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3 Expensive Myths Homeowners Believe About Their Home Air Conditioner


August 27, 2014

Some myths are harmless. Like The Great Wall of China being the only man-made object visible from space. (Not true, but harmless.)

But some myths are outright costly. Unfortunately, homeowners believe certain myths about their central AC that raise their energy bills and damage the central air conditioner.

Here are 3 of them.

Myth 1) Air conditioners use up refrigerant

The myth: A home’s AC uses up refrigerant like a car uses gas. That’s why it gets low over time, and you need to add more so your AC can cool your home.

The reality: A home’s AC does not use up refrigerant. In fact, your AC’s refrigerant is contained in a “sealed system,” meaning it shouldn’t have any opportunity to escape. If you need more refrigerant, you have a refrigerant leak that needs fixing

Why this myth costs you: When you think all you need is more refrigerant, a few costly things happen:

  1. You keep unnecessarily paying for more refrigerant, which, if it’s R-22, is costly to replace.
  2. You risk severely damaging your central air conditioner’s compressor, a part so expensive to replace that people usually replace the outside unit instead.

Myth 2) A larger air conditioner is better

The myth: A large air conditioner will make you more comfortable because it will cool your home faster.

The reality: Sizing an AC for a home is like sizing a shoe for a foot: it needs to be just right—no larger or smaller than needed. If the AC is too large it will cool your home too quickly, causing it to cycle on and off too frequently. This will make you uncomfortable because an AC needs to run long enough to dehumidify your home.

Why this myth costs you: Since an oversized AC frequently cycles on and off, it will run up your energy bill and possibly damage the compressor.

Learn more:

Myth 3) Turning the thermostat down super low makes the AC cool faster

The myth: If it’s really hot in your home, just turn the thermostat down far below what you actually need. This will make the AC cool much quicker.

The reality: The thermostat is not like a gas pedal is for a car. It’s more like an ON/OFF switch. Basically a thermostat sends a signal to your AC telling it, “Keep cooling until you reach this temperature, then stop.” It does not determine how quickly it cools.

Why this myth costs you: You’ll probably forget that you set your thermostat that low, meaning your AC runs longer than needed, unnecessarily running up your energy bill.

Learn more:

Cool Today provides award-winning air conditioning service to Sarasota, Florida and the surrounding areas like Bradenton, Tampa and Port Charlotte. If you have any questions, talk to one of our experts for help.

Posted in: Tips

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