Tuesday, September 24, 2013

5 Energy Savings Myths Debunked

Nowadays, it seems as though everyone wants to save money while saving energy. Whether you do it for your wallet or the planet, taking extra steps to go green definitely has its benefits. But there’s so much information out there, it’s hard to know what’s actually true!

Myth #1: Closing your A/C vents saves energy.

Since energy is consumed by the air unit itself, closing your vents will not help with your use! When you close the vents in one room, it restricts the air at that specific vent, redirecting the air to other locations and through possible leaks in the duct system. Closing vents can also put pressure on the fan that pushes the air through the system, ultimately causing the system to work harder.

Myth #2: Leaving a ceiling fan on will cool a room—even if no one is in it.

Fans cool people, not rooms! Ceiling fans circulate the air in the room to create a draft, making you feel cooler—they don’t actually lower the temperature in the room. Leaving your ceiling fan on when you’re not in the room is a waste of both energy and money. To start saving, make sure you turn fans off before leaving a room.

Myth #3: Setting the thermostat higher heats your home faster.

Although setting your thermostat higher does have the potential to increase the run-time of the heating system, doing so will also cause the system to use more energy. Not to mention, your home can become uncomfortably hot extremely fast. Setting the heat to an appropriate temperature will get the job done—just be patient!

Myth #4: Leaving a light on uses less energy than turning it off, then on again.

As ridiculous as it may sound, some people do believe that leaving a light on for an extended period of time—rather than turning it off and on again—uses less energy. Despite the on again/off again effect, there is actually no significant additional power drawn when turning on a light bulb. Lights should always be turned off each time you leave a room, even if it’s just for a few minutes. There’s no reason for a light to be on in a room with no one in it. It’s wasteful and will heat up the room, potentially making your A/C work harder.

Myth #5: Leaving your air conditioning running when you’re not at home is more efficient than having to re-cool a space once you return.

Although this is false, you should never turn the system off completely. In doing so, more energy will be used to cool down your entire house as your air conditioning unit tries to replace the warm air that’s accumulated throughout the day. At the same time, however, it’s inefficient to leave your air conditioning unit on all day. This will cause the compressor to operate regularly for the hours you’re not at home. Ideally, you’ll want to lower your system when you leave the house for extended periods of time and set a timer for about a half hour before you return home.

Source: http://powergenerationinc.com/5-energy-use-myths-debunked/

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