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.
Before you hire anyone to do any work on your HVAC, be sure to get a written estimate which has itemized costs listed on it. This will ensure that comparing one contractor to another will be simple as you can see what one offers that another doesn't, or what price they're charging for the same items.
Avoid showering your outdoor unit with grass clippings when you mow the lawn. Direct the clippings away from the equipment. This also applies to blowing leaves or moving debris. Just be careful with that exterior HVAC unit.
Clean your permanent air filters or replace disposable ones every single month. If you have the choice, an electrostatic is the best option on the market today. Be sure to turn off your unit before you change the filter as it should never be run without a filter in place.
When the weather cools down, turn your outdoor condenser off. If it's lower than 60 degrees, the time has come to turn it off. This can keep your system working for years and save you a lot on repairs.
If your evaporator coil, found inside your home, becomes dirty, your unit will lose efficiency. Just pop off the front panel of the furnace and check to see that the coil is dry. Using a brush attachment on a vacuum, gently clean the coil of any dust or other debris.
When the trees are losing their leaves, your HVAC unit can suffer. Frequently clean the fan grill when trees are shedding leaves. When blockages restrict the flow of air to the fan, you could end up with serious issues on your hands.
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 window air conditioners for your home if you are thinking about installing a central unit. Do you really need to cool your kitchen overnight? Do you have multiple floors with only one housing bedrooms? To efficiently and cheaply cool only where people are actually staying, window units are a great choice.
You shouldn't rely on a single quote from one contractor to gauge the cost, because different specialists set their own price. You will be likely to save some cash if you take the time to call around before you decide. In an ideal situation, you can estimate a reasonable rate by getting quotes from up to a half-dozen individual contractors or businesses.
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.
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 your outdoor compressor unit sits in the sun, consider building a shade over it. get more info Air in the shade is about 5 degrees cooler than air in the sun. This can have a significant impact on your cooling bill. When done properly, you could see up to a 10 percent savings over the season.
Now you know what is involved when it comes to maintaining your HVAC system. Do not allow it to fail on you when you do not pay attention to maintaining it regularly. These tips will keep your home comfortable year-round.
