The last thing anyone wants is to find that their HVAC or A/C unit is malfunctioning. Therefore, you want to perform regular maintenance on it. Read on to learn how to properly maintain your unit.

Understand what you want before talking to a contractor. If you can’t describe the problem, you may not get an accurate quote. If you are unable to explain the work that needs to be taken care of, the conversation will be even less fruitful. So, know this information in advance.

When you mow your lawn, take care that you don’t get grass clippings all over your outdoor unit. Instead, make sure that the grass is shooting in the opposite direction. This applies when you are taking care of the leaves in the yard.

Your HVAC unit may suffer when trees start to lose their leaves. At least twice a week, you need to clean the grill of your fan. The fan needs to be able to get proper air inside without any blockages, and extra blockage can later develop into more serious problems.

If your condenser comes with oil ports, you should lubricate it yearly. The port usually has either a rubber or metal cap on top of it. Use SAE 20 oil that is lightweight and detergent free, and put ten drops or fewer into each one. Make sure not to overfill them.

If you want to know where you should put an outdoor compressor, you should place it somewhere where there is a lot of shade. When the unit sucks in cooler air, then less work is required to cool it further which in turn boosts the units efficiency.

Service your HVAC unit at least one time a year. When it’s checked out, the motor will be inspected, moving parts well oiled and the level of freon adjusted if necessary. These things will boost the performance of your system.

Keep your air conditioner off when people aren’t home to save you money. When it’s off the house will get hot, but only by a certain amount. However, leaving it on increases your electric bill and wear and tear on the system.

Don’t let your home get overly hot. AC units will only cool a house down 20 degrees. So, if you house heats up to about 95, you won’t see the temperature go below 75 for a while. Depending on how humid it is, this isn’t really that safe for a person to sleep in when it’s really hot.

There are plenty of online tools, such as sizing calculators, which can help you find the best unit to cool your home. If you purchase something that is too big, it won’t be cost effective to run. You can look online or do other research to get information from HVAC system manufacturers and sellers in order to determine the best unit size for your needs.

Use these tips to keep your HVAC system in tip-top condition. Coming home to find no air coming out of the vents is not a good feeling. When you thing about how much it will cost to repair, things get even worse. The tips in this article will help you keep things manageable. Keep these tips handy at all times so that you can tackle any HVAC issue.