Anyone who has an HVAC unit in their house knows how it important it is to have it properly maintained. An improperly or inefficiently functioning HVAC system that doesn’t work right is something that costs quite a lot of money. This article can help you keep your HVAC unit in optimal condition.
If your HVAC is giving you problems, check out your home before calling a contractor. This will help the repairman determine where the problem is and how to fix it.
If your HVAC is running into problems, check out each room in your house before calling for assistance. Pay attention to which areas of the house are warm and which ones are cool. Give this information to your contractor when they arrive.
Be sure to regularly clean debris from external condenser units regularly.You don’t know when things are going to pile up, like right after it’s windy or rains, and that can throw a wrench in your system. It can cause your unit.
Don’t get grass clippings pile up against your outdoor condenser. Aim the grass in a direction away from your unit. This applies when you are taking care of the leaves in debris.
Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. It is going to be hard to get a price estimate on the phone if the current system isn’t something they’ve seen. If you can’t explain changes you’ve made, the process will be even more difficult. Having this information handy will make the process much smoother.
Your HVAC units might suffer when your trees begin dropping their leaves. Make sure you clean out your fan grill is cleaned frequently when the leaves begin to fall. The fan must be unobstructed to work properly, and if it becomes blocked, you will have to contend with problems.
10 Drops
Cover your unit when you are mowing the lawn. Aim the grass in a different direction from the unit. Make sure you move around the unit and blow the leaves away from it while blowing your leaves.
Lubricate your fan condenser at least once each year. These are often covered with rubber or metal cap. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, and put 10 drops or fewer in each port, putting 10 drops in each port.
Put outdoor unit in the shade if you are installing them.
Lubricate your fan condenser if it has oil ports. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal cap covering them. Use a lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, putting 10 drops in each port.
Have the HVAC serviced at the least. This should be done in the fall and the spring.
Turn off your outdoor condenser units when weather turns cold. This means that you should be done when the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit. This can keep the system running efficiently for many years to come.
Find a place that is shaded for your compressor. When it draws in air for cooling, it will be more efficient because it will not need to work as hard to cool down the air.
Install a thermostat you can program to save energy costs. Some programmable thermostats can even be controlled from a computer.
Do not allow your house get extremely hot. An air conditioning unit is really only able to reduce the internal temperature of your home approximately twenty degrees in a short time span. If your home gets above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you would only be able to cool it down just above 80 degrees. This is not a healthy environment to live in.
Installing a programmable digital thermostat can help save money. Programmable thermostats can automatically dial back settings, saving you money. Some newer programmable thermostats have computerized controls you can access from your personal computer, laptop or mobile media device.
Hopefully, you now feel a little more confident in your HVAC knowledge. Avoid costly repairs and downtime with proper maintenance. Use these tips to keep your system in working order.
