A lot of people have HVAC units in their homes. An HVAC unit is designed to keep your home’s temperature comfortable for you throughout the year. Since the HVAC unit has machinery, the installation and maintenance will often require professional contractors or technicians. Though it’s likely you’ll use at least one professional for the purchase, installation and maintenance of your HVAC system, knowing about your HVAC system can provide you with valuable education to help you make wise decisions. This article contains information to help you as a consumer concerning your HVAC system.
Before you call someone to help you fix your system, be sure to know what sort of system you have in place. Write down what brand your system is along with the model number and, if they’re available, maintenance records. This will let you know that you’re able to give the contractor the information that can help them.
Before you choose an HVAC contractor, have an idea in your mind of what needs to be done. It’s hard for these contractors to give phone estimates without seeing the current system you have. It can be harder if you don’t know what’s wrong. So, you should know this beforehand.
Clean the fan blades and coils prior to summertime. Prior to working on or cleaning the unit, be sure to turn off the power. Remove leaves and debris from the condenser outside.
If the outside of your home has condenser units, ensure they are constantly cleaned. Leaves and debris can accumulate quickly, particularly following storms, and that can cause problems for your system. It could overheat and cause a disaster with your unit.
You should clean your condenser fan’s blades and coils every spring. Shut the power off before you do anything. Secondly, pop the grill off, take the blades off and clean them as well as the actual unit.
Look for shade when placing a compressor outdoors. When your unit takes in cool air, it takes less energy to tool the air, thus boosting efficiency.
When the weather starts to cool down, make sure you turn off outdoor condenser units. If the temperature outside is less than 60ºF, be sure to turn off the unit so that you don’t damage it. This will keep your system in working order year after year, saving you a ton on repairs.
Air conditioners tend to ice up at times. You may even encounter a freeze in your drain line which is often confused with a plumbing leak. If you notice this, switch your thermostat to fan only to disable the compressor. Once you know the problem, contact a local HVAC professional and let them know what’s going on in your system.
Look for sizing calculators based on the air conditioner you have to figure out how big of a unit you need in your home. If the unit is too large, it won’t cool more than a smaller unit, just less efficiently. Check the manual to see what the manufacturer rates the unit to cool for accurate information.
If you need a HVAC contractor, try and get recommendations from family and friends. People who have had a good experience are often happy to share the name of their contractor. You are likely to also hear about negative experiences.
If you don’t know who you should call to repair, install and maintain your HVAC systems, check out reviews online. There are many sites that other customers can place their reviews. This is a good way to find decent people to hire.
As this article has shown you, you can do quite a bit to get help your HVAC system work properly. Get it installed properly, fix it when necessary and maintain it over time. Using these tips will ensure your comfort for many years to come.