Though you should keep your home’s HVAC system running well, not everyone knows how to do it well. Learning about selecting the best HVAC professional replacement or repair your system is a wise move for any smart thing homeowners can do. The article that follows below can assist you.
If you’ve been having trouble with an HVAC system, look around your home before calling in people to help. Pay attention to which areas of the house are warm and which ones are cool. This gives the repairer a starting point to work from.
If your HVAC doesn’t seem to be working properly, do a tour of your house before you call in help. This will help the contractor determine where the problem is.
Think about what improvements you want made before picking an HVAC contractor. It is going to be hard to get a price estimate on the phone if the current system isn’t something they’ve seen. They need to come look at the unit. It’s important to know this beforehand.
Clean the debris on an external condenser unit. Debris can pile up after a storm, and this can foul up the inner workings of your system.It can cause a disaster with your system to malfunction by overheating.
Clean your condenser’s fan blades and coil in the spring. Before you begin cleaning the unit, make sure that it is unplugged. Then you need to get the grill popped off and get the blades out so you can clean them and your unit gently.
Turn it off so nothing moves.Next, pop the grill off, pull out the blades and start cleaning them and the unit itself off gently.
When you cut the grass, don’t cover the outdoor units with their clippings. Make sure the grass does not get in your unit. Make sure you move around the unit and blow the leaves away from it while blowing your leaves.
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. Look for an oil that is lightweight and then put about 10 drops inside the port. You don’t want to put in too much.
Don’t get grass clippings pile up against your outside unit. Direct the grass clippings in a direction away from the equipment. This also applies when you are taking care of the leaves in the yard.
Put outdoor condensers in 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.
Your outdoor HVAC units might suffer when your trees start to lose their leaves. Make sure you clean out your fan grill often during the fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if it gets blocked, you will have to contend with problems.
Be sure you have the HVAC unit in your home checked about two times every year. Ideally, you should have it looked at in the spring and fall so you know everything is set for the hot and cold months. Although there might not be any noticeable issues, it is important to provide regular upkeep to prevent bad things from happening.
Lubricate your condenser at least once each year. You can easily find the ports covered with rubber or metal caps. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, putting 10 drops in each port.
If you can, install double-paned windows throughout your home. Double pane windows can minimize the use of your air conditioner in hot weather since they keep the indoor air cooler. This will also help you keep in heat when it gets cold.
Put your outdoor unit in the shade if you are installing them.
Save energy use and money by turning off the air conditioner if there is nobody home. 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 unit will use a large amount of electricity to combat the heat during the day when the house is empty.
It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows with ones that have double panes. This same effect also keeps warm air in the winter.
Your home should not have temperatures that are too hot. Air conditioners really can only cool a home down about 20 degrees Fahrenheit within a reasonable amount of time. If your home happens to get near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then you will only be able to reasonably cool to around 80. When you factor in humidity, this can still be dangerously hot for the human body at rest.
A programmable thermostat can help save money on air conditioning costs. Some programmable thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or other device.
When you’re purchasing an HVAC system, make sure that you get a unit that is properly sized for your space. Proper sizing will increase efficiency. Always look through the manual as well.
During the service check, they will inspect the motor of the system, inspect the motor and the freon levels. These few simple tasks will help keep your system running smoothly.
Prior to hiring any HVAC contractor, you should ask how long their business has operated. Companies that are well established have track records that can help you decide if they’re worth your money and time. Hiring a newer contractor may be taking a considerable risk.
Never allow your home to rise to a dangerously high level. An AC unit will reduce the temperature by twenty degrees in a short time span. If the temperature in your home reaches 100 degree Fahrenheit, you’ll only cool down to still above 80. This won’t be a safe and comfortable temperature for you to sleep in.
Check the Internet for reviews on those who fix or install HVAC systems. There are plenty of online websites that give people the opportunity to leave comments about the service they received. This is a great way to find people you want to work with and those you don’t want to work with.
Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line might also freeze up.If you notice this, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. You should leave the repair to a professional, but switching to the fan will make the ice melt.
Ask for quotes from multiple contractors. Save yourself some money by calling around before you make your final decision. Try to contact a minimum of five contractors.
There aren’t many things that can help you more with your home than an HVAC system that works in the right way. But, if you are unfamiliar with the basics of these systems, it can break down prematurely. These suggestions should help you to keep your system running well.
When your unit is clicking, immediately go out and look to see if anything is inside it. Most of the time such a noise is created by an object striking the blades of the fan in the system. Get rid of this obstruction and that should take care of the problem. Look carefully at it before you call up a service technician.
