Air Conditioners

If a residence does not have any provision for ducting distribution system, you can use ductless air conditioner, which is very common in multifamily housing and as retrofitted add-ons to such houses. These have now been in use in Japan and other countries for many years although they are relatively new in North America. These ductless air conditioners have many commercial and residential applications.

Ductless air conditioners are like conventional room units as they are installed through a wall or a window frame but they have two main components like the central systems: the outdoor unit having the compressor/condenser and the indoor unit which is the air-handling unit containing the evaporator and a fan. There are some units that provide both cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.

The outdoor unit of a ductless air conditioner is linked to the indoor unit with a conduit, which contains the power cable, refrigerant tubing, suction tubing, and condensate drain. The outdoor unit has the noisy compressor and the condenser whereas the indoor unit has the quiet fan/evaporator unit.

Although the ductless air conditioner is the ideal solution for good heating and cooling control for various residential and commercial locations, it can pose some installation problems for contractors and drawbacks for consumers. However, mostly the ductless air conditioners are very convenient, as they do not need any ductwork or air distribution system. They are ideal for use in homes, small and large offices, shops, motels and hotels, schools and universities, computer rooms, banks, hospitals, and labs.

The biggest drawback of a ductless air conditioner is that you will need some space in the outside of the building to place the outdoor condensing unit. As such, many problems crop up in retrofit applications, as the architecture of the building might not be very conducive to such a placement. A majority of the prime applications of ductless air conditioners is in the commercial office spaces and these often present the above installation problems.

Even if there is enough space available for placing the outdoor condensing units of the ductless air conditioners, the building owner might raise objections due to aesthetic reasons. Normally a lot of money is spent towards achieving an architecturally attractive look of a building and the building owner is generally reluctant to spoil that beautiful look by allowing the placement of outdoor condensing units.

While installing ductless air conditioners, many contractors face the problem of limitation in distance between the evaporator and the condensing unit. There is an average distance of 75 feet between these units in most ductless air conditioners. If there is any necessity to spread out the evaporator units or when the condensing unit must be installed a floor or more above the evaporating unit, a lot of problems can arise.

A ductless air conditioner combines the advantages of both a room unit, which can be accommodated in most locations and a central system, which has a very efficient cooling system. It also does away with the cumbersome ducting system. The only drawback can be the placement of the outdoor unit in certain cases.

Free Standing Air Conditioner Your Most Convenient Choice

Air conditioners are a boon during the hot and humid months. Among the various categories of air conditioners, the freestanding air conditioners are by far the most convenient as they can be moved easily from one room to the other and they do not need any permanent installation. Read on to find out more about them.

Imagine being in a room; sweat pouring out of your body and stifling your breath due to the extreme heat and humidity outside. At times like this, you would certainly give anything to have an air conditioner, which would regulate the temperature and humidity so that you can escape the rigors of the extreme weather outside. Freestanding air conditioner can be an ideal solution to such onslaughts of the weather. The quality of life can improve considerably with freestanding air conditioner.

Apart from pumping cold air throughout your living area, the freestanding air conditioner will also dehumidify the air, if there is high humidity. This will create a comfortable and bearable atmosphere in the room for you and your family. This air conditioner is also an ideal travel companion as an RV air conditioner and can deliver you from the heat wave by controlling the temperature and humidity to create an extremely pleasant ambience.

The biggest advantage of a freestanding air conditioner is its easy portability and minimum to practically nil installation requirements whereas the other types of air conditioners such as the central units and the window units need elaborate installation procedures. There is no need for having an air conditioner in every room as you can easily move the freestanding air conditioner to wherever you wish to sit or sleep. You can move it to the bedroom when you want to sleep and then move it to the living area when you want to watch TV.

The freestanding air conditioners have caster wheels, which make it easy to move them and they do not need any permanent installation though they would need an exhaust tube that has to be vented out. Freestanding air conditioners are ideal for spot cooling and as such they are very commonly used in small apartments, offices, attics, extra cooling in computer server rooms or areas, bedrooms, dorm rooms, work areas, etc.

