Definitive List of Home Heating Myths
We encounter some heating myths which really helps you to get ready in the winters to get more comfort from your furnace or the equipments of heating.
There are many words such as Contradictory ideas and fake news or partial truths. Because there are so much complicated things and incomplete information in the world in which we are living.
Basically we are providing information about HVAC system just to provide helps to many people’s who are facing many problems regarding heating or Popular furnace brands. Well, people very rarely thinks about the HVAC equipment’s in everyday life and there are many incomplete information and mis-understanding that how HVAC system works and how you get more comfort from your furnace or heating systems.
Also Read: How does a Furnace Works?
So, that’s why we mentioned some definitive list of home heating myths, just to provide information to get more comfortness. We are diving deeper look into the some heating myths to check whether its true or not.
If you know some heating myths which are not mentioned here than please tell us! We will do a proper research and if that heating myth is verified than we add that heating myth in the definitive list of home heating myths.
Some Definitive list of Home heating Myths.
Myth: By increasing the thermostat temperature, Faster the process of heating your house.
Fact: Basically, the professional and expert HVAC installer of your furnace or HVAC equipment’s must doing Calculation of J load manually which simply describe the power and sizing of your furnace or HVAC equipment. It means the furnace or heating system work at BTU (British-Thermal-Unit) level which simply designed for heating the full house efficiently.
Just considering this example like you want your house temperature at 72 degree but actually your house temperature is at 65 degree, don’t worry it increase the heat in your house no matter what is temperature you set on your thermostat it slowly increases the temperature to the degrees of 72.
It’s actually a useful thing, because when your HVAC system is more powerful than the size of your house which is inefficient for the long term use based on many reasons. In rare cases, if you are having an equipment of multi stage than your house starts heating more quickly
because it travels from single to multi stage too quickly. Well, there is slightly difference and it’s true in some HVAC equipment’s.
Myth: is it really cost effective when you leave your heater and temperature remain same all day, it not depends, I am at house or not.
Fact: Normally, we advised people to set your heater temperature at 5 degree. So, when you are not at house it helps your system to reduces overworking with continuously on and off cycle and also to reduces the cost of energy.
You can use configurable settings on the thermostat which decreases or avoid the long term discomforts and your heating equipment’s or furnace get back to the new temperature when you come back to your house.
Also Read: How much does a new furnace replacement cost in 2023
Myth: By using fireplaces and space heaters, I can replicate the heat of the HVAC systems.
Fact: Well, this statement is little bit true due to some reasons in the home heating myths. Because fireplaces an the space heater produce enough amount of heat. Lets pick and example, if you are having space heater or fireplaces in the private office or you can say, you are having fireplaces in the house but they are present in all rooms of the house, than it will be a good solution for the certain period of time.
Now, discuss what type of things space heater or fireplaces can not do. First of all they cannot replicate the same heating of whole house and the comfort which you can get through an HVAC system. Even if you are having a powerful space
heaters in the house but this is best in some situational cases and in terms of energy usage it is not a cheapest solution. In fact the solution like space heaters is the costly and inefficient for providing heating in your house.
In addition to fireplaces, it is very useful in some situational cases, but you have to seal the chimney flue, when fireplace is not in use. Otherwise, energy reduces from the house at very high rates.
If there will be only one person in the house or in the room and he is not using full house. Than it will be the best temporary solution. But don’t expect too much from it that you can do anything larger with this solution.
Myth: large amount of heat will be escape from my windows instead of my furnace.
Fact: Windows matters a lot for maintaining insulation and it is the most important aspect of home heating myths. If the window is of poor quality so for that purpose you HVAC system works harder and more efficiently, just to maintain the temperature of your desired choices in the house. Â
But if you are having an old HVAC system, Than you HVAC system will cost you so much in terms of comfortness and energy usage. But works better with new furnace and better efficient windows. lets consider your house as a system and your HVAC system is top
aspect of that system. Its a large conversation that whether you want a window or a new furnace for maintaining heat in your house. Ultimately, at last we need both efficient windows and a furnace for maintaining heat in the house.
Myth: If the heat rises, than why not we only heat our basement so it travels upward automatically.
Fact: We heard this statement a lot of times but, I will tell you that the part related to hot air rises is true in home heating myths. In addition to dehumidifiers, sometimes entire house dehumidifiers fix in the basements, by dehumidifying they actually distribute their benefits to the whole house. Also, this process is same for heating.
