Big Mistakes You Are Probably Making With Your HVAC System

Now let us cover the big mistakes that you have been making with your HVAC systems.

At the end of this article, you will be able to know the mistakes you have been doing and how to make sure you never repeat the same mistakes again so that your HVAC system will be able to last long.

The all-time summer heat shows under the weight of the globally rising temperatures. This is something you probably think about well when they send your monthly air conditioner system bills to you. 

You are making some mistakes with your HVAC system that could be reducing its efficiency, effectiveness, and safety while raising the bills you have to pay every month. 

According to Mark Mendell, a staff scientist with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Indoor Environment Group, when you have a poorly maintained HVAC system, it can become contaminated with several microorganisms that could be harmful to human health when inhaled. 

According to Mendell, allergies and the risk of asthma are some of those possible harmful effects. 

When your HVAC system is not taken care of properly, it might become a disease giver instead of a comfort giver. 

This article will look at some mistakes that you may have been making concerning the HVAC system that you did not know about. 

These mistakes may have caused some fault inside the HVAC system or maybe doing so without noticing it yet. 

When such things go unnoticed, your HVAC system begins to perform poorly, and you later become aware that it does not give cold air or warm your house as it should be doing. Let’s take a look at these mistakes below.

Not Cleaning The Air Conditioner System

If you have not been cleaning your air condition system, you might as well be inviting these microorganisms inside your house. 

Cleaning the air conditioner system is something that you should take very seriously. This is because when the air conditioner is not clean and has a build-up of these harmful microorganisms inside it, it can blow them around the house in the air, and you end up falling sick after inhaling them in. 

One thing you must never skip is to change the filter at regular intervals because the filter is the one that stops dust and other particles from getting into the air condition system. 

When the filter gets full, you need to change it not to become overloaded. 

Never leave your air conditioner working without a filter unless you want to give dust and microorganisms a free pass into your house.

When neglecting to change the filter, it becomes dirty from collecting all the dust and other particles, which can also lead to poor airflow and freezing up the evaporator coils. 

A filter could add 5% to 15% to your air conditioner bill when you have a filter. Not only will it add more bills to what you already have to pay, but the lifespan of your air condition system will also get reduced. 

You can prevent all these by making sure to change the filter after every three months. Filter replacements are not even expensive, and you can get some for as low as $10.

If you are using a ductless ‘split’ air condition system, there should be some removable panels on the unit that will allow you to wipe the filter with a rag to keep it clean.

These ductless air conditioners do not need filter replacements. 

Not Having The Air Conditioner System Checked Annually

You may have looked up some tutorial videos on youtube that show you how to clean your air conditioner system, and that is cool. 

However, that cannot replace the fact that you need to have your HVAC system checked annually by professionals to make sure that everything is as good as it should be. 

There are some maintenance components that you cannot possibly touch. At least you cause the HVAC system to develop new problems. 

Bringing in professionals to have a look at your air conditioner system once every year is undoubtedly the best way to make sure that the system is in good condition. 

Never try to run any diagnosis on your HVAC system yourself, which can be very risky. Always call in the professionals to handle such matters for you. 

Having regular checkups done will save you from having to pay expensively for repairs later on.

Not Having A Programmable Thermostat

Maybe you see yourself as one of those intelligent people who can remember all their schedules and do what they need to do all the time appropriately. 

Or you are one of those that use a thermostat, and you always make sure to adjust before you leave the house.

If you are one of the above, you may not need a programmable thermostat. 

However, if you are not one of the above, you surely need a programmable thermostat to help you regulate your HVAC system. 

One of the best things about having a thermostat is that it can save you from hundreds to thousands of dollars in bills and repairs by automatically raising the temperature when it is appropriate to do so. 

There are even some new thermostats that smartphones can control, making it easier to use a thermostat. 

So make sure to get yourself one of these programmable thermostats to help you keep your air condition system performing well and check for any problems. 

Setting The Thermostat Too Low

So you have gotten yourself the thermostat, but the problem here now is that you are setting it way too low. 

Research has been able to prove that the human body can adapt quickly to cold and hot temperatures. 

The timeframe given is within a week or two. When you become aware of this fact, you will cut off some bills from your air conditioner by cutting down on the number of times you raise the temperature. 

Apart from cutting down on your air conditioner bills, lowering the temperature of your AC will also be of some benefit to the environment.

You can easily sweat through the adjustment period when your body is adjusting to the temperature and set your thermostat high somewhere around the 70s or higher if you think you will be able to handle it.

Not Taking Full Advantage Of The Fans

It may be that you are not using your ceiling fans at all since you had the VHAC system installed in your house, which may not be good. 

The ceiling fans can help cool the house, which could relieve some burden of the HVAC system. It is not every time you need to put your air conditioner system on. 

Sometimes, you can fare quite well by just switching on the ceiling fan to cool the air for you. All you have to do is make sure that your ceiling fan turns clockwise when it is summer. 

Turning it clockwise helps in providing excellent airflow in your house.

Thermostat And Vents are Poorly Positioned

Suppose the sun or some nearby lamp is blasting your thermostat for most of the day. In that case, that could throw off the thermostat readings, which may cause it to increase the temperature of your air condition system even though the temperature inside the house is superb. 

This can typically happen when you are away from the house, and you will not see that your air condition system has been working overtime because of the thermostat that has been misplaced.

Also, when your AC vents get blocked by curtains or furniture, it can limit the air circulation inside the house. 

So always make sure that the vents are not being blocked by anything. One of the mistakes that most people make without knowing is this one.

Cooling An Empty Room

Cooling an empty room is another mistake, although most people may not see it as a mistake. 

When you cool an empty room, you are just wasting energy and piling bills on your AC bill. Doing this can also happen when the air conditioner vents are left open in all rooms inside your house. 

Making every room get cooled even when no one is inside them. 

Always make sure to walk around the house from time to time and close the vents in all empty rooms. 

Also, close the closet doors to ensure that they are not swallowing your AC air.

Not Having Blinds Or Curtains

The bright direct light from the sun is an enemy of your air conditioner system, although you may not know it. 

When you close the blinds and curtains to block out the sun, you shield your space from its heat and away from your air conditioner system.

Conclusion

You are now aware of some minor mistakes that you may have committed on your air conditioner without knowing. 

Do not worry. You are already forgiven. But now that you are aware of these mistakes, you should take steps to make sure that they do not repeat. 

Keeping a close eye on these things will help you to save thousands of dollars and prolong the lifespan of your air conditioning system.

Always make sure to change the filter inside your air conditioner system and have the professionals check up on it every year. 

Frequently Asked Questions About HVAC System