A quality HVAC system is important for your home. It’s great to have warmth or cooler air when you need it. But when your system suddenly stops working, the situation can become frustrating very quickly. You must learn how to properly maintain your HVAC, and the following article has some basic info for you.
Know what you need done, before selecting a HVAC repairman. If they have not seen your current system, it will be hard for a contractor to give you a price estimate over the phone. It’s even harder if you’re not able to explain what you’ve done. Be sure to find this out ahead of time.
The fan blades and coils of your condenser should be thoroughly cleaned, so operation can proceed with greater efficiency, by the end of spring. Prior to working on or cleaning the unit, be sure to turn off the power. The outside condenser unit should be kept free of leaves and other debris.
Clean any debris that accumulates on an external condenser unit. After a wind or rain storm things may pile up, causing problems with your system. Debris like this can cause it to overheat, which could be detrimental to your system.
Be sure to clean the fan coils and blades of the condenser fan. First, make sure the power is off to ensure nothing moves while you are working. Remove the grill and the blades, and then you can give them all a gentle clean.
If there are oil ports on your fan condenser, lubricate it annually. These are usually covered with rubber or metal caps. You should select an SAE 20 oil since it is lightweight and does not contain detergent. Be sure to use just 10 drops or so. Alternatively, your system may overfill.
Try to choose a shady place to locate the outdoor compressor device. If your unit is sucking in cooler air, it will have less work to do to cool that air as it sends it inside which boosts efficiency.
In order to boost efficiency, place new outdoor units or move your current unit to a place which resides in the shade. It will help you save on your energy bill when you do this.
Your system should be checked twice a year. Before the weather begins to change, the best time of year to have the system checked is right. Even if nothing seems wrong, checking it out can help you find and fix potential issues.
If possible, your single pane windows should be replaced with double-paned ones. In warmer months, these windows will help to maintain the cooler inside temperature. It keeps heat in during the winter, too.
Regularly having your HVAC system serviced can help keep your cooling and heating bills down. During service the technician will check the motor and refill the system fluids. This ensures your system runs smoothly.
Turn your AC off if no one is at home. By raising the temperature from, for example 78 to 80, your house will be warmer, but only up to 80 before your AC kicks in. Your AC won’t go on until it reaches that temperature if you decide to set the temperature to 82 or 83 or so on. Leaving the system on all day will cost a lot of money in terms of electricity.
Do not let your house get dangerously hot. Air conditioners cannot sufficiently cool down unreasonably high temps. A home that is over one hundred degrees will only be cooled to around eighty. With high humidity, this is an unsafe temperature even for sleeping.
Now you know how to ensure your HVAC is working smoothly. Failing to keep your system in working order will cause bad things to happen. Hopefully, the tips above will help you remain happy with your HVAC system for years to come.
