It is frustrating to have a failing HVAC system when the weather is at it’s peak.Learning about your HVAC systems in advance will help you fix them or maintain them. Read on to learn how to do just that.
Before you hire an HVAC contractor, have some sort of idea of the work that needs to be done. A contractor will be hard pressed to provide you with an over-the-phone estimate if unfamiliar with your system. It will be even harder if you cannot explain what you have done. Know this stuff ahead of time.
Know what type of your HVAC system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. This will let you to give your chosen contractor any information that can help them.
If problems arise with the HVAC system, check out your home before calling a contractor. This will help the contractor determine what the problem is and how to fix it.
Clean your outdoor condensers often. You can never tell when things will pile up, especially following rain or wind storms. These can wreak havoc on your units. It can cause the unit to overheat and break down.
Know what work you need before you select an HVAC contractor.It will be hard for a contractor to provide you with an estimate on the phone without knowing what your current setup is. It will be more hard if you can’t figure out what they need to do.
Put outdoor condensers in places with shade.
You need to lubricate parts of your fan condenser. You can find these ports covered with rubber or metal caps. Choose a SAE 20 oil whch is lightweight and non-detergent and place 10 drops or less into each port, ensuring it doesn’t overfill.
Turn off outdoor condenser when weather turns cold. This means that you should turn it off to prevent damage if the temperature drops below 60ºF to avoid damage. This will help keep the life of your unit.
It is a good idea to swap out single pane windows with ones that have double panes. This same effect also helps keep it warm in the winter.
Service your hearing and cooling systems once each year. This inspection will ensure that your unit is working efficiently, including a freon level and motor check, and oiling moving parts. This will help your system run better.
A programmable thermostat can really help save money on air conditioning costs. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from a PC or other device.
During the service check, the contractor will oil parts, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. These simple tasks will help keep your system to run at its peak performance.
Before you hire someone from an HVAC place, figure out how long they’ve been doing this kind of work. Obviously, a company with a longer history and a positive reputation is the better choice. Hiring a new contractor comes with an element of risk.
Research the reputation of companies before hiring them.Check with different references to determine the BBB and look for reviews of potential companies online. Doing this makes it more likely that you hire the best company for your HVAC needs.
Companies that are around awhile have track records that can help you decide if they’re worth your money and time.Hiring a newer contractor may be taking a bigger risk.
Try to get as many quotes from contractors that you can. You can save quite a bit of money when you call different companies for price quotes. Call around 5 contractors so that you can get the best deal possible.
There are a number of great sites out there that allow customers talk about how they were treated by services. This will tell you find a top notch professional.
Check for duct leaks if your existing system is not be working efficiently. When you have leaks repaired, the testing will pay for itself in energy savings.
If your system doesn’t seem to be working efficiently, check your ducts for leaks. Your utility company will usually test the unit for free or for a small fee. When these leaks are fixed, the testing will pay for itself in energy savings.
If you hear a clicking noise coming from your HVAC unit, immediately check for any type of obstruction. Sometimes there is debris that gets in the cooling system fans. Look before calling in a service technician.
Make sure they are tightly sealed so air inside. You can also hire a professional to test them.
It’s important to have doors and windows that are efficient for the most efficiency for your HVAC unit. Your windows and doors should be able to stay tightly sealed so air doesn’t get in or out. It is wise to hire someone to test them out, and this often costs nothing.
Square Footage
Measure the area you wish to cool before buying a unit. You generally need about 20 BTU for each square footage of room space. If the unit will be cooling several rooms, combine all the square footage.
Understand where the air flows in your home and use that information to determine where to put your AC unit. If it must be in a corner, make certain that the air does not point towards a wall.
If it must be in a corner, make sure your unit permits airflow to be redirected.
Always request references before hiring any contractor.
When you hire a contractor, make sure you ask for some references. You should know that the contractor does exactly what he says he’s going to do, and there are no hidden costs involved. This will reduce your chances of hiring a scam artist.
Some contractors will attempt to add charges on material fees and other charges. Having a signed contract will help to avoid any issues like that.
Cover your condenser when the winter time. This helps the condenser will last for a long time. Use the fan instead to avoid putting strain on the unit.
Be certain you know what to expect when you hire contractors to do a certain job. There are contractors that will try to overcharge you later for things like fuel charges and material fees. A written contract that covers the basics will prevent this possible problem.
When you think you want to get HVAC help it may be hard to think about because there are so many options out there. However, the right knowledge makes the process less daunting. Ideally, you now know what to do to keep your unit running well.