When it comes to keeping households cool in our area during the summer, it makes sense to do so as efficiently as possible, right? Do you really want to pay more than necessary to keep your home at a reasonable temperature this coming season?
We didn’t think so!
However, there are a number of mistakes that homeowners make regarding their air conditioner use. These mistakes work against them in many ways, wearing down their system faster, and causing the cooling system to work inefficiently—in other words expensively. Keep reading as we uncover some of the most common mistakes that homeowners make in regards to AC use and efficiency.
Mistake #1: They Buy the Biggest AC System They Can Afford
You likely already know why you shouldn’t try to use an AC system that’s too small for your home, or in other words underpowered. It simply cannot keep up with the cooling demands of your home and won’t be able to effectively cool the space. But did you know that too big of a system, also known as an overpowered system, can be just as detrimental to cooling efficiency?
A system that’s too large for the space it’s in will start going through a process called short-cycling, which is when it turns off and on in rapid succession, never completing a full cooling cycle. Why is this bad?
Well first off, you will never achieve the home comfort you want if your system is short-cycling. Secondly, short-cycling accelerates the wear and tear on your cooling system, leading to premature replacement needs.
Mistake #2: They Leave Ceiling Fans on When They’re Not Home
Ceiling fans are great! They’re great for moving air. That is their main purpose after all. This certainly isn’t a bad thing! However, leaving ceiling fans on all day when nobody is home only uses energy, rather than saving it.
This is because ceiling fans don’t help to lower the temperature of a room. Rather, they help to better distribute air. So when you’re running your air conditioning system at 78°F and you run your ceiling fans, the fans will help you feel cooler. But if nobody is around to feel the cooler air, what’s the point?
You should definitely still have your air conditioner running when you aren’t home on exceptionally hot days. This will keep your home at an even temperature and your air conditioner won’t have to run as long to try to achieve your desired temperature later in the day. However, ceiling fans aren’t part of this equation.
Mistake #3: They Close Vents in Unoccupied Rooms
If you are at home and you need cooling in one area of the home but not in another, it makes sense to close off the vent to the room you don’t need cooling in, right?
Well, not quite. Unless you have a zone-control system in place, your air conditioner simply isn’t designed to handle this. You’ll be creating a problem with air pressure that could end up damaging your air ducts and more.
Contact Hometown Heating and Air Conditioning today for reliable AC repair in Lafayette, CA.