5 Common Heating And Cooling Myths

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Just about every one has some advice about heating and cooling your home, and most of them are probably about saving money and increasing efficiency. Unfortunately, a lot of these tips may actually be completely wrong. If you don't know what's right anymore, check out these five common heating and cooling myths and discover the truth for yourself.

Myth #1: Ceiling Fans Don't Help With Cooling or Heating

If you turn on a ceiling fan and walk away, it's not going to lower the temperature of the air. Ceiling fans create a breeze that keeps you cool, so they're only useful if you're in the room. If you use your ceiling fan in conjunction with your air conditioner, it circulates the cold air better, which makes you feel colder without using much energy, but you have to be present in the room with the fan to benefit. If you aren't, turn off the fan to save energy. When using the furnace, you can reverse the flow of the fan to push hot air downward, which allows you to use less energy to heat your home, and it doesn't matter if you're in the room or not.

Myth #2: Closing Vents Reduces Energy Costs

Ideally, you want to heat/cool only the rooms you commonly use, which prevents you from wasting energy and money heating/cooling a room you aren't using. However, closing the vents to those rooms is not the right choice. This may seem like a great way to direct the flow elsewhere, but it actually wastes energy. During the winter, the cold room pulls hot air from other parts of the home, creating drafts. During the summer, hot air from the room will leak into the cooler parts of your home. So, you actually end up using more energy. If you really want zoned heating, you need to invest in a zoned heating system.

Myth #3: Only People With Allergies Need to Keep Filters Clean

Your furnace and air conditioner have filters that are supposed to prevent particles from getting into the air. This is especially useful for people with allergies and breathing problems, but a dirty air filter can also affect the efficiency of your systems. If the filter gets too dirty, it can allow more and more particles to enter the ductwork, and dirty ductwork forces the system to work harder to adequately push air through the ducts. This makes the system use more energy to do its job, but it also puts stress on the system, which allows it to break down sooner.

Myth #4: Forced-Air Systems Are the Most Efficient

Forced-air systems are extremely effective, but they often lack efficiency, and one big reason is because of the ductwork. Besides getting dirty, ductwork can become loose or the pieces can separate, creating gaps and holes. When you turn on the furnace or air conditioner, some of the air passes right through those holes, becoming wasted energy and dollars. About 20 to 30 percent of the air in your ducts leaks through these holes. To fix the problem, seal any leaks with mastic sealant or metal tape. While you're at it, consider insulating ducts to keep air cooler or warmer longer.

Myth #5: The Biggest System Is Always the Best

When it comes to heating and cooling, bigger isn't always better. It may seem like a bigger unit will work faster and longer, but choosing an oversized system only creates problems. You'll end up paying more than necessary for your heating and cooling needs, and because the system will cycle on and off more frequently, it will reduce the life of the system. What's best is choosing the right sized system for the size of your home.

Falling for these myths can cause you to waste money on your heating and cooling costs or even make your system wear down sooner. If you would like more information on how to properly care for your heating and cooling systems, or if you'd like to schedule maintenance, contact a professional from a company like Mike's Bremen Service Inc today. 

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10 December 2015

Shopping For A New HVAC System

After my sister moved into my house with me, she started complaining about the temperature. I had never really thought about it before, or maybe I was just used to it, but my house was pretty cold. She told me that she didn't think the furnace was working properly, so I started checking things out on my own. Sure enough, my furnace seemed to be having some serious problems. I started looking for a replacement, and I was able to find a great furnace for much less than what I initially thought I would need to spend. I wanted to make this blog for anyone out there who might need to shop for a new HVAC system. Check out these great articles for information you might need.