Top 5 HVAC Myths

‍1.     Change your air filters once a year.

FALSE. Air filters should be checked on a monthly basis. A dirty filter will cause more strain on your HVAC system as it tries to draw air through. Not only does this overwork your HVAC system, the cleanliness of your filter affects the air quality in your home. Condon Total Comfort can assess the issues in your home and design a system that attacks and removes 99% of the sources of indoor air pollution using filters, UV air purification units, duct cleaning, duct sanitizing and other remedies.

2.     Closing air vents will save money.

FALSE. A HVAC system is designed to distribute air throughout your home. When the flow is blocked, this can cause the system to be thrown out of balance causing your system to work harder and it can increase pressure in the ducts, causing leaks at the vent seams.

3.     The placement of the thermostat in your home doesn’t matter.

FALSE. The thermostat should be in a location where it will be able to read a home’s general temperature. If you want to ensure home comfort, placement of your thermostat is very important. Here are some tips:

• Never install a thermostat on an exterior wall.
• Make sure there aren't any hot pipes in the wall where you aim to place the thermostat.
• Stay out of direct sunlight. This will artificially increase the reading in winter, and make you a whole lot more uncomfortable.

4.     I don’t need routine maintenance.

FALSE. Many heating and cooling equipment manufacturers specifically require homeowners to have provided qualified regular maintenance to be eligible for full protection under their normal limited warranty. It is also good to keep in mind that almost all HVAC manufacturer warranties cover PARTS ONLY and expire in 5-10 years, whereas well-maintained equipment statistically has a 15–20-year lifespan. Regular maintenance helps protect your warranty rights and wisely protects the longevity of the investment you make in quality heating and cooling equipment. By enrolling in CTC’s Comfort Assurance Program, you will receive specially discounted annual check-ups on your heating and cooling system. Participating helps protect you against more costly repairs and potential emergency service charges in the future.

5.     Setting your thermostat to an extreme warm or cold temperature will make your system work faster.

FALSE. Your system can only provide a certain amount of heating or cooling in a given hour. This is a set factor and does not change depending on how high or low you set the thermostat. Doing this will only allow the system to run longer, not faster. A general rule to avoid system freeze ups among other things is the 3-degree max rule. Don't set your system any more than three degrees away from the current indoor temperature. Your system should be able to swing three degrees in either direction in about an hour. If you still don't like the temperature, you reset it again using the 3-degree max rule. Want to control with a touch from anywhere? Check out our Wi-Fi thermostats here.

Taking care of your HVAC system is no joke, not even on April Fool’s Day! Questions? We’d love to answer them. Give us a call at 920-748-5050.