Apart from the advantage of spot cooling, freestanding air conditioners can be conveniently used in those rooms where traditional window air conditioners cannot be lifted or installed due to physical conditions or due to aesthetic reasons guided by architectural considerations. Moreover, freestanding air conditioners are ideal for use as supplements to central air conditioning.

The general perception that size matters in air conditioning is not correct, as it is not necessary that an oversized air conditioner would provide better cooling. On the other hand, it is actually less effective and at the same time it wastes a lot of energy also. Under such circumstances, the ideal solution is to use a freestanding air conditioner that would conveniently fit into most average-sized rooms, lounges or offices. Moreover, poorly ventilated spaces can be easily ventilated with freestanding air conditioner that would improve the air circulation effectively.

If you try to cool an entire building, you would be consuming an enormous amount of energy that would partly be a big wastage, as you might not be utilizing the entire building all the time. It will be better to use a freestanding air conditioner, as it would provide relief from heat at specific places where you are located.

Save On Electricity With Mini Split Air Conditioner

In order to avoid wasteful expenditure of electricity by running the central air conditioning system for the entire building, mini split air conditioners are a very viable option as they allow only a specific area to be cooled. Read on to find out about the various advantages.

Let's face it - electricity is expensive and it makes a lot of sense to conserve it. There are many buildings that have central air conditioning and all the rooms do not need to be cooled at all times as they might be in use only at certain times of the day. As such, keeping them cool all the time is not very economical. Mini split air conditioner is an ideal solution for such rooms. This will allow a specific area to be zone cooled thus resulting in electricity savings. Moreover cooling can be started and switched off with the help of automatic thermostats for these mini split air conditioners.

A basic principle of science necessitates the placement of an air conditioner near the ceiling so that it facilitates the circulation of cold air in the room. As window units are normally placed in the windows, they violate this principle and are not that effective. Mini split air conditioners are therefore preferred as the indoor unit can be located near the ceiling. Moreover thieves can easily remove a window unit and get indoors leading to security hazards. Mini split air conditioner is also preferred over using several room air conditioners to cool the whole house.

Like central air conditioning systems, mini split air conditioner also has a split design, separating the hot compressor/condenser unit from the cold evaporator unit but they do not use ductwork. The connection between the outside and the inside units is through coolant lines, a condensate line and electrical lines. Moreover, the units of the mini split air conditioners are wall mounted on the inside and outside of a wall. The outdoor unit might be single or multiple that all connect to one outdoor unit. These are also known as ductless air conditioners.

The mini split air conditioners are very affordable and they are a viable option to window-mounted air conditioners. Moreover, since they do not require any ducting they are ideal for use in older homes and the high cost of installing ductwork can also be avoided. The other benefits are saving of window space and consequent availability of light, less noise as the compressor is placed outside and ease of convertibility to function as heat pumps so that they can be used to cool in summer and heat in the winter for comfort throughout the year.

In the case of room additions and small apartments, where central air conditioning or heating systems cannot be installed due to non-feasibility of extending or installing distribution ductwork, mini split air conditioner is the ideal choice. These can also be used in school classrooms; for perimeter cooling of office buildings; for additional cooling of restaurant kitchens; and for cooling of small offices within larger spaces, such as arenas, warehouses, and auditoriums.

Some variations can be made in the applications of mini split air conditioners as they can be used to allow two or three rooms to be cooled simultaneously and yet independently. These are known as "dual-zone" or "tri-zone" configurations and these variations provide more control and greater savings in energy and money.

Maintain Your RV Air Conditioners Regularly For Efficient Operation

RV air conditioners are complicated and as such they need proper maintenance for efficient operation. You can only enjoy the air conditioning if the unit works properly. Read on to find out all about the maintenance techniques and their importance.

Having your air conditioner in tip-top condition when summer is round the corner should be your top priority, especially if you have a RV air conditioner. In fact, RV air conditioners should be maintained on a regular basis as they have many parts such as motors, compressors and other components. Absence of regular maintenance can lead to expensive repair bills that could spoil the entire fun of the summer vacations.

