A lot of homeowners like having HVAC units in their home. An HVAC unit is designed to keep their homes at a temperature that’s comfortable. You will likely need to have this installed by a pro. Keep reading for some useful HVAC system running well.
Know what type of system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. Look for the maintenance history and brand and model. In this way, you can be sure your repair person has all vital information.
If you have some problems with the HVAC system, try touring your home before calling a professional. This information will help the repairman determine what the problem is and how to fix it.
Know what work you need before you hire a contractor. It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to give you with an estimate on the phone without knowing what your current system. It will be way more hard if you over the phone without the information readily available.
Be sure to clean external condenser units regularly. After a wind or rain storm things may pile up, causing problems with your system. It can cause the unit to overheat and break down.
Clean your condenser’s fan and coils come spring. Clean the outside of your external condenser unit.
Your outdoor HVAC system could suffer when trees begin dropping their leaves. Make sure the unit’s fan grill is cleaned frequently when the fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if it becomes blocked, you’ll have a lot of headaches eventually.
If the fan on your condenser includes oil ports, they must be lubricated annually. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal cap covering them. Choose an oil graded SAE 20, it is non-detergent and lightweight. Place about 10 drops into each of the ports, taking care that it does not overfill.
Put your outdoor units in the shade if you are installing them.
Turn off outdoor condenser units when it’s getting cold. This means that you should be done when the temperature drops below 60ºF to avoid damage. This can keep the system running efficiently for many years to come.
For maximum efficiency, place outdoor units in a shady spot. If the air your machine draws in is already cooler, it will require less energy to regulate before it’s filtered into your home.
A programmable thermostat can really help you out when it comes to your air conditioning bill. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from a PC or computer.
During your service visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, inspect the motor and the freon levels. These simple tasks will keep your system running at peak performance.
You can keep energy costs in your home lower by choosing to have professional maintenance done on your HVAC unit. During the visit, the contractor will oil parts, inspect the motor and the freon levels. Small problems can occur in any of these areas and lead to serious issues if ignored for too long.
Don’t ever let your home get too hot. An air conditioning unit will reduce the internal temperature by twenty degrees in a short time span. If your home gets above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you would only be able to cool it down just above 80 degrees. This won’t be a safe and comfortable temperature for you to sleep in.
Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line might also freeze up.If this happens, 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 will make the ice melt.
Don’t let your house get too hot. It takes quite a while to cool a home by more than 20 degrees. So if your home is 100ºF, you’ll only get the temperature down to about 80. Taking into consideration the humidity level, this may not even be adequate for the human body to recover from excessive heat while sleeping.
Ask for helpful information when you can find a reputable HVAC contractor. People who’ve had quality work done are usually more than willing to share this information. This will also let you avoid scammers.
Contractors determine their own fee levels, so make sure you get quotes from several contractors before you make any hiring decision. You can save quite a bit of money this way. Call at least four or five different HVAC specialist to find out what the rates are.
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 can also help you to figure out some names of businesses that you should avoid at all costs.
Think about getting a radiant barrier in your attic so support the efficient functioning of your HVAC system can run better. It blocks outside heat from coming in which will make sure you won’t have to use more energy to keep your home and the outside. You could even use your attic as part of your living space more effectively.
Are you thinking about having a cooling and heating system installed? You will need to know some things into account. Systems get rated according to the total area they effectively heat or cool. You are wise to err on the side of a unit that is slightly too large for your needs than a bit too small.
Each contractor establishes his own fees, so before you hire one, obtain a few estimates. You can save quite a bit of money when you call different companies for price quotes. Call at least four or five different HVAC specialist to find the best rates.
Check for duct leaks if your unit seems to not up to snuff. When the leaks are repaired, you’ll see that the tests paid for themselves.
As this article shows, there are things which can be helpful when dealing with HVAC systems and contractors. You need to be sure that the system is properly installed, maintained and working how it should. Apply these tips to optimize your overall experience.
Do you wish to buy a new cooling and heating system? You may want to consider the following. HVAC systems have a rating to determine how much space you should use it on. Be sure to choose a slightly too large system over a too small of one.