HVAC Replacements: Common Mistakes To Avoid
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Posted July 31, 2020
As a homeowner, there are going to be things that you know and a lot of things that you’ve never known before. However, the things that you don’t know can keep you from making some serious mistakes when it comes to your new home renovations. One of the things that you need to know about and understand is HVAC replacements.
In this article, we are going to talk about the common mistakes you need to avoid because they can cost you time, money, and resources that you’re not looking to waste.
What Is The Purpose Of An HVAC System?
You enjoy being cool in the summer and warm in the winter, correct? Then, you’re going to want to ensure that you understand the HVAC system’s purpose. The HVAC system or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ensures that you’re able to regulate the temperature within your home and remove air contaminants from your environment. Basically, your HVAC system is your home’s heating and cooling.
When you decontaminate the air that’s entering your home, you’re reducing the likelihood of you and your family becoming sick from pollutants. Also, with the ever-changing seasons, you never know what the weather outside is going to be like.
When the weather outside is hotter or colder, it tends to affect the air within your home.
Without an HVAC system, you wouldn’t be able to maintain a consistent temperature within your home. This would, in turn, reduce the comfort that you’re supposed to have when you enter the place that you call “home.”
Maintaining An HVAC System
There are ways to maintain your HVAC system and reduce the likelihood of having an HVAC replacement sooner rather than later. Remembering these tips will keep your system working for a more extended period.
Change The Air Filter
The first thing that needs to be done so that your system continues to work correctly is to change the air filters regularly. Air filters should be changed every couple of months and checked every month. When the air filter becomes clogged with dirt and other pollutants, it keeps the system from working the way that it’s supposed to work.
It also causes the unit to work harder and will increase the amount of your electricity bill.
Check Your Equipment Yearly
When we say to check the equipment, we mean to review and thoroughly inspect the HVAC system. If you notice that the fans within your unit are dirty, then you’ll need to set aside time to clean them, which can be time-consuming, but it’s worth it.
It’s also beneficial to ensure that the fans are spinning in the correct direction. When the fans aren’t turning in the right direction, it can affect how the air flows out of the unit.
Keep The Area Surrounding Your Unit Clean
The area that surrounds your unit should be kept clean and clear of debris at all times. It’s recommended that you check around the unit occasionally for water, and if you see water pooling around the system, clean it immediately.
When water is left to pool around the unit, it can cause mold to begin growing. And as stated earlier, one of the primary purposes of the HVAC unit is to ensure that the air in your home is free of pollutants. Mold is a pollutant, and being exposed to mold can be detrimental to you and your family’s health over a prolonged period.
When you’re checking for leaks, it is also beneficial to check for leaks in your windows and doors. A hole in a window or a door is due to the area being sealed improperly or the sealing becoming damaged in some way.
Holes in windows and doors allow the air that’s within the home to leave the house. The leak can also make it challenging for your home to thoroughly heat and cool the area causing the system to work harder than it needs to continuously.
Keep Your Air Ducts Free And Clean
Much like keeping the air filter changed and clean, you need to do the same with the air ducts. Keeping your air ducts cleaned is as simple as taking a duster and ensuring it’s free of dust and other particulates.
It should also be noted that the air ducts should be kept uncovered. If your air duct is located on the floor, it can be easy to cover it with a rug or furniture.
When an air duct has collected dust or is covered, it makes it more challenging for the home to be cooled or heated.
Some houses don’t have air ducts and this creates another host of challenges for an HVAC system replacement.
What Is The Cost Of an HVAC Replacement?
The cost of an HVAC replacement service depends on what you need to replace within your system. Another thing that you need to factor into replacing your HVAC system is the labor it will take to replace the system.
It can take anywhere from 1-7 days for a complete HVAC replacement to be completed. The longer it takes for the system to be repaired, the higher the cost that you have to pay will be. The cost of replacement or repair also has to do with the size of your home.
This is because a more prominent home would require a larger unit, whereas a smaller home doesn’t require an HVAC system to work as hard. When a system is replaced, particular upgrades will be performed to the unit to ensure it’s up to code.
The costs of the installation, upgrades, and air cleaner will cause the cost of the replacement to continue to increase unless you find a company that offers services at a reasonable price.
