HVAC, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning, is how your home stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When properly installed and maintained, you and your family get to enjoy reasonable indoor temperatures all year long. Keep reading this article for advice on installation, upgrades, maintenance and repairs of your home HVAC system.
Although most people are thinking of their heating systems during the winter months, air conditioning is also important. When installing a new furnace or heating system, make sure the air ducts are also set up to work with your air condition system. Using the ducts for both heating and cooling is the most economical choice.
Your HVAC system should be checked a few times a year. It's best to have it checked before you turn it on for the summer and again for the winter. A quick check is worth it to avoid problems down the road.
In order to avoid having any problems with your air conditioning unit, keep all vegetation at least two feet away from the outdoor unit. The unit should be clear of any vegetation on all sides and above. When you mow the lawn, aim the grass clippings away from the a/c unit. This will prevent grass getting inside the a/c and making it malfunction.
When choosing the area for placing an outdoor compressor device, place it in a shady area. When your unit takes in cool air, it takes less energy to tool the air, thus boosting efficiency.
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.
A good place to place your compressor unit outside is in a shady spot. The unit will operate more efficiently to cool your home if the intake air is cooler to begin with.
Ask for references and be sure to call them as well. You are dealing with a high ticket item here, so you'll want to do your due diligence to make sure you are getting the best for your money. Ask for references, but don't stop there. Call each reference to check. A lot of people don't take that important last step.
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.
In order to cheaply cool your home, turn the temperature up. If you take a few showers a day or just drink a cold ice water, you'll find that you're saving a lot of money on your utility bills by keeping the thermostat a little higher than usual in your home.
To improve the efficiency of your HVAC unit, put a radiant barrier up inside the attic of your home. This helps block the heat from outside, and will reduce the energy needed for cooling your home during the summer. If done correctly, this also enables you to start using your attic as a living space.
When water condenses on your air conditioner, it drips into a pan and drains out. This drain should be inspected on a regular basis. If algae forms in the drain line or if the drain line freezes, you could be in for some expensive repairs. The drip pan could overflow causing extensive damage to your ceilings.
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.
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.
If you do only one thing for HVAC maintenance, it ought to be replacing the air filter. This is the easiest step to take to ensure that your unit remains in good operating condition. Filters are relatively cheap, so it does not cost much to do this.
Do you want to make sure your HVAC unit works for you like it should? It is important to have your unit maintained on a regular basis. Any reputable technician will know exactly what you mean if you call them and ask for a maintenance service on your system.
If you can, find a way to create shade over your outdoor HVAC unit. This can actually save you money as shaded air being pulled in by the HVAC unit is typically 5 to 6 degrees cooler than air that's HVAC Replacement Fahw Two Contractors heated by direct sunlight. It's a smart solution to lowering those energy bills.
Pick HVAC companies that know what they're doing and can work quickly. A reliable company will arrive on time and have the job finished in a jiffy. Someone skilled in their profession should be able to come out and give you answers right away. Also, they should be able to service it quickly.
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.
To keep your home feeling comfortable it is very important that your HVAC system is working the right way. The tips and information from above hopefully have showed you what it needed to make the HVAC last a very long time. Remember what you learned here, and use it to ensure you have a home that has a comfortable living space.
