What system do you have? You need this information to tell your contractor. It is important to understand what model it is and which brand it is. Also, if it has been serviced before, you should have that information handy. This helps make sure the contractor has the information they will need.
Check the whole house before you call for help. Find out which rooms are hot and which are cold. Give this information to your contractor when they arrive.
Know what you need before you hire a contractor. A contractor cannot give an accurate estimate without looking at your system. It will be even harder if you cannot explain what you have done. So, have this information ready.
To make sure your condenser fan works properly, keep the fan blades and the coils clean. Be safe and turn off the power supply before working on your HVAC unit. Take away all of the debris as well.
If the condenser for your HVAC system is located outside, make sure you clear away any debris that might settle in or around it. Debris quickly gathers here, even more so if there is a storm. This can cause major issues with your system. This can lead to overheating.
Make sure clippings don't get on your outdoor units when your mowing your lawn. Aim the grass clippings in the other direction. This also applies to blowing leaves or moving debris. Just be careful with that exterior HVAC unit.
For maximum efficiency, place outdoor units in a shady spot. The unit will have to do less work cooling this air.
Turn off outdoor condenser units when weather turns cold. Avoid damaging the unit by turning it off when the outdoor air conditioning repair temperature drops below 60 degrees. This will maximize the life of your unit.
Keep energy costs from rising by having your system serviced annually. The motor should be checked, the parts oiled and the freon levels inspected. Those things are going to help your system at peak performance.
Don't let your house get too hot. It takes quite a while to cool a home by more than 20 degrees. If you have your home at above 100 degrees then you can only get it to about 80 or above. When you factor in humidity, this can still be dangerously hot for the human body at rest.
AC units will tend to get ice on them due to the cold. There are sometimes also freezes that happen in a drain line, and this can be confused for a plumbing leak. If this is something you notice, switch the thermostat in your home to fan only so the compressor is disabled. It's a good idea to call up professionals to help with this even though you can get the ice to melt when you switch everything to the fan.
Check any company you are considering to see how long it has been around. Companies that are around awhile have a better record than those that haven't been. Hiring a contractor who is just starting out can be risky.
Search online for reviews to find an HVAC customer you can trust. Many online review sites provide an avenue for this information. Read through them and figure out who you want to try out.
You should think about putting in a radiant barrier in order to help your system run efficiently. This will block heat from coming in, which means that less energy will be needed to keep your home cool. It it's installed properly, you might even be able to use your attic as an extra room.
Now that you've read these tips, you can see how you can keep your HVAC working properly. By failing to do routine inspections, you're setting yourself up for failure. Fortunately, you came across the info here, and you now know what you must do to keep your system in working order.