Choosing The Correct Unit Size
One of the critical pieces of having your HVAC system replaced is choosing the correct size unit for your home. A larger home wouldn’t have the same size unit that a smaller home would have. Therefore, it’s essential to understand how to choose the correct HVAC-sized system for your home.
Before the installation of your new system, it’s crucial to know what the exact square footage of your home is. This will give you an estimate of the amount of space that will need to be heated and cooled by the system.
According to the guidelines for cooling an area, it takes up to 25 BTUs or British thermal units to cool down one square foot of your home. The number of square footage that you estimate needs to be multiplied by 25 to get an accurate number.
After calculating this number, you’ll need to use math to estimate the amount of BTUs it takes to cool highly populated areas.
Areas such as bedrooms and the kitchen are included in this number is calculated to account for the amount of sun exposure or shading that the room is exposed to.
When it comes to heating, it’s a bit more complicated than calculating for cooling.
Also, keep in mind that an older house’s HVAC system may not be as effective at heating and cooling the home. Therefore, if your home is older, consider the replacement as a way to upgrade your system and get one that’s the correct size for the house.
Mistakes To Avoid When It Comes To HVAC Replacements
Many things need to be avoided when it comes to replacing your HVAC system. Every system isn’t the same, and thinking about replacing the system that you currently have can be overwhelming.
There’s no need to worry because below we are going to let you know some of the common mistakes made by homeowners.
Not Reviewing An Offer From A Company Correctly
Before you enter into a contract with a repair company to install your new HVAC system, you must know the quality of work. When you work with the experts at Hiller, you don’t have to worry about the quality of work that we deliver because it’s guaranteed to be high-quality every time.
We ensure that we get the job done efficiently to ensure that you get the most out of your installment. If you would like to look through the current HVAC promotions, we encourage our customers to check out that section of our website before scheduling your appointment.
Always Have A Written Copy Of Your Contract
When entering into a service contract with a company, you must have everything written down in detail. This will keep you from having future issues if the contractor doesn’t fulfill the deal, leaving you with an unfinished system and no way to cool or heat your home.
Therefore, like with any other business dealings, always get things in writing. It will detail the services that you’re being given and a detailed breakdown of what you’re paying for.
Taking On The Handy Work Yourself
Some projects around the home are beneficial for you to do yourself, and replacing your HVAC system isn’t one of them. We recommend leaving the installation of your new replacement to the professionals because you’ll want to ensure that it’s done correctly.
That’s not to say that you’re not capable of installing a new HVAC system, but we are sure that you’ll want to spend your time doing other things besides calculating HVAC sizes, measuring, and installing the system.
Also, when you hire professionals to get the job done for you, they can get the work done promptly. Whereas, by the time you’ve understood all of the things that go into replacing your HVAC system, they could’ve had the replacement completed already.
Waiting A Long Time For The Job To Be Completed
There are times when hiring contractors that don’t employ professionals can cause the job of having your HVAC system repaired to be drawn out. When you do not hire professionals, it means that they are not equipped to do the job you’re paying them to do.
In some instances, the people you’ve hired may be learning how to replace the HVAC system. And much like doing it yourself when you’re taking the time to learn something, it may also mean trial and error when it comes to the replacement system being installed.
Before signing your contract with the HVAC repair company, ensure that the agreement details how long the contractor expects to take to complete the job. And if the job takes longer than the expected period, will there be compensation from the contractor to you for taking longer than expected?
How To Avoid These Mistakes
The best way to avoid these mistakes is to do the correct research beforehand. If possible, ask friends and family members about the contractors that they’ve used to complete their HVAC replacements.
That allows you to have an example of their work right in front of you. But, let’s be honest; the best way to avoid these mistakes is to hire Hiller to complete the system replacement.
We provide quality work that leaves customers satisfied, and you don’t have to worry about being left unsatisfied by the job that we’ve done.
Does Your HVAC System Need To Be Replaced?
When you suspect that you need possible HVAC replacements, you need to understand everything we’ve detailed above. Knowing what to expect and maintaining your HVAC system will keep you from continually having to replace the system earlier than it needs to be.
We hope that this article has been enlightening and informative. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with us to get the HVAC replacement process started sooner rather than later. Let the experts do their job. When we do our job, your HVAC system can do its job.
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