3 Myths About Air Conditioning: How NOT to Operate Your A/C

When it comes to running a home’s air conditioner, it seems like everyone has a different set of operating standards to ensure efficient and comfortable cooling of their home. Unfortunately, a lot of the cooling principles that people use are simply incorrect.

The cooling experts at Alpharetta’s Gagne Heating and Air debunk three of the most common A/C operating myths:

  1. I Need to Keep My A/C at the Same Temperature All the Time

    Some people think that they should keep their thermostat set at the same temperature, regardless of if they are home or not, or if it’s day or night, as a way to maximize efficiency and lower the work load on the A/C unit. This is simply untrue.

    At certain points in the day, you’ll save money and energy if you just cut back on your A/C setting or turn it off. Continue reading for exactly when you should cut back on your A/C use.

  2. I Should Cut Back on My A/C Use Every Time I Leave the House

    Contrary to people who think that they need to leave their air on the same setting all the time, other people think that they should cut back on their air setting whenever they leave the house. The idea is simple: if you’re not in the house, you should increase the temperature setting on your thermostat to save energy and money.

    Well, that’s true… sometimes. According to the Energy Star, you should cut back on your air setting if you’re going to be gone from your home for eight hours or more. When you do change the setting, it should be by no more than ten degrees. That lowers the amount of work your A/C will do to get the house back to temperature.

    If you’re not gone for eight hours a day but still want to save energy, a good time to cut back on your air use is when you’re sleeping. Try raising your thermostat by 5 degrees at night and see if you notice a difference.

  3. Turning the A/C Setting to a Low Temp Will Help Cool the House Off Faster

    Let’s say that you did cut back on the air setting while you were gone and now you’ve come home to an 80+ degree house. You may think that by setting your A/C to a very low temperature, say 65 degrees, will cool your home off faster. That’s unfortunately not the case.

    Your home will cool down regardless of if you set the thermostat to 65 degrees or the actual 74 degrees that you desire. In fact, setting your A/C to a lower temperature than you want just makes it work longer and harder, especially if you forget to change the setting… and you might freeze in the process!

When it comes to exactly how to manage air conditioning, there are a lot of common myths that can cost you energy and money.  At metro-Atlanta’s Gagne’s Heating and Air, our cooling experts are here to help you learn tips and tricks for heating and cooling your home, such as how a programmable thermostats can make efficiently cooling your home easier. Continue reading on our blog or visit our Knowledge Center to learn more.