Keeping your home’s HVAC system running at its optimal performance is a task most homeowners should do, but not everybody knows how to accomplish that. Understanding how it works and how to maintain it is a smart idea. This article can help you with that.

If your HVAC is giving you problems, tour your home before calling a technician. Figure out which rooms are too cool or warm. This can help the contractor determine the problem areas quickly and fix the problem easily.

Know what work you want done before you select an HVAC contractor. This is necessary so that they can give you a quote before doing any work. If you do not know what you want, the process can become tedious, especially over the phone. Learn this information to start with.

In order to keep your outside condenser fan running efficiently, make sure the coils and the fan blades are cleaned before the cooling season begins. Always shut the power off before doing any work or cleaning on the unit. Also, it is important to clear the outside condenser unit from any debris that maybe trapped inside.

When you cut the grass, don’t cover the outdoor units with their clippings. Make sure the grass does not get in your unit. This also applies to leaf blowing and any other yard work that results in debris.

Many homeowners forget to oil their condenser at least once per year, but it is required. These ports are typically covered with caps made of metal or rubber. Get an oil that is SAE 20 and put about 10 drops into each port, but don’t overfill it.

Try to choose a shady place to locate the outdoor compressor device. When your unit is bringing in cool air, it will not have to work as hard to cool the air as it moves it inside, boosting efficiency.

If you can, install double-paned windows throughout your home. Double pane windows can help minimize how much you use your air conditioner in the summer, because they keep cool air inside the home. When it is cold in the winter months, these same windows will keep the warm air inside as well.

To help keep your energy costs down, have your heating and cooling system serviced at least once a year. The motor should be checked, the parts oiled and the freon levels inspected. This maintenance means that your system will operate optimally.

Don’t let your home get way too hot to where it’s dangerous. Air conditioners can only really cool your home down 20 degrees or so within a reasonable time period. This limits their overall benefit. You may suffer adverse effects from letting the house get that hot, too.

There aren’t many things that make a home more comfortable than a functioning HVAC system. But, if you are unfamiliar with the basics of these systems, it can break down prematurely. But reading this article and putting the advice shared here into action can make the situation very simple.