August is a scorcher so you can plan on your air conditioner having to work really hard. Of course,running your air conditioner means higher power bills,so it makes sense that you would look for ways to conserve energy and save money. Below are four myths about air conditioning that won’t save you money, but will end up costing you more and compromising your comfort.To maximize your summer energy savings avoid these air conditioning myths:
Lowering the A/C cools your home faster- HVAC systems in most homes have a single speed air handler. Regardless of the temperature on the dial, air will move and be cooled at the same rate. Additionally, setting the temperature lower can result in higher energy costs as the system works towards achieving the lower temperature.
Turn off your A/C when no one’s home- Runnning the air conditioner in an empty home wastes energy. However, a high level of energy is required to cool the home when you return. Use a programmable thermostat which can efficiently regulate the temperature and allow you to return to a comfortable home.
Ceiling fans cool rooms- Ceiling fans are unable to cool a room. The cooling sensation felt from a ceiling fan is due to wind chill effect which cools the skin, not the air. This effect makes ceiling fans ideal for providing comfort in an air conditioned room. To save energy, turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room.
Close vents to reduce costs- Air conditioners are designed to move a certain amount of air through the home. When a vent is closed, that load doesn’t change. The air conditioner works to move the same amount of air. In fact, closing a vent can make the air conditioner work harder resulting in higher energy and repair costs.
A programmable thermostat is an affordable an easy option for reducing energy costs on the cooling and heating cycle. MTB Heating and Air has a selection of high quality wireless programmable thermostats. Give us a call today and take advantage of our promotion going on now. Have a wireless programmable thermostat installed by MTB and we will give you a $50 trade-in on your old thermostat. Heating and Air, it’s as easy as MTB.