When you’re trying to find ways to save in your household, you should take a look at the myths that you’re buying into when it comes to saving on cooling costs. There are a lot of fallacies that could add up, but if you use a few tips, you could find ways to keep hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars in your household this summer. There are also a few things that you should know about air conditioners so that you understand better why HVAC technicians make the choices that they do about maintenance, repairs, and installations.
Get a Bigger Air Conditioner to Cool the House Faster
This is one of the biggest myths out there because it’s tempting to think that a larger unit would cool down a house that much faster, and the myth is partially true. A larger air conditioner would cool down a house faster, but this speed comes at a cost in air quality. Your air conditioner doesn’t just cool down the air in the house; it also cuts down on the moisture in the air. However, it needs more time to filter out the moisture, so a larger air conditioner is actually too quick. You end up with air that’s cool but clammy. An air conditioner that is too large for your home will also continually start and shut off, which will lead to excessive wear and tear on the unit.
The Best Way to Cut Out Heat Transfer Is to Put Seals Around the Doors and Windows
When you want to cut out on the amount of heat that enters the house from outside, you might immediately think about how you could seal up around the windows and doors because we’re always told how these areas of the home are where there’s a lot of energy loss. You might be surprised to learn that the windows and doors are way down on the list of places where you’re leaking heat into your home, but we hear about it all the time because they’re easy places to point out and fix. You should really invest in an energy efficiency inspection so that you can find where all of the leaks are located. Most of them will be in your walls, outlets, and pipes if you have a wooden house. If you have a brick house, you’re much more insulated.
Appliances and Electronics Won’t Heat Up Your Home
It’s a mistake to think that appliances and electronics don’t add to the temperature of your house. When you’re looking for a way to cut down on costs, be aware of how much heat your electronics and appliances are putting out. The heat from your dishwasher and clothes dryer is very noticeable, and running these appliances when you’re out of the house for a few hours or in the early morning before it gets hot outside will cut down on how much you have to run your air conditioner. As for cooking, when you need to make dinner on a hot evening, either grill outside or make a meal that doesn’t require that you use the oven or stove.
Completely Turn Off the Air When You Leave for Work
The belief that leaving your air conditioner completely off throughout the day will save you on energy costs is another one of the most believed myths out there. If you turn your air conditioner off, you won’t have to pay to cool a house that you’re not in to enjoy, but you’ll also have to spend a lot of energy to cool the house down when you come back home. So, this myth has a basis in some solid reasoning, but you have to look at the cost for the entire day, not just the time that you’re saving. Plus, if you’re a typical nine-to-five worker, you’re going to want to run your air conditioner when most other people are, too, and this drives the price of electricity up.
A better strategy is to have your thermostat set to a temperature that’s slightly warmer than what you’re comfortable with. So, if you usually have your thermostat set to 72 degrees when you’re home, set it to 77 degrees while you’re out. This way, you’re not paying for a completely cooled-down house that you aren’t there to enjoy, but you also don’t have to start at 90 degrees and cool down from there.
When you’re looking for great tips and some people who care about your HVAC system, call TS Heat & Air in Oklahoma City to learn more about our furnace and air conditioner repairs, maintenance, and installations. We also offer indoor air quality services.
