All The HVAC Advice You Need To Know To Save Money
Everyone who owns an HVAC knows that maintenance is important. You could pay more if your HVAC system doesn't work right. Use the tips below to help keep your HVAC system in its best working condition.
If you have outside condenser units, make sure to regularly clean the debris that builds up. You never know when things can pile up, especially after a windy or rainy storm, and that can throw a wrench in your system. Overheating may be the result if you don't.
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.
When you have an outdoor unit, be sure to keep all plants, flowers, shrubs and trees at least two feet from it. Anything that grows inside it, either above the ground or even roots beneath the soil, can block it up and cause it to break. Give it some breathing room.
Let your friends and family know about the discounts that are possible via ENERGY STAR. There's a lot of savings that can be had here, so why hold this good news all to yourself! You can save those closest to you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.
When you are no longer using your outdoor air conditioning unit, be sure to protect it with a tight cover. This will keep it free of debris, frost and snow so that you'll have a working unit when the spring comes and you are ready to uncover it and use it again.
You should be sure to change the air filter of your HVAC system once every six months. Neglecting to do so can cause dust particles to clog the air ducts. In turn, your system will not work properly and you will find your bills going up. It's worth spending the time to clean the filters.
Outer coils can be cleaned with a regular outdoor hose before you turn the unit on for the season. That said, interior coils should be taken care of by a professional so that you don't do any damage as you attempt to clean them. Bring someone in to complete a check up.
An investment in a smart thermostat is truly going to save you money. You can program it to turn on and off at certain temperatures or times, allowing you to ensure that your air conditioner or heater isn't running when it doesn't need to be, saving you a ton.
Manage the heat flow into your home with window coverings to help out your HVAC system. In the warmer months, use drapes, curtains and blinds to block website out sunward facing windows to keep heat from building up through the greenhouse effect. Alternatively, make sure that sunlit windows are letting light and warmth in during the colder months.
If you aren't sure who to call for HVAC maintenance, repairs, or installation, look online for reviews. Many Internet sites let customers discuss experiences with certain companies. This works both in finding those you want to hire and also with those you want to avoid.
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.
Be careful of sounds in your HVAC. If the condenser fan begins to make a grating or clicking sound, the blades could be hitting an obstruction. If blades get bent, don't try straightening them. You could unbalance them and cause them to hit the condenser coil. This could loosen the motor in the fan. Try replacing the bent blades with new ones. Make sure the new blades can freely rotate without wobbling.
Improve the efficiency of your air conditioning by installing ceiling fans. Change the airflow direction of the ceiling fans. During the summer, the blades should move in a counter-clockwise direction. During the winter, the blades should move clockwise to help move the hot air in the ceiling down into the room.
When you have a short list of contractors to consider, ask the people on their reference list about not only the service they received, but also how well the system is still running. Did they need more work down the road? Has the company come back to make things right?
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.
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.
Ask your neighbors who they have fixing their HVAC systems. Neighborhoods are often built at the same time and will have the same set-ups for heating and cooling. That means if someone did a good job on their unit, they should offer you the same high quality service as well.
If you do only one thing for HVAC maintenance, it ought to be replacing the air filter. This is a very simple job and it keeps the system running at maximum efficiency. These filters are only a couple dollars.
Do not let the heat build up inside your home. Lighting, electronic devices and appliances are all common sources of heat inside the home. To prevent this excessive heat, do not put televisions or lamps close to your a/c's thermostat. These appliances make the a/c think that the house is hotter than it really is, causing the system to run longer than needed and wasting energy.
HVAC isn't hard to work with once you know what it's all about. Hopefully this guide gave you the tips you need to get ahead with all of this. It's a great thing to work on carefully because it can save you money while paying off in other ways as well.
'Over 150 calls just from freezing pipes': Plumbers scramble to help homeowners on Vancouver Island
TOP PLUMBER TIPS:
Heat exterior walls where waterlines enter your home or business
Keep water movement in your pipes. A last resort can be allowing a bathtub to run overnight at a low drizzle
Insulate exterior hose taps. Hardware stores supply insulation product, or even wrap a dry cloth around the hose bib
Know where your water shutoff valves are. If you start to see flooding shut them off immediately
Even the City of Victoria was caught in a soggy position Thursday morning.
An exterior pipe burst on the Pandora Street side of City Hall early Thursday causing water to spill onto the street below, according to city officials.
Crews quickly located the broken pipe and repaired it. The city says no interior damage has been found due to the leak.
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