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Coming home to a hot or cold house due to a broken HVAC unit is no fun. Having a properly functioning HVAC system is an important aspect of keeping your home comfortable and safe. The following tips are great for helping you do just that.

Before calling someone to repair your system, make sure you know what kind of HVAC system you actually have. Learn the brand, model, and if you have it, the maintenance history. The contractor will likely need all of this information.

Think about what improvements you want made before picking an HVAC contractor. A contractor will not be able to give you an accurate price without accurate information about your system. It will be way more hard if you can't figure out what they need to do. You need to know this before you begin.

Keep your outdoor units free of debris when you are mowing the lawn. When you work with your lawn mower, make sure it spits the grass to the side opposite of your unit. The same goes for blowing leaves, so always be careful if you are moving debris near your HVAC devices.

If there are oil ports on your fan condenser, lubricate it annually. You will notice these ports have a rubber or metal cap covering them. Your oil should be an SAE 20. This particular oil is very lightweight and it only requires about 10 drops per port.

If you can, use double-paned windows instead of single-paned ones. During the summer, the use of double-pane windows will help keep the cool air locked inside of the home. When it is cold in the winter months, these same windows will keep the warm air inside as well.

Equipping your home with a programmable thermostat can be an excellent way to cut utility costs. It may save you as much as 10 percent of your overall utility bill if you turn your thermostat down by 10-15 degrees for a portion of the day. Take advantage of the convenience of the ability to control many programable thermostats from your favorite electronic device.

When you want a HVAC contractor who is reliable, you need to spend some time in researching the background and reputation of several potential companies. Inquiring with the Better Business Bureau is always a good idea, as is looking for online review sites where previous customers can post their experiences. These simple steps will help make a better decision.

Some air conditioners can ice up. Many times people think there is a plumbing leak, but instead the drain line has water that is frozen. If you notice this, switch your thermostat to fan only to disable the compressor. You should leave the repair to a professional, but switching to the fan setting should start to melt the ice.

Use an online sizing calculator to help you calculate the proper size of the air conditioning unit you should purchase. 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.

Talk to others that you have in your life to see if they can recommend an HVAC contractor to you. You should be able to find someone that has had a good experience. This is an excellent way to find which companies to stay away from.

If you don't know who you should contact to do your HVAC maintenance or any installations, look online to see if you can find reviews. There are many sites that other customers can place their reviews. This will be an excellent way to locate people you should work with and people that may not work well with you.

Having a radiant barrier in your attic helps you HVAC system run better. This will block heat from coming in, which means that less energy will be needed to keep your home cool. It it's installed properly, you might even be able to use your attic as an extra room.

Have you been thinking about buying a new HVAC system? If so, you must consider a number of things. System ratings are based on the area that can be cooled and heated effectively by the system. Therefore, you may want to opt for a larger unit.

If your existing system is malfunctioning, look for leaks in the ducts. Call your utility company if they are leaking to see about getting a test. Once you fix the leaks, the savings will be more than worth the hassle.

Use the techniques presented in the article you have just read. It's never a good feeling to come home to a broken HVAC system. And high repair costs on top of that just compounds the issues. You can prevent such an unpleasant surprise with the information you have read about in the above article. Use them as necessary.