HVAC systems may be hard to understand to begin with, but if you have proper information, it won’t be that difficult. However, with a little work, you can become an expert of sorts. Read on to learn more about this important feature of your home.

If you struggle with your HVAC, try touring your home before calling a professional. Determine which rooms feel cold and which feel hot. This gives the repairer a starting point to work from.

Know what work you want done before you select an HVAC contractor. A contractor will be hard pressed to provide you with an over-the-phone estimate if unfamiliar with your system. It will be way more hard if you can’t figure out what they need to do. So be aware of this information ahead of time.

Clean the debris off your outdoor condenser unit. Debris can pile up at rates that increase during rainy or windy weather, and this can foul up the inner workings of your system. It could overheat and cause a disaster with your unit.

Lubricate the oil ports on your condenser once each year. The port usually has either a rubber or metal cap on top of it. Use SAE 20 oil that is non-detergent and lightweight, and put 10 drops or fewer in each port, but make sure to avoid overfilling them.

Turn off your outdoor condenser when it’s getting cold. If it’s lower than 60 degrees, the time has come to turn it off. Doing this keeps your system working well for years and saves you from having to spend money to repair it.

Installing double paned windows can save a lot of money over single panes, so upgrade if you are able. Try to insulate your windows to prevent air from being lost. This also works during the cold months to keep the warm air inside.

Keep energy costs from rising by having your system serviced annually. During a maintenance visit, professionals can help by inspecting the system’s motor, oil the different moving parts as well as check the system’s freon levels. Those things are going to help your system at peak performance.

To help lower cooling costs when not at home, make sure the air conditioner is turned off. The house will heat up, but not too much. The longer the unit stays on, the more it ends up costing you in energy bills.

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 the unit is too large, it won’t cool more than a smaller unit, just less efficiently. Always look through the manual as well.

Prior to hiring any HVAC contractor, you should ask how long their business has operated. The older they are, the more likely it will be for you to find out their history, which will help you gauge their quality. Working with someone that does not yet have a reputation in the business is a bit riskier.

With the right knowledge, anyone can learn about HVAC systems. You can make learning it easier, by taking it one step at a time. Use the guideline above to help you make those important decisions.