Myth 1: Get your air conditioner technician through Craigslist.
The internet has given us a variety of choices to go to find an A/C system service technician, but proceed with caution because not all are created equal. While the Better Business Bureau gives you information on whether a contractor is accredited depending on their business history and practices, other websites are open to anyone who requests to post an ad. For example, Craigslist lets anyone post an ad promoting their services, despite whether or not they’re actually qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the actual training and experience.
If you hire a business or individual without getting to identify their qualifications and skill set, it may end up costing you more ultimately. If the technician doesn’t have the knowledge to properly fix your actual AC equipment, you might end up needing a different, more experienced company to correct their mistakes and it could end up costing you multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Working with a small business is better.
Hiring small businesses can be good for some small fixes – it’s great for the local business, good for the economy, and probably even wonderful for your wallet. But proceed with caution: small companies or one-person businesses could leave you in a lurch. If something bad happens, they may merely disappear and not be there to repair it, or they could not have the manpower to get to you quickly, which is a problem if your air conditioner dies in the dog days of summer.
Budgeting a little bit more for a bigger, more trusted and reliable company can come with perks that help offer you more confidence, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, quality workmanship, a large certified team of servicemen and women who provide you service 24/7/365, and the assurance that they’ll be a call away if you ever require their services.
Myth 3: It’s fine to use any type of refrigerant in your air conditioning system.
With the government ending the making of R-22, many families are seeing the cost of refilling their AC system’s refrigerant increasing. It may seem like a simple fix to just replace your R-22 with a different and cheaper refrigerant, but if an air conditioner service technician recommends this, you may want to call for a second opinion.
Manufacturers identify the exact refrigerant the equipment is developed for, and before 2010, it was normally R-22. Despite the extreme decline of the production of R-22, those air conditioners are still designed for it, and substituting a different refrigerant may not only cause damage to your air conditioner, it could nullify your warranty. A nullified warranty could cost you way 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 conditioner may believe they don’t actually need routine maintenance. It works just fine, so why waste the money on a tune-up, right? Except for the fact that a routine AC tune- up is priced around $79 while repairs will cost you around $500. Additionally, most manufacturers instruct you to receive yearly maintenance to keep your warranty valid, so foregoing your annual tune-up could also mean foregoing your warranty, resulting in a big payout if your air conditioner decides to breakdown on the hottest day of the season.
Myth 5: Researching the business isn’t valuable.
It’s critical to check that you do your due diligence before deciding on an air conditioner service company, especially if you feel a specific company is intimidating you. As we mentioned in Myth #1, some sites don’t demand a company to be qualified to place an ad for their services. You need to know who you’re working with so you don’t have to worry about paying for the same service again.
Website reviews, testimonials from family, and an a great accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all help you to understand the type of company you will be offering your business to and help you figure out if they are ideal for you. Google+, Angie’s List, and the BBB are all great places to start your search. And, don’t be scared to ask for previous customer references. You might have to invest your hard-earned money with your air conditioning technician, so invest a little time and research to make sure they are the best company for your home.
Myth 6: It costs you more to turn your thermostat up while you’re not at home.
Over time, it will increase your costs to leave the thermostat at a cooler temperature throughout the day than to bump it up 10 degrees while you are gone. It usually will not require an outrageous amount of additional energy to get your home cooled down once you return, depending on variables of the home.
A programmable thermostat permits the temperature to be adjusted from a phone or tablet so you can easily adjust the temperature cooler before arriving home, so your home is nice and comfy when you get home. This saves you energy over the course of the day, as well as lowering your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Constantly running ceiling fans will help cool your home.
Fans help keep you cool, they don’t actually decrease the temperature of the home solo. In fact, fans (comparable to refrigerators) actually raise the temperature in your home. The motor that is causing your fan to run generates heat, which can add heat to the air in your home. A good ceiling fan does help level the temperature of the room and may help to cool air by circulating, but if there isn’t anyone under the fan to feel the cool air, all you’re doing is squandering energy and money, especially if the air conditioner is already working. So turn off ceiling fans when no one is in the room and extra air circulation is unneeded.
Myth 8: It doesn’t matter where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats measure the temperature near it to determine whether it needs to activate the air conditioning system to cool your home. Putting a thermostat in a bedroom will only make sure that bedroom reaches the temperature that the thermostat is set to. Once your bedroom is cooled, the system will go off and the remainder of the floor or home could be a lot warmer. If the thermostat is placed near a warm window or an appliance, it could constantly think the temperature is much higher than the rest of the home actually is and constantly run your AC, increasing your cooling bills.
Myth 9: Excessively lowering your thermostat will help it cool faster.
Lowering your air excessively may only make your AC run longer, it won’t get cooler any faster. If your thermostat is set to 77, but you really would be more comfortable at 75, then set it to 75 and it will run until it gets to that temperature. Decreasing the thermostat to 73 won’t make it cool 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 respiratory or allergy issues for the people living in the home, and the kind of air filter you utilize for your air conditioner, your air filter might need to be changed as often as every month. Skipping the replacement of the air filter often enough not only causes your air conditioner to work harder and lower efficiency, it could also irritate respiratory ailments like common allergy symptoms.
Call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today to inquire about your air conditioning system or to set-up your complimentary in-home consultation.