While keeping a house’s HVAC system running all the time is a task that homeowners have, they aren’t all sure how to perform it properly. A smart homeowner recognizes the need to fully understand their HVAC system, and who to contact when the time comes to make those repairs. This article can help you with that.
Your outside condenser fan can be helped to run better by you cleaning the fan blades and coils prior to summer starting up. Before you clean the unit, be sure to turn off the power. Additionally, remove leaves and any other debris from the outside condenser unit.
Make sure that you regularly clean debris that might build up on external condenser units. After a wind or rain storm things may pile up, causing problems with your system. If you do not, the unit may get too hot and cause additional problems.
Make sure that you do not cover your outdoor components with grass clippings when you are trimming the grass. Make sure the grass does not get in your unit. Make sure you move around the unit and blow the leaves away from it while blowing your leaves.
Your HVAC unit may suffer when trees start to lose their leaves. At least twice a week, you need to clean the grill of your fan. The fan must not have anything in the way so that air can flow into it, and if it is clogged, you’ll have a lot of headaches eventually.
Lubricate the oil ports on your condenser once each year. You’ll find these ports are covered with a metal or rubber cap. Choose an oil graded SAE 20, it is non-detergent and lightweight. Place about 10 drops into each of the ports, taking care that it does not overfill.
Place your HVAC unit in the shade to boost efficiency. As it brings in cool air to cool, you will save a lot of money.
Have your heating and cooling system inspected twice a year. Most homeowners choose to have their unit inspected during the spring and the fall months. This helps prepare for the coming weather changes of summer and winter. Even if everything seems okay, it doesn’t hurt to check things out.
Turn off outdoor condenser units when weather turns cold. If temps go below 60 you run the risk of damaging a unit that remains on. This will allow your system to work well every year, and that saves you quite a bit on making repairs.
To cut energy costs, you should service your cooling and heating system once a year at least. When they visit to service the unit they’re going to inspect the motors, oil the parts that move, and see how much freon is in your system. Doing this simple task can ensure that your system will be running for years with no problem!
If you are going to be gone during the day or on vacation, turn the temperature up on your air conditioning unit. The house will only heat up to a certain point. If you leave it on all day, it’s fighting the heat constantly, meaning it’s using a lot of electricity to do its job.
Never let your home reach a dangerously hot temperature. An air conditioning unit is really only able to reduce the temperature by twenty degrees in a short time span. If the temperature in your home rises to 100 degrees F or higher, cooling it will only drop the temperature to 80 degrees F. Taking into consideration the humidity level, this may not even be adequate for the human body to recover from excessive heat while sleeping.
It is possible for air conditioners to ice over. This can also happen on the drain line. If you see this happen, disable the compressor by turning your thermostat to the fan only setting. While switching the system to the fan setting should begin the ice melting process, the best thing to do is to hire a professional to deal with the problem.
Unit Size
Look online for a/c sizing calculators so you can really understand the unit size needed for your home or room. If you purchase something that is too big, it won’t be cost effective to run. You can look online or do other research to get information from HVAC system manufacturers and sellers in order to determine the best unit size for your needs.
The HVAC unit is one of the most important items in your home. You will need to find a quality professional to install it though. Luckily, you know have the information to help prevent this from happening.
