If you want to increase your understanding of HVAC maintenance, then it’s best to arm yourself with these helpful tips first. This article will help you should begin with. Take the time to read along and you will do just fine.
If your HVAC system us giving you issues, take a look around the house prior to calling a contractor. Determine which rooms are hotter or colder than they should be. This gives the repairer a starting point to work from.
Know the name and type of system you currently have before calling someone to fix it. This will help you give the new contractor you hire has all the necessary information.
Lubricate your condenser at least once a year. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal caps covering the ports. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, detergent-free SAE 20 oil, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.
If your unit is outdoors, clean them regularly. Debris can pile up after a storm, bringing potential damage with it. Also, you are risking your system overheating.
Put outdoor condensers in the shade if you are installing them.
Turn off your outdoor condenser when weather turns cold. This means that you should turn it off to prevent damage if the temperature drops below 60ºF to avoid damage. This simple tip will help keep the system running and can save you money on repairs.
Cover your unit when you are mowing the lawn. Shoot the grass away from the unit. This is the same if you are using a leaf blower.
A programmable thermostat can help save money on air conditioning bill. Some of these thermostats can even be controlled from your smart phone or other device.
During a maintenance visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, oil the unit’s moving parts and ensure the unit has proper freon levels. These simple things will help keep your system running smoothly.
Lubricate your condenser yearly if it has oil ports. You will see rubber or metal caps covering the ports. Put about ten drops or less of a good non-detergent SAE 20 oil into each port.
Don’t ever let your home to become dangerously high. An air conditioning unit is really only cool your home by twenty degrees in a short time span. If your home happens to get near 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.
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 recommended size for this information.
A shady spot is always a good choice for the placement of your outdoor compressor. In this way, it will be cooling air that is already somewhat cooled. This saves energy.
Ask your friends and family for their HVAC contractor recommendations. People who have been happy with work they have had great service are usually willing to tell of it. This will also let you avoid scammers.
Contractors are responsible for their own charges and fees, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. You can save quite a bit of money by asking for many quotes. Call around 5 contractors so that you can get the rates are.
You need to have a contractor review your unit twice a year. This should be checked often for debris and malfunctions. Check it out just to be safe even if there is nothing broken.
Think about getting a radiant barrier in your attic so support the efficient functioning of your HVAC system. It ensures that your unit stays hot outside. You could even find that you can use your attic as part of your living space if it is done right.
Check for duct leaks if you you feel your existing system is not up to snuff. If you do end up paying, the money spent on finding and repairing the leak will pay for itself.
If at all possible, install double-paned windows in your home instead of those with a single pane. Try to insulate your windows to prevent air from being lost. Conversely, this also works to keep warm air in during colder months.
If there’s a clicking in your HVAC unit, look for an obstruction. Often it is being caused by debris that’s hitting the fans in your cooling system. Check the fan and coil before spending on a repairman.
It’s not too tough to get into HVAC once you have information like what you read in this article. This is something that you need to do your homework on though. Good luck and hopefully now things will start to work fantastically for you well into the future!
Regularly having your HVAC system serviced can help keep your heating and cooling bills down. During this service visit, they will inspect the motor of the system, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. This maintenance means that your system will operate optimally.