You can find so much information so easily on the internet now a days which is great but can also leave you misinformed. You often find conflicting information because anyone can post anything to the internet. You want to make sure you really research and see that the information you are getting is from a credible source. Here are three common energy wasting HVAC myths that people get mixed up. Changing these little habits can save you on your energy bills.
Myth 1– In a normal room with an 8 foot ceiling, running a fan in reverse will keep the room evenly heated.
Truth– In a room with vaulted and high ceilings a fan in reverse will help circulated the warm air back down but if you have just a normal 8 foot ceiling you will want to keep the fans off because they will cause more of a draft than anything which will make everyone want to raise the thermostat therefore wasting energy.
Myth 2– Turning the thermostat all the way up will heat your home faster.
Truth– This will not warm your home up faster. This only will make the furnace work harder than it should to raise the temperature in the home and most likely overshoot the temperature you wanted it to be at in the first place. This will make your energy bills higher and also have a detrimental affect on your furnace giving it the chance to wear out and break faster than it should.
Myth 3– You will save more money letting your air conditioner run all day even if no one is home because it uses more energy to start up and cool your home.
Truth– Turning your air conditioner off saves you money from the minute it is turned off. This way it is not using any energy to cool a home that no one is currently in. If your home is well insulated and you keep doors and windows shut your home should stay cool all day. Another thing you can do to help this is to get a programmable thermostat. This way you can set both your air conditioner and your furnace to heat or cool right before you are due to come home. There is one exception to this rule though and this is if it is very hot outside, shutting the AC off will only make it struggle to cool a home that has heated to over 80 degrees. On really hot days you can set the thermostat to a higher temperature just not all the way off. On mild days you will save energy by shutting the AC off or having a programmable thermostat to run right before you come home.
These are simple things you can do to ensure you get the most energy savings and prolong the life of your equipment by making it not work so hard. This will save you money in energy and repairs in the long run. Call Bartlett Heating and Air today for all your HVAC needs!
