Air Conditioning Myths
The green environmental cloak has enveloped many aspects of our daily lives and has caused shifts in our thinking and habits in many areas – saving energy and money all the while. With summer upon us, along with the inevitable heat waves and high humidity, a demand for air conditioning increases and even those most connected with their environment are tempted to turn it on.
Many Canadians have already embraced a new way of thinking and are using their air conditioners less often, keeping the thermostat at a higher temperature, and using ceiling fans to help provide relief. But there are still a few myths that prevail;
1. Turning the air conditioner thermostat down as low as it will go will cool a hot room faster. Not true. A standard central air conditioner only operates at one speed – and cools the room at one speed – regardless of the temperature setting. There is no ‘high’ setting. It is either on or off. So set it for the desired temperature and leave it.
2. Ceiling fans cool the air. Not true. Using ceiling fans in conjunction with air conditioners – or in place of – does not actually lower the temperature of a room. Ceiling fans are effective because they make you ‘feel’ cooler by blowing air over your skin and by spreading the temperature throughout the room more evenly. For this reason, use them only when someone is in the room to feel it, so you aren’t wasting energy – and money.
3. It is more efficient to leave the air conditioner set to your desired temperature all day – even when no one is home. This is only true for short periods of time, like an hour or less. Otherwise, it is far more efficient to turn your AC off or set the thermostat to a higher temperature while you are away, and return it the desired temperature a half hour or so before you get home.
4. The location of your AC unit does not matter. Not true. A condenser located in direct sunlight will use more energy than one in shade. But air flow is an even more important factor. Be sure your AC unit is clear of obstructions that can cause it to work harder than it should.
5. Duct leaks don’t affect air conditioning. Not true. In fact, properly sealed air ducts are more important to air conditioning than to heating. Leaks in ducts and joints can often be found in exposed ceilings in basements. When it is heated air moving through those ducts, the leaked warmth will rise up and actually be of some use in heating the home. But if cool air is flowing through those ducts, when it leaks out, the cooler air will naturally fall – to the basement floor, where it is wasted.