Excellent Advice About Hvac That You Will Want To Read
The importance of a good HVAC system can not be overstated. Without such a system, it can be very difficult to keep your home at a constant temperature throughout the year. If your old system is not working well, you need to have it replaced. Keep reading for some useful advice on this topic.
When seeking a new contractor, ask loved ones for referrals. They'll often have already had someone in for similar work and will know who to trust and who to avoid. If your family hasn't used anyone, ask co-workers or other people you trust in your community for some references.
One of the most important things to consider when purchasing a new heating and cooling system is the manufacturer's warranty. Units come with a variety of warranties. Choose one with a long warranty for maximum long term savings. Generally, it is advised that homeowners should purchase the extended warranty if one is offered.
Look for discounts wherever possible. HVAC systems can be rather costly, so you'll want to seek out whatever discounts and deals that may be out there. When shopping around, ask about any current specials running, and look for discounts that are related to ENERGY STAR compliance. Both can save you a lot of cash.
Do you hear a clicking sound when your fan is turning? This may mean that there is something in the way of the blades of the fan. If it gets so bad that the blade bends, you must replace it, just unbending it will leave the fan unbalanced and can cause further issues.
If you have a window air conditioner, be sure to check and see if it has an Energy Saver button. If so, use it! This turns off the fan when the unit isn't actually cooling the air, which can save you as much as 30 kwh over the period of a month!
If you want to seriously extend the life of your HVAC system, as well as cut down your overall power bill, install ceiling fans in commonly used warm season rooms. Energy-star certified ceiling fans can sometimes cut your HVAC use in half. However, you won't physically notice a difference in temperature.
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.
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.
To save money on your HVAC system, turn the air conditioning down at night and let your home warm up a bit. To keep yourself cool, use a chilling water-filled pillow to cool down your head and your whole body as a result. This combined with a fan will keep you from overheating while saving on your utility bills.
If you are uncertain about which HVAC contractor to call when you experience an equipment failure, take the time to ask friends and family for personal recommendations. By doing this, you will be able to feel more confident about the choice you make, because you will have gotten the opinions of people you already know to be trustworthy.
If you plan on having a service on your HVAC unit, ask the technician what he will be doing. Any thorough service should consist of several things. The technician should check temperature levels, pressures, amperage draw, and coolant levels. They should adjust any belts that need it and clean the coils.
Are you going to buy a new HVAC system? There are a number of things to think about first. Systems are rated by the amount of area the system can heat and cool effectively. You are wise to err on the side of a bigger unit rather than a smaller one.
To run an efficient HVAC, you must ensure your house is fully insulated. First, check into your attic to find out if you have the right kind of insulation and enough of it. If not, investing in getting that up to grade is better than installing a strong HVAC system!
You should focus on finding an HVAC contractor that can offer you a warranty on the work they are doing. This is a sign that they are confident in their ability to get the job done well. This will protect you in the event that is not done right and needs to be fixed.
Make sure your HVAC is clear when working outside. You should try keeping any vegetation about two feet away from your outdoor units. Keep the areas above it and on each side of it clear. Make sure you aim your grass clippings away from the unit when mowing. Keep leaves from getting inside your unit in the fall.
When you hire a contractor to do a job, be sure to listen to what they tell you. For example, they can give you advice on how to keep your HVAC in working order. Ask about maintenance tips and how often you should be cleaning or servicing the unit.
Always get some references before hiring any contractor. This will show you their overall experience. If you check references carefully, you can avoid being scammed.
Consider a digital window air conditioner with a remote to make use easy as pie. These often come with a thermostat in the remote, turning off the unit when the air near the remote is cool enough. Place the remote on the other side of the room so that the whole area cools down.
As you can see from the above article, you now understand how it vital it is to have a properly maintained HVAC system. If you don't provide regular maintenance, you could have check here costly fixes down the road. You should not want that, so remember these tips to help you keep your HVAC system running right for many years to come.
How air conditioning changed the world
Imagine we could control the weather - pushing a button to make it warmer or cooler, wetter or drier.
The implications would be enormous. No more droughts or floods, no heat waves or icy roads. Deserts would become verdant. Crops would never fail.
In fact climate change has sparked some crazy-sounding ideas for hacking the climate, such as spraying sulphuric acid into the upper atmosphere, or dumping quicklime in the oceans.
Clever as humans are, however, we're nowhere near precision control of the weather. Outside, at least.
Since the invention of air conditioning, we have been able to control the weather inside, and that has had some some far-reaching and unexpected effects.
The humidity problem
Needless to say, this was not a scalable solution. At least, not until the 19th century, when Boston entrepreneur Frederic Tudor amassed an unlikely fortune doing something similar.
He took blocks of ice from frozen New England lakes in winter, insulated them in sawdust, and shipped them to warmer climes for summer.
Until artificial ice-making took off, mild New England winters caused panic about an "ice famine".
Air conditioning as we know it began in 1902, but it had nothing to do with human comfort.
New York's Sackett & Wilhelms Lithographing and Printing Company became frustrated with varying humidity levels when trying to print in colour.
The same paper had to be printed four times in four colours, and if the humidity changed between print runs, the paper would slightly expand or contract. Even a millimetre's misalignment looked awful.
The printers asked heating company Buffalo Forge to devise a system to control humidity.
A young engineer called Willis Carrier figured out that circulating air over coils that were chilled by compressed ammonia maintained the humidity at a constant 55%.
Wider benefits
Buffalo Forge was soon selling Willis Carrier's invention wherever humidity posed problems, such as to flour mills and the Gillette corporation, where excessive moisture rusted the razor blades.
These early industrial clients didn't much care about making temperatures more tolerable for their workers - that was an incidental benefit.
But by 1906, Carrier was exploring the potential for "comfort" applications in public buildings like theatres.
It was an astute choice. Historically, theatres often shut down for summer: no windows, human bodies tightly packed together and, before electricity, lighting provided by flares.
New England ice had been briefly popular.
In the summer of 1880, New York's Madison Square Theatre used four tons a day: an eight-foot fan blew air over the ice and through ducts towards the audience.
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