When it comes to home heating and cooling tips, be on the lookout for home cooling myths. What may sound like common wisdom is often the furthest thing from it. This guide can help you correct some of these myths, but the best way to ensure you are caring for your HVAC system properly is to talk to a service professional. Your heating & air conditioning team at Galmiche & Sons can help explain the dos & don’ts of HVAC maintenance today – just give us a call at (314) 993-1110.
Top 3 Misleading Home Cooling Myths
These three home cooling myths are some of the most convincing ones out there. Chances are if you are a homeowner in the St. Louis area, you have heard at least one of these home cooling myths before. You will notice that a lot of these home cooling myths are supposed to help you save money. Unfortunately, most of them are doing precisely the opposite of that.
Let’s get debunking!
- Ceiling Fans Help Cool Your Home – Turning on fans will make you feel cooler because moving air creates a windchill effect. However, this is an illusion and the air inside your home is the same temperature whether you have fans on or not. To use ceiling fans properly for comfort and improved efficiency, fans should only be on in rooms you are currently in. Otherwise, running fans can be a waste of energy.
- You Should Turn Your AC to the Lowest Setting to Cool Your Home Faster – This is perhaps the most dangerous of the home cooling myths! The fact is, your AC works by replacing the warm air in your home with cooled air. It can only produce so much air at once. So, bringing the temperature all the way down is not going to cool your home faster. Instead, this is just going to cost you more money, as your air conditioner will have to work extra long to get your home much colder than needed. In addition to wasting energy, this can also cause extra wear and tear on your system.
- Leaving the AC on Saves Money – Similarly, it is not true that turning your AC on and off as needed costs more than leaving it on throughout the summer. This home cooling myth may have come about when HVAC systems had different start and stop mechanisms that required more energy. But these days, running your AC while you are not using it is just a waste of energy and money.
Home Cooling Myths: Telling Fact from Fiction
While these home cooling myths are just that, myths, there are other tips and tricks that do work. For example, these common tips and tricks are true:
- Thermostat placement does actually matter! Make sure it is not in an especially hot or cold area and is not exposed to drafts, direct sunlight, or other variables.
- Regular AC maintenance visits (at least once a year) can cut down significantly on wear and tear. And in some cases, may be necessary for maintaining your warranty.
- Finally, changing your air filter more frequently can save you a lot on energy bills.
We are Here to Dispel Home Cooling Myths, Call Us Today
When it comes to understanding and debunking common air conditioner myths, familiarizing yourself with how to troubleshoot your central air conditioner can help. The more you know about your HVAC system, the better you will understand what will save energy vs. cost you. Keep in mind that the best way to navigate all the information out there is to ask your local heating & air conditioning team for advice. In St. Louis and the surrounding areas, give us a call at (314) 993-1110 to learn more about saving money on energy costs, and how to tell home cooling myths from legitimate tips.