Well, in fact heat rises, but heat is not rising evenly. You can check that there is 5 to 10 degree temperature differences when you walked up or down stairs. All this happens due to hot air takes the least resistance path which simply means heat rises in the biggest airways.
The main problem appears in this situation is that you feel some cold and heat pockets in your house. So for that purpose ductwork is basically designed to provide or distribute heat in your house evenly. If you are not doing such tasks then you are inviting discomfortness to your house.
Myth: I want to run my furnace constantly just to provide heat in the season of winters for protecting pipes from chilling.
Fact: its also important myth in home heating myths. Well, when weather is not so much cold but there’s a little bit coldness. So there is no risk of pipes freezing. Additionally, when you consider what are the things matter in the freezing of pipes, then you have to check that how much pipes are closer to the walls and insulation check the pipes positions from outside of your house too.  Â
So, when there is a risk at freezing temperature that pipes start freezing. Than in that condition the furnace run continuously to provide heat in your house. If you really worried about freezing pipes, then best practice is to check the pipes
with the plumber and if outside temperature continuously below freezing and pipes starts freezing then it’s better to keep your furnace on to provide heat in your house.
Myth: Heating Pumps cannot work in the continuous freezing temperature.
Fact: Basically, heating pumps normally provide heating or cooling based on the seasons. As the temperature dips, then it becomes less efficient but when temperature becomes cold or freezing the furnace starts works very well and effectively.
Heating pumps in the freezing temperature take heat from the furnace as well. The moment where a home’s heating system transitions from “heating pump only” towards “heating pumps with boiler.” Varies but depending upon the equipment. But at this moment, they work in a combination just to provide heat and keep the house warm.
Myth: If we close the vents of some rooms, by doing this we can save money.
Fact: HVAC systems are basically designed in such a way to provide heating and also cooling to your house easily. If you close all the vents in your house than because of this hot or cold pockets created in your house or rooms. Unevenly the hot and cold air is still mixed together in the house.
Specially, if you close the all the other vents in the house but the one vent which is closer to the thermostat remains open. Than the furnace shut down as soon as possible because it senses that your house is at your desired temperature. But still the hot and the cools air mixed in the areas with the closed vents. So, through this way it causes your furnace on or off more constantly.
On the maintenance of unit, for the long term it cost you so much.
Well, it totally different from the zoned house, which is basically designed to provide the heat and cold air to the specific sections independently.
Myth: Fans are not able to provide any help in the winters.
Fact: When hot air rises at that time fans play a vital role in recirculating the hot air which has been risen towards ceiling. This is the important thing especially for that houses with the high ceilings. But the benefits are very limited in every house.
Means, it didn’t provide any help for providing heat from your HVAC systems to the house. But through this way you feel comfortable all the day.
Myth: Furnace is running absolutely fine and accurately, we don’t need any maintenance. Is it able to provide any help in the winters.
Fact: Yes, you can do. Well, look this type of myth exists. Just because it is easily possible for the furnace to operate continually with a maintenance even in a single year. This is not a big problem but the main problem is that your furnace is not able to perform well. In the end it will cost a lot much like thousands of dollars for maintenance in a single year.
Periodically, many house owners know when the filter need to be replaced. But there are many other things which will be the cause of problems in your HVAC system for long term. If you are doing proper maintenance, then these problems will not occur.
Maintenance is basically not designed in such a way to fix various things, when specific part is damaged or something. So, for that purpose you can repair that part but it will be very cost effective for you to just keep your furnace run smoothly over 10 20 years.
Also Read: Furnace Installation Process Step by Step (Complete Guide)
The other main and very important point is that if you are having a furnace with the 10-year warranty. But you are not doing the regular maintenance of your HVAC system, then your HVAC manufacturer was not honor your warranty. Check the warranty agreement. I am sure that these words should be there.
So, this thing is cleared that the unmaintained furnace is not able run for long term but it run for a specific period of time. The risk regarding furnace is nothing but there are many more other risks occur if you are not doing proper maintenance.
Reality of these Myths:
Simply, we do not mentioned list of all these myths without any hard reasons. We mentioned these myths and accurately correct these myths, because all these myths are directly related to your HVAC systems heath and the comfortness of your house.
Hopefully some of the myths are mentioned here for you, but if you know any myth which is not mentioned but exist. Please let us know. We do proper research about these myths and provide the accurate details regarding that myth.
