Myths Regarding Home Air Conditioning

So, you think you know everything to correctly run your home Air Conditioning? You may know a lot, but some home owners harbor misconceptions or myths about A/C. Correcting these ideas can help save energy dollars and make for an efficient cooling season.

First off, when a house is not cool and comfortable enough, a home owner may mistakenly think he needs a bigger, newer unit. The fact is a portable unit may function better in a shadier spot in the house; so move it to a better location. Also, your Air Conditioning may benefit from a simple cleaning and tune up from a HVAC professional. Lastly, your home may be leaking precious cooled air around windows and doors, or it may need better insulation. Take steps to conserve cooled air in the same way heat is conserved in winter–with weather stripping and other home insulation.

Second, people think fans cool the air. The truth is they make people feel cooler simply because they circulate the air in a room. However, fans can help bring cool air into a space when placed, for instance, near an open patio door in the evening to draw cooler air from the yard into the house.

Third, Air Conditioning does nothing but drop the temperature of the air. The fact is that A/C controls humidity too, and less humid air retains less heat.

Fourth, when a room is really hot, crank the temperature setting as low as possible to cool the space fast. The truth is that, with the exception of the window air conditioner, your A/C will not cool your warm room faster by setting the temperature as low as possible. This is a sure way to waste energy dollars.

Fifth, if you turn A/C off or to a higher temperature while you are not home, the unit will work extra hard to cool it later. This is not true. In fact, a programmable thermostat will conserve home energy and still give you a comfortable home environment.

For more information on the best way to run A/C and for a seasonal tune-up, call your HVAC professional.