An Easy-to-understand Guide To All Your HVAC Questions

TIP! 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. Know what the manufacturer’s name is, which particular model you have and what’s gone on with the unit in the past.

Letting the HVAC system fall into ruin is an incredibly foolish decision for any homeowner.You may be here to learn all you can to make your HVAC last a long time. The following article below has some helpful tips just for you!

TIP! Know what you need before you hire a contractor. It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to provide you with an estimate on the phone without knowing what your current setup is.

Know what work you need before you select an HVAC contractor.It will be difficult for an HVAC contractor to give you with an estimate over the phone if they have not seen your current system. It will be way more hard if you don’t know what’s wrong.

Clean your fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Clean the outside of your external condenser unit regularly.

TIP! Regularly remove debris from outside condenser units. Debris can pile up after a storm, bringing potential damage with it.

Be sure to regularly clean debris from external condenser units regularly.You never know when things can pile up, like right after it’s windy or rains, and that can ruin your system. It can cause your unit.

TIP! When you cut the grass, make sure your mower isn’t tossing clippings toward your outdoor units. Direct the grass clippings in a direction away from the HVAC unit.

Turn it off so you don’t get hurt or break something. Next, pop the grill off, pull out the blades and start cleaning them and the unit itself off gently.

Grass Clippings

TIP! To increase the efficiency of your HVAC unit, be sure to keep it in the shade. If your air conditioner is able to constantly suck in cool air, it won’t have to work overtime to cool your space, which can in turn save you money on your electricity bills.

Don’t get grass clippings on your outdoor condenser. Aim your grass clippings in the other direction. This applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in debris.

TIP! Be sure to have twice annual HVAC system checks. It’s best to have it checked before you turn it on for the summer and again for the winter.

Your outdoor HVAC unit may suffer when trees lose their leaves. Make sure the unit’s fan grill is cleaned often during the fall. The fan must not have anything in the way so that air can flow into it, and if debris is blocking this air flow, you will end up with many headaches with the unit.

Have the HVAC serviced at the least. This should happen in the fall and again in the spring.

TIP! If nobody is home, turn off the AC. Sure, the temp will rise, but no one is home anyway.

Turn off outdoor condenser units when it becomes cold out. This should be done when the weather falls under 60 degrees Farenheit.This can keep your HVAC running efficiently for many years to come.

It is always a good idea to replace single-paned windows for double pane ones. This also keeps warm air during the colder months.

TIP! If you are purchasing an AC unit, there are calculators on the Internet that can help you figure out the right size. If you get something that’s too big, it won’t work as well for you in the end.

During a maintenance visit, the contractor will oil parts, oil the moving parts and check the freon levels in the system. These things will help your system to run at its peak performance.

TIP! Check any company you are considering to see how long it has been around. This gives you some history so that you can be sure the company is reliable.

Never allow the temperature in your home to get dangerously hot inside. Air conditioners are limited in that they can only really cool your home down 20 degrees or so within a reasonable time limit. If your home happens to get near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it will only cool off to about 80F. This is not a healthy environment to live in.

TIP! Online reviews are a great source of information about HVAC contractors. A simple search should yield a number of sites with informative reviews.

Research and check the reputation of companies that you consider using. Check with different references to determine the BBB and look for reviews posted by former customers. Doing all of this makes it more likely that you make a better decision.

TIP! Contractors charge different rates, so make sure that you acquire multiple estimates. Getting several quotes will ultimately help you save lots of money.

Air conditioners sometimes ice up at times. The drain line might also freeze up.If this happens, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. You can call a HVAC professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.

TIP! To help your heating and cooling system run efficiently, install a radiant barrier in your attic. This type of barrier will help to block heat, which in turn will help your system work less at cooling your home.

Look for calculators online to help you determine the size of unit you need for your room or home. Look at the manual or on the recommended size for this information.

TIP! Are you going to buy a new HVAC system? You will need to take a few things into account. For example, the ratings on most systems describe how much space they can work to cool or heat.

Companies that are around awhile have track records that can help you decide if they’re worth your money and time.Hiring a new contractor who is just starting out can be risky.

TIP! Make an HVAC system run more efficiently by determining what direction your house faces. When you determine the parts of your home that get the most sunlight, you can consider strategic landscaping that includes shade trees to somewhat reduce your home’s exposure to heat from direct sunlight.

If you HVAC unit is making a clicking sound, immediately check for any type of obstruction. Often it is being caused by debris hitting fans in the cooling system. Look carefully at it before you call up a technician.

TIP! Look for leaves or other debris if you notice a thumping sound in your unit. There may be particles of debris that are touching the fans.

Measure the living area that requires air conditioning. You will need about 20 BTU per square foot in the room. If you are cooling more than one room, combine all the square footage.

TIP! Measuring the space you want to cool is the first step to figure how large of an air conditioner you need. You can usually substitute 20 BTU for each square foot in the area to be cooled.

Any HVAC contractor or installer should have a 24-hour emergency hotline. They should be able to get to your home whenever you need them there, whether during a heatwave or a terrible snowstorm.

Always check out any references that are given to you by a prospective HVAC contractor.

This information is used to determine the BTU your system has to be.

Consider a programmable thermostat installed.This device can save you a great deal of money on your bills because your settings to ensure optimal performance.

TIP! Two thirds of all homes have ducts which leak. This can result in as much as one fourth of your utility bills.

As you can see from reading the above article, it is vital that you take good care of your HVAC system to prevent it from going bad. If your HVAC fails, it can be expensive to repair. Keep this from happening when you use these helpful tips.