RV air conditioners are similar to split system air conditioners with the condenser and compressor units installed outside on the roof and the air-cooling unit installed inside on the ceiling. One cooling unit is enough for an entire office space but if the space is over 35 feet in length, you may need two units. With the summer round the corner, here are some tips to keep the RV in good operating condition.

The filter should be changed or washed at least once a month. Disposable filters should be replaced once a month when the RV air conditioner is in use and the reusable filters should be washed with water and left to drip dry before reinstallation. You must avoid having clogged filters, as they would lead to less efficiency, higher running costs and potential problems with other components of the system such as the evaporator coil. A damp cloth with a little detergent should be used to clean the entire unit to remove dirt and dust.

The RV air conditioner's efficiency could be seriously impaired if the evaporator coil is not kept clean and free of damage. Since this coil is located on the back of the rooftop, it is most vulnerable to damage caused by trees, leaves and other environmental hazards. Moreover the cold refrigerant is circulated in these coils. It is, therefore, necessary to clean these coils with a soft bristled brush to remove accumulated dirt. It would be a good idea to provide shields for the fins and coils.

As a lot of condensation might occur due to the external location of the RV air conditioners, the gasket seal between the ceiling and the bottom of the unit should be checked regularly. The drainage holes in the condensate pan should be cleared of debris such as leaves. To avoid leakage of the condensate into the RV, clogs must be removed at the earliest.

Before going on a summer trip, you should start your RV air conditioner and make sure that all systems like the fan and temperature controls work properly. The power source should be sufficient for running a RV air conditioner. A 15-amp extension cord to the RV air conditioner might not be sufficient to deliver the power required to run this unit. You must check the power requirement especially the amperage and then make suitable arrangements to install proper switches and circuit breakers. Insufficient power can lead to serious damage to motors, compressors and other components.

If you want to enjoy the summer with your RV air conditioner, you must ensure proper and regular maintenance of the same.

Wall Air Conditioners Are Not Easy To Install

Installing a wall air conditioner can be difficult in certain situations. Read on to find out how to go about fixing such a unit in various types of walls.

Wall air conditioners are very similar to window air conditioners except that they are normally mounted through a wall or in a wall and they are normally rear-vented. Both these types are designed to cool a single room and need to be installed either in a window or in the wall. This facilitates easy exchange of air as cool, dry air is inducted into the room and the hot, damp air is pushed outdoors.

Installation of wall air conditioner is usually done by making a hole in the exterior wall of the house. Making such a hole might not be very difficult in some cases, as the area might be free of pipes and wires and you would only need basic carpentry skills and the requisite tools. However, making a hole through concrete, brick or stone is no easy task and unless you have some experience in doing so, you should give the job of installation in solid masonry walls to professional contractors.

For proper installation of the wall air conditioner you should read the manufacturer's directions that accompany the air conditioner unit very carefully and then proceed with the cutting and building of the opening as per these instructions. Care should be taken to set the unit slightly out of level so that the condensate can drain easily. You should also check the voltage of the unit and then arrange to plug it in according to the voltage i.e., 120 volts or 240 volts. The unit should not overload the circuit and as such you should check the capacity of the outlet circuit and also ensure that the cord of the unit will be able to reach the outlet.

You will also have to build a header - a horizontal beam that picks up loads from studs that are cut short and carries them to the sides of the opening, if you plan to install the wall air conditioner in a solid wall. However, you can install an in-wall unit beneath a window if you want to avoid taking the trouble of doing the above procedure as this space already has a header and should have double studs running down each side all the way to the floor.

If you plan to place the wall air conditioner under the window, you will have to make the in wall air conditioner space smaller than the window and you won't have to worry about supporting loads from above. This will also give a very good look to the whole set-up, as a metal box poking through a clean wall of siding will attract your attention. Under a windowsill, if you trim the exterior of the air conditioner the same way as the window is trimmed, it will be less noticeable.

You should start work on the inside of the opening before the outside as you will have to replace only a section of drywall and repaint the damaged wall if you encounter an unexpected obstruction like a gas pipe. This will be better than adding nailers to support the pieces of the siding that you have cut.

Window Air Conditioners - How To Reduce The Noise Level

Window air conditioners are the most widely used air conditioners but their disadvantage is that they make a lot of noise, which can be very disturbing. Read on to find out about what to do to reduce the noise level.

