It is not easy for many homeowners to know where to turn when the HVAC system begins to fail. To prevent the situation from becoming disastrous, spend time getting to know the subject before something goes awry. The tips listed here can assist homeowners in getting the help they need.
If you struggle with your HVAC, try touring your home before calling a professional. Pay attention to which areas of the house are warm and which ones are cool. That way, the contractor will have an easier time diagnosing the problem and repairing it fast.
Know what you want done before you hire a contractor. A contractor will be hard pressed to provide you an accurate price without accurate information about your system. It will be way more hard if you don’t know what’s wrong.
Clean your condenser’s fan blades and coils when the weather begins to warm. Clean off any leaves or debris from your condenser unit regularly.
Clean your fan blades and coils each spring to ensure that your condenser fan operates at it’s best. Turn off your power before doing any job like this. Clean off any leaves or debris from your external condenser unit.
Be sure to regularly clean external condenser units regularly. You never know when things can pile up, like right after it’s windy or rains, and that can throw a wrench in your system. It can cause a disaster with your unit.
Don’t let grass clippings on your outdoor condenser. Aim your grass in a direction from the unit. This also applies when you are taking care of the leaves in the yard.
When you are choosing a location for the outdoor compressor unit, it’s preferable to use a shaded area. The unit will operate more efficiently to cool your home if the intake air is cooler to begin with.
Sae 20 Oil
Lubricate your condenser once a year. These are usually covered by a rubber or metal caps. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
In order to keep energy costs down, make sure heating and cooling systems are services at least once per year. During a maintenance visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, oil the different moving parts as well as check the system’s freon levels. This will help keep your system performing at maximum efficiency.
Turn off any outdoor condensers you have when the weather turns cold. This means that you should be done when the temperature drops below 60ºF to avoid damage. This can ensure your system working well throughout the years and save you a lot on repairs.
Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times.The drain line might also freeze up. If you see this, change the setting on your thermostat to the fan setting and this will disable the compressor. You should leave the repair to a professional, even if switching it to its fan setting starts making the ice melt.
Your home should not have temperatures that are too hot. Air conditioners really can only cool a home down about 20 degrees Fahrenheit within a reasonable amount of time. This means that if the weather is above 100 degrees, then you’ll still be baking in 80 degree weather at first! Depending on how humid it is, this isn’t really that safe for a person to sleep in when it’s really hot.
Companies that are around awhile have track records that haven’t been. Hiring an inexperienced contractor who is just starting out can be risky.
Ask your friends and trust for their HVAC contractor recommendations. People who’ve had quality work done are usually more than willing to tell of it. This is also a great way to find which companies to stay away from.
You can always search the Internet when you aren’t entirely sure who you should call for proper HVAC repair or maintenance. There are now different online sites that let customers share their service experiences. You will be able to make a more informed choice if you do this.
There are now different online sites these days that let customers talk about their reviews. This is useful for finding people that you wish to work with as well as those that you want to avoid.
When your HVAC system fails during extreme hot or cold seasons, that can spell a disaster for anyone. However, by arming yourself with the right knowledge ahead of time, it doesn’t have to be a dire situation. These tips can help homeowners make HVAC decisions that are smart.
If your current system isn’t working well enough, test out the ducts for leaks. A local utility company often performs free duct testing. If it isn’t free, then it is still cheaper than an HVAC specialist in most areas. This testing can have large financial benefits.