Fact: You’ve Probably Of Heard At Least One Of These Myths.
If you’ve lived or grew up in Charleston or the Lowcountry you probably know of or have heard of a lot of air conditioning hacks and myths. Some of which seem logical and others that are completely off.
Here are three common air conditioning myths Carolina Climate Control has experienced over the years in the Lowcountry:
Myth #1: Setting A Lower Temperature On Your AC Will Cool Your House/Office/Building Faster.
Explanation. This is one myth that is hard for several home and business to get over. The fact is that your AC won’t work any faster to get your home or business to any particular temperature. So setting your thermostat at 55 degrees when you get home won’t cool your home any faster than if you set it at 65 degrees. In fact, doing this may cause your air conditioning to “ice” or freeze up.
Myth #2: Turning Off Your AC While You Are Away Saves Energy.
Explanation. This is a bit of a controversial topic as many arguments are made for both keeping your AC on and turning it off. Turning your system completely off definitely will save energy because it’s not being used, but you’ll have to get used to really, really warm temperatures starting it back up.
Instead of turning your AC completely off, simply adjust your thermostat 10-15 degrees higher than normal. This will allow your AC to turn on and deal with higher humidity levels during the day and allow it to cool your home down to normal levels much more quickly. Getting a programmable or wifi thermostat can help you manage this on a daily basis.
Myth #3: Closing Vents In Unused Rooms Will Boost Efficiency.
Explanation. Again, it seems logical that closing a vent will allow other areas to cool much more quickly. However, your air conditioning and duct system (if sized properly by a professional) is designed to cool your entire home or building so closing vents in unused rooms builds pressure up in your HVAC duct system. This can lead to a myriad of system issues.
If you need different air temperature in different places in your home or business, consider a HVAC zone system. Zone systems allow you to define specific areas of your home and control the temperatures with those zones. Call your HVAC contractor for more information.
There are many, many more air conditioning and HVAC myths out there, but these are the most common one we hear from Charleston and the Lowcountry. Did we miss any you’d like to know about? Let us know about it on Facebook.
