Coming home to an HVAC unit is no fun. The tips are great for helping you in this process.
Check the whole house before you call for help. Figure out which rooms are hot and cold. That knowledge can help the technician figure out what is going on.
Know the name and type of your HVAC system before calling someone to fix it. This will help you to give the new contractor the necessary information.
Clean your fan and coils when the weather begins to warm. Always make sure you shut off the power before you do any work on the unit other than superficial cleaning. In addition, always remove all debris such as leaves from the outside condenser unit.
Know what work you want done before you hire a contractor. A contractor will not be able to give you an over-the-phone estimate if unfamiliar with your system. It will be more difficult for him to assist you can’t figure out what they need to do.
Clean the debris off your outdoor condenser unit. Wind can pile up all sorts of debris against its grill. It could overheat and cause a disaster with your unit.
Clean any debris that accumulates on your condenser units. You don’t know when things are going to pile up, especially after a windy or rainy storm, and that can ruin your system. It can cause your unit.
Lubricate your fan condenser at least once a year. These ports are often covered by a rubber or metal cap. Your oil should be an SAE 20. This particular oil is very lightweight and it only requires about 10 drops per port.
Turn it off first so nothing moves. Next, pop off the grill, put the blades out and start to gently clean them along with the unit.
Check your unit at least twice each year. It’s best to have it checked before you turn it on for the summer and again for the winter. Whether you know of problems or not, good maintenance will help you to avoid future issues.
Don’t get grass clippings pile up against your outside unit. Direct the clippings in a direction away from the equipment. This also applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in the yard.
When the weather cools down, turn your outdoor condenser off. If temps go below 60 you run the risk of damaging a unit that remains on. Your system will work longer for you this way.
Leaves and debris can wreak havoc with your system. Make sure the fan’s grill is cleaned frequently when the fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if it is clogged, you will have to contend with problems.
Don’t allow your home to become dangerously hot. Air conditioners only cool down a home by 20 degrees. The temperature will only reduce to about 80 if your home heats up to 100 degrees. This won’t be a healthy environment to live in.
Sae 20 Oil
Before you invest in any HVAC contractor, make sure you spend a good deal of time researching their reputations and credentials. Check with different references to determine the best one for your situation. These steps can help ensure you make the smartest and most informed choice.
Lubricate your fan condenser yearly if it has oil ports. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal caps covering them. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
Find out how many years an HVAC company has been in business before you hire them. This will ensure that you find someone who knows their stuff. It is riskier to hire someone who does not have a long history.
Put your outdoor units in places with shade.
Your friends or family likely have recommendations for a local HVAC specialist. People who’ve had great service are usually willing to tell of it. This will also help you avoid bad companies.
Make sure you have your HVAC systems is checked at least twice a year. This should be checked often for debris and the spring.
Online reviews are a great source of information about HVAC contractors. There are many review sites you can check out. This is an excellent method of finding contractors that you are interested in dealing with as well as those that you want to avoid.
Turn off your outdoor condenser when weather turns cold. This should turn it off to prevent damage if the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This helps your system remain in good working for years and save you a lot on repairs.
Put a radiant barrier in your attic and what your HVAC performance improve. This type of barrier will help to block heat, which in turn will help your system work less at cooling your home. You could even use your attic as part of your living space if it is done right.
Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line may also freeze over. If you notice this, disable the compressor by turning your thermostat to the fan only setting. You can call a HVAC professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.
Your HVAC can work more efficiently if you take into consideration which way your home faces. Trees placed in the right places can keep the sun from heating your home too much. You will reduce the need for AC when your home is naturally cooler.
Think about having a radiant barrier in your attic so support the efficient functioning of your HVAC system. It blocks outside heat from coming in which will serve as a barrier between your home cool when it’s hot outside. You may even use your attic as part of your living space more effectively.
To keep your HVAC unit running at full capacity, you should have quality doors and windows installed that are efficient. They should have tight seals so outside air cannot get in and inside air can not get out. Have them inspected by a professional. This is often a free service.
Are you thinking of getting a new HVAC system? You will need to take a few important things. The systems are it can cover.You are wise to err on the side of a bigger unit rather than a bit too small.
You can’t know what sized air conditioner to purchase unless you measure the area you need cooled. The area’s calculation can help you figure out what the size is and there are 20 BTUs for every foot squared in this area. If you need to cool multiple rooms, make sure to add the square footage together.
Check for duct leaks if your unit seems to not up to snuff. When these leaks are fixed, you’ll see that the tests paid for themselves.
Consider what kind of experience a company has before you consider hiring any contractor for HVAC work in your home. You need to be sure that they’re able to do the work and have done it before. While a worker with less experience may be capable of doing a good job, you will be taking a risk.
If you hear a clicking noise coming from your HVAC unit, see if there is any debris in it. Often it is being caused by debris that’s hitting fans in your cooling system. Check the fan and coil before you waste time contacting a repairman.
Always get some references prior to hiring any contractor. You must know whether or not their customers have had an issues, and this includes trouble with the quote they were given or workers not showing up on time. This will reduce your chances of hiring a scam artist.
Make sure they have tight seals to keep air inside. A professional can sometimes test the windows and many times the testing is free.
Only hire someone to help you with an HVAC system if there is a 24 hour line you can call when you have problems. They must be able to reach your home at any time, in any weather.
Hvac System
Find out what exactly your contractor plans to do. There are contractors out there that will make you pay for extra things like charges for fuel or materials. You can avoid these issues if you have a contract that is written out.
Replace the air filter to keep your HVAC system every month. This is the simplest thing to do to keep your HVAC system running well.
Your contractor should perform a heat loss calculation when coming to give you an estimate. This will determine how much BTU your new system will need to keep your home comfortable. They should check the insulation, doors and windows and the space in your house.
Pick an HVAC companies that know what they’re doing and can work quickly. The best companies will ensure that their technicians working honestly and on schedule. The technicians need to also know what to do to figure out what’s going wrong with an HVAC in no time. After they see what the problem is, they should then know how to deal with the problem.
Whether you are repairing your existing unit or installing a new system, consider a programmable thermostat. You will save money because you can let the system take a break when you are sleeping at night.
Ask any potential contractor about their experience prior to hiring them. You need to know that they have done the type of experience needed to work on your particular system.
Opt for an HVAC unit with the Energy Star rating. These units are energy efficient and meet the strict guidelines set for efficiency. The guidelines are established by the United States. The EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency. The research you do now can save you money down the road.
Always get references prior to hiring any contractor.
Believe it or not, approximately 66 percent of all homes have leaking ducts! These leaky ducts can account for up to one fourth of your total utility costs. Getting your ducts sealed is not expensive and isn’t hard. You can probably do it on your own and it will help you to save on things each year.
Be sure that you have a good HVAC system that works well by using the advice you were given here. Getting to your home and noticing that there isn’t air going out of your vents doesn’t feel good. It’s even worse to think about how much it will cost to fix. You can prevent all of this because you now have great information that this article gave to you. Use the information here to carry out maintenance as needed to keep your unit running smoothly.
The condenser unit needs to be properly taken care of in cold weather. One way to do this is by laying a thick cover on it. Running the system when the outside temperature is below 60 degrees will lower its efficiency.
