Having an HVAC system that works well is a joy, but one that malfunctions can cause all kinds of grief. They can be costly to repair and can lead to miserable living conditions. Follow these tips to put yourself in the best position.
Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. They won't be able to offer you a quote if they haven't seen your system. If you don't have any idea, they will have trouble giving you any sort of quote. So, figure out this information before anything else.
To make sure your condenser fan works properly, keep the fan blades and the coils clean. Always make sure you shut off the power before you do any work on the unit other than superficial cleaning. Also, make sure you remove any debris or leaves from the condenser unit outside.
Keep your outdoor units free of debris when your cutting grass. Shoot grass the other way. Be just as mindful when you blow leaves to not blow them toward your HVAC equipment.
HVAC units may suffer when leaves are falling off the trees. Clean the fan grill often when leaves are falling. When blockages restrict the flow of air to the fan, you could end up with serious issues on your hands.
When colder weather arrives, switch off all outdoor condenser units. If the outside temp is under 60 degrees, turn the unit off to prevent damage. This will ensure your system stays in good working order every year, saving you money on costly repairs.
Save some cash by shutting down the air-conditioning system when there is no one in the house. When you turn it off, the house heats up, but only to a certain threshold. Obviously, if you leave your air conditioning set at a low temperature all day long even if you're not home, you'll be paying to maintain that low temperature.
Never allow your home to get dangerously hot inside. A simple AC unit will usually only cool the home around 20 degrees within a short period of time. If the temperature in your home rises above 100 degrees, you will only be able to cool it down to 80. Depending on what the humidity is, this may not be cool enough to be a safe temperature to sleep at when recovering from the harsh summer heat.
Icing up is common in air conditioners. Sometimes the drain line will freeze, causing leaks. Turn your unit to the fan setting to turn off the compressor. It is best to call a professional in to fix this particular issue, even though the switch to fan setting should cause the ice to start melting.
Research what size air conditioner you should purchase for the size of your home by using online calculators they have for this purpose. While you might think that a larger HVAC system is always better, in fact, larger systems sometimes are not the best choice for a particular space. Look at the manual to figure out the manufacturing rates the unit for accurate cooling information.
Before you hire any HVAC companies, find out how the amount of time they've been in business. Obviously, a company with a longer history and a positive reputation is the better choice. Hiring a newer contractor may be taking a considerable risk.
When you need the services of an HVAC professional, ask your friends and family if they can recommend someone to you. You should be able to find someone that has had a good experience. This can also help you to figure out some names of businesses that you should avoid at all costs.
Try to get as many quotes from contractors that you can. This can help you to save money by knowing what people are charging. Call at least four or five different HVAC specialist to find the best rates.
Be sure to test for leaks in the ducts if your system seems inefficient. You can call in your local utility company to do the testing for you, often for free or at a lower cost than a contractor. When the leaks are repaired, you'll find that the testing paid for itself.
If there's a clicking in your HVAC unit, check for any sort of obstructions immediately. Sometimes, debris will be the cause of the disturbance. Removing the debris will quickly fix the issue. Look carefully at it before you call up a service technician.
Take a measuring tape and get the square footage of the area where the unit will be cooling. Generally, 20 BTU per square foot is ideal. When you are cooling more than one room, you must add together all of the square footage.
Keeping your home comfortable relies on having a great HVAC system. Without proper maintenance, you will not feel comfortable in your home. Never let this happen to you; keep in mind all the advice here to make sure that your HVAC system is providing you good air.
shortentrant4016 Community Member 
|
|
