The level of your home are very important. That is why it is important to keep your HVAC has to be in tip top shape. If you don’t care for your HVAC, things will cost a lot to fix and it will be hard to live with it all. Here are some suggestions to help you keep your HVAC system running smoothly.
Before calling for help, know the system you have. Take a look at the system or the owner’s manual to find the name and model number. This will facilitate the process when your contractor asks for this information.
Know the name and type of your HVAC system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. This will enable you to give your chosen contractor any information they need.
Help the outside condenser fan run efficiently by cleaning the coils and fan blades before the summer starts. Make sure your power is off before doing more than cleaning, such as working on the unit. Also, be sure to clear leaves and debris from your condenser unit.
Clean the condenser on your debris off your outdoor condenser unit. You don’t know when things are going to pile up, like right after it’s windy or rains, and that can throw a wrench in your system. It can cause your system by overheating.
Each spring, try cleaning the fan blades and coils on the condenser fan. Turn it off first so you don’t get hurt or break something. Then remove the grill, remove the blades and clean it from top to bottom gently.
Turn the power off first 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.
Make sure clippings don’t get on your outdoor units when your mowing your lawn. Try shooting the clippings away from it. Also do this when blowing leaves or shoveling snow.
Don’t get grass clippings pile up against your outside unit. Aim your grass cuttings in a different direction from the unit. This also applies when you are taking care of the leaves in the yard.
The HVAC unit in your home can become damaged from falling leaves. Be sure to clean your fan grill frequently when trees nearby are shedding. Your fan needs an unobstructed way to get air inside, and the more blocked up it becomes, the more headaches will develop for you with the system.
Sae 20 Oil
If you want things to be more efficient, get new units outside or have your current one moved into the shade. If the air your machine draws in is already cooler, it will require less energy to regulate before it’s filtered into your home.
Lubricate your fan condenser at least once each year. You can easily find the ports covered with rubber or metal cap. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
It is very important that your HVAC system is serviced two times a year. This should be done in the fall and again in the spring. Even if nothing seems wrong, checking it out can help you find and fix potential issues.
Put your outdoor units in places with shade.
Installing a programmable digital thermostat can help save money. 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 can find a thermostat that is controllable from a computer or smart phone.
A programmable thermostat is a simple way to help you save money on your air conditioning costs. Some can even be controlled from a PC or other device.
You should have your HVAC system inspected at least once, but preferably twice, per year. When they come out for a service visit, expect inspections of freon levels and the motor, and they will oil all the moving parts. Your unit will last longer this way.
Never let your home reach a dangerously hot inside. Air conditioners really can only cool a home down 20 degrees or so within a reasonable time period. If the temperature in your home rises to 100 degrees F or higher, 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.
Research and check the reputation of companies before hiring them. A good start would be the BBB to see if there are any complaints, then search online for review sites where you can see what actual customers had to say about their experience. These steps are going to help to ensure your decision is a wise one.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to truly understand what size of unit you need for your home. Look in the manual to determine the recommended size for air conditioners.
Did you know an AC unit can freeze? There are sometimes also freezes that happen in a drain line, and this can be confused for a plumbing leak. Use the fan-only setting to allow the system time to thaw. The fan setting can help melt some of the ice, but you should still call a professional to check your unit out.
Companies that are well established have a better record than those that haven’t been. Hiring a new contractor may be taking a considerable risk.
It can be confusing to figure out what the correct HVAC system size is for your home, but you can solve this with the help of a sizing calculator. Buying a unit which is too big reduces efficiency. Check the manufacturer’s handbook to see what amount of space the unit can effectively cool.
There are a lot of sites these days that let customers share their service experiences. This is a good way to locate contractors that do good work and ones that you don’t.
Make certain that you get written estimates before you hire a contractor. Save yourself some money by calling around before you make your final decision. Call around 5 contractors so that you can get the best deal possible.
Check the ducts to find any leaks if your unit seems to not be working efficiently. When you repair the leaks, you may see that the testing pays for itself.
Put a radiant barrier in your attic and what your HVAC performance improve. 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.
Determine the direction that your home faces in order to establish efficient HVAC operation. The cooler your home already is, the easier time the air conditioner in your home will have.
Are you considering purchasing a new heating and cooling system? You need to think about a few important things. First, the rating a system has indicates how much area they can warm up or cool down. It is better to purchase a slightly larger than needed unit, rather than a slightly smaller than needed unit.
If you hear a clicking noise coming from the HVAC unit, look for blockages right away. Often it is being caused by debris that’s hitting fans in the cooling system. Check the fan and coil before spending on a contractor.
Use an HVAC company who has a lot of experience in the field. Good companies attend to their customers in a timely manner. Contractors ought to be able to find the problem quickly. After they see what the problem is, they should be able to get the work done quickly for your sake.
Measure the area you wish to cool before buying a unit. You generally need 20 BTU per square foot of room space. If you need to cool multiple rooms, get their square footage added together.
When you hire a contractor, make sure you ask for some references. Talk to those references to find out if they were pleased with the service they received. Also, it will prevent you from getting robbed.
If you have to place it in a corner of your home, get a unit where the air won’t be trapped against the wall.
Only hire a contractor to install or repair your HVAC system if they offer a 24-hour hotline for emergencies. You want a company that will be there when you need them.
Ask any potential contractor about their experience prior to hiring them. You need to verify they have the sort of experience needed to work you require.
Understand the costs beforehand with your HVAC unit. There are contractors out there that will make you pay for extra things like charges for fuel or materials. This is why getting estimates in writing is so important.
Any HVAC contractor you hire should have a 24-hour emergency number available to customers around the clock. They should be there when you need them, whether during a heatwave or a terrible snowstorm.
Cover your condenser in the winter. It prolongs the lifespan. Never use the compressor when the temperature outside is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Switch on the fan instead and do not put strain on the unit.
Some contractors attempt to charge you after the work is complete for items like materials and fuel. A written contract that covers the basics will prevent this materializes.
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 information is used to determine the number of BTUs your system should be. They need to count your windows, doors, check the insulation, and measure how much space your home has in it.
This determines the number of BTUs needed to maintain comfort in your system should be.
Talk to your contractor about putting in a smart thermostat. These newer thermostats will help you to save more money on electricity because you can program them to shut off anytime you want them to.
These types of units meet strict guidelines for efficiency. The guidelines are established by the EPA. They are in charge of protecting the EPA for short.Taking time to fully research various units may help you get long-term savings on energy costs.
Sixty-six percent of houses have leaky ducts. Leaky ducts will add significantly to your power bill each month. It is easy and cheap to fix the ducts yourself, and it will save you on your bills every month.
Choose a contractor who installs Energy Star products. This will ensure that your system has met the product is more efficient than those without it. This can help you save more on your expenses throughout the year.
Make sure your HVAC ducts are cleaned often so that the system works properly. Check out the ducts every so often to make sure they are not damaged in any way. Ducts that are damaged can increase your heating bill by wasting the warm air.
Keep your condenser unit protected when it’s getting colder. This can be done by putting a thick cover on it.
As the weather gets colder, make sure that you protect your condenser unit. This can easily be done by putting a thick cover on it. Do not implement this unit if the temperature outside dips below 60 degrees, as your system will not be as effective below this temperature.
Make sure that your owner’s manual in handy when your unit is being operated. The manual is going to give you quite a few things to learn about the unit you have and will be very useful.
You should now have a better idea of how to keep that HVAC unit running smoothly. Don’t allow things to go bad because you don’t pay attention to doing maintenance. These tips will help you keep your unit maintained and should help you if you ever need it replaced as well.
