The 9 Common Misconceptions About Air Conditioners | Air Conditioning Services in Richardson, TX
It is incredibly convenient to install your air conditioner unit and forget about all the maintenance work that goes into it keeping it 100% operational. The real world unfortunately isn’t so simple. Leaving the air conditioner to its own devices is never recommended. Over time the AC will lose its efficiency, ramp up energy costs and make you feel less comfortable.
Most homeowners have several common misconceptions about their air conditioners. After due consultation with experts, we have identified the most common of them and discuss them below:
The AC Doesn’t Need Much Cleaning
Most manufacturers do an incredibly good job of equipping the air conditioner with the right tools so it keeps operating for long periods of time. But even the best engineering designs are not immune to the gradual buildup of debris. Most air conditioners have a separate unit that is located outside of your room, making them more vulnerable to debris. It is of utmost importance that you keep your air conditioner clean.
Another common problem with air conditioners is for insects and bugs to find a way into the unit. This could be due to plants nearby that attract bees and pets. Either relocate the plants or the air conditioner unit itself. If your pet finds the air conditioner’s wires particularly interesting, take caution immediately and remove the wires out of their sight. It is very common for dogs and cats to chew on exposed wires and even urinate on the system.
While this is a convenient repair for most air conditioning services in Richardson, TX, it can prove troublesome for most homeowners.
The Filter Doesn’t Need to be Changed
Most homeowners are content with regularly cleaning the filter. This is simply not enough because there eventually comes a time when the air filter gets coated with permanent debris particles. Air filters that are dirty can compromise the cooling capacity of your air conditioner and damage the system, requiring costly repairs. Air conditioning services in Richardson, TX recommend changing the air filters every 3 months or so.
Decreasing the Thermostat’s Temperature Settings
It is very common for homeowners, frustrated with the heat, to crank down the temperature settings below what is recommended. This is not a safe practice because the air conditioner is designed to reach temperatures below 10 to 15 degrees what the ambient air is. If you try going below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it is very possible for the air conditioner coils to end up freezing, the result is total system failure.
No Need for Maintenance
It goes without saying that your air conditioner needs regular maintenance every 6 months or so. Most homeowners try foregoing this step entirely because they feel it is an unnecessary expense. The harsh truth is that failure to get regular checkups on your air conditioner means that any potential problems would escalate in the future. Damage done because of failure to get regular checkups means that when professional air conditioning services in Richardson, TX do get called up, there will be a lot left to fix.
Air Conditioners Only Affect Temperatures
Your air conditioner affects both the temperature and humidity levels of your room; after all, they do share the same principles with dehumidifiers with only few differences. The ambient air’s humidity plays an important role in the efficiency of your air conditioner. If humidity levels are too high or low, achieving the desired temperature becomes more difficult for your air conditioner under normal settings.
Think of it this way; when humidity levels go above a certain threshold, they cancel out any cooling effect your air conditioner has on the environment, because most of the energy goes into removing water vapors from the air. This is part of the reason why air conditioning services in Richardson, TX give particular importance to humidity levels.
The Higher its Cooling Capacity, the Cooler the Room
Brawns over brains never applies in real life, the same is also true for air conditioners. If your air conditioner’s cooling capacity is beyond what is needed, the unit will struggle to remove moisture effectively. Humidity levels will remain higher because more powerful air conditioners don’t operate as much as smaller ones do, taking away their opportunity to remove moisture from the air.
Air conditioning services in Richardson, TX recommend getting a unit that has a rating of 20 BTU energy for every square foot in your room.
Air Conditioners Are Bad for the Environment
Our use of air conditioners has a direct impact on how the environment gets impacted. While it is true that air conditioners release millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we can always minimize this by making sure they undergo regular maintenance by professional air conditioning services in Richardson, TX. Any tool designed to make our lives easier is only as good as the person using it, and air conditioners are no exception to this rule.
Routine Maintenance Is Expensive
Maintenance work does require you to shell out a little bit of money to ensure that the system is running smoothly. But their specific purpose is to catch any inconvenient issues before they turn into a bigger problem later on. Once this happens, homeowners would be forced to spend a lot of money in the way of repairs. Maintenance costs in comparison are only a small fraction of this cost.
Regular maintenance by expert air conditioning services in Richardson, TX helps restore the units back to their peak operational capacity. This is further backed up by researchers who found that regular air conditioner loses about 5 percent of its efficiency every year without maintenance. This not only shows as reduced electricity bills but also a decreased cooling capacity.
The Thermostat’s Location is Not Important
The thermostat’s location has a direct bearing on where your AC is located. This is because they measure the ambient air’s temperature and control signals sent to the compressor. It is reasonable to assume that if the air conditioner is placed in front of a heater, it will be forced to decrease the temperature. If the thermostat is placed in a cooler room than the AC unit itself, it will assume that the set temperatures have been met and shut the unit prematurely.
It is important to get in touch with professionals air conditioning services in Richardson, TX who have years of experience dealing with HVAC problems. At One Hour Heating and Air, we make sure that your air conditioner operates like it should. Give us a call or visit our website today for your fre