Furnaces that are painted orange work better. If you put a garden gnome by your air conditioning unit, it will protect it from hail damage. Your system will last forever, if you sacrifice a chocolate bar to the HVAC gods every season.
Okay, these are not common HVAC myths, but there are certainly some (more believable) doozies out there, and they could actually be costing you energy and money! Have you heard these before? You may have said them to yourself, at some point.
Closing off vents and registers in less-used rooms will lower your energy bill.
If you have a more modern heating system, this is just not true. The pressure load is balanced throughout the house, and by blocking the vents, you affect how the system “inhales” and “exhales.” This can throw the system out of whack, causing it to work harder, and possibly to break! The most energy efficient option is to have the temperature evenly distributed throughout the house. In fact, colder rooms tend to draw heat from other rooms, making the whole house feel colder, and causing you to turn the temp up higher than you would, otherwise!
The higher you set the thermostat, the faster it will heat your house.
Nope! Your furnace will deliver heat at the same rate, no matter how high the temperature is set. Turning the temp up and down will just use more energy and cause your system to work harder. Keep this in mind for the summer months, too: the same principle applies to your air conditioning.
Fiberglass insulation keeps the cold out.
Actually, its purpose is to keep the heat IN. So, if you have cracks or leaks, that insulation is doing very little to keep you warm. Having your home air sealed is the best way to keep you nice and toasty during those blustery winter days.
When it comes to HVAC units, bigger is better.
Hold on there, Hoss — this is not Texas. Many factors enter into which units are right for your home, and size is only one of them. It’s actually much more important to get a system that’s properly sized for your square footage, as well as your insulation levels, the number of bright sunny windows you have, etc. A properly trained technician (we have those) will make sure you get exactly what you need to minimize your energy consumption and maximize your comfort!
Buying an energy efficient unit will automatically reduce your energy bill.
See the myth above. Energy efficient HVAC systems are wonderful things, but if they’re improperly sized or installed, they could end up costing you energy and money!
Duct tape is good for sealing ducts.
You’d think so, wouldn’t you? I mean, it’s in the name. But duct tape is actually ill-suited for use in dirty, dusty places. And if there’s a place dirtier and dustier than an air duct, we certainly haven’t found it. Plus, it tends to fall right off as it ages and the adhesive dries up. Mastic tape does the job much better.
Your HVAC system doesn’t need to be checked unless there’s a problem.
A companion myth to this one would be: your HVAC unit is fine, because it sounds fine. HVAC systems are complicated animals, and many issues can crop up when you least expect it. Maybe it sounds fine today, but tomorrow it comes to a grinding, smoking halt. Having your unit checked regularly can ensure any problems are caught and fixed BEFORE they actually occur.
And our favorite…
Maintenance plans just aren’t worth the money.
This one just hurts! And we’ve seen it bite a lot of homeowners in the rear. According to some studies, a properly maintained HVAC system is around 98% LESS likely to fail. And if your technician does find a potential problem on his yearly visit, you can get it fixed before it becomes an (incredibly costly) emergency. That way, you even have time to budget. Many consumers who tout this myth think it’s true because they had a maintenance plan once upon a time, but their systems never needed repairs, therefore a waste of money. The funny thing about that is, their systems probably never needed repairs because they had them properly maintained! (FYI: we have several options, if you’re thinking of signing up for a yearly maintenance plan. Click here to find out more!)
If you’d like help straightening out any of these myths for your home, give us a call! We’d be happy to talk to you about your HVAC needs.