The pros at Haisma Heating & Cooling understand quite a bit about HVAC units and how to best utilize them. Unfortunately, most homeowners don’t work on HVAC systems every day and often have misconceptions about how they work. We want to cut through some of the myths and misunderstandings that are out there about our industry. Let’s debunk some myths!
#1: You Need a Big HVAC System
Bigger is not always better when it comes to your HVAC systems. Having a huge and powerful air conditioning system may cool your home more quickly, but it won’t be efficient. Instead, you need to work with your local HVAC company to get a size that will work for your current home. Otherwise, you will deal with uneven temperatures and an uncomfortable home.
Why is it inefficient to have a large HVAC system? One of the main reasons is that HVAC systems are designed to be most efficient after they’ve been on for a few minutes. Image in you had to start and stop your car at every intersection. The car isn’t designed to constantly put that strain on the engine and is meant to run for miles and miles. Once you start coasting, you become a lot more fuel-efficient.
Your HVAC units are the same way. It takes more energy to start them up, but once they get going they are much more efficient. This is why we size the machine so it will cool your home over the course of 15 or 20 minutes instead of 5 minutes.
Lastly, a unit that is too big may cause issues with humidity. Your AC dehumidifies the air. If it doesn’t get a chance to cool for very long, you may have trouble keeping your home’s humidity at a healthy level.
#2: Closing Vents Will Save Money
We see this misconception out there a lot! At a glance, it seems like it would be true. If you have an area of your home that is unused, you shouldn’t spend money there trying to heat or cool it. Unfortunately, no matter the size of your home, you need to heat and cool all of it. Your system should be designed with the size of your home in mind. Closing vents disrupts airflow and circulation. This can actually backfire and cause pressure problems in your vents! It can even cause a leak to spring!
Additionally, depending on where your thermostats are located, it can lead to inefficient cooling as the system tries to affect the temperature in a room with a closed vent. So leave those vents open at all times!
#3: Thermostat Location Doesn’t Matter
As we alluded to in the previous tip, your thermostat’s location will absolutely change how your home heats or cools! Thermostats typically work by gauging the temperature around them. If you are working out or cooking near your thermostat, it may affect how it reads the temperature. The same is true if it’s near an open window.
Luckily, most HVAC pros understand this and install thermostats in the correct place. However, if you’re installing it yourself or making changes to your home near the system, it’s important to keep this tip in mind!
There’s a lot of misinformation out there on the Internet, so remember to clear things up with your local HVAC pros. Our team at Haisma is in this business of helping our neighbors, so ask us about anything you’re not sure about on our next scheduled maintenance visit!
If you need an indoor air quality assessment or general HVAC help, the pros at Haisma would love to help. Simply fill out an online contact form or call us at (616) 319-2121 to schedule a service appointment!
