A properly functioning HVAC system is an important for your home. A lot of people spend quite a bit to fix things when they don’t work right, but could have avoided such issues if they had maintained them properly. The tips below will help you need to know about HVAC systems.
Before you contact people to assist you in getting your system fixed, know what kind of system you’re working with in the first place. Learn the brand and the model. This will ensure that you can give your new contractor all the information they need.
Know the name and type of system before calling someone to fix it. This will enable you to give your contractor asks for this information.
Check the whole house before you call for help. Make note of which rooms are cold and which are hot. This will help your contractor quickly determine where the issue lies and how to get it fixed quickly and easily.
Know what work you want done before you hire a contractor. It will be difficult for a contractor to provide you with an estimate on the phone if they have not seen your current system. It will be way more difficult for him to assist you can’t figure out what they need to do.
To make sure your condenser fan works properly, keep the fan blades and the coils clean. Be safe and turn off the power supply before working on your HVAC unit. Clean the outdoor condenser as well.
Clean your fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Clean the outside of your condenser unit.
Clean your condenser’s fan blades and coil in the spring. Start by turning off the power to avoid having anything move when you work on it. Then take off the grill, take the blades out, and gently clean them.
Lubricate your fan condenser once a year. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal caps covering them. Use a lightweight, and put 10 drops or fewer in each port, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
When you are choosing a location for the outdoor compressor unit, it’s preferable to use a shaded area. When it draws in air for cooling, it will be more efficient because it will not need to work as hard to cool down the air.
It is a good idea to swap out single pane windows with ones that have double panes. This also help you keep in the winter.
Installing double paned windows can save a lot of money over single panes, so upgrade if you are able. Double pane windows can help minimize how much you use your air conditioner in the summer, because they keep cool air inside the home. This also helps keep it warm in the winter.
A programmable thermostat can help you out when it comes to your power bills. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from a PC or other device.
Keep your air conditioner off when people aren’t home to save you money. This will save you money on your energy bills. It will use more electricity if you keep it running.
During your service visit, the system motor will be inspected, oil the unit’s moving parts and ensure the unit has proper freon levels. These easy to do things will help your system to run at its peak performance.
It is possible for air conditioners to ice over. Many times people think there is a plumbing leak, but instead the drain line has water that is frozen. If this is something that’s happening to you, change the setting on your thermostat to the fan setting and this will disable the compressor. Once you know the problem, contact a local HVAC professional and let them know what’s going on in your system.
Fan Setting
Look for calculators online to help you determine the size of unit you need for your home. While you might think that a larger HVAC system is always better, in fact, larger systems sometimes are not the best choice for a particular space. Read over the owner’s manual to see the manufacturers suggestions as to the cooling capacity of the unit for the most accurate information.
Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line might also freeze up.If this happens, change the setting on your thermostat to the fan setting and this will disable the compressor. You should call a pro to fix this problem, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.
Prior to hiring any HVAC contractor, you should ask how long their business has operated. Obviously, a company with a longer history and a positive reputation is the better choice. Taking risks is not something that you want to do in this area.
Look for calculators online to help you determine the size of unit is necessary for your room or home. Look at the manual or on the manufacturer website for air conditioners.
Check around and get a number of quotes prior to hiring a contractor. You have the potential to save a great deal of money if you make several calls prior to reaching a final decision. You may want to get quotes from at least five contractors in order to know what you should be paying.
Companies that are well established have a better record than those that can help you decide if they’re worth your money and time. Hiring an inexperienced contractor who is just starting out can be risky.
To help your heating and cooling system run efficiently, install a radiant barrier in your attic. It blocks heat from the inside out, lowering the amount of energy needed to cool your home in the summer. You could even use your attic as part of your living space if it is done right.
There are a number of great sites these days that let customers talk about their experiences with contractors. This will be an excellent way to locate people you who is great and people that may not work well with you.
If your system doesn’t seem to be working efficiently, check your ducts for leaks. You can have your utility company test for you, sometimes for free or less than an HVAC contractor would charge. Once you fix the leaks, the savings will be more than worth the hassle.
Contractors are responsible for their own charges and fees, so make sure to get multiple quotes.You can save tons of money this way. You want to call at least a handful of contractors to find out what reasonable rates are.
Your HVAC system will run more efficiently if your windows and doors are energy efficient. Make sure seals are tight to avoid exterior air seeping in and interior air seeping out. A good professional can test this for you, and they might even do it for free.
Are you thinking about having a new heating/cooling system? You will need to take a few important things. Systems are given ratings by how effectively they can cool or heat an area. You are wise to err on the side of a unit rather than purchasing one that is a bit too small.
It is important that you know the measurements of the area you need to cool. You will need approximately 20 BTU per square foot, so calculate the necessary size based on that formula. Calculate the total square footage of all rooms if you will use the air conditioner to cool more than one room.
Check the ducts to find any leaks if you you feel your unit seems to not be working efficiently. When the leaks are repaired, you’ll see that the tests paid for themselves.
Find a HVAC company that knows its stuff. This will ensure that the job is done efficiently. A knowledgeable technician will also easily diagnose any problems with your HVAC. Once they are able to locate a problem, they should be able to fix it as fast as they can.
Make sure they have tight seals to keep air inside. You can get these tested at little to no charge by a professional to test them all for you and often this testing is free.
Only hire a contractor to install or repair your HVAC system if they offer a 24-hour hotline for emergencies. They must be able to reach your home at any time, in any weather.
Measure the area you wish to cool before buying a unit. You will need about 20 BTU per square foot in the room. If you are cooling more than one room, just add their total square footage.
Prior to hiring an HVAC contractor, check out their references. You might be shocked at what you find. It does not require much of your time.
If you have no choice but to put it in the corner, get a unit that lets you direct air flow away from any walls.
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 tells you the number of BTUs your system requires to keep the environment of your home comfortable. They should also count the number of doors and windows, check your insulation, and measure the amount of internal space in your home.
There are dishonest contractors that try to charge you more later for such things like material fees and fuel charges. Having a written contract can help to avoid issues like that.
See about getting a programmable thermostat on your HVAC unit. This will help you to regulate the temperature at all times.
Cover your condenser unit for protection in the winter.This will allow it to last longer when not in use. Use the fan instead to avoid straining the condenser unit.
An Energy Star system is really the way to go when it comes to your HVAC. Energy Star systems have guidelines that must be met. These also meet every guideline out there for efficiency. Environmental Protection Agency generally. Doing a little homework can save you a lot of money.
Always check any references that you by an HVAC contractor.
Up to 66 percent of homes have ducts that leak. This can result in as much as one fourth of your utility bills. Seal the ducts as best as you can to prevent this from happening.
These are energy efficient than other units. The guidelines are evaluated by the United States. They are called the environment and human health. Taking the time to look into these units may help you get long-term savings on energy costs.
The Energy Star label indicates specific criteria for HVACs designed to indicate high quality to consumers. This ensures efficiency that is required by the EPA. You will save on your electric bills if you purchase a unit with it.
Clearly, keeping your HVAC system running properly is of the utmost importance, and the tips presented here can help. With luck these tips will save you money. But it is up to you to follow them, so you don’t find yourself in the position to shell out thousands of dollars fixing something that could have been prevented.
Your heating ducts should be properly cleaned out on your HVAC unit to ensure it is working efficiently. Check your heating ducts weekly. Warm air can be wasted and your bill will sky rocket.
