It is not easy for homeowners to understand where to go when the HVAC system begins to fail. To ward off disaster, it is helpful to read up on the topic in advance. The advice here will help anyone make the right choices for their system.
Make a circuit around your home before calling for help with your HVAC. You will be looking to see which of your rooms feel hotter or colder than they should be. This can help the contractor determine the problem areas quickly and fix the problem easily.
Know the name and type of system before looking for a repair person. This will facilitate the process when your chosen contractor any information they might need.
Know what you want done before you hire a contractor. It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to provide you a price estimate over the phone if they have not seen your current setup is. It will be way more hard if you don’t know what’s wrong.
Regularly remove debris from outside condenser units. You don’t know the amount of stuff that can pile up right after heavy winds or a storm. This can lead to overheating.
Clean your fan and coils each spring to ensure that your condenser fan operates at it’s best. Clean the outside of your condenser unit.
Clean the condenser on your debris off your outdoor condenser unit. 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 could overheat and cause a disaster with your system to malfunction by overheating.
When you’re trying to cut your grass, don’t cover a unit outside with the clippings. Direct the grass clippings in a direction away from the HVAC unit. Do the same when blowing snow or leaves.
Turn it off so you don’t get hurt or break something. Next, pop off the grill, put the blades out and start to gently clean them along with the unit.
Grass Clippings
Check to determine if the fan condenser on your HVAC system is equipped with oil ports, and if it is, be sure to lubricate every year. These ports have a metal covering. Sometimes it is rubber. Put about ten drops or less of a good non-detergent SAE 20 oil into each port.
Don’t let grass clippings on your outdoor condenser.Aim the grass clippings in a different direction from the unit. This applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in the yard.
Put outdoor units in the shade.
When the weather cools down, turn your outdoor condenser off. If it’s less than 60 degrees outside, turn the unit off. You will save in repair bills and increase the efficiency of your system.
Have the HVAC serviced at the least. This should be done in the fall and the spring.
It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows with ones that have double pane ones. This also keeps warm air during the colder months.
Regularly having your HVAC system serviced can help keep your heating and cooling bills down. During the service check, the system motor will be inspected, the moving parts will be oiled and the freon levels will be checked These repairs will keep your HVAC system running smoothly.
Degrees Fahrenheit
Do not let your house to get dangerously hot. Air conditioners can cool a home by just twenty degrees Fahrenheit within a reasonable amount of time. If your home gets above 100 degrees 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.
Make certain the HVAC company you choose has a proven track record. Companies that are around awhile have a better record than those that haven’t been. Otherwise, you are taking a huge risk with the person you hire.
Look for calculators online to help you determine the size of unit is necessary for your home. Look in the manual to determine the recommended size for air conditioners.
Companies that have been around for longer have a proven track records typically provide better service. It is riskier to hire a long history.
Be sure to test for leaks in the ducts if your system seems inefficient. Your utility company will usually test the unit for free or for a small fee. When you repair the leaks, the tests will pay for themselves.
There are plenty of online websites that let customers share their service experiences. This will tell you should work with and people that may not work well with you.
Contractors determine their own fee levels, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. You can save tons of money this way. Call around to find out what the best deal possible.
Measure the area that requires air conditioning. You can usually substitute 20 BTU for each square foot in the area to be cooled. If multiple rooms need cooling, add together their square footage to reach this calculation.
It is known that if a home’s cooling or heating fails at certain times of the year it can really be something that a homeowner dreads dealing with. However, homeowners can avoid this disaster by having the unit serviced twice a year. The tips in this article will help you make smart decisions about your HVAC system.