Myth 1: Find your air conditioning technician through Craigslist.
The interweb has given us a variety of options to go to look for an AC service technician, but proceed with caution because not all are qualified. While the Better Business Bureau displays information on whether a contractor is accredited determined by their business history and practices, other sites are available to anyone wanting to post an ad. For instance, Craigslist allows anyone to post an ad promoting their services, regardless of whether or not they’re really qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the actual training and experience.
If you hire a business or individual without getting to verify their qualifications and competence, it may end up costing you more ultimately. If the tech doesn’t have the knowledge to properly repair your specific air conditioning system, you may end up needing a second, more experienced company to repair their mistakes and it could cost you multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Hiring a small business is better.
Hiring small businesses can be wonderful for some minor home services – it’s wonderful for the local business, good for the economy, and probably even wonderful for your bank account. But use caution: small businesses or one-person businesses could leave you in a lurch. If something goes wrong, they may merely disappear and not be there to repair it, or they may not have the manpower to get you taken care of quickly, which is not what you want if your air conditioner goes out in the heat of the summer.
Budgeting a little bit more for a bigger, more trusted and reliable company can come with perks that help give you more peace of mind, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, excellent workmanship, a large certified team of technicians who give you service 24/7/365, and the assurance that they’ll be there if you ever require their services.
Myth 3: It’s okay to use any type of refrigerant in your air conditioner.
With the government putting an end to the making of R-22, many people are observing the cost of refilling their air conditioner’s refrigerant rising. It may seem like a simple fix to just use a different and lower cost refrigerant, but if an AC service technician advises you to do that, you may want to get a second opinion.
Manufacturers detail the exact refrigerant the equipment is developed for, and prior to 2010, it was normally R-22. Despite the extreme reduction of the production of R-22, those air conditioning systems are still designed for it, and substituting a different refrigerant may not only cause harm to your air conditioning equipment, it could invalidate your warranty. A nullified warranty could cost you hundreds or thousands more in future parts due to possible damage.
Myth 4: You don’t need annual A/C system maintenance.
A lot of people who are not currently having trouble with their air conditioner may believe they don’t actually need yearly maintenance. It’s operating fine, so why use the money on a tune-up, right? Except for the fact that an annual AC tune- up costs around $79 while repairs will run you around $500. Additionally, most manufacturers demand routine maintenance to continue your warranty, so foregoing your yearly tune-up could cost you your warranty, resulting in a huge payout if your AC decides to breakdown on the hottest day of the year.
Myth 5: Researching the business isn’t necessary.
It’s important to make sure you do your due diligence before choosing an air conditioner service business, especially if you feel a single company is pressuring you. As we said in Myth #1, some domains don’t require a person to be qualified to advertise their services. You need to know their qualifications and history so you don’t have to worry about paying for the same service again.
Social media reviews, references from neighbors, and an a great accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all assure you of the type of contractor you will be giving your business to and help you choose if they are right for you. Google+, Angie’s List, and the BBB are all good websites to start your homework. And, don’t be scared to ask for prior customer testimonials. You could have to invest your hard-earned money with your air conditioning company, so invest a little time and research to make sure they are the best company for you.
Myth 6: It costs you more to turn your thermostat up while you’re out of your home.
Long-term, it will increase your costs to leave the thermostat at a lower temperature throughout the day than to bump it up 10 degrees while you’re away. It normally will not need an outrageous amount of extra energy to get your home comfortable once you return, depending on your home.
A programmable thermostat lets the temperature to be increased or decreased from a phone or tablet so you can easily adjust the temperature cooler before returning home, so your home is cool and comfy when you arrive. This reduces your energy throughout the day, as well as reducing your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Always running ceiling fans will help cool your home.
Fans help keep people cool, they don’t truly lower the temperature of the home solo. In fact, fans (like refrigerators) actually heat up homes. The motor that is forcing your fan to function produces heat, which can put heat in the air in the home. A good ceiling fan can help level the temperature of a room and may contribute to cooling air by circulating, but if there isn’t a person below the fan to feel the cool air, all you’re doing is squandering energy and money, especially if the air conditioning system is already on. So leave ceiling fans off when no one is in the room and extra air circulation is unneeded.
Myth 8: Don’t worry about where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats use the temperature surrounding it to choose whether it needs to activate the AC to cool the home. Installing a thermostat in a bedroom will only help ensure that bedroom lowers to the temperature that the thermostat is adjusted to. Once the bedroom is cooled, the AC will shut off and the remainder of the floor or home may be quite a bit warmer. If the thermostat is placed near a sunny window or an appliance, it could continuously read the temperature as being much higher than the home actually is and keep running your system, upping your energy bills.
Myth 9: Lowering your thermostat way low will help it cool faster.
Decreasing your air by too much may only make your air conditioner run longer, it won’t get cooler any faster. If your thermostat is set to 77, but you really want it to be 75, then set it to 75 and it will work until it gets to that temperature. Lowering the thermostat to 73 won’t make it cool to 75 any faster, and it will cause your system to run long, squandering money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s fine to change your air filter annually.
Depending on the health issues for the home’s occupants, and the kind of air filter you use for your air conditioner, your air filter may need to be swapped out as often as every 30 days. Skipping the replacement of the air filter often enough not only makes your AC to work harder and reduce efficiency, it could also irritate respiratory illnesses like common allergy symptoms.
Call Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts today to inquire about your air conditioner or to set-up your complimentary in-home consultation.