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Have you heard? Just last year, many were calling 2015 one of the most productive years in energy efficiency. This year, everyone’s talking about the great improvement they’re seeing – what steps have you taken to become more energy efficient? We’ve done some research and are uncovering 5 of the most common energy efficiency myths. Advise your clients of these so they can get the most out of their HVAC systems when you’re on the job.
Myth #1: There is no reliable standard for measuring or verifying energy savings that result from efficiency measures.
According to American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), more than half of all U.S. states have efficiency targets and are actively measuring their progress towards achieving goals.
Click here to see America’s Most Energy Efficient States 2015!
Myth #2: The efficiency of a condenser unit is affected by the condition of its coils.
Once refrigerant has turned into gas and collected heat from inside the home, it travels to the condenser coils where heat is transferred into the air blown over the coils. As this happens, Goodway Technologies says that dirty condenser coils can cause you to lose up to 35% of efficiency.
Myth #3: There is no use in adjusting the temperature of your HVAC systems when leaving the house.
Altering temperatures can help your system work less and still keep the temperature comfortable. ImproveNet suggests turning down the system’s temperature in the winter and turning it up in the summer to help lower your energy bill. Another solution would be to look into having a programmable thermostat installed. One of the hottest on the market is the Nest programmable thermostat.
Myth #4: Electric space heaters are better and save more money.
Heating a home with an electric space heater is a hazard and can actually increase your energy bill, instead. As At Parker Services Co. points out, these machines run on electricity and not natural gas, which is 4-10 times cheaper than electricity.
Myth #5: Closing heat registers is more efficient and saves money.
The Family Handyman encourages you to first think about what effects this can have on your system. Most good HVAC install have been properly measured to have vents open at all times. If out of balance due to closed vents, the suction from the return air duct can potentially pull in cold air from the outside through small cracks, like vents and doors. Assuming the heat duct seams have not been sealed properly, the extra pressure could begin forcing as much as 15 percent of heated air into basements, crawl space and floor cavities.
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