If you live in Georgia, you probably have a few opinions about air conditioning.
Maybe you’ve heard that setting your thermostat way down will cool your house faster. Or that your AC should never run for very long. Maybe someone told you that closing vents in unused rooms will save you money.
Some of these ideas sound reasonable. Some have been passed around for so long that they feel like facts.
But when it comes to your HVAC system, what sounds right and what actually works can be two very different things.
Here are some of the most common AC myths we hear in the South and what you really need to know to keep your home comfortable through a Georgia summer.
Myth #1: Setting the thermostat much lower will cool the house faster
Wrong.
If your house is 82 degrees and you set the thermostat to 68, your AC isn’t going to work twice as hard to get there.
Your air conditioner will cool your home at roughly the same rate whether you set the thermostat to 78 or 68. The difference is that your system may run longer to reach that lower temperature.
In other words, if you want your home to be 75 degrees, setting the thermostat to 65 won’t get you there faster. It can simply make your system run longer than necessary.
A better approach is to choose a comfortable temperature and give your AC time to do its job.
Myth #2: Your AC should blow cold air constantly
Not necessarily.
It can be easy to assume that something is wrong when your AC isn’t blowing ice-cold air every second it’s running.
But your air conditioner isn’t supposed to produce freezing air continuously. Its job is to remove heat and humidity from your home and maintain the temperature you’ve selected.
In fact, how your system is operating matters more than whether the air coming from your vents feels extremely cold.
If your home is comfortable, your AC is reaching the thermostat setting, and the system isn’t showing other warning signs, everything may be working exactly as it should.
If the system runs constantly and your house still isn’t getting comfortable, however, that’s another story.
Myth #3: The colder you keep your house, the better
This one is definitely a matter of opinion.
We understand. Georgia summers can be brutal, and sometimes 72 degrees feels like the only acceptable answer.
But keeping your thermostat extremely low can increase how long your system runs and how much energy it uses.
Your AC also has to deal with something that people in drier parts of the country don’t have to think about as much: humidity.
Georgia summers are hot and humid, and humidity can have a major impact on how comfortable your home feels. Your air conditioner helps remove moisture from the air while it cools your home, which is one reason proper AC operation is so important here in North Georgia.
Instead of chasing an indoor temperature that feels like a refrigerator, find a setting that keeps your family comfortable without making your HVAC system work harder than it needs to.
Myth #4: Closing vents in unused rooms saves money
Usually, no.
It might seem logical. If nobody is using the guest bedroom, why cool it?
The problem is that your HVAC system was designed to distribute a certain amount of air throughout your home. Closing several vents can disrupt that airflow and increase pressure in your ductwork.
Instead of simply saving energy, you could end up creating airflow problems that make your system work less efficiently.
If you have rooms that are consistently too hot or too cold, don’t just start closing vents. There may be a bigger issue involving your ductwork, insulation, airflow or HVAC system.
Myth #5: Bigger AC units are always better
Absolutely not.
This is one of the biggest HVAC myths out there.
It makes sense on the surface. If a small AC cools your house, a bigger one should cool it even better, right?
Not exactly.
An air conditioner that’s too large for your home may cool the air quickly without running long enough to properly remove humidity. That’s especially important in Georgia, where humidity can make a comfortable temperature feel much warmer.
The right HVAC system should be properly sized for your home, taking factors such as square footage, insulation, windows and other characteristics into consideration.
At Zone, we don’t believe that one-size-fits-all HVAC solutions make sense. The right system depends on the home.
Myth #6: You don’t need AC maintenance if everything is working
We wish this one were true.
If your AC is keeping your house cool, it can be tempting to leave it alone and hope it keeps going.
But preventative maintenance can help catch small problems before they turn into major repairs. It can also help your system operate efficiently and potentially extend its useful life.
Think about it like your car. You wouldn’t wait until the engine completely fails before changing the oil.
Your HVAC system deserves the same kind of attention, especially when it’s working hard through a Georgia summer.
Regular maintenance can help identify issues with components, airflow and overall system operation before you’re dealing with an uncomfortable house on the hottest day of the year.
Myth #7: If the AC is running, it’s working properly
Not always.
An air conditioner can technically be running while still having a problem.
Maybe the airflow is weak. Maybe certain rooms aren’t getting cool. Maybe the system is running for hours without reaching the thermostat setting. Maybe you’re noticing unusual sounds, higher energy bills or excess moisture.
Those can all be signs that something isn’t quite right.
Your AC doesn’t have to completely stop working before you call an HVAC professional.
In fact, catching a problem early can sometimes mean a much simpler repair than waiting until the system breaks down completely.
Myth #8: Air filters don’t really matter
They absolutely do.
Your HVAC filter might be one of the easiest parts of your system to forget about.
It’s also one of the most important.
A dirty or clogged filter can restrict airflow, forcing your system to work harder to move air throughout your home. Over time, that can affect comfort and system performance.
How often you need to replace your filter depends on the type of filter, your home and your household. Pets, construction, allergies and other factors can all affect how quickly a filter gets dirty.
If you can’t remember the last time you checked yours, that’s probably a good sign that it’s time to take a look.
Myth #9: Turning the AC off when you leave will always save money
Not necessarily.
This one depends on how long you’ll be gone and the conditions outside.
If you’re heading out for a few hours, completely shutting off your AC can allow your home to heat up significantly. When you return, your system will have to work to bring the temperature and humidity back down.
That doesn’t mean you need to leave your thermostat at your normal comfort setting all day while nobody is home.
A moderate temperature adjustment can make more sense than turning the system completely off, particularly during the hottest parts of a Georgia summer.
A programmable or smart thermostat can make managing those temperature changes much easier.
Myth #10: If your AC is old but still running, there’s no reason to replace it
This one is a little more complicated.
An older AC system doesn’t automatically need to be replaced just because of its age.
If it’s reliable, reasonably efficient and meeting your home’s cooling needs, keeping it may make perfect sense.
But if you’re constantly paying for repairs, your energy bills are climbing, certain rooms never seem comfortable, or your system struggles to keep up with Georgia’s summer heat, replacement may be worth considering.
A new system isn’t automatically the answer, either. That’s why it’s important to have a professional evaluate your current system and your home before making a decision.
The biggest AC myth of all? That every home is the same.
Your neighbor’s thermostat setting might work perfectly for their house and feel terrible in yours.
Your brother-in-law might swear by turning his AC off during the day. Your coworker might insist that 68 degrees is the only way to survive July. Your neighbor might tell you that closing half the vents saves a fortune.
The truth is that your home’s size, insulation, ductwork, windows, HVAC equipment and even humidity levels all play a role in how comfortable and efficient your system can be.
That’s why HVAC advice shouldn’t always be one-size-fits-all.
At Zone Heating & Air, we’ve been helping homeowners throughout North Georgia and Metro Atlanta stay comfortable for more than 25 years. Our NATE-certified technicians can help with everything from routine maintenance and repairs to AC installation and replacement.
So the next time someone tells you an AC “fact” that sounds a little questionable, don’t automatically believe it.
After all, we’ve been doing this long enough to know that Southern HVAC advice comes with plenty of myths.
And Georgia summers are hard enough without making your air conditioner work harder than it needs to.