Everyone with a home HVAC knows that proper maintenance is important.An HVAC system wastes a bit of money. This article will give you keep your HVAC unit in tip top shape.
If you are having issues with your HVAC, do a tour of your house before you call in help. Determine which rooms are hotter or colder than they should be. Doing so can help your technician fix your HVAC issue quickly.
Know what work you need before you hire a contractor. It will be hard for a contractor to provide you a price 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.
Know what work you want done before you select an HVAC contractor. A contractor will be hard pressed to provide you with an over-the-phone estimate if unfamiliar with 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. Thus, it is worthwhile to have this knowledge ahead of time.
Clean your condenser’s fan and coils when the weather begins to warm. Clean off any leaves or debris from your condenser unit regularly.
Clean the coils and blades in your condenser at the beginning of summer. If you are doing more than a light surface cleaning, make sure that the power is shut off to the HVAC unit. Leaves and debris can build up inside the unit and cause damage.
Turn the power off first so you don’t get hurt or break something. Next, pop the grill off, pull out the blades and start cleaning them and the unit itself off gently.
Each spring, clean the fan blades and coils on your condenser. First, make sure the power is off to ensure nothing moves while you are working. Then, take the grill off, pull the blades out, and gently clean them as well as the unit itself.
Your outdoor HVAC unit may suffer when trees start to lose leaves. Make sure the fan’s grill often during the fall. The fan must stay clear in order to function, and if debris is blocking this air flow, you’ll have a lot of headaches eventually.
Lubricate your fan condenser if it has oil ports. The port usually has either a rubber or metal cap on top of it. Use a lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, putting 10 drops in each port.
Put outdoor unit in the shade.
Make certain that an outdoor unit is in the shade. The cooler air entering the unit will require less work to get to the proper temperature.
Have your heating and cooling system inspected twice a year at the least. This should be done in the fall and malfunctions.
To boost the efficiency of your HVAC system, you should put your unit in a shady place. This will help you save on your energy bill.
It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows with ones that have double pane ones. This same effect also helps retain heated air in during the colder months.
When it gets cold outside, the outdoor condenser unit should be turned off. Avoid damaging the unit by turning it off when the outdoor temperature drops below 60 degrees. You’ll pay less for repairs which you follow this tip.
During the visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, inspect the motor and the freon levels. These simple tasks will keep your HVAC system running at peak performance.
Get your HVAC unit serviced yearly. Make sure the person takes a look at the motor and examines the levels of freon. This will help your system run better.
Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line may also freeze over. If you notice this, put your thermostat over to fan. If the issue persists, call a professional.
Save some cash by shutting down the air-conditioning system when there is no one in the house. The house will only heat up to a certain point. If it’s left on all day, it will fight the heat all day, which uses quite a bit of electricity.
Companies that have been around for longer have a proven track records typically provide better service. Hiring a new contractor who is just starting out can be risky.
Online reviews are a great source of information about HVAC contractors. There are plenty of online websites that give people the opportunity to leave comments about the service they received. This will make it easier for you to find the right contractor.
Contractors charge different rates, so make sure you get quotes from several contractors before you make any hiring decision. You will be likely to save a lot of cash if you take the time to call around before you decide. You may want to call at least five contractors in order to know what you should be paying.
To help your heating and cooling system run efficiently, install a radiant barrier in your attic. It blocks the heat from inside out, reducing the energy that’s needed for your home to get cooled during the summer. If you do things right your attic can be used as a living space too.
Think about having a radiant barrier in your attic so your HVAC system. It blocks outside heat from coming in which will make sure you won’t have to use more energy to keep your home and the outside. You may even find that you can use the attic as part of your living space more effectively.
Are you thinking about having a new HVAC system installed? You could keep a few points in mind. Each system has a rating and that rating tells the area that can be effectively temperature controlled. You should buy a little bigger than necessary unit over a little smaller than necessary unit.
Are you looking at purchasing a new heating/cooling system? There are many things you should consider. Systems get rated according to the total area they can effectively cool and heat. You are better off purchasing a unit rather than purchasing one that is a smaller one.
Get a more efficient HVAC system by looking at the way your home faces. Strategically placed trees outside your home can block out the morning sun which can cause your home to overheat. A cooler home means less work for your air conditioner.
Determine the direction that your home faces in order to establish efficient HVAC operation. The less heat, the less work your AC will have to do.
If your HVAC system is clicking, look for blockages right away. This may be because debris is restricting the movement of the fan blades. That is a simple solution; just take the debris out. Check the fan and coil before you waste time contacting a professional.
If there’s a clicking in your HVAC unit, there may be something obstructing it. The issue may be debris getting into the fans of the cooling system. Check this out before you waste time contacting a repairman.
Measure the living area you wish to cool before going air conditioner shopping. You will need about 20 BTU per square footage of the room. If more than one room needs AC service, combine all the square footage.
Make sure they have tight seals to keep air inside. You can hire someone to test them.
Replace the air filter in your HVAC system every month. It is the easiest and cheapest way you can take care of it. They are very inexpensive and well worth the time and money to replace.
Measure the area you wish to cool before buying a unit. You can figure out the unit you need 20 BTU for each square foot of room space. If more than one room needs AC service, just add their total square footage.
Pick HVAC companies that know what they’re doing and can work quickly. Companies that are most reliable stick to the appointment time they give you. A professional can also perform a quick diagnosis on a faulty machine to locate the problem. Once the problem is identified, they will also be able to quickly and efficiently resolve it.
Replace the air filter monthly to keep your HVAC system every month. This will help your HVAC.
Cover your condenser in the winter. This will increase the life of your condenser. Another bit of great advice is to not run the unit’s compressor if it’s under 60 degrees outside. Use the fan.
Pick an HVAC business that is fast and works quickly to solve the problem. The best companies will ensure that their technicians will always be on schedule and keep appointments. A knowledgeable technician will also have no problem diagnosing any potential faults with your HVAC. After a quick diagnosis, it’s just a matter of time before they have it back and running properly.
Any time that you are given a quote for HVAC work, it’s vital that you them to do a heat-loss calculation, too. This factors in the amount of BTU your heating system will consume when regulating the temperature in your house. To properly calculate the heat-loss calculation, a service tech will count the number of windows and doors, calculate the square footage and determine the amount of insulation in the home.
Having read this article concerning heating, ventilation and air conditioning, you now have a thorough comprehension of what you need to do to keep things running well for the long-term. It can become very expensive to put off maintenance of your system. Bookmark these suggestions and refer back to them as needed.
To save money, try going with an HVAC unit that is an Energy Star unit. These units are energy efficient and meet the strict guidelines set for efficiency. These also meet every guideline out there for efficiency. The EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency. The research you do now can save you money down the road.
