We all want to get the most out of our air conditioner, however, there are some myths floating around that aren’t actually true. Here, we will look at some of the most common Air Conditioner myths we hear and let you know if it’s BUSTED! or TRUE!
MYTH: Using an Air Conditioner can give you a cold.
BUSTED! There are those who are against using an air conditioner because they are convinced that by doing so they’ll end up with the summer sniffles. But no, that’s not the case. Viruses cause colds, not temperature. So stay cool this summer and keep those summer colds away by washing your hands regularly and keeping your home clean.
MYTH: If I turn off my air conditioning unit completely while I’m at work, I’ll save a lot of money.
HALF-TRUE! It may seem like a money-saving option, but turning off your HVAC system when you leave the house may create problems that lead to additional expenses. Your air conditioner plays an important role in humidity management, a key component in minimizing indoor air quality issues. Additionally, if temperatures become extreme during your absence, and the unit is off, your air conditioner will need to work that much harder when you arrive home to achieve your desired temperature.
IGNITE recommends you use a smart thermostat that can let the house warm up, slightly, while you’re gone, then start cooling things down before you get home. This allows your unit to take a break when it doesn’t need to use energy. At Ignite, we recommend using an EcoBee thermostat with your AC to optimize your unit’s efficiency by decreasing the workload put on it at times you don’t need it to be running. When the morning or afternoon sun starts to heat up your home during the summer months, you can adjust your cooling schedule to meet the demand. The key here is to not totally turn the system off, it’s just making slight changes to the temperature for times when you’re away or when the house is naturally cooling down at night.
MYTH: Setting a thermostat or control system to an extreme cold temperature will cool the house faster.
BUSTED! If the indoor temperature is 25°C, setting your thermostat to 15°C will not cool your house any faster than setting it at 21°C. Most HVAC systems’ airflow cools at a set point. Once the system starts, it will reach the designated temperature sometime thereafter. Temperature settings on a thermostat do not equate to the speed of cooling. When you come home to a hot house, the air conditioner has to work much harder to cool the place down. Turning the thermostat lower won’t make it cool faster, it simply forces the machine to run longer which could cause the system to freeze up.
MYTH: Closing vents to select rooms in your home will save you money.
BUSTED! Your HVAC system should be sized and balanced according to the specific amount of air to be circulated in your home. When you close too many vents, you may throw off the balance of the system or change the way air is distributed resulting in temperatures that make the rest of the house uncomfortable. IGNITE recommends you do not completely close off more than 20% of the registers as doing so can reduce the airflow from your furnace, putting unnecessary strain on your furnace.
MYTH: I don’t need to do anything to take care of my air conditioner
BUSTED! The outdoor unit and condenser fan move air through the coils, and it doesn’t take much pollen, dust or dried vegetation to clog the unit. Changing your filters and cleaning your unit are some of the most important steps you can take to ensure your system operates efficiently for the year. You can check out our tips for how to take care of your system here.
At IGNITE, we love to work with homeowners to ensure they stay cool and comfortable during the summer months. If you’ve held off on an AC because of some of these myths, lets chat some more! Give us a call @ 780.919.4916 to book a free quote and have all your questions answered by one of our technicians.