to be cooled. Combine the square footage of all rooms, in the event that you will be cooling more than one.
Determine the direction that your home faces in order to establish efficient HVAC operation. The less amount of heat inside of your home, the less time your air conditioner will have to work.
If you’re only wanting to do the minimal amount of HVAC maintenance, you should work on replacing your air filter. It is an easy thing to do yourself in order to have your system running well. They are very inexpensive and well worth the time and money to replace.
If you HVAC unit is clicking, check immediately for any debris that may have accumulated in it. Often the issue is some sort of debris hitting fans in the cooling system. Check this out before spending on a repairman.
Pick out an HVAC business that is fast and knows what to do. The best HVAC companies do their best to maintain their appointments and get to their customers quickly. Someone skilled in their profession should be able to come out and give you answers right away. When they know the issue, they ought to have it fixed quickly and efficiently.
HVAC systems can be a satisfying investment for you to make in your home because they make it comfortable year-round. Remember the previous tips when you must get a new system. You will make better decisions as a result.
Hire contractors that can repair or install HVAC systems with 24-hour emergency services. They need to be able to come to you when they are needed, even if when the weather gets to be extreme.
