A lot of heating and cooling advice gets passed around that sounds right and isn't. Here are eight we hear often.
1. "Closing vents in unused rooms saves energy."
A central system is designed to move a set amount of air. Closing vents doesn't make it move less; it raises the pressure in the ducts, pushes air out of leaks, and can make the system work harder or freeze its coil. Keep vents open. If rooms really need different temperatures, that's what zoning is for.
2. "A bigger system is better."
An oversized system heats or cools quickly and shuts off, over and over. It wears out sooner, leaves rooms uneven and does a poor job removing humidity. The right size comes from a load calculation. See what size system you need.
3. "Filters don't matter much."
A clogged filter is behind a surprising share of repair calls: frozen coils, overheating, poor airflow. And a filter that's too restrictive for your system causes some of the same problems. See which filter, how often.
4. "Turning the thermostat way up heats the house faster."
Most systems deliver heat at one speed whatever the setting. Setting it to 85 just means it overshoots. See thermostat settings that save energy.
5. "Heat pumps don't work in winter."
Modern heat pumps heat well far below anything Santa Barbara sees. Frost and a little steam on cold mornings are part of normal operation. See heat pump frost and defrost.
6. "If it's running, it doesn't need maintenance."
A system can run while losing efficiency, with a weak part waiting to fail on the hottest or coldest day. A yearly tune-up is how you find out before that happens. See what happens at a maintenance visit.
7. "Turning it off when you leave always saves money."
For short absences, a modest setback usually beats off. On a very hot day, an off system has to pull a hot house all the way down, and a heat pump heats most efficiently holding a steady temperature rather than recovering from a big setback.
8. "All brands are the same, so buy the cheapest."
Equipment does differ, but the installation matters as much as the brand: the size, the refrigerant charge, the ductwork and the airflow. A well-installed system from a good manufacturer, serviced regularly, is what lasts. See how to choose an HVAC contractor.
Questions about your own system? Call 805-965-6326 or send us a message.