Content by-MacKinnon Thomson
It's important to efficiently heat and cool your home. That is why it is important to keep your HVAC system healthy. Expect expensive repairs and discomfort if you let your HVAC system fail. A few tips have been gathered below. These tips should help you perform some of the most simple, yet mandatory maintenance on your HVAC system.
Make sure you ask for an estimate in writing before choosing a specific HVAC vendor. There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to purchasing these big items. You'll want to compare not only the cost of the equipment, but also the set up and the overall energy costs.
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.
Get an estimate before agreeing to have any work done on your HVAC unit. This will help keep you from being surprised by a bill at the end. Any reputable technician should be able to look at your unit, determine the problem and give you an estimate as to how much it will cost to fix it.
When you have an outdoor unit, be sure to keep all plants, flowers, shrubs and trees at least two feet from it. Anything that grows inside it, either above the ground or even roots beneath the soil, can block it up and cause it to break. Give it some breathing room.
Research what size air conditioner you should purchase for the size of your home by using online calculators they have for this purpose. Buying one that's too large will not cool that well. You can look online or do other research to get information from HVAC system manufacturers and sellers in order to determine the best unit size for your needs.
You can get ice in your air conditioner. There are sometimes also freezes that happen in a drain line, and this can be confused for a plumbing leak. If this happens, put your thermostat over to fan. It's a good idea to call up professionals to help with this even though you can get the ice to melt when you switch everything to the fan.
Make sure that the HVAC contractor you plan to hire does not use subcontractors to do their work. Many people use this as an excuse to shirk their responsibility in the event that something goes wrong when your system is being worked on. Only allow this if there is a note in the contract about what will happen if there is an issue.
If you are uncertain about which HVAC contractor to call when you experience an equipment failure, take the time to ask friends and family for personal recommendations. By doing this, you will be able to feel more confident about the choice you make, because you will have gotten the opinions of people you already know to be trustworthy.
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.
Manage the heat flow into your home with window coverings to help out your HVAC system. In the warmer months, use drapes, curtains and blinds to block out sunward facing windows to keep heat from building up through the greenhouse effect. Alternatively, make sure that sunlit windows are letting light and warmth in during the colder months.
Think about getting a radiant barrier in your attic so your HVAC system can run better. It blocks the heat from inside out, reducing the energy that's needed for your home to get cooled during the summer. If it is done correctly, it is even possible to convert the attic as a living space.
Change your filter on a regular basis. This is one of the easiest HVAC tips that you can do yourself. It is also one of the least expensive things that you can do to ensure that your system is running efficiently. Clogged and dirty filters can make your unit work 5-10% harder.
If the HVAC unit makes a clicking noise, look immediately to see if there is an obstruction. Many times you will find debris hitting that knock up against the fans inside the cooling unit. Simply get rid of the debris to get rid of the issue. Check this out before calling a repairman.
Consider how long a contractor has been in business before you hire them. The longer they've been in your community, the more likely they are to do a good job. Fly by night operations pop up wherever people haven't heard of them before, and they're just the firms you want to avoid.
If you are thinking of installing a new roof and want it to also boost the efficiency of your HVAC, choose white materials. They reflect the sun's heat so that your attic doesn't get hot, and that means your air conditioner doesn't have to labor as hard to cool your home.
When buying a new HVAC unit, make sure that you have it install from a licensed contractor. Ask them for references and make sure that the contractor followed up with customers whenever they needed to. Check
heating contractors with the Better Business Bureau and Department of Consumer Affairs before you hire them.
Want to save
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/customer-service/faq/readers-choice/article243284216.html can with your HVAC unit? Consider increasing your room temperature by a single degree or two. Each degree means money that stays in your pocket. In fact some estimate that each degree you move up can work out to be around 9% in overall energy savings.
When comparing quotes from multiple contractors, think carefully about those on the bottom of the price list. It's likely they didn't really look into your home deeply, or they're making promises they can't keep. Do they offer you a guarantee? Are they insured? Do they have a current licence in your state?
When hiring a contractor, choose one that offers 24-hour emergency hours. Whether a hurricane just blew through or it's the hottest day of the year, they need to be able to come and fix your system.
As you can see, finding the perfect HVAC system for your home can be tricky. There is a lot of information that you need to absorb before you can make the right decision. By keeping this advice in mind, you can find a great new system that will keep you comfortable all year long.