Learn the various misconceptions people have about saving energy in the home, so you can avoid making the same mistakes. Following are some of the most common energy myths:
You consume more energy turning lights on and off than just leaving them on.Wrong. There's no discernible pull on energy when you turn a light off and on. Just leave the light off in an unoccupied room, turning it on when you return, and you'll save more energy than if you leave it on the whole time.
When you exit a room with a ceiling fan, leave it on to keep cool air circulating.Wrong again. The cooling effect of a ceiling fan is instantaneous, and is just as effective the second you turn on the fan as if you had left it on the whole time you were gone. Just as with lights, turn off the fan when the room is empty.
Leaving a computer in "sleepandquot; mode saves more energy than it you turn it off and on again.Incorrect. As with lights, keeping the computer running, even in "sleep," will use more energy than if it's turned off.
You'll save more on heating or cooling costs if you leave the thermostat at a consistent temperature than if you set it back when you leave the house for the day.Wrong. Turning the temperature down a few degrees in the winter, or up a few degrees in the summer, will reduce the workload on your HVAC system, which will save energy and money.
Buy the biggest heating or cooling system available in order to maximize heating or cooling in your home.Nope. Over-sizing a furnace or A/C carries just as many negative effects as under-sizing the system. An HVAC system that's too big will short-cycle when it quickly heats or cools the home to the thermostat setting. The frequent off-and-on cycling wastes energy, stresses system components, and provides uneven heating and cooling.
Visit our website at Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical for in-depth information on energy myths and other HVAC topics, or just call us at (408) 868-5500.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas of California about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).