Having an HVAC system in good working order can be enjoyable in the home. It cools off your home in the summer and keeps it warm in the winter. However, it can quickly turn into a nightmare if your HVAC system fails on you. Learning how to maintain your HVAC system properly is key, and you can learn how to do it in the following article.
Clean the fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Always make sure you shut off the power before you do any work on the unit other than superficial cleaning. Clean off any leaves or debris from your external condenser unit.
Be sure to clean external condenser units regularly. After a wind or rain storm things may pile up, causing problems with your system. Left unchecked, your unit is more likely to break down.
Clean the coils on the condenser fan from time to time. Start by turning off the power to avoid having anything move when you work on it. Then, pop off its grills, pull the blades out, and begin cleaning the unit and them gently.
Your system should be checked twice a year. The normally recommended time for HVAC system inspections is once before the peak cooling season when it gets hot and you’ll be using your AC, and once before the peak heating season, during the cold months when you’re likely to be using your heat. Even if everything seems fine, check things out to find potential problems.
Pane Windows
If possible, your single pane windows should be replaced with double-paned ones. Having double pane windows allows your air conditioning unit to be run much less during the summer, because the cool air is kept inside the home. When it is cold in the winter months, these same windows will keep the warm air inside as well.
Putting in a programmable thermostat is a smart way to cut back on air-conditioning costs. These convenient thermostats may shave ten percent or more off of your bills, because they significantly cut energy use when you’re not around. Additionally, some programmable thermostats can be controlled remotely using a web-connected device.
Turn off your air conditioner when no one is home to help save money. Sure, the temp will rise, but no one is home anyway. Leaving it on for the entire day means that it is struggling to keep things cool, something that takes lots of energy.
Prior to hiring any HVAC contractor, you should ask how long their business has operated. A company that has been in business for a long time will have a solid track record, and you can use this to figure out if you should spend your money with them. Hiring a new contractor means taking a bigger risk.
Try to get as many quotes from contractors that you can. Making some phone calls before deciding is a good way to save money. Ideally, five or six contractors should be called so you can get a good ball park figure of a reasonable rate.
If the system you’re using now isn’t working great, then check the ducts for some leakage. Your utility company can test this for you, oftentimes at no charge. If not, it should be less expensive than a HVAC contractor. When you repair the leaks, you’ll see that the tests paid for themselves.
Which way does your home face? If you have some trees that are placed in good spots, you can be sure they block the sunlight during the morning. Anything that provides shade from direct sunlight can reduce the temperature inside your home and help reduce your energy bill for air conditioning during warm months.
If you hear clicking inside your HVAC unit, look for an obstruction. Most of the time such a noise is created by an object striking the blades of the fan in the system. Get rid of this obstruction and that should take care of the problem. Look at this prior to calling a technician.
You can’t get the most out of your HVAC unit, unless you have efficient windows and doors installed. Make sure the seal is impenetrable from outdoor drafts, and that none of the air you’re paying to heat or cool escapes either. Ask a contractor to test them for you.
When deciding what size of an air conditioner is right for you, you will need to measure how much area it will have to cool. You can figure out the unit you need by calculating 20 BTU per square foot. If multiple rooms need cooling, add together their square footage to reach this calculation.
Now that you’ve read these tips, you can see how you can keep your HVAC working properly. Bad things can happen by failing to have your routine inspections performed. Thankfully you found this article, giving you some great tips that can help keep your HVAC system working well in your home.