Perhaps the most widely used air conditioners are the window air conditioners. They are quite popular for heating and cooling in both domestic and commercial premises. The basic advantage of a window air conditioner is that unlike the central air conditioners and the split air conditioners, it fits well in the window giving a good look and it does not occupy any space of the room at all.

Moreover, window air conditioners do not need to be shifted every now and then from one place to the other. However, like any other air conditioning equipment, it produces noise, the intensity of which differs with the type and size of the window air conditioners. Constant noise can indeed be very disturbing and distressing to the home and surrounding residents.

It is, therefore, advisable for the consumer to compare window air conditioners by checking the sound power level labels on the unit or in the literature specifications. The noise levels are often given in decibel ratings and the higher the decibel level, the louder the unit will be. The sound pressure increases by a factor of ten for every 10-decibel increase. For example, 60 Decibels is 10 times louder than 50 Decibels and 100 times louder than 40 Decibels.

The compressor and the fan are combined in a single unit and mounted in the window air conditioners and this is the source of all the noise in the air conditioner. The other causes of noise could be worn bearings, cabinet rattles, dirty or rusty fan blades, worn rubber mountings and compressor wear. Regular maintenance can reduce the noise to some extent but with the passing of time, there is bound to be an increase in the level of the noise.

You should check whether your window air conditioner is vibrating or producing a rattling noise and if so, then it is not a normal situation. The reason for this can be improper installation or loose side panels. If, however, you hear a scraping noise, you should either take the help of an authorized service provider or you can also try to find out the cause and repair it yourself.

The following steps can help you in tracking the fault and repairing it:

You should tighten the screws holding the front panel onto the unit.

You should check carefully the window all round the unit. You should then turn the window air conditioner on and press your hand against the sash. If you find that as you press your hand against the sash, the sound changes in pitch, then you should put some wooden shims in the gap between the window air conditioners frame and the sash. If, however, the pitch of the noise changes when you press your hand on the glass, you should use some insulating cellophane tape between the glass and the frame. You might have to use putty if that does not reduce the noise.

If you feel that the sound is originating from within the unit, you should take the unit out of the window and check to see if the fan blades are bent. If so, just bend them back so that they match the others.

Portable Air Conditioners Ensure Economy And Convenience

Small is beautiful and convenient and so is the portable air conditioner as it can be shifted from one place to the other very easily. Read on to find out all the other advantages.

With the onset of the damp weather, it becomes difficult to survive without constant central air conditioning but that can prove to be quite expensive. The answer to this problem is a portable air conditioner as it has many advantages. It is easy to shift from one place in the home to another and that makes a portable air conditioner the ideal cooling system solution for your home, office or industrial site.

The portable air conditioners are easy and quick to install, as they do not involve any lifting or tearing up of windowsills. Moreover it can be shifted very easily from one place in the home to the other. For taking care of the hot spots in the central air conditioning, the portable air conditioners are far more convenient than window air conditioners. It is also ideal for window shapes, which present problems for installation. There is nothing like portable air conditioners for use as a spot cooler in the home.

A portable air conditioner is an excellent choice for saving money as just one unit needs to be purchased and it can be shifted easily to where you need it as it is mounted on castors and some can weigh only about 36 pounds. Moreover, as only one room is cooled at a time instead of the whole house, the total energy consumption is very low as compared to other air conditioning systems.

Another advantage of portable air conditioners is the energy efficiency that they provide. The average efficiency is in the 8 to 10 range although some are as high as 15, which is 50 percent better than most older central air conditioners. The small size of the portable air conditioners is very advantageous and as such it can fit in a corner or against a wall. It functions like an effective dehumidifier if you do not vent the warm exhaust air out through a window and its size is also the same as that of a room dehumidifier.

In order to reduce humidity and allergies, even the small ones remove 35 pints of moisture per day from the room air. The portable air conditioners also use the heat-exchange principle as the other air conditioners to cool and dehumidify the air. The operating principle is also similar to a window air conditioner as the room air circulates over cold evaporator coils to cool and dehumidify it inside the unit. The room air is exhausted outdoor after flowing over the hot condenser. There is no chance of already-cooled indoor air escaping outside as two ducts are now used.

