It’s easy to fall prey to some common cooling myths because they’re so prevalent. But if you end up falling prey to myths, you might end up costing yourself even more money in cooling costs. Also, you could struggle even harder when you multiply these mistakes out over the course of several months. If you’re looking for ways of cutting costs on energy during the summer months that actually work, take a look at these myths so that you can do the opposite and save yourself a lot of money.
Myth 1: Get a Bigger Air Conditioner for Better Results
This myth is so intuitive that you may be asking your HVAC technicians= to install an air conditioner that’s too large for your house. While it might seem like a larger air conditioner will also give your better results, this doesn’t work in practice because larger air conditioners will cool down a house quickly, but air conditioners need to be doing more than cooling off the air. They also need to pull the moisture out of the air, which your air conditioner will need more time to do than what it will take to cool the house. When there’s a lot of moisture left in the air, the effect is cool and damp air, which most people don’t like.
Myth 2: Close Doors and Vents to Save Even More Money on Cooling Costs
If you’re trying to save money on cooling costs, you might have come up with the idea of closing all of the doors and vents in the rooms that you’re not using. The sad truth is that this idea usually backfires because it takes a lot of energy for your air conditioner to push through these barriers. Your HVAC system was designed to accommodate your entire house, so if you close off certain vents, you’re creating barriers that block airflow.
Myth 3: Your Biggest Areas of Heat Transfer Are Doors and Windows
When you want to keep the heat out of your house, you might think to put up more seals around the doors and windows. Unfortunately, these points actually aren’t where you’re losing the most energy. One of the reasons why you hear about the importance of making sure that your doors and windows are sealed is that this is an easy way to improve the overall energy efficiency of almost any home. But if you have a wooden house, you’re actually losing more energy through the walls. If you have a brick house, you’ll notice the heat transfer significantly less because brick is much better at insulating from heat transfer.
Myth 4: You Should Turn Your Air Conditioner Completely Off to Save Energy
When you want to save money, turning your air conditioner completely off is one of the best ways that you can save a lot of it. The negative part of turning the air conditioner off is that you have to use a lot of energy to get your house cooled down when you come back from work. Plus, you’ll be using your air conditioner more often when the price for electricity is at one of the most expensive times during the day. You can save yourself more money by keeping the thermostat set to a temperature that’s slightly higher than what you would want it to be when you’re at home.
Myth 5: You Don’t Need to Worry About the Heat That Electronics and Appliances Create
Electronics and appliances can put out a lot of heat, but you can save yourself some costs if you choose to use the clothes dryer and dishwasher in the early morning hours. Doing this small adjustment will help keep the energy cost down since you are operating appliances when the outside temperature is less hot. Also, when it comes to cooking in the oven or on the stovetop, you should cut down on your costs by grilling outside.
When you notice that you’re spending too much on your cooling costs in Lehi and Kaysville, UT, consider if you have fallen prey to some of the above myths. Our technicians at OyBoy Heating and Cooling can advise you on how to save more off your energy cost. We also offer indoor air quality, air conditioner and heating installation, repair, and maintenance services. Contact us today for more information.
