Solid Tips On Hvac That Anyone Can Easily Understand
Your HVAC system will help you keep your home comfy all year. While an HVAC system may already be in place, you may need to upgrade or replace it at some point. Knowing what an HVAC system ought to have makes purchasing one easier. Below you will find many solid tips.
Before you contact people to assist you in getting your system fixed, know what kind of system you’re working with in the first place. Get the brand, model name, and if you can you should get the maintenance history out. This will help you give the new contractor the necessary information.
If you struggle with your HVAC, try touring your home before calling a professional. While you are walking through the house, gauge which rooms are the coolest and which are the warmest. If you do this, it will be a great help to the future contractor, who will now be able to quickly locate the problem issue.
It is important to have some knowledge of your present system and needs before calling a contractor. You might not be able to get a price quote unless you let the contractor see your current system first. They need to come look at the unit. Know the right information ahead of time.
To make sure your condenser fan works properly, keep the fan blades and the coils clean. Always shut off all power to your unit for any work beyond superficial cleaning. The outside condenser unit should be kept free of leaves and other debris.
Clean your fan blades and coils each spring to ensure that your condenser fan operates at it’s best. Prior to working on or cleaning the unit, be sure to turn off the power. Remove leaves and debris from the outdoor unit.
If the condenser for your HVAC system is located outside, make sure you clear away any debris that might settle in or around it. 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 your system to malfunction by overheating.
The coils and blades on the fans should be cleaned once a year. Before you do so, shut off the power to ensure that none of the parts will move while you work on it. Next, pop the grill off, put the blades out and start to gently clean them along with the unit.
When you cut the grass, make sure your mower isn’t tossing clippings toward your outdoor units. Direct the clippings away from the equipment. The same should happen if you are blowing leaves, so be especially careful when you are going by your exterior HVAC devices whenever you are moving debris.
If your condenser comes with oil ports, you should lubricate it yearly. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal cap covering them. You should select an SAE 20 oil since it is lightweight and does not contain detergent. Be sure to use just 10 drops or so, or your system may overfill.
You need to lubricate parts of your fan condenser. You’ll find these ports are covered with a metal or rubber cap. Your oil should be an SAE 20. This particular oil is very lightweight and it only requires about 10 drops per port.
You want to put the outdoor compressor device in a shaded area. If your unit is sucking in cooler air, it will have less work to do to cool that air as it sends it inside which boosts efficiency.
Look for shade when placing a compressor outdoors. The cooler the air that the unit is able to access, the less work it has to perform.
Boost energy efficiency by putting your condenser unit in the shade. Your air conditioner won’t have to work so hard if the air is sucks in is already cool.
It is very important that your HVAC system is serviced two times a year. Checks in the spring as well as in autumn are the best. Even though it may seem as nothing is wrong with the unit, a simple inspection can prove otherwise.
Turn off your outdoor condenser when it becomes cold out. If you get into temperatures that are less than 60 degrees you need the unit to be shut off so it doesn’t get damaged. You will save in repair bills and increase the efficiency of your system.
If you can, install double-paned windows throughout your home. Double pane windows will allow you to use less air during the summer because cooler air will stay in your house. This same effect also keeps warm air in during the winter months.
Never allow the temperature in your home to rise to a dangerously high level. Air conditioners only cool down a home by 20 degrees. If your home happens to get near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then you will only be able to reasonably cool to around 80. Depending on how humid it is, this isn’t really that safe for a person to sleep in when it’s really hot.
Programmable Thermostats
In order to select an HVAC contractor that you can trust, it pays to invest some time researching a few prospective companies and checking their reputations. Check them out at the BBB and look for reviews posted by former customers. This will help you make the best choice.
Consider getting a programmable thermostat for your AC. Programmable thermostats can reduce your power HVAC energy costs by as much as ten percent, just by dialing back your thermostat ten or fifteen percent up to eight daily hours. Furthermore, there are a few programmable thermostats that you can control from your computer or any other web-connected device.
Sometimes, air conditioning units ice up. Freezes also occur in your drain line. These freezes are easily confused as leaks to the untrained eye. When you see ice, turn the unit to fan. You should leave the repair to a professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.
