Myth 1: Hire your AC technician on Craigslist.
The internet has gifted us with a variety of choices to go to find an A/C system service technician, but proceed with caution because not all are comparable. While the Better Business Bureau shows you information on whether a business is accredited depending on their company history and practices, other web pages are open to anyone who requests to post an ad. Case in point, 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 actual training and experience.
If you hire a company or individual without getting to identify their qualifications and capability, it may end up costing you more over time. If the tech doesn’t have the skills to properly repair your particular air conditioning system, you might end up needing a second, more experienced technician to fix their mistakes and it could end up costing you multiple Trip Charges.
Myth 2: Choosing a small business is better.
Contracting with small businesses can be wonderful for some odd jobs – it’s good for the local business, wonderful for the economy, and maybe even great for your bank account. But beware: small operations or one-person operations could leave you in a lurch. If something backfires, they may merely disappear and not be there to fix it, or they could not have the resources to get to you quickly, which is a problem if your air conditioner dies in the heat of the summer.
Budgeting a little bit more for a bigger, more established and reliable company can come with benefits that help offer you more peace of mind, including a one-year satisfaction guarantee, quality workmanship, a large certified work force that gives you service 24/7/365, and the confidence that they’ll be there if you need them again.
Myth 3: You can use any type of refrigerant in your air conditioner.
With the government discontinuing the production of R-22, many families are seeing the price of refilling their air conditioning system’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 recommends this, you probably want to find a second opinion.
Manufacturers detail the exact refrigerant the equipment is developed for, and previous to 2010, it was usually R-22. Although there is extreme reduction of the production of R-22, those AC systems are still designed for it, and using a different refrigerant may not only cause harm to your air conditioning equipment, it could nullify your warranty. A voided warranty could cost you hundreds or thousands more in future parts due to potential damage.
Myth 4: You don’t need yearly air conditioning maintenance.
Most people who aren’t having trouble with their AC may assume they don’t truly need yearly maintenance. It works just fine, so why spend the money on a tune-up, right? Except for the fact that an annual AC tune- up is priced around $79 while the cost of a repair averages around $500. Not to mention, most manufacturers instruct you to receive routine maintenance to maintain your warranty, so skipping your annual tune-up could also mean foregoing your warranty, meaning a huge payout if your AC decides to go out on the hottest day of the year.
Myth 5: Researching the company isn’t necessary.
It’s critical to make sure you do your research before deciding on an AC service company, especially if you feel a particular company is putting pressure on you. As we mentioned in Myth #1, some sites don’t require a contractor to be qualified to market their services. It’s important to know what you’re getting into so you don’t end up paying for the same service again.
Website reviews, testimonials from family, and an a good accreditation grade with the Better Business Bureau will all confirm the type of contractor you will be offering your business to and help you choose if they are ideal for you. Google+, Angie’s List, and the BBB are all great review sites to start your search. Also, don’t be scared to ask for prior customer referrals. You may have to invest your hard-earned money with your AC contractor, so invest some time and research to make sure they are the right company for you.
Myth 6: It costs more to turn your thermostat up while you’re out of your home.
Long-term, it will increase your costs to leave the thermostat at a colder temperature over the course of the day than to raise it 10 degrees while you are gone. It normally will not require an outrageous amount of more energy to cool your home once you return, depending on your home.
A programmable thermostat permits the temperature to be adjusted from a mobile device so you can actually adjust the temperature back down before returning home, so your home is nice and comfy when you enter. This decreases your energy throughout the day, as well as lowering your cooling bills.
Myth 7: Always running ceiling fans will help keep your home cool.
Fans help cool people, they don’t actually reduce the temperature of the home alone. In fact, fans (similar 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 the home. An efficient ceiling fan does help level the temperature of your room and may assist in cooling air by circulating, but if nobody is under the fan to feel the breeze, all it’s doing is squandering energy and money, especially if the air conditioner is already on. So leave ceiling fans off when no one is in the room and more air circulation is unnecessary.
Myth 8: Where the thermostat is installed doesn’t matter.
Thermostats read the temperature around it to decide whether it needs to turn on the air conditioner to cool down your home. Putting a thermostat in the bedroom will only help ensure that bedroom lowers to the temperature that the thermostat is set on. Once the bedroom is cooled, the AC will shut off and the rest of the floor or home may be quite a bit warmer. If the thermostat is installed near a well-lit window or an appliance, it could always determine the temperature is much higher than the home truly is and constantly run your AC, increasing your cooling bills.
Myth 9: Excessively lowering your thermostat will help it cool more speedily.
Lowering your air excessively may only make your AC operate longer, it won’t get to a colder temperature any faster. If your thermostat is set on 77, but you really want it to be 75, then set it to 75 and it will run until it gets to that temperature. Putting the thermostat on 73 won’t make it cool to 75 any faster, and it will make your system run longer, squandering money and energy.
Myth 10: It’s fine to swap out your air filter once every twelve months.
Depending on the health issues for the residents of the home, and the style of air filter you utilize for your air conditioning system, your air filter might need to be changed as often as every month. Failure to change the air filter often enough not only means for your air conditioning system to work harder and lower efficiency, it could also irritate respiratory illnesses like common allergy symptoms.
Call Chief/Bauer Service Experts today to inquire about your AC or to set-up your free in-home consultation.