There are many common heating and cooling myths that can prevent an individual from taking full advantage of their HVAC system. Understanding these heating and cooling myths will go a long way toward improving your system’s efficiency and ensuring that you are able to protect the level of comfort within your home. Here are a few of the most common heating and cooling myths.
The Location of the Thermostat Doesn’t Matter
Many people assume that the location of the thermostat doesn’t matter. After all, it is simply the place where you control the temperature within your building? However, the thermostat is an incredibly important component of your HVAC system. The thermostat needs to be able to obtain accurate readings in order to successfully regulate the temperature within your building. When the thermostat is placed in direct sunlight, it will often read that the temperature is warmer than it actually is within the building. The same thing applies to a thermostat that is located near an oven, stove, or a vent. Hallways also generally have much different air flow than in other areas of the building. They are also often unoccupied, so temperature readings in the hallway are often inaccurate.
Only Need to Change Filters Once a Year
Once a year is much too long to go between filter changes. It is important to ensure that you change the air filter of your heating and cooling system approximately every 90 days. This will improve the air quality of your home and ensure that the system continues to function much more efficiently. In some situations, the air filter should be changed much more frequently. For example, homes that contain pets or individuals with respiratory problems may require more frequent air filter changes. You also need to have your air ducts cleaned on a regular basis in order to improve the air quality within your home.
Space Heaters Can Effectively Fix Cold Spots
Cold spots are ultimately an indication that something is wrong with your heating and cooling system. One of the most common heating and cooling myths is that a space heater should be implemented in order to fix cold spots that are present in your building. However, cold spots often indicate that there is insufficient insulation, leaks in your duct system, or an array of other issues. Space heaters just serve as a temporary mask for these problems, while increasing your energy consumption. It is often much more efficient to have the initial problem resolved to fix the cold spots in your home, rather than using a space heater to provide this same service.
Maintenance is a Waste of Money
Many people don’t obtain maintenance or the services of a professional until their system breaks down. However, it is extremely important to ensure that you obtain regular maintenance for your HVAC system in order to eliminate problems. Maintenance helps to prolong the lifetime of your system and aids in preventing issues before they arise. It also ensures that your HVAC system continues to work at top efficiency, which will save you money and help to create a far more comfortable environment.
Closing Vents in Unused Rooms will Save you Money
If there are unused rooms in the home, it is incredibly common for an individual to close the vents or the doors in that room. However, this doesn’t save money, it actually puts an obstacle in the way of the system’s air flow. This generally puts extra pressure on the system and can cause leaks to occur. When you close the vents in unused rooms, the system will overcompensate for these closed vents. That can lead to extra damage to your system.
Increasing Energy Efficiency is Too Expensive
There are many steps that you can take to improve the energy efficiency of your home. However, many people forego these steps because they seem too expensive. However, improved energy efficiency often goes a long way toward saving money as it decreases your energy expenses. In addition, an energy efficient home will ultimately be much more valuable after these improvements are made. Improved energy efficiency is often a project with a rather high return on investment.
Duct Tape Can be used to Seal Ducts
Though the name might imply that duct tape is a good choice for sealing your air ducts, this is not the case. There are many uses of duct tape but sealing air ducts isn’t one of them. To successfully, thoroughly, and efficiently seal your air ducts, you need to obtain specialized tape that is designed for this specific purpose.
Bigger is Better
It is a common misconception that a bigger furnace or air conditioner will be more effective than properly sized varieties. This isn’t the case. When a unit is too big for the area that they are supposed to regulate, they will heat or cool the area in short bursts, because they reach the intended temperature too quickly. This causes the system to turn on and off frequently, which results in more wear and tear. The extra wear and tear leads to an increase in issues with the system. It is important to ensure that you choose the appropriate sized unit for your property.
You Should Set the Temperature Lower for Faster Cooling
You can’t increase the speed of your HVAC system by setting the temperature above or below what you want. The machine works by being on or off. When you set the temperature lower than you actually want, it will just force the machine to work longer than it really needs to. The same thing applies to the heating of your property.
Understanding these common heating and cooling myths will help you to ensure that your property can be as comfortable as possible. It will also prevent you from inadvertently causing damage to your HVAC system. Our experts at Custom Comfort are capable of providing the various services that you need to improve the functionality of your HVAC system, including regular maintenance and repair services. To learn more about the most common heating and cooling myths, contact us at Custom Comfort today!