You can keep energy costs in your home lower by choosing to have professional maintenance done on your HVAC unit. During your service visit, the serviceman will inspect the unit’s motor, oil the unit’s moving parts and ensure the unit has proper freon levels. These few simple things will help your system to run at its peak performance.
Look for leaks in the ducts if your system isn’t working right. You can call in your local utility company to do the testing for you, often for free or at a lower cost than a contractor. When you repair the leaks, the tests will pay for themselves.
If you are purchasing an AC unit, there are calculators on the Internet that can help you figure out the right size. While you might think that a larger HVAC system is always better, in fact, larger systems sometimes are not the best choice for a particular space. You can also check the owner’s manual to find specific numbers provided for the manufacturer. These numbers indicate the particular unit to cool a particular area.
If you would like your HVAC unit to be more efficient, simply look at where the front of your home faces. Strategically placed trees outside your home can block out the morning sun which can cause your home to overheat. The less your home is heated, the less you’ll have to use your air conditioner to cool things off.
When you need an HVAC contractor, obtain recommendations from friends and family members. When people have had great service, they are generally pleased to pass on a good word. This is also a great way to get names of companies that should be avoided.
Look for leaves or other debris if you notice a thumping sound in your unit. A small amount of debris is often the cause of this problem. Removing the debris will quickly fix the issue. Check this out before calling a repairman.
Think about having a radiant barrier installed in your attic so support the efficient functioning of your HVAC system. It blocks outside heat from coming in which will make sure you won’t have to use more energy to keep your home cool when it’s hot outside. It it’s installed properly, you might even be able to use your attic as an extra room.
Make sure your windows and doors are efficient. Seal them tightly to prevent air from coming in. Professional testing is available, and it is often free of charge.
If you current HVAC doesn’t work that well, try testing ducts for leaks. The local utility company may be able to do this for you at a cost lower than what a contractor would charge you. You’ll see the test pays for itself once all leaks are fixed.
Measure the area that needs cooling before buying a unit. You can figure out the unit you need by calculating 20 BTU per square foot. Combine the square footage of all rooms, in the event that you will be cooling more than one.
Determine the direction that your home faces. It’s always a good idea to plant trees in areas that will help block the scorching sun that heats up your home and causes your AC unit to work harder. Anything that provides shade from direct sunlight can reduce the temperature inside your home and help reduce your energy bill for air conditioning during warm months.
Replace the air filter in your HVAC system every month. It’s easy and has a huge impact on performance. It only costs a couple of bucks to replace the filter.
If you hear a clicking noise coming from your HVAC unit, immediately start looking for any obstructions. Often the problem will be some kind of debris hitting your fans in your cooling system. Remove the debris and you have solved the problem. Look at this prior to calling a technician.
Ask any contractor you’re thinking of hiring for references. Ask these references if the job was what they expected, if it was done in a timely manner and on budget. This will allow you to stay away from people that will scam you, but only if you’re calling references.
Make sure that your doors and windows are efficient. Seal them tightly to prevent air from coming in. A professional can easily have this tested for you, and oftentimes, this service is free.
When hiring a contractor, choose one that offers 24-hour emergency hours. This includes during extreme weather.
Use an HVAC company who has a lot of experience in the field. You want one that maintains a schedule. They should quickly know what’s wrong with your system as well. When they know what the problem is, they should know how to fix it quickly so that it works properly.
Make sure to contact any references you get from prospective contractors. Many people assume that they are legitimate simply because they were offered freely, but that can turn out very badly. It doesn’t take long to check out someone’s references, so do it.
A heating and cooling system helps your house remain comfortable year round. When it comes to maintaining your HVAC, installing a new one or finding the right contractor, this article has hopefully answered most of your questions. This advice will make sure you buy a system that will satisfy you.
Ask if heat-loss calculation is included when an HVAC contractor is offering you an estimate. This determines the amount of BTUs your system needs to make sure your home stays comfortable. There are several factors involved, including your insulation and how many outside windows and doors you have.
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