When it comes time to save energy and money on your A/C usage, get the real story on summer energy savings myths, and rely on the facts instead.
1. Myth: The lower you turn the dial, the quicker the house will cool off.
Unless you have an A/C with a variable speed air handler, your fan has just one speed – “on.” No matter how low you set the thermostat, the air will only cool at a set rate of speed, wasting energy as the temperature dips further than necessary.
2. Myth: Ceiling fans help to cool a room.
Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, through a process called the wind-chill effect, where the air movement caused by the fans accelerates the rate of perspiration on the surface of the skin, making you feel cooler. Ceiling fans can help lower your reliance on your A/C but should be turned off in empty rooms.
3. Myth: A/C is the only way to keep cool in the summer.
Other methods exist, such as heading to a cool basement, supplementing the A/C with floor or ceiling fans, keeping window coverings closed during peak hours, and planting trees or hedges to provide shade for your home.
4. Myth: Closing the supply vents in one or more rooms can make the A/C more efficient.
Your system is likely designed to balance the air distribution throughout your home: closing off rooms while the A/C continues to produce and circulate conditioned air that has nowhere to go can lead to frequent cycling, wasted energy, and premature wear and tear on your A/C. It can also force open duct connections in duct runs servicing closed-off rooms.
5. Myth: Shut down the A/C while you’re out to save energy.
Allowing your home to heat up excessively during the day means your A/C has to work overtime to cool it upon your return. Instead, use a programmable thermostat to raise the temperature a eight to 10 degrees while you’re away and to begin cooling it again shortly before you return. On milder days, you can go ahead and turn off the A/C without any negative effects.
For more information on summer energy savings myths, please contact us at Climatic Conditioning Co., Inc., serving homeowners in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and the surrounding areas.
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