Myth 1: Find your AC technician through Craigslist.
The interweb has provided us with a variety of places to go to look for an A/C system service technician, but proceed with caution because not all are comparable. While the Better Business Bureau provides you with information on whether a business is accredited based on their business history and practices, other web pages are accessible to anyone who requests to post an ad. Case in point, Craigslist will let anyone post an ad providing their services, despite whether or not they’re really qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the correct training and experience.
If you decide on a contractor or individual without having the ability to confirm their qualifications and competence, it may end up costing you more ultimately. If the tech doesn’t have the knowledge to properly repair your actual air conditioner, you may end up needing a second, more experienced technician to correct their mistakes and end up paying multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Choosing a small business is better.
Contracting with small businesses can be good for some minor home services – it’s wonderful for the local business, great for the economy, and maybe even great for your pocket book. But beware: small businesses or one-person operations could leave you in a lurch. If something goes wrong, they may conveniently disappear and not be there to fix it, or they might not have the resources to get to you quickly, which is a problem if your air conditioner goes out in the heat of the summer.
Spending a little bit more for a sizable, more trusted and reliable company can come with benefits that help provide you with more assurance, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, expert workmanship, a large certified work force that gives you service 24/7/365, and the peace of mind that they’ll be available if you ever require their services.
Myth 3: It’s fine to use any type of refrigerant in your air conditioner.
With the government putting an end to the production of R-22, many people are noticing the cost of refilling their air conditioner’s refrigerant rising. It may seem like a simple fix to just replace your R-22 with a different and lower cost refrigerant, but if an AC service technician advises you to do that, you probably want to get a second opinion.
Manufacturers specify the exact refrigerant the system is designed for, and previous to 2010, it was normally R-22. Regardless of the extreme decrease of the production of R-22, those AC systems are still designed for it, and substituting a different refrigerant may not only cause harm to your AC system, it could void your warranty. An invalidated warranty might cost you a lot more in future parts due to possible damage.
Myth 4: You don’t need routine AC maintenance.
Many people who are not currently having trouble with their air conditioning system may believe they don’t really need annual maintenance. It’s running fine, so why spend the money on a tune-up, right? Well there’s the fact that an annual AC tune- up is priced around $79 while the cost of a repair averages around $500. Not to mention, most manufacturers require annual maintenance to maintain your warranty, so foregoing your routine tune-up could cost you your warranty, resulting in a huge payout if your AC decides to go out on the hottest day of the season.
Myth 5: Learning about the contractor isn’t valuable.
It’s crucial to make sure you do your homework before picking an air conditioning service company, especially if you feel a particular company is putting pressure on you. As we said in Myth #1, some sites don’t demand a contractor to be qualified to advertise their services. You need to know what you’re getting into so you don’t have to pay for the same service again.
Online reviews, testimonials from family, and an a good accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all help you to understand the type of company you will be trusting your business to and help you figure out if they are right for you. Yelp, Angie’s List, and Google+ are all wonderful places to start your research process. Remember, don’t be afraid to ask for previous customer references. You could have to invest your money with your air conditioning company, so invest some time and research to confirm they are the ideal company for you.
Myth 6: It will cost more to turn your thermostat up while you’re out of your home.
Long-term, it will increase your bills to leave the thermostat at a cooler temperature all through the day than to raise it 10 degrees while you’re away. It usually will not require an excessive amount of additional energy to get your home cooled down once you enter, depending on your home.
A programmable thermostat permits the temperature to be adjusted from a tablet or phone so you can just adjust the temperature lower before coming home, so your home is nice and comfy when you enter. This saves you energy throughout the day, as well as saving you money on your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Constantly running ceiling fans will help cool your home.
Fans help cool people, they don’t truly decrease the temperature of the home solo. In fact, fans (like refrigerators) actually raise the temperature in your home. The motor that is causing your fan to operate creates heat, which can add heat to the air in your home. An efficient ceiling fan does help level the temperature of your room and may contribute to cooling air by circulating, but if there isn’t anyone below the fan to feel the breeze, all it’s doing is wasting energy and money, especially if the AC is already working. So leave ceiling fans off when there is nobody in the room and additional air circulation is unneeded.
Myth 8: It doesn’t matter where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats measure the temperature near it to choose whether it needs to activate the air conditioning system to cool your home. Putting a thermostat in your bedroom will only ensure that bedroom reaches the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Once that bedroom is cooled, the system will turn off and the rest of the floor or home might be a lot warmer. If the thermostat is put near a well-lit window or an appliance, it could constantly determine the temperature is much higher than the home really is and keep running your system, increasing your energy bills.
Myth 9: Turning your thermostat down much lower will help it cool more speedily.
Turning your air down lower may only make your air conditioner operate longer, it won’t get to a colder temperature any faster. If your thermostat is set on 77, but you really want it to be 75, then set it on 75 and it will kick on until it reaches that temperature. Lowering the thermostat to 73 won’t make it lower to 75 any faster, and it will make your system run longer, squandering money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s fine to swap out your air filter annually.
Depending on the health issues for the people living in the home, and the type of air filter you utilize for your AC, your air filter could need to be replaced as often as every four weeks. Not changing the air filter often enough not only means for your AC to work harder and decrease efficiency, it could also irritate respiratory illnesses like common allergy symptoms.
Call Air Engineers Service Experts today for more information about your air conditioner or to set-up your no-charge in-home consultation.