Many people grew up believing these common air conditioning myths. Once you read on, you might find dispelling some of these air conditioning myths counterintuitive. Understanding how air conditioners work will help you save energy, save money, and maintain excellent indoor air quality for a long time. However, one way for people to understand how air conditioners work is to shoot down these air conditioning myths one by one. That way, you can do your part to ensure that you will use your air conditioner efficiently and make it last for a long time. An air conditioner is a well-engineered machine designed to maintain a specific environmental condition indoors. Once you set the thermostat temperature, an air conditioner will work to reach that set and maintain it.
Myth #1: Closing Vents in Rooms Will Save Energy
People will try to save energy costs by closing vents in unused rooms. Unfortunately, closing vents brings no benefit to your overall air conditioning system because it will disrupt air distribution throughout your house. Close vents lead to higher air pressure in the air ducts making your air conditioner work harder than it should.
Myth #2: Placing The Thermostat Location Near The Air Conditioner
Once the thermostat location is near the air conditioners, it will cause these to shut off quicker than usual, thereby defeating the purpose of your thermostat. The best thermostat placement is a central location to provide your air conditioning system with an accurate reading to make them function as it should.
Myth #3: A Bigger Air Conditioner Cools The Air Faster
Air conditioners cool air depending on the size of the room. For instance, a bigger air conditioner is for a larger room than a smaller air conditioner. A bigger air conditioner takes longer to cool air in a larger space, which will run longer and take a more extended break. Once you place an oversized air conditioner in a small area, the more frequent cycle will cause their larger compressors to burn out quicker.
Myth #4: Ceiling Fans Help Air Conditioners Cool Your Home
A ceiling fan will help circulate the cold air inside the space, but they do not help cool your home overall. What you experience is a wind chill effect, but it doesn’t mean combining your air conditioning unit with a fan is more efficient. Instead of selecting a small air conditioner and combining it with a ceiling fan, choosing the appropriately-sized air conditioner for your room will save energy costs more efficiently.
Myth #5: Keeping The Thermostat Lower Will Cool The Room Faster
You might try setting the thermostat as low as you can during the summer months to keep yourself cool as soon as possible. Unfortunately, regardless of how low you set your thermostat, your air conditioning unit will cool at the same rate. By chasing low-temperature levels, you will end up straining your air conditioning system, especially in the summer months when your air conditioning system will have to work harder to reach the temperature you want. The best option is to set the thermostat at a comfortable temperature that is not far off from the air temperature outside.
Myth #6: Cleaning Air Filters Once A Year
Dirty air filters will strain your air conditioning system because the fans must work much harder to take the appropriate amount of air to cool. Generally, air filters should be cleaned every two months, especially if you consider dust particles in dry places. Cleaning your air filter annually is the bare minimum, but that is if you are not using the air conditioner for extended periods during the year.
Myth #7: Turning Your Air Conditioning System Off Will Save Money
If you leave your house for days, turning your AC unit off is reasonable. However, if you are only out for work or will be returning in a few hours, you might spend more energy when you turn off your air conditioner. Cooling your home several degrees warmer takes more energy than leaving the unit turned on. With a higher seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) in the summer because of the higher temperature and humidity levels, you are looking at a considerable spike in energy consumption. However, you can get energy savings by using a programmable thermostat. That way, you will ask your energy-hungry compressor to work much less while providing the ideal temperature when needed.
Myth #8: Preventive Maintenance is a Luxury
The costliest among common air conditioning myths ignoring the importance of preventive maintenance for your HVAC system and air conditioners. Air conditioners require regular checkups, like a car or any other machine. Your air conditioners and HVAC equipment will only be efficient when looked after correctly. Once your HVAC equipment and air conditioners are inefficient, they will require more energy to reach the environmental conditions you need, whether for cooling or heating. Once you wait for something to break down, you might end up replacing your air conditioner. Moreover, it might break down when you need it to work well. Your best option is to look for a dependable local air conditioning repair service and ask about how to maintain HVAC system.
Conclusion
Now that you understand that some common air conditioning myths aren’t true, it is time to look at your air conditioner and HVAC system in the proper light. Now that you understand how your air conditioners should be treated, you can help extend their life and have peace of mind knowing that it will work well when needed. However, there may come the point when you need an AC unit repair or ask an air conditioning repair service expert for advice. Aside from providing emergency air conditioning repairs, we can also help you formulate a cost-effective and efficient preventive maintenance plan for your air conditioning system. To book a service or know more about what we can do for you, call us at (623) 249-4536. You may book online by clicking on this page: Request Service.
