It can be quite upsetting to arrive home at the end of the day to discover your air conditioner or heating unit isn’t working right.The following tips are great for helping you in this process.
If problems arise with the HVAC system, look around your home before calling in people to help. This will help the repairman determine where the problem is and how to fix it.
Know what work you want done before you hire a contractor. It will be difficult for a contractor to provide you with an estimate over the phone if they have not seen your current system. It will be way more hard if you don’t know what’s wrong.
Your HVAC unit may suffer when trees start to lose leaves. Make sure the fan’s grill is cleaned often during the leaves begin to fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if it becomes blocked, you will end up with many headaches with the unit.
10 Drops
Lubricate the oil ports on your fan condenser once a year.These are usually covered by a rubber or metal caps. Use a lightweight, and put 10 drops or fewer in each port, putting 10 drops in each port.
Have your HVAC system serviced at least yearly. This should be done in the fall and the spring.
Turn off outdoor condenser when it becomes cold out. This means that you should be done when the temperature drops below 60ºF to avoid damage. This can keep your unit is working for years without the cost of repairs.
It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows with ones that have double panes. This same effect also keeps warm air in during the colder months.
Don’t allow your home temperature get dangerously high. Air conditioners can cool a home by just twenty degrees in a reasonable amount of time. If the temperature in your home reaches 100 degree Fahrenheit, cooling it will only drop the temperature to 80 degrees F. This won’t be a safe and comfortable temperature for you to sleep in.
Research and check the companies that you consider using. Check them out at the BBB and online reviews as well. This can help you to choose a contractor that is of high quality.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to help you determine the size of unit you need for your home. Look at the manual or on the manufacturer website for air conditioners.
Companies that are well established have track records typically provide better service. Hiring a contractor may be taking a considerable risk.
Ask friends and trust for contractor recommendations. People will tell you who they have used and if they are often happy to share the name of their contractor. It’s also important to do this to learn the names of contractors you should avoid.
Contractors are responsible for their own charges and fees, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. You can save tons of money this way. You should try to contact 5 to 6 contractors to determine what reasonable rates are.
Think about having a radiant barrier 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 could even use the attic as part of your living space if it is done right.
Do you want to buy a new cooling system? There are several things you need to keep in mind. Systems have ratings according to the total area they effectively cool and heat. You are wise to err on the side of a unit that is slightly too large for your needs than a smaller one.
Check for duct leaks if your existing system is not be working efficiently. If a leak is found, you’ll find that fixed leaks are worth the money.
Figure out which direction your home faces in order to make your HVAC system can work better. The less your home is heated, the less work your AC will have to do.
If the HVAC unit makes a clicking noise, immediately start looking for any obstructions. Often the issue is some sort of debris that’s hitting the fans in your cooling system. Check the fan and coil before calling a professional.
Always get references prior to hiring any contractor.
Any HVAC contractor or installer should have a 24-hour emergency number available to customers around the clock. They need to be able to come to you when they are needed, in any weather.
Cover your condenser unit for protection in the weather becomes less than optimal. This will help it to last longer when you’re not using it. Use the fan setting only to avoid putting strain on the condenser unit.
Always follow up on any references provided to you by an HVAC contractor.
Consider a programmable thermostat installed.This can save you a great deal on your energy bills because when you adjust the temperature to sync with your lifestyle.
You may be surprised that as much as 66% of households have ducts that are leaky. These can add 25 percent to your home’s utility costs. Sealing up your ducts is cheap and easy, and it is something you can do yourself, and it can reduce your electricity bills significantly every year thereafter.
Keep your system operating efficiently and enjoy clean air by cleaning the heating ducts. Check your ducts at least once per month. Ducts that are damaged can increase your heating bill by wasting the area warm.
Hvac System
Use these tips to master your HVAC system. Arriving home to find a broken HVAC system does not feel good. It’s even worse to think about how much it will cost to fix. Prevent all this from happening by using the information you’ve just read. Remember these tips, and keep your system in tip-top shape.