A lot of HVAC systems end up either having severe damages than needed intensive repair and replacements or a total breakdown due to misinformation and misconception. This misinformation is one of the leading causes of HVAC damages and breakdowns.
As a homeowner, I need to know what’s a fact and what’s not. So I asked a technician that I usually call every time I’m having trouble with my HVAC system. He works with Sem’s Duct Cleaning at a branch here in Vaughan, Ontario. Here are 7 HVAC misconceptions that you need to know.
- Turning your thermostat down lower cools your home faster.
Cars do work that way, but not your HVAC system. Turning your thermostat to the lowest point will only keep your system working longer to reach the temperature and not speed up the cooling. By doing this, it is also possible that the coils will ice up. You should set it no lower than 69 – 68.5 °F.
- Closing off registers of unoccupied rooms can improve energy efficiency.
Cooling or heating the only occupied rooms are not energy efficient. In fact, it will only cost you a lot of money. If you close off too many registers, it will ice up the unit and less cool air will come out. In the winter season, doing this can damage the heat exchanger and could start tripping out on a high limit. The HVAC system is designed to have all registers open and this is actually the more efficient way. By doing this, the system will work better.
- Oversizing HVAC systems will work better than small ones.
This actually depends on the size of your house. Yes, larger HVACs do cool better but charge higher. The problem with this is that the system cools down and warms up the house quickly. One minute you’re hot and sweaty then the next minute you’re freezing. Oversized types of systems require a lot of energy and in turn, costs you a lot of money.
- Air Conditioners and furnaces don’t really need to be maintained.
Regular inspections and maintenance are very important to prolong the lifespan of your unit. This will avoid sudden damages and breakdowns. Over time, the unit becomes dusty and dirty due to dust in the air. This will degrade parts of the unit that will result in damages. If not cleaned and maintained, you will not get the right capacity and the efficiency of the system.
- Waiting to turn on the unit until it gets really hot outside.
Many homeowners think that waiting until it gets really hot outside to turn on their unit will be more efficient and will save them more money and energy. This is not true at all. What will end up happening is that it’ll be difficult for the unit to get rid of the heat inside the house and at the same time, the heat that is coming in from outside and cooling the house simultaneously will take a long time for the unit to do that, not to mention the energy it needs. It will be more efficient if you turn it on before the heat outside turns on its peak during the day.
- Expensive high-efficiency filters are best for my system.
It really is very good to use those high-efficiency filters because they do clean the air, but the problem is that your system is not designed to take these kinds of filters. If you are using those filters, you need to change them every 30 days, not months. If not, it will actually degrade the system and the airflow will not circulate. As a result, you will not get the cooling, the efficiency, you could damage the heat exchanger on the heating side and the unit will cycle on a high limit. Since you’ll be needing to change them in just a month, you might want to get the cheaper ones.
- Any attic insulation is fine.
A lot of people think that any attic insulation is gonna be just fine. I was once asked by my technician how much insulation I have. At the time I had about 3 inches. He told me it should be about 14 inches. The benefit of it is actually it will warm you and cool you more efficiently and it will save you energy.
Looking back, I really thought that the list above was facts. Not until my technician told me all about it. I did follow the tips and recommendations he gave me and they really work. So in case you too are misinformed, stop doing them and ask your local HVAC technician about the type of unit you are using.