You Can Handle All Your HVAC Woes Easily With The Help Of This Article

 

 

Your home can remain comfortable when your HVAC system is properly working. It's a great feeling when you come in from a sweltering day, and it's cool inside, or you come in from a very blustery winter day to the warmth of the inside. However, this can become a nightmare quickly if the HVAC system in your home fails. Continue reading and you can learn more about HVAC units.

 

 

When seeking a new contractor, ask loved ones for referrals. They'll often have already had someone in for similar work and will know who to trust and who to avoid. If your family hasn't used anyone, ask co-workers or other people you trust in your community for some references.

 

When a contractor gives you a list of references, be sure to make use of it. Call the people on the list and ask about the quality of the work, how closely they came to their quote and whether or not the work was completed according to the promised timeline.

 

Be sure to get every quote or estimate in written form. You have no recourse on a verbal agreement, so a written contract is a must. This will allow you to follow up if something goes wrong or you don't get what you were promised, protecting you from shady contractors.

 

Clean the coils on the condenser fan from time to time. Start by turning off the power to avoid having anything move when you work on it. Remove the grill and carefully clean the blades and surrounding areas.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Before having someone install a new HVAC system or maintain or repair yours, make sure they are insured. Having someone who is insured work on your system will assure that if anything happens while they are working at your home, they are financially covered and you will not be responsible.

 

The energy efficiency of a unit should be taken into consideration when purchasing a new heating and cooling system. Although you should be concerned about the price of a unit, the efficiency of the unit will save you thousands over the lifetime of the heating and cooling system and should weigh heavily on your buying decision.

 

Always ask for references before you allow anyone to start doing work on your HVAC system. Call several of them to make sure that they are legitimate. Many people take the word of the contractor when it comes to customer satisfaction and that can prove to be a mistake in the end.

 

If your current system isn't working well enough, test out the ducts for leaks. Call your utility company and ask if they test for free, as many do. Once you fix the leaks, the savings will be more than worth the hassle.

 

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 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 heated by direct sunlight. It's a smart solution to lowering those energy bills.

 

Measure the living area you wish to cool before going air conditioner shopping. The calculation to determine the size of the unit is typically 20 BTU for every square foot of area. If more than one room needs AC service, combine all the square footage.

 

Be sure the HVAC contractor you pick is fast and knowledgeable. You want one that maintains a schedule. The technicians need to also know what to do to figure out what's going wrong with an HVAC unit quickly. When they know the issue, they ought to have it fixed quickly and efficiently.

 

These suggestions should benefit you in taking care of your heating and cooling issues. By failing to do routine inspections, you're setting yourself up for failure. Hopefully, you'll keep up the regular HVAC maintenance and won't ever need to worry about this nightmare gripping you or your home.