Myth 1: Hire your AC technician from Craigslist.
The internet has provided us with a variety of places to go to get an AC service technician, but be careful because not all are comparable. While the Better Business Bureau gives you information on whether a company is accredited determined by their organization’s history and practices, other websites are available to anyone who requests to post an ad. For instance, Craigslist will allow anyone to post an ad promoting their services, not requiring them to verify whether or not they’re truly qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the proper training and knowledge.
If you decide on a contractor or individual without being able to identify their qualifications and skill set, it may end up costing you more ultimately. If the serviceman or woman doesn’t have the qualifications to properly repair your actual AC equipment, you could end up needing a different, more experienced company to repair their mistakes and end up paying multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Choosing a small business is better.
Contracting with small businesses can be great for some odd jobs – it’s wonderful for the local business, wonderful for the economy, and probably even great for your pocket book. But proceed with caution: small companies or one-person operations could leave you in a lurch. If something bad happens, they may simply disappear and not be there to repair it, or they could not have the workforce to get you taken care of quickly, which is a problem if your AC malfunctions in the extreme temperatures of summer.
Spending a little bit more for a larger, more established and reliable company can come with advantages that help provide you with more confidence, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, excellent workmanship, a large certified work force that gives you service 24/7/365, and the peace of mind that they’ll be there 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 families are observing the price of refilling their air conditioner’s refrigerant rising. It may seem like a simple fix to just use a different and less expensive refrigerant, but if an AC service technician advises you to do that, you likely want to call for a second opinion.
Manufacturers detail the exact refrigerant the system is produced for, and prior to 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 replacing R-22 with a different refrigerant may not only cause harm to your air conditioner, it could nullify your warranty. A nullified warranty could cost you hundreds or thousands more in future parts due to possible damage.
Myth 4: You don’t need annual air conditioning maintenance.
Most people who are not currently having trouble with their air conditioner may believe they don’t really need routine maintenance. It’s operating fine, so why waste the money on a tune-up, right? Except for the fact that a yearly AC tune- up runs you around $79 while the cost of a repair averages around $500. Also, most manufacturers demand yearly maintenance to continue your warranty, so disregarding your annual tune-up could cause you to lose your warranty, which means a huge payout if your air conditioner decides to breakdown on the hottest day of the year.
Myth 5: Researching the company isn’t valuable.
It’s crucial to check that you do your homework before choosing an air conditioner service company, especially if you feel a specific company is pressuring you. As we said in Myth #1, some domains don’t need a contractor to be qualified to advertise their services. You absolutely need to know who you’re working with so you don’t have to worry about paying for the same service twice.
Online reviews, referrals from family, and an a high accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all assure you of the type of business you will be trusting your business to and help you decide if they are best for you. Yelp, Angie’s List, and Google+ are all great places to start your search. And, don’t be afraid to ask for prior customer referrals. You may have to invest your money with your air conditioner contractor, so invest a little time and research to confirm they are the right company for your home.
Myth 6: It costs more to turn your thermostat higher while you’re out of your home.
Long-term, it will actually cost you more to leave the thermostat at a cooler temperature over the course of the day than to raise it 10 degrees while you are gone. It typically will not take an excessive amount of extra energy to get your home comfortable once you arrive, depending on your home.
A programmable thermostat permits the temperature to be adjusted from a phone or tablet so you can simply adjust the temperature cooler before arriving home, so your home is nice and comfy when you enter. This reduces your energy during the day, as well as decreasing your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Continuously running ceiling fans will help keep your home cool.
Fans help keep people cool, they don’t really lower the temperature of the home solo. In fact, fans (like refrigerators) actually increase the temperature in your home. The motor that is making your fan run creates heat, which can push heat into the air in your family’s home. A good ceiling fan can help level the temperature of the room and may assist in cooling air by circulating, but if nobody is under the fan to feel the cool air, all you’re doing is blowing through energy and money, especially if the AC is already on. So keep ceiling fans off when there is no one in the room and additional air circulation is unnecessary.
Myth 8: Don’t worry about where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats use the temperature near it to decide whether it needs to start up the air conditioning system to cool the home. Placing a thermostat in a bedroom will only help ensure that bedroom cools to the temperature that the thermostat is set on. Once the bedroom is cooled, the system will turn off and the remaining floor or home could be much warmer. If the thermostat is put near a warm window or an appliance, it may constantly read the temperature as being much higher than the living area actually is and constantly run your AC, increasing your utility bills.
Myth 9: Turning your thermostat down much lower will help it cool more speedily.
Decreasing your air by too much may only make your air conditioning system operate longer, it won’t get colder any faster. If your thermostat is says 77, but you really feel better at 75, then set it on 75 and it will run until it cools to that temperature. Decreasing the thermostat to 73 won’t make it get to 75 any faster, and it will make your system run longer, wasting money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s fine to change your air filter annually.
Depending on the health conditions of the residents of the home, and the style of air filter you have for your AC, your air filter could need to be swapped out as often as every 30 days. Skipping the replacement of the air filter often enough not only makes your air conditioning system to work harder and lower efficiency, it could also exacerbate respiratory conditions like common allergy symptoms.
Call Golden Seal Service Experts today to inquire about your air conditioning system or to set-up your free in-home consultation.