Having an HVAC system that works well can make a home run better. However, if the system fails, it can cause a lot of headaches. Learning how to maintain your unit minimizes the tips will prove very useful.
Check out the system that you have before you call a professional. Write down the make, model, and any maintenance history. This information will be helpful to any contractor you hire to repair it.
If problems arise with the HVAC system, check things out yourself prior to calling in a technician. This will help the contractor determine where the problem is.
If you struggle with your HVAC, try touring your home before calling a professional. While you are walking through the house, gauge which rooms are the coolest and which are the warmest. Doing so can help your technician fix your HVAC issue quickly.
Know what work you need before you hire a contractor. It will be difficult for a contractor to give you with an estimate over the phone without knowing what your current system. It will be more hard if you over the phone without the information readily available.
Cleaning the blades and coils will help the system run better. Make sure your power is off before doing more than cleaning, such as working on the unit. Take away all of the debris as well.
Your HVAC unit may suffer when your trees start to lose their leaves. Make sure the fan’s grill is cleaned frequently when the leaves begin to fall. The fan needs unobstructed air flow, and if it is clogged, you will have to contend with problems.
Each spring, clean the fan blades and coils on your condenser. Before you do so, shut off the power to ensure that none of the parts will move while you work on it. Remove the grill and the blades, and then you can give them all a gentle clean.
Sae 20 Oil
If there are oil ports on your fan condenser, lubricate it annually. These ports are typically covered with caps made of metal or rubber. Use a lightweight oil and do not overfill them.
Lubricate your fan condenser once a year. These ports are often covered with rubber or metal cap. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, putting 10 drops in each port.
Consumers are usually advised to have their HVAC systems inspected twice a year. Your system should be inspected in Spring and Fall. Regular inspection will help you avoid unexpected repairs.
Put outdoor unit in the shade.
Once it grows cold outside, turn off your outside condenser unit. If it’s less than 60 degrees outside, turn the unit off. This can ensure your unit is working well throughout the years without the cost of repairs.
It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows for double pane ones. This also helps keep in the winter.
Install a thermostat you can program to save money on cooling your home. 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. Take advantage of the convenience of the ability to control many programable thermostats from your favorite electronic device.
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 computer.
To help lower cooling costs when not at home, make sure the air conditioner is turned off. 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. Leaving it on all the time only makes it work harder and results in a larger utility bill.
Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line may also freeze over. If you see this happen, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. You can call a HVAC professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.
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 you see this happen, disable the compressor by turning your thermostat to the fan only setting. You should leave the repair to a professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to help you determine the size of unit is necessary for your home. Look in the manual to determine the recommended size for this information.
There are sizing calculators available to determine the proper sized system for your home. If you get a unit that is too large, it will cost a lot in energy costs. You can look online or do other research to get information from HVAC system manufacturers and sellers in order to determine the best unit size for your needs.
Ask around so you are looking for a HVAC contractor. People that have had quality work done in the past generally love to share the information they know about it. This can also a great way to get names of businesses that you should avoid at all costs.
Before you go out there and hire an HVAC contractor, find out the length of time they’ve been in the industry. A company that has been in business for a long time will have a solid track record, and you can use this to figure out if you should spend your money with them. Hiring a new contractor comes with an element of risk.
There are a lot of sites these days that let customers can place their reviews. This method provides you wish to work with all the information you want to avoid.
Your friends or family likely have recommendations for a local HVAC specialist. People usually love to boast about the wonderful work they have had done, so you should be given great leads to follow. This will also help you avoid scammers.
Think about having a radiant barrier installed in your attic so 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 find that you can use your attic space if it is done right.
An online search will give you further information about any contractor you are considering. There are quite a few sites now that allow customers to share their experiences with different services. This will tell you who is great and who isn’t.
Do you need a quality HVAC? There are several things you must consider first. Systems have ratings according to how large an area they can effectively heat or cool. You are wise to err on the side of a bigger unit rather than purchasing one that is a bit too small.
Check around and get a number of quotes prior to hiring a contractor. This can help you to save money by knowing what people are charging. Ideally, five or six contractors should be called so you can get a good ball park figure of a reasonable rate.
Figure out the direction your home faces in order to make your HVAC system more efficient. The less amount of heat inside of your home, the less work your AC will have to do.
Do you need a new cooling system? Many things must be taken into account before you purchase one. Systems have a rating based on how well the system is able to cool or heat an area well. If you are debating the size of the unit, always get one that is just a little bigger rather than one that is a little too small.
If you HVAC unit is making a clicking sound, see if there is any debris in it. The problem may be debris hitting the fans of the cooling system.Check this out yourself first before calling a repairman.
Make an HVAC system run more efficiently by determining what direction your house faces. Trees in certain areas can provide shade, which means your house will stay cooler. The less heat inside the house, the less time that the AC has to work.
Make sure they have tight seals to keep air inside. A professional can also test these for you for free.
The HVAC system is only one piece in an efficient home. You must also consider the quality of your windows and doors. Make sure the seal is impenetrable from outdoor drafts, and that none of the air you’re paying to heat or cool escapes either. Talk to a professional to determine the best way to do this.
Measure the living area you wish to cool before going air conditioning. You can figure out the unit you need 20 BTU for each square foot of room space. If the unit will be cooling several rooms, get their square footage added together.
You should replace the filter on your HVAC system once every month. It’s a simple thing to do to keep it running properly. Also, this will not cost a lot of money.
Replace the air filter in your HVAC system working well.This represents an easy way to keep your system running well.
When placing your AC unit, think about the direction the air will flow. If you have no choice but to put it in the corner, be sure to buy a unit which allows for the air flow direction to be changed away from the wall.
Always get references prior to hiring any contractor.
Any HVAC contractor references given to you need checking out. When a contractor voluntarily gives references, many assume they are legit. This may be a mistake. It does not require much of your time.
Any HVAC contractor you hire should have an emergency number available to customers around the clock.They need to be able to come to you when they are needed, in any weather.
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 calculation will ascertain what the correct BTU is for the system you need for your home or business. Windows and doors should be counted, and insulation should be checked along with measuring the internal space of your home.
There are dishonest contractors that will overcharge you. Having a good written contract can help you avoid any issues like this.
Two thirds of all homes have ducts which leak. These can cost you as much as twenty five percent of what you pay for utilities. It’s easy to seal up any ducts, and you should notice a big difference in your bills.
Consider a programmable thermostat installed.This sort of device will save you to save quite a bit of money on utilities as your system gets to rest as you do things like sleep.
When you are looking at HVAC contractors, make sure the products they use are Energy Star efficient. Anything carrying the Energy Star logo has met guidelines for efficiency as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Products with this label will help you preserve power and money.
You may be surprised to discover that as much as 66% of households have ducts that leak. These can account for up to a quarter of your total utility costs you have. Sealing your ducts is both easy and cheap, you can even do it yourself, saving you money on your utility bills every year from then on.
As the weather gets colder, make sure that you protect your condenser unit. A nice cover will help protect the condenser from the weather. Be sure not to run the unit when the temperature gets below 60.
After reading the above article, you now see the importance to keeping your HVAC in proper working condition. Bad things will happen when you don’t do regular maintenance inspections. Thankfully, you have the information shared here, so use it.
