It is vital to keep your home heated and cooled at all times. That is why proper maintenance is so important. If you’re not able to take care of it, things will cost a lot to fix and it will be hard to live with it all. Here are some suggestions to help you out.
If you want to keep your air conditioning unit running efficiently, make sure you replace or clean the air filter once a month. Check the owner’s manual on the a/c for instructions on how to clean the filter. Never run the unit when the filter is removed and let the filter dry before reinstallling it.
If you do have a good experience with a HVAC product or contractor, let others know. Go online and post a review so that people can easily find out who and what brands to trust. At the same time, you can check reviews online to learn more yourself about what’s available.
If you have oil ports as part of the fan condenser, annual lubrication is key. You’ll see that the ports here are closed with a rubber or metal cap. Pick out a SAE 20 type of oil because it has no detergent, is lightweight, and you should put around 10 drops in the ports but make it to where they don’t get too full.
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.
If you have fans in place to help make your HVAC more efficient, be sure that they’re turning in the right direction. They should be pushing air downwards over the people in the room to help cool their skin. If it’s blowing upwards, all it does is push hot air into the room.
Double pane your windows to prevent drafts. In warmer months, these windows will help to maintain the cooler inside temperature. They help in the winter, too, keeping the heat in.
As you compare new HVAC system, be sure to look at the energy ratings for each unit. The higher they are, the better they will be. Efficiency will not only get your home comfortable faster, but it will save you on your energy bills when you are running your new unit.
It is possible for air conditioners to ice over. Sometimes the drain line will freeze, causing leaks. If this is something you notice, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. Get a professional to deal with this, even if you see the ice start melting because you turned the compressor off.
Keep your condensers free of nearby obstructions. Keep plants, fencing, even bushes back and away from the unit. Two feet is a good minimum distance it should have from anything, including walls, but the more space you give it to breathe, the better it will work and the less likely it will be to fail.
Now you know how to keep your HVAC system in great shape. Do not let neglect cause major issues. Use the above tips to make sure it keeps working properly.
