Your HVAC Should Be Working For You, Here’s How

TIP! Before you start calling to find someone to fix your unit, make sure you know the type of system that is installed. Write down the make, model, and any maintenance history.

The heating and heat your home is very important. That means your HVAC system healthy. If you don’t take good care of it, you should expect terrible living conditions and expensive repairs. Here are some tips to get you out.

TIP! Go through your home before you call HVAC professional. Make a list of the temperatures in each room and whether they are hot or cold.

Know what work you want done before you hire a contractor. It will be hard for a contractor to give you with an estimate over the phone if they have not seen your current system. It will be way more hard if you over the phone without the information readily available.

Clean your fan blades and coils come spring. Clean the outside of your condenser as well.

TIP! Make sure your condenser fan is in good working order by wiping down the fan blades and the coils. First, turn the power off so nothing moves when you’re working with it.

Clean the condenser on your debris on your condenser units. You never know when things can pile up, especially after a windy or rainy storm, and that can ruin your system. It can cause a disaster with your unit.

TIP! When you’re trying to cut your grass, don’t cover a unit outside with the clippings. Aim the grass in a different direction from the unit.

Your HVAC units might suffer when trees start to lose leaves. Make sure the fan’s grill often during the fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if it gets blocked, then your system could suffer.

Put your outdoor condensers in the shade.

Have the HVAC system checked twice a year. This should be done in the fall and malfunctions.

A programmable thermostat is a simple way to help save money on your air conditioning bill. Some can even be controlled from your smart phone or computer.

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.

During the service check, the system motor will be inspected, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. This will help your system will operate optimally.

TIP! When you want a HVAC contractor who is reliable, you need to spend some time in researching the background and reputation of several potential companies. It can be helpful to check out the online reviews of previous customers and it is always wise to check their reputation as listed on a Better Business Bureau website.

Research the reputation of companies before hiring them.Check with the BBB and look for reviews as well. These steps will help ensure you make the smartest and most informed choice.

TIP! Air conditioners sometimes ice up. The drain line can freeze, making you think it’s a plumbing leak.

Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line might also freeze up.If this happens, immediately put your thermostat on the fan setting to turn off your compressor. You should leave the repair to a professional, but switching to the fan will make the ice melt.

TIP! Make sure to make a well-informed decision on the size of your HVAC. If you get a unit that is too large, it will cost a lot in energy costs.

Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to help you determine the size of unit you need for your home. Look in the manual to determine the recommended size for air conditioners.

TIP! Do you need a new HVAC system? If so, you must consider a number of things. Each system has a rating and that rating tells the area that can be effectively temperature controlled.

Ask friends and trust for contractor recommendations. People that have had a good experience are usually more than willing to share the name of their contractor. This will also provide you to figure out some names of businesses that you should avoid hiring.

TIP! If your existing system is malfunctioning, look for leaks in the ducts. Your local energy company may do such testing at a reduced cost or maybe even for free.

Contractors are responsible for their own charges and fees, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. You can save a lot of money by doing your homework. You may want to call at least a handful of contractors to determine what you should be paying.

Check for duct leaks if your existing system is not up to snuff. If a leak is found, you’ll find that fixed leaks are worth the money.

TIP! Take a measuring tape and get the square footage of the area where the unit will be cooling. You can figure out the unit you need by calculating 20 BTU per square foot.

Figure out the direction your home faces in order to make your HVAC system more efficient. The less heat inside the house, the fewer occasions you have to use your air conditioner.

TIP! Be sure to select an experienced and competent HVAC company. Reliable companies keep a close eye on their technicians and ensure they honor their appointments.

If you hear a clicking noise coming from the HVAC unit, immediately check for any type of obstruction. Often the issue is some sort of debris hitting the fans in the cooling system. Check this out before you waste time contacting a repairman.

TIP! Before you hire a HVAC contractor, you should find out what their experience is. You need to be sure that they’re able to do the work and have done it before.

Measure the living area you wish to cool before buying a unit. You generally need about 20 BTU for each square footage of room space. If you have a lot of rooms to keep cool, combine all the square footage.

Hvac System

TIP! Ask every prospective contractor to do a heat-loss assessment. This information is used to determine the number of BTUs your system should be.

Replace the air filter to keep your HVAC system every month. This is an easy thing that you can do to keep your HVAC system running in tip top shape.

TIP! When your install or repair an HVAC system, find out about installing a thermostat that you can program. This can help you save a ton on your utility bills as you let your system rest overnight while you are sleeping comfortably in your beds.

Pick out an HVAC business that understands the unit and works quickly to solve the problem. The most reliable companies will ensure that their technicians stay on schedule and keep appointments. A knowledgeable technician should also have no problem diagnosing any problems with your HVAC. After diagnosis, they resolve issues swiftly.

Ask a contractor about their experience.Make sure they are experienced with the kind of work that you need.

Any HVAC contractor you hire should have an emergency number available to customers around the clock.They owe it to you to show up to fix anything, no matter what.

TIP! The condenser unit needs to be properly taken care of in cold weather. A thick cover should be placed on top of it to prevent any debris from coming in.

Cover your condenser unit for protection in the weather becomes less than optimal. This will allow it to last longer if it is protected when you’re not in use. Use the fan setting only to avoid putting strain on the unit.

Consider a programmable thermostat installed.This will save you to save quite a bit of money on utilities as your system gets to rest as you do things like sleep.

TIP!

You might be surprised that as much as 66% of households have ducts that leak. This alarming percentage is responsible for nearly one quarter of your 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.

TIP!

Always get estimates in writing when dealing with an HVAC company. These estimates need to be written down on paper. There are many jobs that require you to get multiple estimates for to see what they take. This ensures that you receive good deal on your service. Compare various elements of the deals that you receive.

TIP!

You should now have a better idea of how to keep that HVAC unit running smoothly. Do not allow it to fail on you when you do not pay attention to maintaining it regularly. Use the tips in this article to keep it operating efficiently, and you can avoid coming home to a home that is too cold or too hot.