| Myth #1 |
Buying an efficient air
conditioner or furnace will automatically reduce my utility
bill. |
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| Fact: |
To some extent, BUT maximum savings
and comfort will not be realized if the equipment is not
sized or installed correctly. |
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| Myth #2 |
You can warm up the house faster (or
cool it quicker) if you move the thermostat to the top (or
bottom) of the dial. |
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| Fact: |
Fact: Heating and cooling systems operate
at one speed only. Moving the thermostat to the extreme position
does not make the air warmer (or cooler) it only causes the
unit to operate longer to reach the thermostat setting. |
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| Myth #3 |
Air conditioners blow cold air into
a room. |
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| Fact: |
False. An area is cooled by heat being extracted from
within the area and discharged outside the area thereby leaving
the area cooler. A refrigerator is a perfect example. Heat
is extracted from within the box and discharged outside the
box (usually from the back or front) leaving the contents
cooler. |
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| Myth #4 |
Heat pumps do not have a long life cycle
because they operate 12 months of the year. |
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| Fact: |
False. Dirt, improper application & service,
and lack of preventative maintenance tops the list for heat
pump failures. |
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| Myth #5 |
You get what you pay for. |
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| Fact: |
Not necessarily. However, it's a rare
occasion when you get more than what you pay for.
Do the math! |
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| Myth #6 |
Turning down (or raising) your thermostat
at night or when you leave the residence, is counter productive
as it requires more energy to warm up (or cool down) the
house again when you return than what you saved. |
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| Fact: |
Except for heat pumps in the heating
cycle, you always save money when your equipment is not running.
With ever increasing energy costs, the very popular programmable
thermostats are designed to take advantage of just such savings. |
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| Myth #7 |
A $29.95 service call or check up is
just as effective as a higher priced one. |
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| Fact: |
See #5 above. |
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| Myth #8 |
HVAC installation & service practices
have changed very little in the past 20 years. |
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| Fact: |
Try telling that to any service technician
today who must deal with computer boards, microprocessors
and digital controls. |
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| Myth #9 |
Service Agreements are a rip-off and
a waste of money. |
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| Fact: |
True. UNLESS you
think detecting small problems before they become major problems
and keeping your HVAC system in tip-top shape is not worth
while. |
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| Myth #10 |
You should leave the pilot light of
a gas furnace burning during the summer to prevent rust in
the heat exchanger. |
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| Fact: |
False. Burning gas also produces a considerable
amount of water vapor. Newer furnaces with electric ignition
have no pilots. |
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| Myth #11 |
I don't need to be concerned with all
this talk about "Indoor Air Pollution". |
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| Fact: |
True IF you don't (1) have pets, (2)
use hair spray, (3) cook, bring in (4) lint (5) mold, (6)
fungus, (7) mildew (8) dust mites (9) tobacco smoke (10)
pollen and (11) bacteria in the dust on your shoes and your
clothes from the outside. |
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Ultra Violet lights are the newest accessory
to be used to improve indoor air quality. Similar to the
lights, barbers, dentists and doctors use to sterilize their
instruments, when used separately, or in conjunction with
an electronic air cleaner, destroys microbes from communicable
diseases such as influenza, common colds, measles, viruses
and bacteria. We'll have more about this new weapon to improve
indoor air quality in our next 2 newsletters. |
