Debunking The Myths About How Your AC Works

People are always looking for new and more innovative ways of using energy efficiently for saving money on utilities. Certain ideas have now come forward about how people believe they should make use of their air conditioners against how the system actually works. These are the major AC myths that most Bay Area homeowners fall for.

Myth #1: Humidity will decrease in a low set-point temperature as in Dry Mode

Energy consumed by an air conditioner is based on the relative humidity and temperature outdoors. You can feel hotter because of excessive sweating in moisture-heavy environments. It can be more beneficial to use your AC in Dry Mode. This is a weaker AC function of the Cool Mode. This is an energy-efficient way of extracting humidity from the room.

The fan in the air conditioner will begin operating at a slower speed making the evaporator coil cooler. The evaporator coil is responsible for condensing water vapor as dry air is blown by the AC. This mode will reduce moisture and use less energy as compared to Cool and Full Power modes.

Myth #2: You can cool the room quicker and more efficiently by setting the thermostat to a lower temperature

Conventional units, besides a few inverter ACs, can only turn the compressor on and off. The air conditioner will not work faster whether you set the temperature to 23°C or 19°C. However, if you set the temperature lower, the air conditioner will have to work for longer to bring the room to that temperature.

You can save maximum energy by keeping the temperature difference between outdoor and indoor areas at a minimum.

Myth #3: You can save more energy by keeping the air conditioner on rather than turning it off multiple times a day

A lot of homeowners erroneously believe that they can save energy by leaving their air conditioner on during the day, even when nobody is at home. In reality, it is more energy efficient to switch off the air conditioner when it is not needed. This will also cause the AC to run more efficiently when working at full speed to cool the room for shorter periods rather than maintaining a single constant temperature.

Myth #4: Your comfort is all about a low temperature

Thermal comfort is affected by 6 factors as per ASHRAE. An average air conditioner only accounts for temperature. The amount of clothing you wear, radiant sunlight, and humidity are all vital elements in your comfort level. You may end up feeling too hot, cold, or uneasy since your unit only takes the temperature into account.

Having a Smart remote controller could be a huge step in bridging the comfort gap. It would have online data and multiple sensors for correctly analyzing and improving your surroundings.

‍Myth #5: Air conditioners create or generate fresh air

Air conditioners don’t generate, let in or create fresh air. They essentially refrigerate the indoor air in a room. Refrigerant is forced to evaporate and condense into gas within the coil system. This continuous cycle of converting the refrigerant from liquid to gas and back again, cools the air. Heat is pushed outdoors through the fan in the condenser unit. Hence, while it may feel that the air conditioner is creating cool air, it is merely refrigerating it.