The dangerous thing about heating and cooling is, everybody thinks they’re an expert! We all have that one friend or family member who thinks they know better than an HVAC technician, and that’s how dangerous HVAC rumors spread…
The first HVAC myth is that you “don’t really need A/C.”
Yep, your rugged mountaineer friend is at it again, telling you about how central A/C is just an unnecessary luxury. We’re all spoiled!
You may think you can get by with broken A/C, and just cool with fans, if repairing it or getting a new system is too expensive. But the truth is, A/C is good for more than just cooling you down. A/C improves the air in your home by filtering out chemicals and even mold. So if you’re currently living A/C-free, that might have something to do with why you’re sneezing so much! It goes a long way towards removing allergens…Unless you don’t change your filter every few months! Then, your dirty pollutant filter will probably make everything worse!
Your air filter is also important for keeping out insects. Some of these summer Florida bugs are more dangerous than you think! Ticks, for example. This is especially true if your alternative to air conditioning is leaving open a window on breezy days.
The idea that this is good enough — that a broken A/C is nothing more than an inconvenience — is a straight-up myth!
A similar HVAC myth is that keeping your house temperature regulated is just for you and your comfort. Nope, it’s also necessary to keep your furniture looking good and your electronics functional!
Remember that fluctuating humidity damages surfaces like wood and leather. This is because they absorb the moisture from humid air.
For electronics, broken cooling or heating systems are a death sentence, whether that’s from humidity, dust particles, overheating, or, far less likely here in Florida, freezing.
So even if you don’t care about yourself getting hot, sweaty, and sick…you probably care about ruined furniture and electronics!
Similarly, one HVAC legend that’s completely wrong headed is that you don’t need to have maintenance done. Some people think that being on an HVAC maintenance plan is a “scam.” But would you ever think that about getting your car checked, your tires rotated, or your oil changed?In reality, even if your system seems to be working perfectly, you need routine checks to nip small problems in the bud, before they become big ones!
That leads us to our final HVAC legend/myth:
“Every HVAC technician is equally skilled! It doesn’t matter who you get.”
In reality, not every single HVAC company is reputable, and not all technicians are NATE (North American Technician Excellence) certified, like ours are! In order to become NATE certified, technicians have to pass a special exam created by recognized HVAC experts.
Otherwise, technician errors may range from installing the duct system over too small of an area, to more dangerous errors…
For example, responding to a carbon monoxide alarm going off by checking for only one issue: visible cracks. If there are no cracks, then they assume nothing was wrong after all. They just replace your batteries in your detector and go on their merry way! By not checking for the multiple other combustion appliance issues that could be causing carbon monoxide poisoning, a bad tech may send you straight to the hospital!
It’s dangerous when HVAC myths, legends, and misinformation spread by way of so-called “experts.” We at Rainaldi Home Services, on the other hand, have been in business since 1974 and served several thousands of Orlando and Central Florida families. Call us at (407) 413-9795 or schedule an appointment online today!