Nowadays, you have electronic controls in most models and you can set the desired room temperature, blower speed, start and stop timer, and operation mode (cool, dehumidify, heat). The portable air conditioners also have hand-held remote control with which you can conveniently change all the settings as per your need.

The other features of portable air conditioners include a built-in air cleaner with an optional charcoal filter and oscillating louvers to distribute the cool air throughout the room. You can also switch off the louvers to direct the flow of air towards yourself, if you so desire.

For A Cooler Summer - Keep Your Air Conditioner Filter Clean

If you want your air conditioner to work efficiently and have a long life, all that you have to do is to keep the air conditioner filter clean and change it regularly. Read on to find out how to do it.

The last thing that you would want on a hot summer afternoon is malfunctioning of your air conditioner. As with any other machine, your air conditioner also needs regular maintenance. Luckily, there is nothing much to be done except cleaning the air conditioner filter and general cleanliness of the air conditioning unit. Moreover, the process of cleaning the air conditioner filter is so simple that anyone can do it without any outside help.

For efficient working of your air conditioner, it is very important that the air conditioner filter should be kept free of any dirt or dust as the air handler will begin to pull these impurities through to an evaporator coil, which would be wet from condensation on its cold surface. This will transform the dirt into mud caked on the coil when it is passing through the filter, reducing the heat transfer from the air to the coil and also reducing the air flow through the unit. Moreover, moisture will also not be condensed on the coil surface.

The system efficiency will decline by up to 20% due to the above and thus your electric bill will increase considerably. The air conditioner filter does another important job of removing pollen, dust and other particles from the air, thus providing cleaner air to the building occupants to breathe and reducing respiratory diseases.

Some Tips For Maintenance Of Your Air Conditioner Filter

Turn off your air conditioner and remove the air conditioner filter. Check the condition of the filter and also the size of the same. You can then go to a home improvement store and buy a similar air conditioner filter. Depending on the condition and type of your existing filter, you can either replace it with the new one or you might even clean the old one if it is in good condition.

There are many types of air conditioner filters. Some of them might need to be replaced whereas others might be reusable. The frequency of cleaning the filters depends upon the length of time that the air conditioner is being used and the surrounding conditions such as amount of dust in the air and the presence of fur-bearing pets in the house. You might also be using disposable air conditioner filters, in which case you should keep several spares with you.

For proper functioning of your air conditioner, the primary requirement is to keep changing the air conditioner filter regularly. Dust particles that are filtered by the air conditioner filter tend to clog the filter thus reducing its efficiency. Although the good quality filters might last a little longer, there is no alternative to changing them regularly. The average frequency for changing the filter is a month.

If the building is being remodeled or if some construction is going on, there is a greater likelihood of presence of more dust in the air and as such these homes will need more frequent air conditioner filter changes. If you want your air conditioner to work efficiently and have a longer life, you must keep changing the air conditioner filter regularly.

Life Without Carrier Air Conditioners Unimaginable!

Little do we realize, sitting in the comfort of our air-conditioned homes and offices, the importance of and indispensability of air conditioners in our lives. Read on to find out about the man to whom we owe these comforts- Willis Havilland Carrier who invented the Carrier air conditioners.

Nature unleashes its fury in many ways – unbearable hot and humid weather being one of them. In order to combat such climatic conditions, man has also equipped himself with protective tools and air conditioning was invented by Willis Havilland Carrier (born 1876) who developed and patented the world's first modern air conditioner called the Carrier Air Conditioner. Controlled climatic conditions are essential at home and also in many industrial and scientific environments and Carrier Air Conditioners provide the right atmosphere for comfort at home, chemical and pharmaceutical production and for protection of fine art.

Even before Carrier's invention, many efforts had been made to provide proper cooling systems but they were merely elaborate methods of ventilation. In 1886, Lewis Latimer had made some progress towards an air conditioner but it was not successful till Carrier made a machine to control temperature and humidity as well as the circulation and cleanliness of air. This "Apparatus for Treating Air" was the precursor of the Carrier Air Conditioners.

