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Anyone who has a HVAC unit in their house knows the importance of properly maintaining it. A homeowner stands to spend a great deal of money if his HVAC system does not work well. The following tips will help you care for your HVAC and learn what to do if you eventually need to replace it.

When a contractor gives you a list of references, be sure to make use of it. Call the people on the list and ask about the quality of the work, how closely they came to their quote and whether or not the work was completed according to the promised timeline.

If you want to keep your air conditioning unit running efficiently, make sure you replace or clean the air filter once a month. Check the owner's manual on the a/c for instructions on how to clean the filter. Never run the unit when the filter is removed and let the filter dry before reinstallling it.

If you have oil ports as part of the fan condenser, annual lubrication is key. These ports are typically covered with caps made of metal or rubber. Use a lightweight oil and do not overfill them.

Many homeowners forget to oil their condenser at least once per year, but it is required. Such ports tend to have coverings made of rubber or metal. Use a lightweight oil and do not overfill them.

To save money on your HVAC system, turn the air conditioning down at night and let your home warm up a bit. To keep yourself cool, use a chilling water-filled pillow to cool down your head and your whole body as a result. This combined with a fan will keep you from overheating while saving on your utility bills.

The correct HVAC system should have sealed air ducts to minimize heating or cooling loss as air travels to different rooms. The heating or cooling requirements of different rooms in the home should be taken into consideration. There is no reason to increase energy usage by controlling the temperature in rooms that are used very little.

Don't ever let your home temperature get dangerously high. Air conditioners really can only cool a home down about 20 degrees Fahrenheit within a reasonable amount of time. This limits their overall benefit. Depending on how humid it is, this isn't really that safe for a person to sleep in when it's really hot.

Consider all of your alternatives before installing a central air conditioner. You can only cool certain rooms, use whole-house fans, or even make use of a geothermal system. The more efficient the system you set up, the less you'll spend on utility bills over time as you use it.

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Looking for an efficient way to cool your home? Consider installing a whole-house evaporative cooler. They use water to cool air instead of traditional chemical coolants, using a ton less energy to cool your home than those other units. That said, they do work best in dry climates and not at all in humid ones.

Try to stay away from HVAC contractors that ask for upfront payments before they are willing to get started on the work they were hired to do. In many cases, this means that they are more concerned about getting paid than they are about making sure the job is done well.

If you don't want to install ductwork in your home, consider a mini-split system instead. They work form the outside in, allowing your whole home to cool without a central air conditioner. This allows you to enjoy all of your indoor space in a cool, comfortable way all summer long.

The energy efficiency of a unit should be taken into consideration when purchasing a new heating and cooling system. Although you should be concerned about the price of a unit, the efficiency of the unit will save you thousands over the lifetime of the heating and cooling system and should weigh heavily on your buying decision.

You need to measure the space of your home so you can purchase the proper size unit. You will need approximately 20 BTU per square foot, so calculate the necessary size based on that formula. If multiple rooms need cooling, add together their square footage to reach this calculation.

There is a lot to think about when you install an air conditioner unit. For example, a big unit won't remove humidity while a small unit won't cool enough. Placing it in the wrong place can make it less efficient, and not insulating your home adequately could render it almost useless.

If you don't know who you should call to repair, install and maintain your HVAC systems, check out reviews online. There are a number of great sites out there https://m.facebook.com/camfilusa?v=info to make the buying process easier and the end result one you are happy with. This will help to make your home a comfortable one all year round.