If you're trying to conserve energy in your Butler County or Greater Cincinnati area home, it pays to know the difference between energy-savings myths and energy-savings facts. There's a lot of misinformation out there. Save yourself time and money by discarding these energy myths. 

Myth No. 1: A high-efficiency HVAC system will automatically save you money. The operative word here is system. That means your heating unit must work in tandem with other components of your home, and its energy efficiency is heavily reliant on those components. You ductwork, the number and placement of your windows, your insulation levels and many other factors must be considered when your unit is sized and installed. Only a correctly sized unit will save you money. Even if your new unit is nearly 100 percent efficient, it won't do the job you want it to do if it's not optimized as part of a whole.

Myth No. 2: You should use duct tape to fix those leaky ducts.  Despite its name, duct tape is the last thing you should use to seal duct leaks. It's just not heat-resistant, and that means the glue won't hold. Use duct mastic instead.

Myth No. 3: Turning your computer and appliances on and off uses more energy than just leaving them on. It's possible that this was true at one time, but advances in technology have made this notion a myth. There may be a small power surge when you turn on the computer and other appliances, but it's much less energy than what you use when you keep those devices running when you're not using them.  

Myth No. 4: Adding insulation in one area will cause more heat to escape from another area. There's no buildup of pressure that forces heat to escape from one area if you've added insulation somewhere else. For example, if you insulate your attic, you won't lose more heat through your uninsulated walls. Your walls will lose more heat than your attic, but that's simply because there's nothing to stop the heat loss.

For energy facts -- instead of misinformation -- contact the experts at Tri-County Heating & Cooling. We can help you sort through everything you've heard so that you can make sound decisions when it comes to conserving energy. We've proudly served Butler County and the Greater Cincinnati area since 1969.

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