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The Rumor Mill Of Air Conditioning

By: Brian Schutt  |  August 13, 2020

The HVAC industry seems to be a mystery to most people. The metal boxes that cool and heat our homes are an expensive mystery few homeowners care to explore. At Homesense, we want to be your Hardy Boys, your Scooby-Doo, your Nancy Drew — and do all the exploring so you don’t have to. 

Check out 4 misconceptions when it comes to the Air Conditioning in your home.

ONE: Check your air conditioning every 3-5 years to make sure its good

Or the related misconception: “An air conditioner doesn’t need maintenance every year.” The truth is that an air conditioner needs to have regular service to inspect and tune it up annually. (Spring is the best time for it, but any time during the year is better than not doing it at all.) If a homeowner skips routine maintenance simply because the AC appears to be working just fine, they’ll soon have an air conditioner that doesn’t work fine—or possibly not at all! 

That is why we created the Homesense Preventative Maintenance Program. It provides that peace of mind that your entire heating and air conditioning system will be running smoothly to give you these feelings of comfort every day of the year. To get started, please select which home setup fits you.

TWO: The lower the thermostat setting, the faster the AC cools down a house

When you come home to a hot and stuffy house, you’ll be tempted to turn the AC on and push it down to its lowest setting so you’ll have a cooler home much faster. But sadly the AC doesn’t work this way! 

The thermostat setting is a target for the air conditioner, and it will run as long as necessary to reach it, wasting power to make a home too cold—and possibly damaging the AC’s indoor coils. 

If you have rooms in your house that have trouble getting cool, we suggest looking into a ductless mini-split. Homesense has been installing ductless mini splits since they first hit the U.S. market. The solution is great for room additions, finished attics, hot master bedrooms. And even worth considering for a whole house new construction.

THREE: An AC needs its refrigerant to be occasionally “topped off”

An air conditioner doesn’t consume refrigerant as it runs. It circulates the same amount, known as the refrigerant charge, throughout its service life. Under normal circumstances, there’s no need to put any more refrigerant into the system. In fact, adding refrigerant will create an “overcharged” AC that will break down. An AC only needs more refrigerant added if it has a leak in the closed system. The EPA allows AC contractors to recharge or refill the refrigerant one time, before a leak test and repair is required. 

At Homesense, we proudly provide comprehensive AC tune-ups in Indianapolis and throughout the neighboring areas. We can help you ensure that you and your family remain comfortable and cool throughout the summer or when the next heatwave strikes.

FOUR: It’s normal to see ice on an air conditioner

It’s easy to understand why people believe this. An air conditioner sends out cold air, so wouldn’t a bit of ice be a side effect? But ice should never appear on an AC, the same way you don’t want ice built up on your refrigerator. Ice almost always points to one or two things: a refrigerant issue or a clogged filter.

If you see ice on the evaporator coil, message us today to schedule service before it becomes a bigger problem! 

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