Coming home to an HVAC unit is no fun. The following tips that follow will assist you in this process.
Don’t hire a contractor until you know a little about what you are facing. Discussing the problem is simplified if you understand what has happened with the unit. If you can’t explain changes you’ve made, the process will be even more difficult. Thus, it is worthwhile to have this knowledge ahead of time.
Know what type of your HVAC system before looking for a repair person. This helps make sure your contractor has the information they will be sufficiently prepared.
Clean your fan blades and coils when the weather begins to warm. Clean the outside of your condenser unit.
When you’re trying to cut your grass, don’t cover a unit outside with the clippings. Try shooting the clippings away from it. This same tip applies when you are blowing fallen leaves around the yard. Grass and leaves pose a serious problem for the internal functioning of your unit.
Don’t let grass clippings on your outdoor condenser.Aim the grass cuttings in a different direction away from your unit. This applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in debris.
10 Drops
If the condenser fan has oil parts, then you need to lubricate it at least once per year. These ports are typically covered with caps made of metal or rubber. Put 10 drops of lightweight, non-detergent SAE oil in each port. Be careful not to use too much.
Lubricate the oil ports on your condenser at least once a year. These ports are usually covered with rubber or metal cap. Use a lightweight, and put 10 drops or fewer in each port, putting 10 drops in each port.
Put outdoor units in the shade.
If you are a homeowner, or if you can get permission from your landlord, install double-paned windows in place of any single panes in your home. Try to insulate your windows to prevent air from being lost. This also helps retain heated air during the colder months.
Have your HVAC serviced at the least. This should be checked often for debris and again in the spring.
Turn off any outdoor condenser units when weather turns cold. This means that you should be done when the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This simple tip will help keep your system running efficiently for years to come.
If everyone is out, turn the air conditioner off. When you turn the air conditioner off, the house may heat up a little but only a certain amount. Leaving it on for the entire day means that it is struggling to keep things cool, something that takes lots of energy.
It is a good idea to replace single-paned windows for double pane ones.This also helps keep it warm air in during the winter.
During your service visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. These simple tasks will help keep your HVAC system to run at its peak performance.
Did you know an AC unit can freeze? Drain lines can also suffer an occasional freeze, and these are sometimes mistaken for plumbing leak issues. If you see this, put the fan on to shut the compressor off. Once you know the problem, contact a local HVAC professional and let them know what’s going on in your system.
Never allow your home reach a dangerously hot temperature. An AC unit will reduce the internal temperature of your home by 20ºF quickly. If your house’s interior temperature hits 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you will only be able to cool it down to 80. This is not a healthy environment to live in.
Air conditioners tend to ice up. The drain line may also freeze over. If you notice this, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. If this doesn’t work, call in help.
Ask people you know for recommendations if you need to hire a contractor for an HVAC system. People usually love to boast about the wonderful work they have had done, so you should be given great leads to follow. You will also find out who NOT to use!
Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to help you determine the size of unit you need for your home. Look at the manual to determine the manufacturer website for this information.
There are plenty of great sites out there that let customers talk about the service they were treated by services. This is useful for finding people that you are interested in dealing with as well as those that you want to avoid.
Are you thinking about having a new HVAC system installed? There are many things to consider. Each system has a rating and that rating tells the area that can be effectively temperature controlled. You are wise to err on the side of a bigger unit rather than a smaller one.
The tips above will help you manage your HVAC system. Getting to your home and noticing that there isn’t air going out of your vents doesn’t feel good. And, trying to figure out how you’re going to pay for repairs is even worse. You can prevent all of this because you now have great information that this article gave to you. Remember these tips, and keep your system in tip-top shape.