Your house will feel comfortable when you have an HVAC system. Many houses come with them, but they may need to be upgraded or even replaced at some point. Knowing what you need in your HVAC system ought to have makes purchasing one easier.

Know what type of your HVAC system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. This will let you to give the contractor any information they might need.

Before you hire an HVAC contractor, have some sort of idea of the work that needs to be done. You can’t get a decent estimate over a telephone, so disregard those numbers and wait until they view your system. Getting an estimate will be even more difficult if you cannot adequately describe the problem. Be sure to find this out ahead of time.

If your HVAC is running into problems, try touring your home before calling a professional. This will help the contractor determine where the problem is.

Clean your fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Clean off any leaves or debris from your condenser unit.

Cleaning the blades and coils will help the system run better. Before you clean the surface, be sure to turn off the power. Clean the outdoor condenser as well.

Clean the condenser on your debris off your outdoor condenser unit. Debris can pile up after a storm, and this can foul up the inner workings of your system.It can cause a disaster with your system to malfunction by overheating.

Make sure you have your HVAC system checked twice a year. This should be checked often for debris and again in the spring.

If you have units that are condensers outside of the home, keep them free of debris. Falling leaves and wind or rain may cause debris to reduce the efficiency of your unit. This can lead to overheating.

It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows with ones that have double pane ones. This also helps retain heated air in during the colder months.

A programmable thermostat can help you save money on your air conditioning costs. Some programmable thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or computer.

When you mow your lawn, take care that you don’t get grass clippings all over your outdoor unit. Make certain the debris goes away from it. This also applies to blowing leaves or moving debris. Just be careful with that exterior HVAC unit.

During this service visit, the contractor will oil parts, oil the different moving parts as well as check the system’s freon levels. These few simple things will help your system running at peak performance.

Never allow the temperature in your home reach a dangerously high level. Air conditioners really can only cool a home down a home by 20 degrees. If the temperature in your home rises to 100 degrees F or higher, then you will only be able to reasonably cool to around 80. This is not a healthy environment to live in.

Try to prevent debris from getting in your HVAC unit. At least twice a week, you need to clean the grill of your fan. The fan needs unobstructed air flow, and if debris is blocking this air flow, then your system could suffer.

Research the reputation of companies before hiring them.Check with the BBB and online reviews posted by former customers. This will help you make a smart decision.

Fan Setting

If the fan on your condenser includes oil ports, they must be lubricated annually. They generally have a rubber or metal cap on them. Use a lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, putting 10 drops in each port.

Air conditioners tend to ice up.The drain line might also freeze up.If you notice this, immediately put your thermostat on the fan setting to turn off your compressor. You should leave the repair to a professional, even if switching it to its fan setting starts making the ice melt.

Look for air conditioner sizing calculators online to truly understand what size of unit is necessary for your home. Look in the manual to determine the manufacturer website for this information.

It’s a good idea to put your outdoor compressor in a shady area. When your unit takes in cool air, it takes less energy to tool the air, thus boosting efficiency.

Speak with family and friends to get a recommendation for a reputable HVAC unit.People that have had a good experience are usually more than willing to share the name of their contractor. This can also provide you to figure out some names of businesses that you should avoid hiring.

There are a number of websites online that offer reviews and referrals for HVAC repair and other important service. This is useful for finding people that you wish to work with and ones that are poor.

Have the HVAC system checked twice a year at the least. The best times to have the system checked is spring and fall, so you are sure everything is running at peak performance before the heating and cooling seasons. Even if you do not detect a problem, you can identify and fix any potential problems when you have it checked.

Check the ducts to find any leaks if your existing system is not up to snuff. When you have leaks repaired, you’ll find that the testing paid for itself.

Figure out which direction your home faces in order to make your HVAC system can work better. The less amount of heat inside of your home, the less you’ll have to use your air conditioner to cool things off.

When it gets cold outside, turn off the outdoor condensers. Avoid damaging the unit by turning it off when the outdoor temperature drops below 60 degrees. This helps the system last much longer and will have to be repaired less often.

Measure the area you wish to cool before going air conditioner shopping. You generally need 20 BTU for each square foot in the area to be cooled. If multiple rooms need cooling, combine all the square footage.

If it must be in a corner, make sure your unit permits airflow to be redirected.

Putting in a programmable thermostat is a smart way to cut back on air-conditioning costs. A thermostat that’s programmable is going to save you around ten percent on the heating and cooling costs you have to pay when you turn it back about fifteen percent for a part of the day. Additionally, some models of programmable thermostats actually allow you to control them remotely from your office computer or cell phone.

Ask a contractor about their experience.You need to know that they have done the type of experience needed to work on your particular system.

Always make sure to get some references before hiring any contractor.

Spend some time on researching for reliable HVAC companies to ensure that they have a good reputation. A good start would be the BBB to see if there are any complaints, then search online for review sites where you can see what actual customers had to say about their experience. Doing this makes it more likely that you choose wisely..

Any HVAC contractor or installer should have a 24-hour emergency hotline. They must be able to reach your home at any time, no matter how extreme the weather or what time of day it may be.

One of the best investments you can make is an HVAC system; it makes your home feel comfortable. 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 can help you make a solid guess as to what to buy so that you can get a system you’re content with.

Look for sizing calculators based on the air conditioner you have to figure out how big of a unit you need in your home. If you buy a unit that’s too large, it won’t be energy efficient for your needs. Look at the manual to determine the recommended size for air conditioners.