Furnace Mythbusters
These days there’s all sorts of bad and conflicting information online regarding HVAC systems. Combine this with a general lack of understanding of how these complex systems operate and it can be difficult at times discerning what is fact from what is fiction.
Because of this, homeowners all too often fall prey to inaccurate information about how best to use their heating and cooling systems, and how to save money optimizing their systems.
To dispel some of these more common myths, we at Upper Arlington Heating & Air present the following:
Myth #1: Raising Thermostat’s Temperature Will Heat the Home Faster
During the winter, when our home isn’t as warm as we’d like, it can be tempting to crank up the heat far past your desired temperature level to try to speed up the warming process. Unfortunately, this isn’t helpful as it will cause the furnace to keep cranking out heat after your home reaches the desired temperature. Unless a homeowner owns a multi-stage system, a furnace always works at max capacity when turned on — regardless of what temperature level the thermostat is set to. As such, there’s never a legit reason to set the temp higher than what you’re actually wanting.
Myth #2: Newer Homes Are More Energy Efficient Than Older Ones
Just because a newer home is made with energy efficiency in mind doesn’t mean that certain things don’t get neglected or overlooked from time to time. Examples include insulation and air sealing. Most new homes only get minimum insulation values, which can be a lot less than our winter climate calls for and air sealing (which seals the holes that your conditioned air can escape through), is rarely done. Both can have a major impact on the overall energy efficiency and comfort of a home. However without both of them, it makes the age of the home irrelevant as the system will have to work a lot harder to provide the same level of comfort.
Myth #3: Closing Off Registers & Vents Helps Decrease Heating & Cooling Costs.
Although it might be counterintuitive, closing air vents and registers does not work the way you’d think. For one, heating systems are set up so that air pressure stays balanced throughout the home with all the supply vents opened. Because of this and other factors, closing vents throws off this balance and simply doesn’t save you money as it adds strain to the system.
As such, experts agree it’s best to keep everything open the way it should be for best results.
Give us a call for all your HVAC needs!
For more information about home HVAC systems, or to find out what your system is or is not doing properly call Upper Arlington Heating & Air today at (614) 490-7507, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
