Myth 1: Find your air conditioner technician from Craigslist.
The internet has given us a variety of choices to go to get an air conditioning service technician, but beware because not all are created equal. While the Better Business Bureau shows you information on whether a company is accredited determined by their company history and practices, other websites are accessible to anyone who wants to post an ad. For instance, Craigslist lets anyone post an ad providing their services, despite whether or not they’re actually qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the proper training and knowledge.
If you choose a company or individual without getting to identify their qualifications and expertise, it may end up costing you more ultimately. If the tech doesn’t have the knowledge to properly fix your particular air conditioner, you might end up needing a different, more experienced contractor to correct their mistakes and it could cost you multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Choosing a small business is better.
Working with small businesses can be wonderful for some small fixes – it’s wonderful for the local business, great for the economy, and likely even great for your pocket book. But beware: small businesses or one-person companies could leave you holding the bag. If something fails, they may simply disappear and not be around to repair it, or they could not have the manpower to get your issue resolved quickly, which is not what you want if your AC dies in the dog days of summer.
Spending a little bit more for a bigger, more reputable and reliable company can come with advantages that help provide you with 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 peace of mind that they’ll be available in the future if you ever need them again.
Myth 3: It’s fine to use any type of refrigerant in your AC.
With the government ending the making of R-22, many families are seeing the cost of refilling their AC system’s refrigerant going up. It may sound like an easy fix to just replace your R-22 with a different and lower cost refrigerant, but if an air conditioning service technician recommends this, you may want to call for a second opinion.
Manufacturers detail the exact refrigerant the air conditioner is designed for, and before 2010, it was commonly R-22. Regardless of the extreme decline of the production of R-22, those air conditioners are still designed for it, and replacing R-22 with a different refrigerant may not only cause destruction to your AC system, it could invalidate your warranty. A voided warranty might cost you hundreds or thousands more in future parts due to likely damage.
Myth 4: You don’t need yearly A/C system maintenance.
A lot of people who don’t currently have trouble with their air conditioner may assume they don’t really need annual maintenance. It’s working fine, so why use the money on a tune-up, right? Well there’s the fact that a yearly AC tune- up runs you around $79 while repairs will cost you around $500. Also, most manufacturers require yearly maintenance to maintain your warranty, so disregarding your annual tune-up could also mean foregoing your warranty, resulting in a large payout if your AC decides to go out on the hottest day of the summer.
Myth 5: Finding out about the business isn’t necessary.
It’s crucial to ensure you do your research before picking an AC service business, especially if you feel a single company is pushing you. As we mentioned in Myth #1, some sites don’t require a company to be qualified to advertise their services. You absolutely need to know their qualifications and history so you don’t have to pay for the same service again.
Website reviews, testimonials from family, and an a great accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all assure you of the type of company you will be trusting your business to and help you decide if they are best for you. Google+, Angie’s List, and the BBB are all great places to start your homework. Also, don’t be scared to ask for previous customer testimonials. You could have to invest your money with your air conditioner company, so invest a little time and research to confirm they are the ideal company for you.
Myth 6: It costs more to turn your thermostat to a higher temperature while you’re away from home.
Over time, it will increase your bills to leave the thermostat at a lower temperature over the course of the day than to raise it 10 degrees while you’re away. It normally will not take an excessive amount of more energy to cool your home once you return, depending on variables of the home.
A programmable thermostat permits the temperature to be changed from a phone or tablet so you can just adjust the temperature back down before arriving home, so your home is nice and comfy when you get home. This decreases your energy during 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 actually decrease the temperature of the home by themselves. In fact, fans (like refrigerators) actually increase the temperature in your home. The motor that is forcing your fan to function generates heat, which can push heat into the air in your family’s home. A well-working ceiling fan could help level the temperature of the room and may help to cool air by circulating, but if nobody is below the fan to feel cool, all it’s doing is squandering energy and money, especially if the air conditioning system is already working. So turn off ceiling fans when no one is in the room and more air circulation is not needed.
Myth 8: Don’t worry about where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats use the temperature surrounding it to choose whether it needs to start up the air conditioner to cool the home. Installing a thermostat in a bedroom will only make sure that bedroom lowers to the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Once the bedroom is cooled, the air conditioner will turn off and the remainder of the floor or home might be a lot warmer. If the thermostat is installed near a warm window or an appliance, it could always determine the temperature is much higher than the rest of the home truly is and constantly run your system, raising your utility bills.
Myth 9: Lowering your thermostat way low will help it cool more quickly.
Turning your air down lower may only make your AC work longer, it won’t get cooler any faster. If your thermostat is set to 77, but you really want it to be 75, then put it at 75 and it will work until it gets to that temperature. Lowering the thermostat to 73 won’t make it get to 75 any faster, and it will cause your system to run long, wasting money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s fine to swap out your air filter annually.
Depending on the health conditions of the people living in the home, and the type of air filter you utilize for your air conditioner, your air filter may need to be replaced as often as every four weeks. Failure to change the air filter often enough not only makes your air conditioning system to work harder and lower efficiency, it could also aggravate respiratory illnesses like common allergy symptoms.
Call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today to inquire about your air conditioner or to set-up your complimentary in-home consultation.