HVAC Do’s And Don’ts For The Average Person

Coming home to an HVAC unit is no fun. The following tips that follow will assist you do just that.

Know the name and type of system before calling someone to fix it. This information will help make sure that the contractor you hire has all the necessary information.

TIP! Before the summer you should clean out your condenser fan’s blades and coils. Always make sure you shut off the power before you do any work on the unit other than superficial cleaning.

If your HVAC doesn’t seem to be working properly, take a tour of the house prior to calling a professional. This will help the contractor determine where the problem is and how to fix it.

Clean your condenser’s fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Clean the outside of your condenser as well.

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.

TIP! When you cut the grass, make sure your mower isn’t tossing clippings toward your outdoor units. When you work with your lawn mower, make sure it spits the grass to the side opposite of your unit.

Don’t let grass clippings on your outside unit. Aim the grass in a direction away from the unit. This also applies when you are taking care of the leaves in debris.

TIP! If trees are losing leaves around your home, this can impact your HVAC unit. When the leaves fall from nearby trees, clean the grill of your fan often.

Lubricate your fan condenser once a year. These ports are usually covered by a rubber or metal caps. Use a lightweight, and put 10 drops or fewer in each port, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.

Put your outdoor condensers in places with shade.

TIP! To boost the efficiency of your HVAC system, you should put your unit in a shady place. As your air conditioner sucks in cool air, little will have to be done to cool it any further, saving you a ton on your energy bills.

Turn off outdoor condensers you have when the weather gets cold. This means that you should be done when the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This simple tip will help keep it in good condition for many years.

It is a good idea to swap out single pane windows with ones that have double panes. This will also help you keep the warm air inside.

TIP! Make sure to have your unit serviced once a 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.

During the service check, the system motor will be inspected, oil the unit’s moving parts and ensure the unit has proper freon levels. These simple tasks will help keep your HVAC system running at peak performance.

TIP! Never allow your home to get dangerously hot inside. It is only possible for an air conditioner to lower the temperature in a home by 20 degrees F in a short time.

Never allow your home to get dangerously high level. Air conditioners cannot sufficiently cool down 20 degrees or so within a reasonable time period. If your house’s interior temperature hits 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then you will only be able to reasonably cool to around 80. This is not a healthy environment to live in.

TIP! It is possible for air conditioners to ice over. In addition, the drain line sometimes freezes, and people often think that there is a plumbing leak.

Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line may also freeze over. If this is something that’s happening to you, put your thermostat over to fan. If this doesn’t work, call in help.

TIP! The Internet can really help you out when it comes to finding someone to work on your HVAC unit. Lots of sites exist where customers can leave feedback and reviews.

Ask friends and relations for contractor recommendations. People that have had quality work done are usually more than willing to tell of it. This is also help you learn the names of companies that you should avoid.

TIP! If your current system isn’t working well enough, test out the ducts for leaks. Call your utility company if they are leaking to see about getting a test.

A radiant barrier is an awesome device which will help improve the efficiency of your HVAC. It ensures that your home cool when it’s hot outside. You may even use your attic space if it is done right.

TIP! Determining the direction in which your house faces can help make the HVAC system efficient. Trees in certain areas can provide shade, which means your house will stay cooler.

Are you thinking about buying a new HVAC system installed? There are a number of things you should consider. Systems get rated according to the total area they can effectively cool and heat. You are wise to err on the side of a bigger unit rather than purchasing one that is a bit too small.

TIP! Replace the air filter in your HVAC system every month. It will improve the efficiency of your unit.

Make certain they are tightly sealed so 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.

TIP! Speed should be a concern when you are looking for an HVAC specialist. They should be able to get in and get the job done quickly.

Pick HVAC business that know what they’re doing and can work quickly. The best companies keep the technicians working honestly and on schedule. A licensed technician will also have no problem diagnosing any problems with your HVAC unit quickly. Once the technician figures out what’s wrong, they should be able to fix it as fast as they can.

Ask any potential contractor about their experience prior to hiring them. Make sure they are experienced with the kind of work that you need.

Always get references before hiring any contractor.

TIP! Always check any references that you receive for an HVAC contractor. Just because they give you a list doesn’t mean they’re legitimate.

There are contractors out there that will overcharge you later for things like fuel charges and material fees. Having a solid written contract will let you avoid these types of issues.

TIP! 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 will help you to figure out how many BTUs the new system needs to have to keep a home comfortable.

These qualified energy products are guaranteed to meet very strict efficiency guidelines. The units are evaluated by the U.S. They are in charge of protecting the EPA for short.Taking the time to look into these units may help you save a significant amount of money.

TIP! If you are installing a new HVAC system or even repairing your current set-up, ask your contractor about also installing a programmable thermostat. This sort of device will save you a lot of money in terms of energy because it allows your system some downtime while you are warm in your bed.

You may be surprised that as much as 66% of all homes have ducts that are leaky. This can result in as much as one fourth of your total utility expense! Sealing the ducts is something you can do easily and cheaply, and it may reduce energy costs greatly in the future.

TIP! Make sure you know where the owner’s manual is anytime the system is running. The information contained within this manual will be very useful.

Look for an HVAC contractors that use Energy Star products and products. This rating means that the EPA. This will help you can save a bit of money on energy all year.

Keep your condenser unit protected when it’s getting colder. This can easily be done by putting a cover on the condenser unit.

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Make sure that you keep all owner’s manual is anytime the system in a convenient place. The information contained within this manual is going to give you quite a few things to learn about the unit you have and will help you out if you’re dealing with problems.

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The tips above will help you manage your HVAC system. It is a bad feeling to return home to find that the vents have no air coming from them. The financial aspects of repair can be intimidating. Using the information in this article can help. Remember these tips, and keep your system in tip-top shape.