Your HVAC unit could be considered the heart and soul of your home. As the furnace or air conditioner pump out comfortable air, the ducts carry it to where you are living in the home. To ensure that it works for you as you wish it to, check out the tips below.
Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. A contractor will not be able to give you an accurate price without accurate information about your system. If you can't explain anything to them, this will be even more difficult. Having this information handy will make the process much smoother.
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.
Clean the fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Except when you do superficial cleaning, you need to always make sure the power is off on the unit. Also, be sure to clear leaves and debris from your condenser unit.
Do you hear a clicking sound when your fan is turning? This may mean that there is something in the way of the blades of the fan. If it gets so bad that the blade bends, you must replace it, just unbending it will leave the fan unbalanced and can cause further issues.
Consider an annual service agreement for technicians to regularly inspect your AC unit. Schedule brief inspections for the winter to make sure nothing is obviously wrong. The most important time for an inspection and service is just before it starts getting warm. You don't want to discover an AC breakdown when you need it working most.
Whenever possible, try to shade the compressor unit outside. The air that's in a place that is shaded is usually five to six degrees cooler than the surrounding air. Your air conditioning unit will be up to ten percent more efficient if it is properly shaded during the summer months.
Your home should never reach a dangerous temperature. A simple AC unit will usually only cool the home around 20 degrees within a short period of time. So, if you house heats up to about 95, you won't see the temperature go below 75 for a while. Depending on the humidity level, this temperature isn't considered a safe sleeping temperature for the human body to be able to recover from the summer heat.
Consider window air conditioners for your home if you are thinking about installing a central unit. Do you really need to cool your kitchen overnight? Do you have multiple floors with only one housing bedrooms? To efficiently and cheaply cool only where people are actually staying, window units are a great choice.
Turn to online reviews if you're not sure how you should hire to perform HVAC maintenance. There are different sites that let customers share experiences of different services. This method provides you with all the information you need to make the best hiring decisions.
To choose a reliable HVAC contractor, the best thing to do is to do your homework on a number of possible firms and check out their reputations. Inquire with the BBB and look elsewhere for other reviews from customers. This will help you make the best choice.
Every month clean out the leaves and debris that may have settled into your outdoor HVAC unit. You'll be surprised at how much gets caught in your unit. Over time these leaves can build up and create issues for your system. Just this little clean up can save you a lot of money in maintenance bills.
When placing your unit, think about the direction the air will flow from the unit. If you can only put it into a corner, try buying a unit that lets you change its air flow direction away from your wall.
Consider painting the outside of your home in a light color to reflect heat if you live in a hot climate. If your summers are cool, use a dark color to instead heat up your home in the winter. This simple change can end up saving you energy a lot on your utility bills.
When you engage a contractor, request references. You need to know if previous clients have gotten what they needed, like timely service within their budget. You will be able to avoid any scammers out there, as long as you follow up on references.
If you can, find a way to create shade over your outdoor HVAC unit. This can actually save you money as shaded air being pulled in by the HVAC unit is typically 5 to 6 degrees cooler than air that's heated by direct sunlight. It's a smart solution to lowering those energy bills.
If you hear clicking noises from your condenser fan, make sure that it is not striking something inside the unit. If it is not hitting something, it may be bent. Do not try to straighten the blades. This could cause it to become unbalanced. Simply replace the blade to ensure proper rotation.
Keep your evaporator coil clean. A dirty coil will cause the unit to strain when cooling air. You can clean the coil yourself easily. Simply remove the front panel to expose the coil and use a soft brush attached to a vacuum to remove any dust and debris that has accumulated on the coil.
When talking to a new contractor, he should show you how much money you can save on each unit he has available. He should offer you information on how much it will cost to operate each for a year. You can then compare these numbers to https://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/category/safe-home-air-purification-furnace-filters/furnace-filter-air/2120/2120.aspx see which is the best bet for your home.
When your HVAC system is older than 15 years, the time has come to get yearly check-ups. These systems aren't expected to make it past two decades, so you have to monitor them for any issues which may crop up. In fact, new systems will be more efficient, so it might be time for an upgrade.
To keep your home feeling comfortable it is very important that your HVAC system is working the right way. The tips and information from above hopefully have showed you what it needed to make the HVAC last a very long time. Remember what you learned here, and use it to ensure you have a home that has a comfortable living space.
Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. A contractor will not be able to give you an accurate price without accurate information about your system. If you can't explain anything to them, this will be even more difficult. Having this information handy will make the process much smoother.
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.
Clean the fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Except when you do superficial cleaning, you need to always make sure the power is off on the unit. Also, be sure to clear leaves and debris from your condenser unit.
Do you hear a clicking sound when your fan is turning? This may mean that there is something in the way of the blades of the fan. If it gets so bad that the blade bends, you must replace it, just unbending it will leave the fan unbalanced and can cause further issues.
Consider an annual service agreement for technicians to regularly inspect your AC unit. Schedule brief inspections for the winter to make sure nothing is obviously wrong. The most important time for an inspection and service is just before it starts getting warm. You don't want to discover an AC breakdown when you need it working most.
Whenever possible, try to shade the compressor unit outside. The air that's in a place that is shaded is usually five to six degrees cooler than the surrounding air. Your air conditioning unit will be up to ten percent more efficient if it is properly shaded during the summer months.
Your home should never reach a dangerous temperature. A simple AC unit will usually only cool the home around 20 degrees within a short period of time. So, if you house heats up to about 95, you won't see the temperature go below 75 for a while. Depending on the humidity level, this temperature isn't considered a safe sleeping temperature for the human body to be able to recover from the summer heat.
Consider window air conditioners for your home if you are thinking about installing a central unit. Do you really need to cool your kitchen overnight? Do you have multiple floors with only one housing bedrooms? To efficiently and cheaply cool only where people are actually staying, window units are a great choice.
Turn to online reviews if you're not sure how you should hire to perform HVAC maintenance. There are different sites that let customers share experiences of different services. This method provides you with all the information you need to make the best hiring decisions.
To choose a reliable HVAC contractor, the best thing to do is to do your homework on a number of possible firms and check out their reputations. Inquire with the BBB and look elsewhere for other reviews from customers. This will help you make the best choice.
Every month clean out the leaves and debris that may have settled into your outdoor HVAC unit. You'll be surprised at how much gets caught in your unit. Over time these leaves can build up and create issues for your system. Just this little clean up can save you a lot of money in maintenance bills.
When placing your unit, think about the direction the air will flow from the unit. If you can only put it into a corner, try buying a unit that lets you change its air flow direction away from your wall.
Consider painting the outside of your home in a light color to reflect heat if you live in a hot climate. If your summers are cool, use a dark color to instead heat up your home in the winter. This simple change can end up saving you energy a lot on your utility bills.
When you engage a contractor, request references. You need to know if previous clients have gotten what they needed, like timely service within their budget. You will be able to avoid any scammers out there, as long as you follow up on references.
If you can, find a way to create shade over your outdoor HVAC unit. This can actually save you money as shaded air being pulled in by the HVAC unit is typically 5 to 6 degrees cooler than air that's heated by direct sunlight. It's a smart solution to lowering those energy bills.
If you hear clicking noises from your condenser fan, make sure that it is not striking something inside the unit. If it is not hitting something, it may be bent. Do not try to straighten the blades. This could cause it to become unbalanced. Simply replace the blade to ensure proper rotation.
Keep your evaporator coil clean. A dirty coil will cause the unit to strain when cooling air. You can clean the coil yourself easily. Simply remove the front panel to expose the coil and use a soft brush attached to a vacuum to remove any dust and debris that has accumulated on the coil.
When talking to a new contractor, he should show you how much money you can save on each unit he has available. He should offer you information on how much it will cost to operate each for a year. You can then compare these numbers to https://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/category/safe-home-air-purification-furnace-filters/furnace-filter-air/2120/2120.aspx see which is the best bet for your home.
When your HVAC system is older than 15 years, the time has come to get yearly check-ups. These systems aren't expected to make it past two decades, so you have to monitor them for any issues which may crop up. In fact, new systems will be more efficient, so it might be time for an upgrade.
To keep your home feeling comfortable it is very important that your HVAC system is working the right way. The tips and information from above hopefully have showed you what it needed to make the HVAC last a very long time. Remember what you learned here, and use it to ensure you have a home that has a comfortable living space.