If you need to learn about HVAC, this article is fa great place to start. This article will help you learn some great information for you. Take some time to read the article and you will do well.
Know what work you want done before you hire a contractor. It will be hard for an HVAC contractor to provide you a price estimate over the phone without knowing what your current system. It will be way more hard if you don’t know what’s wrong.
Think about what improvements you want made before picking an HVAC 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 anything to them, this will be even more difficult. Make an effort to gather all information you need before making the phone call.
Clean your fan blades and coils when the weather begins to warm. Clean the outside of your condenser as well.
Clean any debris off your outdoor condenser unit. You don’t know when things are going to pile up, especially after a windy or rainy storm, and that can throw a wrench in your system. It can cause a disaster with your unit.
If the condenser fan has oil parts, then you need to lubricate it at least once per year. The port usually has either a rubber or metal cap on top of it. Pick out a SAE 20 type of oil because it has no detergent, is lightweight, and you should put around 10 drops in the ports but make it to where they don’t get too full.
Don’t let grass clippings on your outdoor condenser.Aim your grass cuttings in a different direction from your unit. This also applies when you are taking care of the leaves in debris.
Your outdoor HVAC unit may suffer when your trees lose their leaves. Make sure the unit’s fan grill is cleaned frequently when the fall. The fan must not have anything in the way so that air can flow into it, and if it gets blocked, then your system could suffer.
Find a place that is shaded for your compressor. In this way, it will be cooling air that is already somewhat cooled. This saves energy.
It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows with ones that have double panes. This also helps keep it warm in the colder months.
A programmable thermostat can help you save money on your power bills. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or other device.
It is always a good idea to swap out single pane windows for double pane ones. Having double pane windows allows your air conditioning unit to be run much less during the summer, because the cool air is kept inside the home. This also helps keep it warm in the winter.
When they visit to service the unit they’re going to inspect the motors, the motor will be inspected, moving parts well oiled and the level of freon adjusted if necessary. This ensures your system run better.
Don’t ever let your house get dangerously high. Air conditioners only cool your home down 20 degrees or so within a reasonable time period. If your home become 100F or more, cooling it will only drop the temperature to 80 degrees F. This won’t be a safe and comfortable temperature for you to sleep in.
Install a programmable thermostat to save energy costs. With this device installed, it can help you save money on your energy bills by you having the power to regulate the temperature throughout the day. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or computer.
Ask people that you know and family for their HVAC contractor recommendations. People who have had quality work done are often happy to share this information. This will prevent you know which companies to stay away from.
There are many sites these days that let customers can place their experiences with different services. This can help filter out the people you find a top notch professional.
You can keep energy costs in your home lower by choosing to have professional maintenance done on your HVAC unit. During a maintenance visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, oil the different moving parts as well as check the system’s freon levels. These few simple things will help your system to run at its peak performance.
Check for duct leaks if your unit seems to not up to snuff. Once you fix the leaks, you will save substantial money on heating and cooling costs.
If you hear a clicking noise coming from your HVAC unit, look for blockages right away. Sometimes debris that gets in the cooling system fans. Look carefully at this prior to calling a service technician.
Shut off the air conditioning if nobody is home. When you turn the air conditioner off, the house may heat up a little but only a certain amount. When you keep it on, you will be using electricity.
Square Footage
Measure the area that needs cooling before going air conditioner shopping. You generally need about 20 BTU for each square footage of room space. If multiple rooms need cooling, be sure to add their square footage together.
Don’t let your home get way too hot to where it’s dangerous. Air conditioners are limited in that they can only reduce the indoor temperature 20 degrees Fahrenheit in a reasonable time limit. So if your home is 100ºF, you’ll only get the temperature down to about 80. Depending on how humid the environment is, that is not a healthy temperature for the human body when it rests during sleep.
Pick an HVAC business that know what they’re doing and works quickly to solve the problem. The most reliable companies make sure their technicians will always be on schedule. A knowledgeable technician should also have no problem diagnosing any potential faults with your HVAC unit quickly. Once they are able to locate a problem, they should also know how to get them resolved efficiently and quickly.
Ask any potential contractor about their experience prior to hiring them. You need to know that they have the type of experience needed to work on your particular system.
Research what size air conditioner you should purchase for the size of your home by using online calculators they have for this purpose. If you buy a unit that’s too large, it won’t be energy efficient for your needs. You can look online or do other research to get information from HVAC system manufacturers and sellers in order to determine the best unit size for your needs.
Always make sure to get references from a HVAC contractor.
Some contractors attempt to add charges on later for things such as material fees and fuel or extra material. Having a signed contract will let you avoid these types of issues.
Check the Internet for reviews on those who fix or install HVAC systems. A simple search should yield a number of sites with informative reviews. This will help you to sort out the good from the bad.
Cover your condenser when the winter time. This simple cover keeps the condenser considerably. Use the fan setting only to avoid putting strain on the condenser unit.
HVAC is not difficult to understand when you have the right information. Take the time to learn all about it, so that you can prevent future breakdowns. You should now be on your way to everything working as it should!
Get a handful of quotes before accepting any. You can save tons of money by asking for many quotes. To get the best picture and get an idea of what rates are reasonable, call five or six different contractors.
