Achieve Better HVAC Success Thanks To This Article
When HVAC is something you want to learn about, you're going to need some solid advice on the subject. It's not hard to learn about if you're able to get the right kind of information. That's what this article will provide you with, so when you're ready you should read along.
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.
Do not be surprised if the HVAC contractor you choose does an evaluation on your home. Any good contractor will spend time looking at the system you currently have and what the needs are for your home. They will also take a look at your duct system and look for air leaks.
By the end of spring, the fan blades and coils of your condenser should be thoroughly cleaned, so operation can proceed with greater efficiency. Always make sure you shut off the power before you do any work on the unit other than superficial cleaning. The outside condenser unit should be kept free of leaves and other debris.
When you buy a new air conditioning unit, don't let the salesperson talk you into too large of a unit. This will be a waste of money and won't efficiently cool your home. The longer a system runs, the more efficient it will be when it's running, so look for one which runs 15 to 30 minutes.
Do not be surprised if the HVAC contractor you choose does an evaluation on your home. Any good contractor will spend time looking at the system you currently have and what the needs are for your home. They will also take a look at your duct system and look for air leaks.
Always ask for references before you allow anyone to start doing work on your HVAC system. Call several of them to make sure that they are legitimate. Many people take the word of the contractor when it comes to customer satisfaction and that can prove to be a mistake in the end.
Try to stay away from HVAC contractors that ask for upfront payments before they are willing to get started on the work they were hired to do. In many cases, this means that they are more concerned about getting paid than they are about making sure the job is done well.
Never allow your home to get dangerously hot inside. Air conditioners cannot sufficiently cool down unreasonably high temps. The temperature will only reduce to about 80 if your home heats up to 100 degrees. This is not a safe and comfortable temperature for you to sleep in.
Clean your filters! If you have a window unit air conditioner, there will be a filter right under the grill you can vacuum. If you have a furnace or outdoor units, they will also have filters to be cleaned or replace. A dirty filter can make your unit inefficient or even let it overheat.
It can be confusing to figure out what the correct HVAC system size is for your home, but you can solve this with the help of a sizing calculator. If you buy a unit that is too big, it won't do an efficient job. Look at the manual for more information.
Make sure that the HVAC contractor you plan to hire does not use subcontractors to do their work. Many people use this as an excuse to shirk their responsibility in the event that something click here goes wrong when your system is being worked on. Only allow this if there is a note in the contract about what will happen if there is an issue.
A great way to reduce the stress on your HVAC unit is to install ceiling fans in your home. During the summer, you can have them blow downward to cool the air and make your home feel more comfortable. In the winter you can reverse the direction and circulate warm air trapped at the ceiling.
Check the licensing of any HVAC company that you plan to hire. Start by making sure they are fully licensed. They should be in compliance with your state's business laws. Good HVAC companies should be fully insured. This is to protect their company, their employees, and their customers should anything happen when they are performing a service at the home of a customer.
Is your home's electrical set-up ready to handle a new air conditioning unit? Most homes have 115-volt circuits in place, but larger air conditioners need 230-volts to be used. Some smaller units may need their own dedicated circuit as well to ensure your home doesn't go dark when you turn them on.
If you hear clicking noises from your condenser fan, make sure that it is not striking something inside the unit. If it is not hitting something, it may be bent. Do not try to straighten the blades. This could cause it to become unbalanced. Simply replace the blade to ensure proper rotation.
Is your home's electrical set-up ready to handle a new air conditioning unit? Most homes have 115-volt circuits in place, but larger air conditioners need 230-volts to be used. Some smaller units may need their own dedicated circuit as well to ensure your home doesn't go dark when you turn them on.
When buying a new HVAC unit, make sure that you have it install from a licensed contractor. Ask them for references and make sure that the contractor followed up with customers whenever they needed to. Check the contractor's record with the Better Business Bureau and Department of Consumer Affairs before you hire them.
Consider what potential direction your air conditioner's flow will have when choosing where to put it. If you have to put the unit in a corner, use one that doesn't blow into the wall.
It's easy to see that HVAC isn't hard to get into if you just take your time with it. In the end, you won't have too much trouble if you put what you've learned here to good use. Don't take our word for it and give it a try yourself before you do anything else!
Texas weather: New Jersey plumber offers a helping hand
From halfway across America, one plumber has answered the pleas of Texans still grappling with the aftermath of a devastating winter storm.
As the coldest temperatures in over 30 years swept through Texas in early February, pipes burst in homes across the south-western state, leaving thousands of families with flooded homes and no water.
Plumber Andrew Mitchell and his family drove 22 hours from Morristown, New Jersey to the Houston area in a truck loaded up with around $2,000 (£1,418) worth of materials to offer a helping hand.
Since their arrival on Saturday, Mr Mitchell and his brother-in-law-turned-apprentice, Isiah Pinnock, have worked from morning until night to fix pipes and repair other damage in the storm-ravaged region.
"It's really a blessing to be a blessing to other people and Andrew truly enjoys the work," Mr Mitchell's wife, Kisha Pinnock, told the BBC. "Plumbing is his passion."
Why is it so cold in Texas?
How to stay safe in freezing weather
Texas families 'trying to keep warm' with no power
Last week, Mr Mitchell noticed "a call for help" from Texan plumbers on Facebook, who said they were being overwhelmed by 150 to 200 calls each day.
Aware that supplies were largely sold out across Texas, America's second-most populous state, Mr Mitchell went down to his local store and purchased "as much material as he could afford at the time".
With their two-year-old son Blake and Isiah - a college senior - in tow, the couple made the 1,500 mile (2,400km) drive down to help out their first client: Ms Pinnock's sister in Humble, Texas.
Since then, Ms Pinnock says, her husband has been working "nonstop", locating the damage in collapsed ceilings, frozen walls and - in one harrowing episode - working beside snake eggshells in a crawl space.
Mitchell and his brother-in-law fix pipes
IMAGE SOURCE,ANDREW MITCHELL
"A lot of the people we've helped were telling us they either can't get a plumber on the phone or - if they do get one on the phone - the wait to be serviced is three to four weeks out, so they can't have water during that entire time," says Ms Pinnock.
After almost a full week in, the family wants to keep helping out for as long as it can.
Mr Mitchell plans to keep working "until he runs out of material". He says he might even make a return trip to the area.
For now, while supplies last, they plan to visit the Texas capital city of Austin tomorrow.
"Last night, Andrew did not get back home until two in the morning and he was out of here by 07:30 this morning," Ms Pinnock says.
"He's always been dedicated to his craft."
Reporting by Sam Cabral