Air Conditioner Repairs You Can Make Yourself

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Lean About The Central HVAC In Your New Home

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If you've moved into a home that heats and cools through a central system and this is new to you, then learning more about it will help you prevent problems with the system, help it to perform better, and be beneficial in other ways. Here are some things you want to know: 

The filter needs to be cleaned

Find the filter in the house. It is often found in the ceiling in a hallway, but it can also be in a wall in another area of the house. You take off the vent cover to reach the filter. The filter needs to be clean, and it can get dirty every couple of months. Some households tend to dirty their filters faster than others. Some things that can cause the filter to be dirty faster include having furry pets, having birds, smoking in the home, living in an area with a lot of dust like the desert, or doing anything else in the home that stirs up other particles in the air. There are reusable filters, but it is easier and better to use disposable ones you replace with new ones. The filter you put in must be the right size. Throw out the dirty one, put in the new one, and put the vent cover back on. 

The vents can't be blocked

In most cases, the vents are high up on the walls or in the ceilings. However, they can be on the wall or even on the floor. No matter where the vents are positioned in the house, you don't want to block them with anything. Don't place pictures or anything else over the ones on the walls, don't throw a rug or anything over the ones on the floor. Don't place furniture or anything in front of any of the vents. The vents will blow the air back into the home that is at the temperature you are trying to achieve. Blocking the vents helps prevent the HVAC system from heating or cooling as it should and you can also cause a pressure problem in the system that can cause other problems. 

The outside condenser housing unit needs some attention

For the most part, HVAC systems are easy to maintain. You want them professionally serviced once a year, you need to tend to the filter, and you need to have someone come out when you notice any issues. However, there is one other thing you need to do. You want to check on the outside condenser unit periodically. Look at the concrete pad it is sitting on and make sure it isn't sinking on one side and that the concrete is in good shape. Also, keep the area right around it clean, and that also needs weeding to remove any weeds that are within a few feet of the housing. If you hear any strange sounds coming from inside the housing, have a technician come to look at it.

Reach out to a professional for more information about residential air conditioning


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