The scientific basis of Carrier's invention is being followed even today and his "Rational Psychrometric Formulae" - 1911 is the underlying theme of all work done in this field till today. Carrier Air Conditioner was developed by using a low-pressure, centrifugal system to take in air through a filter and passing the air over coils containing a stable, non-toxic coolant; the cooled and dehumidified air was directed into the living or work space, while the warm air circulating around the machine's motor was vented outdoors.

Carrier Engineering Corporation was co-founded by Carrier in 1915 with a capital of $35,000 and is till today the world's largest manufacturer of climate control equipment. Carrier had been refining his theories and his products throughout his life and had gathered many more patents. He died in 1950 but his invention has completely changed the lifestyle of mankind and it is difficult to imagine as to how we can survive without it.

The first Carrier Air Conditioner was developed by Carrier for a New York printer who was having a difficult time printing satisfactory color images as the humidity in the air kept changing the dimensions of the paper with the result that the inks tended to misalign. With the help of Carrier Air Conditioner, the fluctuating temperature was controlled and the humidity in the air was reduced. The printer's happiness knew no bounds.

The 'Apparatus for Treating Air' was patented in 1906 and it was only in 1942 that Carrier Air Conditioners were used for human comfort and for industrial purposes. In 1907, The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was established as a subsidiary of Buffalo Forge but it was only in the 1950s that advertisements for home air conditioners were made by the Carrier establishment and by others. Immediately thereafter, this concept caught the fancy of many and it gained wide acceptance.

The noted homebuilder, William Levitt was among the first to begin installing Carrier Air Conditioners in hundreds of new, middle class homes in 1955.

Use Central Air Conditioners For Cooling Large Areas

If a large area is to be cooled, it is better to use central air conditioners instead of many smaller air conditioners. Read on to find out what to look for while selecting a central air conditioning system.

Heat and humidity can certainly bring down productivity in the workplace. You can make conditions more comfortable for work by installing central air conditioners if the work area is large, in which case one small air conditioner would not be enough. So, if you wish to cool the entire house or the office you need to install central air conditioners.

Normally central air conditioners works on the principle of transferring heat from one station to the other with the help of a transporting media which is a refrigerant commonly known as Freon. There are two parts in central air conditioners as it is a split system. One part is the air handler which is placed inside the home and the other part is the condensing unit which is located outdoors.

In order to cool the inside of your home, the central air conditioners remove the heat from the air inside and transfer it to the air outside. The indoor part of the system contains a refrigerant coil across which the indoor air is passed and then it is released outside. This process brings down the temperature inside to the desired level as per the thermostat setting.

Useful hints for buying central air conditioners

You should choose the system that would suit your local climate and the total cooling load. You can either go in for evaporative coolers that are useful in hot and arid regions such as the southwest or you can choose the compressor-driven central air conditioners.

You will also have to work out the size of the system needed.

You should look for a SEER rating higher than 12.0 when you are looking for a central air conditioner.

If you have ducts for an existing forced-air heating system, the central air conditioner system could be linked to these ducts, depending upon their size and the relative heating and cooling loads of your home. You can take the advice of a good HVAC contractor in this regard.

For efficient operation of a central air conditioner, proper sizing and installation are essential. It will be difficult to regulate humidity with too large a unit and if the unit is too small, you might not get adequate cooling on very hot days. Efficiency can come down with improper unit location, lack of duct insulation, improper duct sealing, and incorrect refrigerant charge.

Important aspects which should be considered while buying a central air conditioner are: provision of a fan-only switch, a filter check-light and an automatic-delay fan switch. You should also choose a central air conditioner that does not make too much noise.

If the outdoor (compressor) unit of the central air conditioners needs to be replaced, you should find one, which will be compatible with the existing indoor (blower coil) unit. An old blower coil would not be suitable for a highly efficient outdoor unit.

It is necessary to get an electrician to assess your home's electrical supply such as the voltage and amperage capacity before installing central air conditioners, as it needs a constant 230-volt circuit and 20 to 50 amps of power.