When it comes to home cooling, you should take advantage of every opportunity to save on energy. One such opportunity is to have accurate information about your air conditioning system and how it works. That's why it's important to be aware of bogus home cooling myths that are floating around. The following are a few of these myths, along with the correct information.
- Ceiling fans help cool the home. While the moving air from a ceiling fan will make a room feel cooler for its occupants, it does nothing to lower the temperature. The cooling effect, also known as the wind chill effect, will allow you to raise the thermostat several degrees without losing any comfort. On a mild day, you may even turn off the A/C entirely. This can add up to meaningful savings.
- A bigger A/C will cool your home better than a small one. An air conditioning system should be sized to precisely match the cooling load of a home – not too small, not too large. If your A/C is oversized, it will stop and start frequently. This can result in a variety of problems, including wasted energy, uneven cooling, stressed parts, and inadequate air filtration and temperature control.
- An air conditioner cools the home and that's it. A well-maintained, properly sized cooling system will also dehumidify the home. If your cooled air feels clammy and damp, your A/C has a problem and should be looked at by a trained professional.
- Leaving the A/C running all day is more energy efficient than turning it off while you're away. In most cases, this isn't correct. What seems obvious -- an A/C that's off doesn't use any energy -- is true, and unless it's super hot outside, it won't take long to return the house to your comfort level when you return home. On hot days, leave the cooling system running while you're gone but with the thermostat set 10 to 12 degrees higher than your comfort level.
For more help busting costly home cooling myths, please contact the pros at Hartman Heating & Air Conditioning. We proudly provide quality services to the Fort Wayne area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home cooling and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ivelin Radkov/Shutterstock”