You might have lived in your house for 15 years and still be under the guise of some bad advice your neighbor gave you all those years ago. They wouldn’t be called HVAC myths if they weren’t frequently passed on from homeowner to homeowner, but that’s why we’re here! We’ll go through the most common myths and let you in on some little-known HVAC secrets.
Myth #1: Keeping your ceiling fan on during a hot day will cool the room.
Although ceiling fans are a great way to reduce energy costs, leaving them on while you’re not at home is futile. For instance, do you ever think about how it can be 60 degrees outside, but high winds make it feel like it’s 50 degrees? That feeling is called the wind chill effect, and it’s the same thing that happens when you turn your fan on in the summer.
Your fan cools you down while you’re in the room, but it can’t cool the space. It is beneficial, however, for your energy consumption costs since you can set your thermostat a couple degrees higher while you’re enjoying the breeze from your fan.
Myth #2: Closing vents in empty rooms is a great way to increase energy efficiency.
Vents are the distribution points for your HVAC’s air cycle. While some homeowners think closing vents in empty rooms diverts more air to another room, this is not the case. The zoning of your system is intentionally planned out so each room can have the right amount of circulated air, but when you close the vents, the increased pressure can lead to air duct leaks.
Myth #3: It is more energy efficient to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the day rather than cooling a hot room or heating a cold one.
Homeowners experience fluctuating temperatures in their homes daily, which means maintaining a perfectly comfortable temperature at all times can be a challenge. While it might seem easier to just set your ideal temp and be done with it, programmable thermostats can accommodate for temperature fluctuations effortlessly.
Plus, it’s actually more energy efficient for your system to heat up a cold room, for example, when you first wake up in the morning, than to keep rooms hot or cold all day long. You can use your thermostat to program the perfect temps for different times of the day, and you’ll start to see the difference in your energy bill too. For even more savings, turn your system completely off when you don’t need it!
Myth #4: The bigger your HVAC system, the more energy efficient it is.
You wouldn’t put a giant engine in your car just to make it run better; likewise, bigger HVAC systems don’t necessarily mean your home will cool faster. Depending on your home, a smaller sized system might perform better than a larger system would.
Energy efficiency comes down to sizing the system properly when performing the initial installation. A poorly sized system, whether too big or too small, can lead to infrequent cycles and difficulties with temperature control.
Myth #5: HVAC maintenance is only necessary when something has broken down.
This is the biggest myth of all! The best way to ensure your system doesn’t break down is to schedule routine maintenance for your system annually. Not only does regular maintenance keep your system in peak condition but also it keeps your energy bill low! We recommend scheduling heating maintenance in the fall and cooling maintenance in the spring.
Misconceptions surrounding home comfort are often spread by neighbors, friends, and even home lifestyle personalities, but for accurate recommendations, it’s best to go with the experts. Willard techs have worked and trained on HVAC systems their entire careers. They know just what your home needs and can help you achieve blissful home comfort in no time.
