If you are having issues with your HVAC, do a tour of your house before you call in help. Figure out which rooms are hot and cold. If you do this, it will be a great help to the future contractor, who will now be able to quickly locate the problem issue.
If you want to save money once a new HVAC system is put in place, be sure to pick ENERGY STAR rated products to use. They are very energy efficient so your new system won't cost you a ton when it comes to your utility bills every month, recouping some of your installation costs.
Let your friends and family know about the discounts that are possible via ENERGY STAR. There's a lot of savings that can be had here, so why hold this good news all to yourself! You can save those closest to you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.
Lubricate your fan condenser at least once a year. You'll see that the ports here are closed with a rubber or metal cap. Get an oil that is SAE 20 and put about 10 drops into each port, but don't overfill it.
Air conditioners tend to ice up at times. Many times people think there is a plumbing leak, but instead the drain line has water that is frozen. If you notice this, switch your thermostat to fan only to disable the compressor. If the problem persists be sure to call in a professional.
Clean your condenser's fan blades and coil in the 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.
Installing a whole-house fan can either cool your home without the use of air conditioning or make your air conditioner more efficient. It blows out all of the hot air which collects in your attic, and this air flow draws in cool air from your basement and up into your home.
Whenever possible, try to shade the compressor unit outside. The air that's in a place that is shaded is usually five to six degrees cooler than the surrounding air. Your air conditioning unit will be up to ten percent more efficient if here it is properly shaded during the summer months.
To reduce the air conditioning's energy cost, close drapes, blinds and shades that cover windows which face the sun. Also, white shades will reflect the heat away from the house, keeping it cooler and saving you money. It is also recommended that you close the vents in rooms that are not used often. This will ensure that you are not spending money cooling less-used rooms.
Are you looking into getting a new heating/cooling system? Many considerations must be scrutinized. Systems are given ratings by how effectively they can cool and heat an area. You want a unit which offers a little more than you need.
If you want to pay for less power use, consider installing an HVAC-specific solar panel system. Such an installation harnesses the power of the sun directly for your heating and air conditioning. Don't worry though; you can have a switch put in that automatically connects to the power grid the days there isn't enough sun.
Consider painting the outside of your home in a light color to reflect heat if you live in a hot climate. If your summers are cool, use a dark color to instead heat up your home in the winter. This simple change can end up saving you a lot on your utility bills.
Ask any potential contractor about their experience. You want to make sure that they have experience with the type of work you need done. It's best to find someone who knows what they're doing.
The biggest step to preventing problems in your air conditioner is getting a professional tune-up once a year. This is especially important before the summer. This is when your air conditioning system will be working its hardest. Getting regular tune-ups reduces the risk of malfunctions and will keep you cool all summer long.
Make sure to be specific about everything that is written in your contracts. It should detail the work that is being done, the materials being used and the amount of time it will take to complete the job. Leaving anything out can give the contractor an exit if something goes wrong.
Now you're able to see that the HVAC unit can be something anyone can get into with the right kind of information. Approaching your HVAC system purchase as an educated consumer will help you achieve your desired results. Take the guidelines you read here and put them to work for you now!
