Your home will stay comfortable when you have an HVAC system. While many homes come with these systems in place, you may need to upgrade or replace it at some point. Understanding how to properly maintain your system can really help you to buy a great product when the time is right.
Clean the coils of your condenser fan each month. Prior to working on or cleaning the unit, be sure to turn off the power. Additionally, it’s important to clear out leaves and other debris from the outside condenser unit.
If your HVAC doesn’t seem to be working properly, check out each room in your house before calling for assistance. This will help the repairman determine where the problem is.
Know what work you need before you select an HVAC contractor. It will be hard for a contractor to provide you with an estimate over the phone without knowing what your current system. It will be more difficult for him to assist you can’t figure out what they need to do.
Don’t let grass clippings pile up against your outdoor condenser. Turn your lawnmower in the opposite direction. This includes grass clippings and leaves.
Clean your fan and coils come spring. Clean the outdoor condenser unit regularly.
Turn the power off first so nothing moves. Next, pop off the grill, put the blades out and start to gently clean them along with the unit.
Find a place that is shaded for your compressor. The cooler air that the unit can suck in, the less work it will need to do to further cool the air.
Lubricate your condenser if it has oil ports. You can easily find the ports have a rubber or metal cap. Use a lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
Turn off your outdoor condenser units when weather turns cold. This should turn it off to prevent damage if the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This can keep your unit is working for years without the cost of repairs.
If you can, install double-paned windows throughout your home. Double pane windows can help minimize how much you use your air conditioner in the summer, because they keep cool air inside the home. They help in the winter, too, keeping the heat in.
It is a good idea to replace single-paned windows for double panes.This also keeps warm in during the winter months.
A programmable thermostat is a simple way to help you out when it comes to your power bills. Some programmable thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or computer.
To keep your system running smoothly have your system serviced once a year. This visit will include a motor inspection and checking the freon. These easy to do things are going to allow your system to run its best.
Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line might also freeze up.If you notice this, put your thermostat over to fan. You can call a HVAC professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.
Companies with proven track records that can help you decide if they’re worth your money and time. Hiring a newer contractor means taking a bigger risk.
Sometimes, air conditioners collect ice. You may even encounter a freeze in your drain line which is often confused with a plumbing leak. If this happens, turn the thermostat so it is on fan only mode, which will disable the compressor. If this doesn’t work, call a professional.
Ask your friends and trust for contractor recommendations. People will tell you who have had a good experience are worth calling. This will also help you should avoid.
Think about getting a radiant barrier in your attic so your HVAC system. It ensures that your home cool when it’s hot outside. You may even find that you can use the attic as part of your living space more effectively.
Online reviews are a great source of information about HVAC contractors. There are plenty of online websites that give people the opportunity to leave comments about the service they received. This is a good way to locate contractors that do good work and ones that are poor.
Figure out which direction your home is facing so your HVAC system more efficient. If there is less heat coming into your home, then the HVAC will require less work to actually cool the home.
Make sure they are tightly sealed so air inside. A professional can also test these for you for free.
Do you need a new cooling system? There are a number of things to think about first. These machines are categorized according to the space they are able to efficiently heat and cool. Therefore, you may want to opt for a larger unit.
Square Footage
Measure the living area that needs cooling before buying a unit.You will need about 20 BTU per square footage of room space. If you need to cool multiple rooms, combine all the square footage.
Replace the air filter as often as possible. That’s the easiest thing to do so your unit continues running in good shape. It is a small cost each month to do this.
Replace the air filter to keep your HVAC system every month.This is the simplest thing to do and it will keep your unit running well.
Ask any potential contractor about their experience prior to hiring them. You need to verify they have done the type of work you require.
Before you hire an HVAC contractor to perform work on your system, learn about their experience level. You need to verify they have the type of experience needed to work on your particular system. While a worker with less experience may be capable of doing a good job, you will be taking a risk.
Investing in your HVAC is a must. The suggestions above should provide you with a good starting point for your consideration if you’re in the market to buy an HVAC system. You will make better decisions as a result.