As the weather starts to chill down outside, many homeowners are concerned with preparing their homes for the upcoming winter season. One of your home’s most crucial systems will be your HVAC system. To help you better understand your HVAC system, we will discuss some of the most common misconceptions about it below.
Maintenance Is Optional
One of the most common HVAC myths that you’re going to hear is that wintertime HVAC maintenance is optional. The reality is that you need to have an HVAC technician come in and assess your system to ensure that it’s working in peak condition. We will be able to identify any potential problems so that you can have them addressed before you need to rely on your heating system every day.
Furthermore, most HVAC manufacturers will require that you get annual maintenance service on your system to adequately maintain your warranty coverage. Missing just one year could leave you paying out of pocket for future repair bills.
Duct Tape Can Repair Ductwork
If you’re a responsible homeowner, then you likely take the time to check over all of your exposed ducting to identify any potential leaks or gaps. When you find these locations, it’s important to use the appropriate tape to ensure a long-lasting fix. Contrary to its name, duct tape is not effective at sealing leaks in air ducting.
It will not withstand the temperature changes and will likely reopen the leak in a short amount of time. The only tape that you want to be using on ducting is foil tape. This tape is specifically designed to withstand temperature fluctuations.
The Bigger the System, the Better
The belief that bigger is always better does not apply to household heating systems. If you get a system that’s too large for your home, it will short cycle. This means that it will repeatedly kick on and off as it gets up to temperature too quickly.
This will not only increase your energy bills, but it will lead to more temperature fluctuations in your home that can be uncomfortable. It’s always best to get a heating system that’s the right size for your home. One of our HVAC technicians can help you determine which size is best for your home.
Close Vents in Rooms You’re Not Using
Probably one of the most common HVAC misconceptions is that you should close off the vents in rooms of your home that you don’t use regularly. While this can be tempting on the surface, it’s vital to look deeper into the result of closing those air vents. When you close vents in your ducting, it will affect its overall internal pressure and balance. This can lead to system inefficiency and more variable temperatures throughout the rooms of your home. The best thing you can do is simply leave all of your air vents open so that your HVAC system can function optimally.
Setting a Higher Temperature Means Faster Warming
When you walk into your home and it feels very chilly because you left the thermostat down when you left, it can be quite tempting to jack up the thermostat to a very high temperature. Doing so comes from the thought that setting it higher will allow for faster heating of your home. In reality, that doesn’t actually happen. Your heating system is only capable of increasing the temperature in your home by a set amount each hour. Just because you set your thermostat to be 10 degrees warmer than normal, your home isn’t going to heat up any faster than usual.
Air Filters Need to Be Changed Annually
Another HVAC myth that you simply don’t want to fall victim to is that your HVAC filter only needs to be changed once a year. While it’s common for HVAC contractors to install new air filters during their fall maintenance service, you – as a homeowner -should also be changing filters regularly. It’s typically recommended to check your filter at least once a month. Most homeowners will find that they need to replace their HVAC filter every two to three months. It can be helpful to have a spare filter on hand so you can do a replacement when necessary.
Increasing Efficiency Means Getting a High-Efficiency Heating System
While there’s no denying the fact that getting a high-efficiency heating system is a great way to help reduce your energy bills, it’s not the only option. Homeowners who have a fairly new heating system can do many other things to increase their operating efficiency. Some of the most common include keeping up with regular filter changes, having adequate insulation in your home, sealing up air leaks, getting regular maintenance service, allowing natural sunlight in, and so much more.
High MERV Filters Are Effective
If you or a loved one suffers from severe allergies, asthma, or even a respiratory condition, then you’re likely concerned with the quality of air inside your home. One of the easiest ways to boost your indoor air quality level is to install an HVAC filter with a high MERV rating. You can get HVAC filters that have a MERV rating, ranging from a low of 1 to a high of 20. It’s crucial to realize that not all of these filters are effective in a residential heating system.
In fact, homeowners who are concerned with indoor air quality should invest in a filter with a MERV rating between 10 and 13. Filters with a rating higher than 13 are designed to function in commercial HVAC systems that have more power. This is because the filter is thicker and harder for air to move through so you’ll need a larger HVAC system to be able to pull air through the filter successfully. If you try to use a higher-rated filter in your residential HVAC system, it will significantly reduce its efficiency level.
Using Fans Will Cool Your Rooms
Most people are familiar with using ceiling fans to help supplement their air conditioning system during the summer months. These fans can do wonders for helping to make you feel more comfortable so that you can increase the thermostat and reap energy savings. However, it’s crucial to realize that ceiling fans can also be highly beneficial in the wintertime.
You simply need to turn them in a clockwise direction so that they force hot air at the top of the room out and back down to the floor. Instead of creating a wind chill effect like in the summertime, a fan spinning in a clockwise direction will allow you to recirculate the heat already produced so that you don’t have to constantly run your heating system.
Reliable HVAC Maintenance Service
Cowboys Air Conditioning & Heating offers reliable HVAC maintenance services for the San Antonio, TX area. We can also help with all your heating, cooling, indoor air quality, smart thermostat, air sealing, insulation, heat pump, and ductwork needs. Simply call our friendly office staff today to book your next service consultation.