Air conditioning (AC) systems are designed to cool and filter the air in your home efficiently. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly hinder their AC efficiency by using them incorrectly or following incorrect advice. Keep your AC running smoothly by learning about these seven common misconceptions about air conditioning.
Don’t let these common air conditioning myths cost you money.
Understanding the difference between AC facts and AC fiction will help you keep your energy costs under control.
Myth 1—Air conditioning is the same as cooling.
The term “air conditioning” often gets used as a synonym for cooling. In most cases, this is fine. However, air conditioners don’t just cool. They also filter and circulate the air in your home. They can also affect humidity levels. When you consider that you and your family will be taking that air into your respective lungs, you realize just how important keeping the air clean can be.
Thinking about the secondary aspects of air conditioning will help you remember to change your filters regularly and maintain your entire heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Myth 2—The location of your thermostat won’t affect how your air conditioner functions.
Your thermostat controls your air conditioner based on the temperature of the air near the thermostat. Its location will significantly affect when your air conditioner kicks on and stays off.
The thermostat should be mounted on an interior wall. It should also be easily accessible for adjusting. A thermostat will work best if it’s in a room or hallway with a room temperature that matches the average temperature of the entire house. Avoid placing a thermostat near sunny windows or drafty hallways. If your thermostat is in a cold area, the rest of your home won’t ever cool down enough. If your thermostat is in a hot spot, it can overcool the other rooms. Neither scenario is ideal for energy efficiency.
An HVAC technician can help you choose a good location for your thermostat. They can also move your existing thermostat or install a new one and calibrate it specifically for your home.
Myth 3—Ceiling fans lower the air temperature.
Ceiling fans move the air around and can help with circulation. They do not affect the temperature of the air. A fan can cool a person down by causing moisture on their skin to evaporate or pushing warmer air away from their bodies, but that doesn’t cool the air in the room.
Ceiling fans may help you cool down after coming in from the heat, but they won’t cool your home.
Myth 4—Bigger air conditioners are better.
While bigger air conditioners can have more cooling power, they also use more energy. Your air conditioner and its output should match the size of your home. A bigger, more powerful air conditioner may cool your home slightly faster but will rapidly consume your energy budget and cause unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment.
An air conditioning expert can help you assess which size air conditioner you should get for your home.
Myth 5—Closing vents in unused rooms conserves energy.
Closing air conditioning vents in unused rooms doesn’t save much energy. When you close an AC vent, you don’t prevent air from flowing through the ducts until it gets to the room; you simply block most of it from entering. Your air conditioning unit will still kick on with the thermostat. It will still cool air and blow it through the ducts to the unused room.
Your air conditioner was designed and calibrated to cool your whole home. It still attempts to cool the entire house, even unused rooms with closed vents. The closed vents may prevent circulation, but the air conditioning unit will still run with the same power consumption to cool all the rooms in the home despite one being closed.
Myth 6—Turning the thermostat up when you leave the house saves energy.
Another of the thermostat myths many people believe is that turning up your thermostat when you leave the house will save energy. It may seem logical to avoid cooling your home when no one is home to enjoy it. However, air conditioners were designed to operate most efficiently by keeping the air temperature regulated. Turning your thermostat up causes the temperature in every room of your house to rise. You will use all the energy you saved and possibly more to cool them all back down again.
Using programmable thermostats can help reduce heating and cooling costs.
Keeping your home cool takes less energy than cooling it down after it heats up.
Myth 7—Turning your thermostat all the way down cools your home faster.
Turning your thermostat all the way down won’t cool your home faster. A thermostat compares the temperature in the air to the temperature you set as the desired temperature. If the desired temperature is lower than the room temperature, the thermostat turns the air conditioner on. No matter if it’s lower by one degree or 100 degrees, it works the same way.
All turning the thermostat way down does is keep the air conditioner on longer as it attempts to reach the low temperature. You’ll likely have reached a comfortable room temperature long before that happens.
Don’t let these air conditioning myths cost you money.
Contact Manwill for help with all of your air conditioning needs.
Manwill Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning has been helping people care for their home’s vital HVAC systems for over a century. As one of the leaders in air filtration systems and air conditioning in Utah, we know how to keep your HVAC system running smoothly throughout the hot Utah summers and cold Utah winters. Whether you need new AC installation in Salt Lake City or AC repair in Salt Lake City, contact the air conditioning experts at Manwill. Get your AC repaired or a pre-season tune-up.
