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We all have different mindsets and thus varying views on any particular subject. With different individuals coming up with different opinions, there is a tendency for hearsays to develop. You’ll come across numerous well-meaning individuals developing a tendency to show off their presumed knowledge, often by flooding the discussion with a lot of stats and facts about air conditioning and its ideal settings. However, instead of this information guiding us, a lot of it ends up being confusing. As such, it’s imperative to know and understand the common air conditioner facts and myths before you dive into it.
Air Conditioners are Only Used to Cool a Room
The fact is that air conditioners aren’t air coolers. Just as the name suggests, an air conditioner’s job is to condition the air in a room. Its role is to dehumidify the air around us, thus creating a comfort zone. Even though the air may get cool., the comfort that we get is as a result of dehumidification. As such, air conditioners work best in hot and humid areas while air coolers work best in a dry climate.
Using an AC can Cause Cold
This is nothing more but a myth. If you turn down the temperature, it can result to cool air. However, such temperature can only cause vulnerability to illnesses but not cold. The common cold is usually a result of a virus and it’s advisable to wash your hands often and maintain hygiene to avoid colds.
You Do Not Need Annual AC Maintenance
Most homeowners who are currently not facing trouble with their air conditioners may actually believe that they do not require yearly maintenance. After all, it is functioning properly, why spend on a tune up? Well, you should not forget the fact that a yearly air conditioner tune-up will set you back about $80 while repairs call for around $500 or more. Also, most manufacturers require that you get routine maintenance in order to maintain your warranty. As such, skipping that tune-up will only result to warranty loss, which leads to a bigger payout if your air conditioning system decides to malfunction on the hottest day of summer.
It Is Okay to Use Any Kind of Refrigerant in Your AC
This could not be further from the truth. The government has been phasing out the production of R-22, and in fact, the cost of refilling air conditioning systems with this type of refrigerant is getting higher and higher.
It might seem like a simple fix to just replace it with a cheaper refrigerant, but reputable AC service technicians would not suggest that. Every manufacturer specifies the exact refrigerant the AC is produced for and before the year 2010, it was usually R-22. And even though there’s a significant decrease in the production of this refrigerant, these ACs are designed for it and substituting with a different one may not only cause damage to your system, but it could nullify your warranty. That means you will have t spend more in future parts as a result of damage.
Bigger AC, Better Cooling
An oversized air conditioner is nothing more than an AC that will cut off and on in cycles. Also, these units end to consume more power and are subject to compressor wear and tear. Not only that, but bigger ACs are known to pull more humidity which results in clammy and sticky situations.
There is No Need For AC Servicing During Winter
Well, the fact is the lubricants of the air conditioning system will deteriorate over time. The copper coils and drain pipes can ideally get jammed when the system isn’t in use. That makes it even more important to schedule for annual servicing.
Lowering Down The Temperature Will Cool The Area Faster
This is a myth that we just had to debunk. ACs control the temperature by rotating motor at a constant speed. As such, it will take the same amount of time to drop down a temperature unit by exchanging hot air with cool air. So, regardless of the settings, it will take the same amount of time to get the thermostat temperature. As a matter of fact, lowering the temperature too much will only waste energy which results in larger bills.
It Does Not Matter Where You Install The Thermostat
Well, thermostats work by reading the temperature near to determine whether the AC should be active or not. So, installing it in your bedroom will only help ascertain that the temperature in the bedroom will lower to what you have set the thermostat to. Once the room is cooled, the AC will shut off and the rest of the house could remain much warmer. If you install the thermostat near an appliance or a sunny window, it might always determine that the temperature is higher than the rest of the room and constantly run the AC, resulting to energy waste.
It Will Cost You More to Turn Up The Thermostat While You are Not at Home
Well, at the end of the day, it will cost you more to leave your thermostat at a cooler temperature than to increase it by around ten degrees when you are not at home. Typically, it won’t require an outrageous amount of energy to cool your house once you get back, depending on the variables of the house.
A programmable thermostat gives you the ability to alter the temperature straight from your phone, thus enabling you to lower the thermostat temperature before you arrive. This will make your home cool and comfortable when you arrive. This not only saves energy but ultimately lowers your cooling bills.
Leaving the Ceiling Fan On Keeps The House Cooler When You’re Not There
The role of a ceiling fan is to circulate air to make you feel cool, but it can’t lower the the room’s temperature. It is advisable to, therefore, turn off the fans before leaving your house in order to save energy. However, you can also save energy by setting the thermostat to a higher temperature and turning on the ceiling fan.
