The way your home is heated or cooled properly. That means your HVAC system healthy. If you don’t care for your HVAC, you will likely experience costly repairs and uncomfortable temperatures. Here are some tips to help you started.
Check out the system that you have before you call a professional. Know the model and brand and find it’s maintenance history, if possible. This will let you know that you’re able to give the contractor the information that can help them.
Know the name and type of your HVAC system before calling someone to fix it. This makes sure your contractor has the information they will need.
If problems arise with the HVAC system, check things out yourself prior to calling in a technician. This will help the repairman determine where the problem is.
Clean your fan and coils when the weather begins to warm. Except when you do superficial cleaning, you need to always make sure the power is off on the unit. Additionally, remove leaves and any other debris from the outside condenser unit.
Clean your condenser’s fan and coils come spring. Clean off any leaves or debris from your condenser unit regularly.
Don’t let grass clippings pile up against your outside unit.Aim your grass in a direction from your unit. This applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in the yard.
Don’t let your outdoor HVAC units get smothered with clippings anytime you mow the yard. Now so the grass clippings are shot away from your unit. If you’re blowing leaves, this same problem can occur, so make sure you move around the unit and blow the leaves away from it.
Trees Start
Your outdoor HVAC units might suffer when your trees start to lose their leaves. Make sure the unit’s fan grill often once nearby trees start shedding their leaves. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if debris is blocking this air flow, it could cause your system to break down.
A shady spot is always a good choice for the placement of your outdoor compressor. The unit will operate more efficiently to cool your home if the intake air is cooler to begin with.
It is always a good idea to swap out single pane windows with ones that have double pane ones. This also keeps warm in the winter months.
Install a thermostat you can program to save energy costs. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or other device.
When the weather cools down, turn your outdoor condenser off. When the temperature drops beneath 60 degrees, it’s time to cut off the unit to prevent damage. This will keep your system in working order year after year, saving you a ton on repairs.
During this service visit, the contractor will oil parts, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. These simple things will help keep your system running at peak performance.
Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line may also freeze over. If you see this happen, put the fan on to shut the compressor off. If this doesn’t work, call in help.
Having a programmable thermostat installed is a money saving idea. Programmable thermostats can automatically dial back settings, saving you money. Some can even be controlled from a computer.
Ask for helpful information when you can find a HVAC contractor. People who’ve had done in the past are normally more than happy to recommend their contractors. This can also be used to see who you should avoid hiring.
There are many sites that offer reviews and referrals for HVAC repair and other customers can place their reviews. This is useful for finding people that you wish to work with those you want to avoid.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to truly understand what size of unit is necessary for your room or home. If you buy a unit that is too big, it won’t do an efficient job. Read over the owner’s manual to see the manufacturers suggestions as to the cooling capacity of the unit for the most accurate information.
Are you looking into getting a new heating and cooling system? You need to think about several things. Systems have ratings according to how large an area they can effectively heat or cool. You are better off purchasing a unit that is slightly too large for your needs than purchasing one that is a smaller one.
Make certain they are tightly sealed so air can’t seep in. A professional can also test these for you for free.
Each contractor will have their own fee schedule, so make sure you get several different quotes before you hire anybody. You can save tons of money by asking for many quotes. Get in touch with more than a few contractors to best understand the going rate.
Square Footage
Measure the area that needs cooling before going air conditioner shopping. You generally need 20 BTU per square footage of room space. If you have a lot of rooms to keep cool, be sure to add their square footage together.
If there’s only one thing that you do in terms of HVAC maintenance monthly, it should be to replace your air filter. It is the easiest way to take care of it. A new air filter is only a couple of bucks at your local hardware store.
If you have no choice but to put it in the corner, buy one that lets the air flow to be redirected so that it is not flowing towards the wall.
Always make sure to get references when you are considering a HVAC contractor.
Make certain the contractor you hire has the appropriate experience. You need to ensure that they are experienced with the work that you need done. Although there’s no guarantee that a worker with less experience won’t do the work correctly, it’s better to avoid any problems.
This article has given you some excellent basics on keeping your HVAC system maintained correctly. You must stay on top of things! Apply these tips so that you can keep it functioning properly.