Myth 1: Get your air conditioner technician from Craigslist.
The World Wide Web has provided us with a variety of choices to go to look for an A/C system service technician, but be careful because not all are comparable. While the Better Business Bureau provides you with information on whether a company is accredited based on their company history and practices, other websites are open to anyone wanting to post an ad. For instance, Craigslist will allow anyone to post an ad for their services, regardless of whether or not they’re really qualified, licensed and bonded, or have the proper training and experience.
If you hire a contractor or individual without having the ability to identify their qualifications and skill set, it could end up costing you more ultimately. If the tech doesn’t have the knowledge to properly fix your particular air conditioning system, you could end up needing another, more experienced company to fix their mistakes and it could cost you multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Hiring a small business is better.
Contracting with small businesses can be wonderful for some minor home services – it’s wonderful for the local business, great for the economy, and probably even wonderful for your bank account. But use caution: small operations or one-person businesses could leave you in a lurch. If something bad happens, they may merely disappear and not be there to rectify the situation, or they might not have the resources to get you taken care of quickly, which is not what you want if your air conditioning system malfunctions in the dog days of summer.
Spending a little bit more for a larger, more established and reliable company can come with advantages that help offer you more assurance, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, quality workmanship, a large certified team of technicians who give you service 24/7/365, and the assurance that they’ll be available if you ever require their services.
Myth 3: It’s okay to use any type of refrigerant in your air conditioner.
With the government discontinuing the manufacturing of R-22, many families are observing the cost of refilling their air conditioning system’s refrigerant increasing. It may seem like a simple fix to just substitute a different and lower cost refrigerant, but if an AC service technician advises you to do that, you likely want to call for a second opinion.
Manufacturers specify the exact refrigerant the air conditioner is developed for, and before 2010, it was normally R-22. Regardless of the extreme decrease of the production of R-22, those air conditioners are still designed for it, and using a different refrigerant may not only cause destruction to your air conditioning equipment, it could void your warranty. An invalidated warranty may cost you way more in future parts due to likely damage.
Myth 4: You don’t need yearly air conditioning maintenance.
Most people who are not currently having trouble with their air conditioner may think they don’t really need annual maintenance. It’s operating fine, so why spend the money on a tune-up, right? Well there’s the fact that a yearly AC tune- up costs around $79 while repairs will run you around $500. Also, most manufacturers demand yearly maintenance to maintain your warranty, so disregarding your yearly tune-up could cost you your warranty, meaning a big payout if your air conditioning system decides to breakdown on the hottest day of the year.
Myth 5: Learning about the contractor isn’t important.
It’s critical to check that you do your research before deciding on an AC service contractor, especially if you feel a particular company is pushing you. As we mentioned in Myth #1, some sites don’t demand a person to be qualified to advertise their services. You absolutely need to know their qualifications and history so you don’t have to pay for the same service multiple times.
Social media reviews, references from family, and an a high accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all assure you of the type of contractor you will be giving your business to and help you choose if they are right for you. Yelp, Angie’s List, and Google+ are all great review sites to start your search. Remember, don’t be shy to ask for prior customer testimonials. You may have to invest your hard-earned money with your air conditioning company, so invest the time and research to ensure they are the ideal company for your AC.
Myth 6: It will cost more to turn your thermostat to a higher temperature while you’re out of your home.
Over time, it will increase your costs to leave the thermostat at a cooler temperature all through the day than to bump it up 10 degrees while you are gone. It normally will not require an exorbitant amount of more energy to get your home cooled down once you enter, depending on variables of the home.
A programmable thermostat allows for the temperature to be adjusted from a tablet or phone so you can simply adjust the temperature lower before coming home, so your home is cool and comfy when you arrive. This reduces your energy over the course of the day, as well as decreasing your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Constantly running ceiling fans will help cool your home.
Fans help cool people, they don’t truly lower the temperature of the home by themselves. In fact, fans (comparable to refrigerators) actually heat up homes. The motor that is forcing your fan to run creates heat, which can put heat in the air in your family’s home. An efficient ceiling fan can help level the temperature of your room and may assist in cooling air by circulating, but if there isn’t anyone under the fan to feel cool, all you’re doing is squandering energy and money, especially if the air conditioner is already working. So keep ceiling fans off when there is nobody in the room and more air circulation is not needed.
Myth 8: Don’t worry about where the thermostat is installed.
Thermostats read the temperature surrounding it to choose whether it needs to activate the AC to cool down your home. Putting a thermostat in your bedroom will only make sure that bedroom reaches the temperature that the thermostat is adjusted to. Once your bedroom is cooled, the system will go off and the remaining floor or home might be a lot warmer. If the thermostat is placed near a sunny window or an appliance, it could continuously read the temperature as being much higher than the rest of the home actually is and continuously run your system, increasing your cooling bills.
Myth 9: Turning your thermostat down much lower will help it cool more quickly.
Turning your air down lower may only make your AC operate longer, it won’t get to a colder temperature any faster. If your thermostat is says 77, but you really would be more comfortable at 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 lower to 75 any faster, and it will make your system run longer, squandering money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s fine to replace your air filter once every twelve months.
Depending on the health issues for the people living in the home, and the style of air filter you have for your air conditioner, your air filter may need to be replaced as often as every 30 days. Failure to change the air filter often enough not only causes your air conditioning system to work harder and decrease efficiency, it could also irritate respiratory illnesses like common allergy symptoms.
Call Gordon's Service Experts today for more information about your air conditioning system or to set-up your free in-home consultation.