Myth 1: Hire your air conditioner technician through Craigslist.
The interweb has gifted us with a variety of places to go to look for an A/C system service technician, but beware because not all are comparable. While the Better Business Bureau shows you information on whether a contractor is accredited depending on their company history and practices, other web pages are available to anyone who wants to post an ad. Case in point, Craigslist will let anyone post an ad for their services, despite whether or not they’re really qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the actual training and knowledge.
If you hire a company or individual without getting to identify their qualifications and skill set, it might end up costing you more in the long run. If the serviceman or woman doesn’t have the skills to properly fix your specific AC equipment, you may end up needing a different, more experienced technician to correct their mistakes and it could end up costing you multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Choosing a small business is better.
Contracting with small businesses can be great for some small fixes – it’s great for the local business, wonderful for the economy, and likely even good for your bank account. But use caution: small businesses or one-person operations could leave you in a lurch. If something fails, they may simply disappear and not be available to rectify the situation, or they may not have the workforce to get to you quickly, which is not what you want if your air conditioning system malfunctions in the heat of the summer.
Budgeting a little bit more for a larger, more trusted and reliable company can come with perks that help offer you more assurance, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, expert workmanship, a large certified team of technicians who give you service 24/7/365, and the assurance that they’ll be a call away if you need them again.
Myth 3: It’s okay to use any type of refrigerant in your AC.
With the government stopping the making of R-22, many people are noticing the fee of refilling their air conditioner’s refrigerant going up. It may sound like a simple fix to just substitute a different and lower cost refrigerant, but if an air conditioner service technician recommends this, you probably want to call for a second opinion.
Manufacturers identify the exact refrigerant the equipment is developed for, and prior to 2010, it was usually R-22. Despite the extreme reduction of the production of R-22, those AC systems are still designed for it, and using a different refrigerant may not only cause harm to your AC system, it could void your warranty. A voided warranty might cost you hundreds or thousands more in future parts due to potential 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 conditioning system may assume they don’t truly need routine maintenance. It works just fine, so why spend the money on a tune-up, right? Well there’s the fact that a routine AC tune- up costs around $79 while repairs will run you around $500. Not to mention, most manufacturers demand routine maintenance to maintain your warranty, so disregarding your routine tune-up could cost you your warranty, which means a large payout if your AC decides to breakdown on the hottest day of the year.
Myth 5: Researching the contractor isn’t necessary.
It’s crucial to ensure you do your research before deciding on an AC service contractor, especially if you feel a specific company is pushing you. As we mentioned in Myth #1, some websites don’t require a contractor to be qualified to place an ad for their services. It’s important to know their qualifications and history so you don’t have to worry about paying for the same service again.
Online reviews, references from friends, and an a good accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all assure you of the type of business you will be offering your business to and help you figure out if they are right for you. Google+, Angie’s List, and the BBB are all great websites to start your homework. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for previous customer referrals. You may have to invest your hard-earned money with your air conditioning technician, so invest a little time and research to confirm they are the right company for your AC.
Myth 6: It will cost more to turn your thermostat higher while you’re away from home.
Long-term, it will actually cost you more to leave the thermostat at a colder temperature all through the day than to raise it 10 degrees while you are away from your home. It usually will not need an excessive amount of more energy to get your home cooled down once you arrive, depending on your home.
A programmable thermostat lets the temperature to be increased or decreased from a phone or tablet so you can just adjust the temperature cooler before arriving home, so your home is nice and comfy when you enter. This decreases your energy throughout the day, as well as lowering your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Always running ceiling fans will help lower the temperature in your home.
Fans help keep you cool, they don’t really decrease the temperature of the home solo. In fact, fans (like refrigerators) actually raise the temperature in your home. The motor that is making your fan function produces heat, which can put heat in the air in the home. An efficient ceiling fan does help level the temperature of your room and may help to cool air by circulating, but if there isn’t a person below the fan to feel cool, all it’s doing is wasting energy and money, especially if the AC is already working. So keep ceiling fans off when there is nobody in the room and additional air circulation is unnecessary.
Myth 8: It doesn’t matter where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats measure the temperature around it to choose whether it needs to activate the air conditioning system to cool the home. Installing a thermostat in the bedroom will only make sure that bedroom lowers to the temperature that the thermostat is adjusted to. Once your bedroom is cooled, the AC will go off and the remainder of the floor or home might be quite a bit warmer. If the thermostat is installed near a warm window or an appliance, it might continuously read the temperature as being much higher than the rest of the home truly is and continuously run your system, upping your utility bills.
Myth 9: Lowering your thermostat way low will help it cool more quickly.
Lowering your air excessively may only make your air conditioning system work longer, it won’t get to a colder temperature any faster. If your thermostat is set to 77, but you really want it to be 75, then set it on 75 and it will kick on until it reaches that temperature. Decreasing the thermostat to 73 won’t make it get to 75 any faster, and it will result in your system running longer, squandering money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s ok to replace your air filter once every twelve months.
Depending on respiratory or allergy issues for the home’s occupants, and the style of air filter you have for your air conditioning system, your air filter may need to be changed as often as every month. Failure to change the air filter often enough not only causes your air conditioner to work harder and decrease efficiency, it could also irritate respiratory ailments like common allergy symptoms.
Call Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning today for more information about your AC or to set-up your free in-home consultation.