Photo By eyewave at istock

Air conditioners are a considerable investment. That being the case, homeowners and business premises want to get the most from their systems. The ability of your air conditioner to run efficiently and provide the desired results depends on your ability to maintain it. However, due to some myths, homeowners have adopted some cycles of erroneous practices that harm their air conditioning systems.

In this post, we bust the top eight myths that you should avoid to keep your air conditioner in good shape.

You only need to change the filters once annually.

Though small, an air filter significantly impacts the air quality in your home and your comfort. The longer the air filter stays, the more the dust, dirt, and allergens it traps, thus decreasing the filter’s efficiency. Therefore, replacing the air filters is among the top air conditioner repair and maintenance practices you should observe in Wylie, TX.

Ideally, it would be best if you replaced the air filters in your air conditioner every six months. However, you should do it more often if you have small children and pets.

If there’s nothing wrong, there’s no need for air conditioner repair and maintenance.

Routine air conditioner repair and maintenance is not an option but a necessity. It keeps the system running as efficiently, with parts moving easily and using minimal energy.

During routine maintenance, the air conditioner repair technician inspects and repairs any damages on the unit’s coils, motors, belts, p-traps, and so on. Failing to observe regular air conditioner repair and maintenance could lead to costly repairs or replacement of the whole unit because the issue was not remedied on time.

Routine maintenance should only be carried out by a trained, licensed, and insured air conditioner technician.

The bigger the air conditioner, the better.

While you may be intending to expand your space in the future, it makes no sense to buy an oversized unit. Units that are too big tend to wear out faster, thus costing you more money on air conditioner repair. Besides, such a unit will leave your space feeling clammy as they do not run long enough to get rid of the moisture in the air.

Some of the things you should consider when determining the size of the air conditioner you should purchase for your home are your home’s age, where your home is located in Wylie, TX, its square footage, and the number of occupants.

Setting the thermostat either too high or too low will heat or cool the space faster.

This is among the most common HVAC myths. Setting the thermostat temperatures either too high or too low to heat up or cool down your space faster only ends up overworking your unit, leading to a wastage of energy.

If you suspect that you will find your home too hot or too cold, consider buying a smart thermostat. You can turn such a thermostat on or off remotely and find your home comfortably warm or cool.

The thermostat placement does not matter.

An inappropriately placed thermostat only ends up in wasted money and energy as your home will either be overly heated or cooled. If the thermostat is placed near the unit or a heating vent, this could result in a false reading, causing your unit to work extra hard. As a result, this could make your space uncomfortable. Also, a thermostat that’s placed in the kitchen will be turned on when the temperatures rise.

Ideally, the thermostat should be centrally located in a part of the home that you use frequently. Smart thermostats not only have more accurate readings but better predictive scheduling based on human behavior.

Closing some of the vents saves you energy.

If your unit is correctly sized, it is designed to service every room in your home. Therefore, blocking closing vents to unused rooms only throws the system off-balance. This is because conditioned air will not flow through the ductwork but will get trapped. As a result, this creates and builds up pressure resulting in leaks or even overheating of the air conditioner. Apart from incurring unnecessary air conditioner repair costs, this could lead to premature failure of your unit.

The longer your unit runs, the higher the energy costs.

Most people keep turning their units off and then on again to save energy. However, doing this means more energy is consumed. This is why: an air conditioner normally uses more energy when it starts up than it will consume in the next half hour or so. This means that a unit that gets turned off and then on again three or four times every hour uses more energy compared to when it runs uninterrupted the whole hour. Turning the unit off and on also negatively impacts the compressor.

If you notice that your unit turns itself off and on a lot more than usual, have an air conditioner repair technician look at it.

Lowering the thermostat settings when you are not at home has little or no impact.

Another common myth is that lowering thermostat settings when no one is home does not save energy. Once you get home, your unit will work twice as hard to warm your space, right? Wrong.

If you will be gone for most of the day, your air conditioner does not have to work as hard as it should if you were at home. The extra work your unit puts in once you are back cannot be compared to the hours it has spent warming an empty space.

K&S Heating & Air

If you have been a victim of any of the above myths, you probably now understand why you may have encountered untimely air conditioner repairs. Rather than seek answers online or from family and friends, seek expert advice from K&S Heating & Air professionals. We will point out what you need to pay attention to when it comes to the air conditioner in your Wylie, TX home. We also offer scheduled maintenance for HVAC units to ensure they are always functioning at optimum levels. Get in touch with us today for more information about our services.