Three Air Conditioning Myths — And Why You Don't Have To Worry
If you still don't have central air conditioning in your home, it may be because you've heard some negative or worrying information about central AC systems. There are rare exceptions to the rule, but in the vast majority of cases, central air conditioning really is a comfortable and effective way to keep your home cool. Much of that worrying information you've heard is probably just myth. In fact, here are three air conditioning myths that simply are not true.
Myth: Air conditioners are bad for the environment.
This may have been true a few decades ago. The refrigerant used in older air conditioners, known as R-22 or Freon, was found to deplete the ozone. The good news is, however, that this refrigerant is in the last stages of being phased out. New air conditioners use a much more eco-friendly coolant called Puron. Puron does not deplete the ozone layer. Plus, new air conditioners are more efficient than ever, so they use fewer valuable energy resources.
Myth: You can't have central air conditioning if you don't have forced air heat.
Central air conditioning systems usually use the same ducts that the forced air heating system uses. It's easiest for your HVAC contractor to install AC is you already have forced air heating. But this does not mean you cannot have AC if you have boiler or electric heating.
There are several non-conventional types of air conditioning systems made specifically for homes without ducts. Unico systems, for example, are AC systems that push air through thin, plastic tubes rather than big ducts. These tubes are easy for your contractor to run behind walls without doing any damage to the walls. Minisplit AC systems consist of wall-mounted units which push air directly into the room. Since you can place several wall-mounted units throughout the home, you can independently control the temperature of various rooms or regions in your home when you have a minsplit system.
Myth: Air conditioners are expensive to maintain.
You may have seen a neighbors' bill for recharging their AC with refrigerant and assumed this is essential, normal maintenance. That's usually how this myth gets spread. However, it's rare for AC units to leak refrigerant, so this expensive maintenance is probably not maintenance you will have to do. Routine AC maintenance just involves changing the filter, rinsing the condenser when it gets dirty, and changing the batteries in your thermostat. Your AC technician can come out once a year to do this maintenance — usually for a fee of around $100. That's worth having a cool home, isn't it?
For more information, contact a company like Polk Air Conditioning.