With the temperatures soaring to somewhat unspeakable levels and money tight, many homeowners resort to these HVAC cooling myths to beat the summer heat. However, these “mythical” solutions could actually put a bigger dent in their wallets and waste more energy. So without further ado here are the top three cooling myths that are just that — myths.
HVAC Cooling Myth #1 – Turn off your air conditioning unit when you’re out.
Although your air conditioning system will require some heavy lifting to cool your home if you’ve been out most of the day, it’s actually more wasteful to have it running while you’re gone. You can instead invest in a handy programmable thermostat that will allow you to warm your home when you’re out and gradually cool it to your desired level a few hours before you come home. Set the temperature between 7 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re out and you’ll see as much 10% savings on your yearly energy bill. Close your curtains to block out heat and lower the demand on your HVAC unit.
HVAC Cooling Myth #2 – Cranking down your thermostat will cool your home faster.
Not really. Consider investing in speed air handlers that will enable the output to balance the demand. However, some homeowners only have one fan speed, which is ON. That said, the home’s temperature will constantly adjust at a relatively predetermined rate so setting the thermostat to 50 — a shortcut to 60 — won’t really make a significant difference since the hot air will still move at the predetermined speed rate. So when you undercut your desired temperature, you are actually wasting an additional 10o worth of money and energy.
HVAC Cooling Myth #3 – Closing the vents on your centralized air system will increase its efficiency.
While this may sound logical, it could actually cost you more money and energy, says an HVAC specialist in Draper, UT. While some extra-efficient and advanced homes are capable of dividing zones for controlling their HVAC, majority of centralized air systems are made to evenly distribute cooled air throughout a home. This means that randomly closing a register will actually make your system keep on pumping and cooling without really sending cooled air to usable spaces. Additionally, the compressor/condenser could cycle too regularly, which will put an unwarranted strain on your HVAC unit, resulting in premature wear and tear.
Now that you know how mythical these solutions actually are, just stop doing them if you’re in fact guilty of doing them. And for the damage they can cause and money they waste, they don’t even save energy. So if you have a huge home and only want to cool one room, consider a basic window A/C unit or a mini ductless split air conditioning system instead.
