Content by-Tobin Hansen
Hiring an HVAC professional to either replace old heating and cooling equipment or install a brand new unit is something with which not every homeowner is entirely comfortable.
loves air and heating to confront this type of challenge is to gain some great tips and tricks. The article below should serve that purpose quite nicely.
Ask for referrals when hiring someone to install your HVAC system. Someone may seem like they know what they are doing, but you cannot simply take their word for it. You should be able to call past customers to get an idea of what to expect from this particular installer.
During the fall, leaves can gather around your HVAC. Make sure you clean out your fan grill often once nearby trees start shedding their leaves. If your fan is obstructed, it can keep your system from working properly.
Be sure to have twice annual HVAC system checks. The best time of year to have the system checked is right before the weather begins to change. Even if nothing seems wrong, checking it out can help you find and fix potential issues.
Make sure the equipment you are buying is ENERGY STAR compliant. It may seem a small thing, but it isn't. Products that are ENERGY STAR compliant can save you a lot of money in energy costs over the year. It can be over $100 easily, sometimes a lot more.
Keep energy costs from rising by having your system serviced annually. During your service visit, the serviceman will inspect the unit's motor, oil the unit's moving parts and ensure the unit has proper freon levels. This will help your system run better.
Never allow the temperature in your home to rise to a dangerously high level. Even the best air conditioners can only realistically cool your home approximately 20 degrees Farenheit. If your home gets above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll only cool down to still above 80. Depending on the levels of humidity, that is not a safe temperature when it comes to sleeping or escaping from the heat of summer.
Consider
Ac repair sacramento ca 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.
If you live in a hot climate, don't use duct tape on your HVAC. It just dries out and falls off, leaving you with leaks all over the place. Instead, use mastic sealant to cover any holes or gaps in duct work and you'll keep your home comfortable all year long.
Try to stay away from HVAC contractors that ask for upfront payments before they are willing to get started on the work they were hired to do. In many cases, this means that they are more concerned about getting paid than they are about making sure the job is done well.
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.
Do not close your vents. Keep air vents open and unblocked at all times. Many people believe that closing off a vent will save them money on cooling costs. This is not true. It can actually damage your HVAC system. Closing vents can cause your cooling coil to freeze and damage the compressor.
If you hear a clicking in the HVAC unit at home, see if there are any obstructions right away. There may be particles of debris that are touching the fans. Simply clear away the debris or remove any foreign objects and your problem is solved. Look at this prior to calling a technician.
Think about installing a digital programmable thermostat to keep your heating and cooling bills low. These digital thermostats have timers that allow you to completely control your HVAC use. You can set the heat and cooling to only turn on when you are home and to turn off when you are at work.
For your outdoor HVAC unit, make sure that your foliage is cleared around it. Two feet distance between the HVAC unit and shrubs is a good amount to remember. If you let the foliage creep up on the unit, it can cause all sorts of issues with debris and growth into the system.
In order to determine the size of the air conditioner to purchase, you must measure the area that you want to cool. You will need about 20 BTU per square footage of the room. If the unit will be cooling several rooms, combine their square footage in your calculations.
Before you hire an HVAC contractor to perform work on your system, learn about their experience level. You need to verify they have the type of experience needed to work on your particular system. You want a top professional on the job.
Choose a contractor who knows how to work with your current system. If they work with that set-up frequently, they'll quickly diagnose any problems and know exactly how to maintain it. Choosing such a firm will save you time and money, and will also save you from unnecessary headaches.
If you feel like you are spending too much money on your heating and cooling, there is a simple way to reduce this cost. Raise or lower the temperature depending on the season. A single degree in temperature change can equate to almost a nine percent savings in cooling and heating costs.
It is important that any contractor you hire is familiar with your make and model of HVAC unit. Ask them what brands they work with most frequently and compare it to what you have. If you can't find a contractor that knows your brand well, instead consider who has the best reputation.
You should now have a better idea about why proper HVAC system maintenance is necessary. If it isn't maintained properly, it could break. Fortunately, you came across the info here, and you now know what you must do to keep your system in working order.