Efficiency in the performance of home air conditioning systems is directly proportional to the level of maintenance carried out on these devices. DIY maintenance of residential air conditioners is common practice with a large number of homeowners.

It is therefore important for the DIY homeowner to be able to distinguish the myths from the facts when it comes to use and maintenance of the residential air conditioner. This article provides a clarification on certain commonly held myths about residential air conditioning.

Duct Tape For Air Ducts

In the process of carrying out DIY air conditioning maintenance and/or repair on air ducts, homeowners are often forced to used tape when the need to seal these ducts arises. One of the most commonly held myths about residential air conditioning misleads DIY homeowners into using duct tape for sealing of air ducts within the air conditioning system.

The prevalence of this myth is often fueled by the use of the word "duct" in duct tape.  However, this is often not the best tape for air conditioning maintenance or repairs because duct tape is known to allow for the escape of considerable quantities of air through the ducts. As such, the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system will be adversely affected.

Also, duct tape is known to lose its adhesive qualities within a short while, which makes the tape fall off prematurely. Mastic tape is often preferred for use on air-duct related maintenance/repairs.

Higher Thermostat Setting For Faster Conditioning

Another highly prevalent myth about the use of residential air conditioning systems is that adjusting the thermostat to a higher temperature setting will heat the house faster. According to this myth, a lower temperature setting will also facilitate faster cooling of the affected indoor environment.

This is a misinformed notion that only serves to put a strain on the residential air conditioner by making the unit work harder in accordance with the extreme thermostat adjustment. Residential air conditioning units are designed to produce the same amount of conditioned air or the same amount of heat (depending on the circumstance) irrespective of the temperature to which the thermostat is set. The rate of heating/cooling is determined by the amount of time it takes the thermostat to reach the desired temperature as opposed to how low or high the temperature setting is.

The above-discussed are only two of the numerous number of myths commonly peddled about the use and maintenance of residential air conditioners.