It is very frustrating to return home to find that your HVAC has broken down. The following tips are great for helping you in this process.
What system do you have? You need this information to tell your contractor. Take a look at the system or the owner’s manual to find the name and model number. This will facilitate the process when your contractor asks for this information.
Know what type of your HVAC system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. This will ensure that you to give your new contractor all the information they need.
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When spring rolls around, give the condenser fan blades and coils a good clean. First, turn off the power so that nothing will move as you are working on it. Secondly, pop the grill off, take the blades off and clean them as well as the actual unit.
Know what you need before you select an HVAC contractor. It will be hard for an HVAC contractor to provide you a price estimate over the phone without knowing what your current setup is. It can be harder if you can’t figure out what they need to do.
Clean your condenser’s fan blades and coils when the weather begins to warm. Clean the outside of your external condenser unit.
When selecting a location for an outdoor compressor, opt for a shady area, if possible. The cooler the air that the unit is able to access, the less work it has to perform.
Clean the debris that accumulates on your condenser units. Debris can pile up at rates that increase during rainy or windy weather, bringing potential damage with it. It can cause it to overheat.
Sae 20 Oil
Shut off the air conditioning if nobody is home. The house will heat up when it is turned off, but only a certain amount. It will use more electricity if you keep it running.
Lubricate the oil ports on your fan condenser at least once each year. These are usually covered with rubber or metal cap. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
Put outdoor condensers in places with shade.
To choose a HVAC contractor, it is important to check their reputations. Check with different references to determine the best one for your situation. These simple steps will help make a better decision.
Have your HVAC serviced at the least. This should happen in the fall and malfunctions.
Do not let your house to get dangerously hot. An AC unit is really only able to reduce the internal temperature by twenty degrees in a short time span. If your home gets above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you will only be able to cool it down to 80. This is not a healthy environment to live in.
Before hiring an HVAC company, you need to find out how long they have been in business. Fly-by-night companies are those you want to avoid. Working with someone that does not yet have a reputation in the business is a bit riskier.
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to truly understand what size of unit you need for your home. Look at the manual or on the manufacturer website for this information.
Companies that are around awhile have track records that can help you decide if they’re worth your money and time. Hiring a new contractor may be taking a bigger risk.
Contractors charge different rates, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. By calling around and asking a few different contractors, you can save a ton of money. Call around 5 contractors so that you can get the best deal possible.
Contractors determine their own fee levels, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. You should save some money when you call different companies for price quotes. You want to call at least a handful of contractors in order to know what you should be paying.
These suggestions will assist you in maintaining your system. You probably already know that suddenly learning that your system isn’t running correctly is very frustrating. Repair costs are a nightmare. Prevent all this from happening by using the information you’ve just read. When doing maintenance on an HVAC system, have this advice in mind.
Determine the direction that your home faces. Trees in certain areas can provide shade, which means your house will stay cooler. A cooler home means less work for your air conditioner.