Stephen Haworth asked:


History of Air Conditioning

Air conditioning as we know it today is a rather new technology although different form of cooling air and dehumidifying the air has been around for centuries. The ancient Romans used aqua duct water to circulate through the walls of the wealthiest homes. This is just one example of ancient air conditioning. The Chinese were also were also obsessed with cooling the air through water and wind. They used various methods to cool their interior buildings and stay cool during the hot months. In the 1800’s one man came close to inventing what is similar to modern day air conditioning.

In 1820 British Inventor Michael Faraday discovered that ammonia could chill the air when compressed and liquidized and then allowed to evaporate. In 1841, John Gorrie, a medical doctor discovered that he could use compressor technology to create ice to cool his patients rooms in Florida. This discovery gave Gorrie the great aspiration of inventing the first air conditioning unit. He came very close. His first pro type leaked and was unsuccessful. He secured funding and his patent was approved in 1851. His funding partner died and he lost the money to see his dream realized. He later died in 1855 and with him his vision of indoor air conditioning died as well for the next 50 years.

The term air conditioning was first coined by Stuart W. Cramer of Charlotte, North Carolina in 1906. Cramer was trying to create ways to add moisture to the air in his textile plants. Cramer used the term Air conditioning in a papers filed to the patent office for his invention of a water conditioning unit which was required to control the humidity in textile plants. Willis Carrier took the term air conditioning and put it into his companies name as he used evaporative cooling to provide a cooling effect in the air.

The first air conditioners proved to be hazardous to humans health when the toxic gases leaked. The use of ammonia, methyl chloride and propane. These toxic, flammable gases tended to leak causing fatal results. In 1928 Thomas Midgley, Jr. was the first to create an air conditioner that used Freon. This was found to be much safer for humans but had disastrous effects to the environment. The use of freon is to be faded out in use of new products by 2010 and will no longer be used at all by the year 2020. In place of freon is the safer alternative Puron. This product will be replacing freon in air conditioners, and other refrigerator items like freezers and refrigerators.

Modern day air conditioning has improved over the years. The emphasis these days are on energy conservation and efficiency. The modern day air conditioner can come with all sorts of bells and whistles and most importantly is that it is available to just about everyone. The modern day air conditioning is affordable to everyone.

Paul is a regular contributor to Air Conditioner Reviews an informational website for Air Conditioning ratings and reviews on several brand-names and different types including portable , central and Frigidaire Air Conditioners



Peter

Barney Garcia asked:


We have to accept one fact – electricity is expensive. And it is not only expensive for you but also for mother earth as her resources is being used to produce the electricity. With a central air conditioning system you actually end up wasting more energy than you use. Especially for small families where only one or two rooms are occupied at a time to have the entire house air conditioned is an unnecessary waste of energy.

With mini split air conditioners you can actually save a lot of the energy and at the same time you can enjoy the effects of air condition. With split air conditioners you can air condition the room you want to while the other rooms maintain normal temperature. The split air conditioners also come with in built thermostat. So it knows when to switch off and when to switch on again.

Apart from the savings on power you can also save on the installation cost. Installing a central air conditioning system would cost you a serious sum of money. You need to install ducts all over the house and that means a lot of building work. Not only it means more expenses but also a lot of hassles as you wouldn’t be able to use your house normally while the entire structure for the central air conditioners is put in place. With a split air conditioner there are no such problems. You just bring it form the store and it is ready to be installed. Therefore it is not only hassle free, it also saves you a lot of money.

With window air conditioners, the main problem is it is fixed. So we cannot move it around. For the window air conditioners also there is also the issue of installing it. You cannot do it by yourself and would need a professional’s help. So that would mean more expenditure and extra time and hassle.

Overall it is evident that split air conditioners are much cheaper than either the central air conditioning system or the window air conditioner. You have to invest less initially; you would not need to bear any installation cost; and you will save on your electricity bills. So one can’t see much reason as to not to opt for a split air conditioner. Even if he has a lot of money to spend and gets himself a central air conditioning system, he will need the split ACs for the hot spots.



Timothy

Barney Garcia asked:


Although air conditioners have been around from the early years of the last century, the industry has been witnessing a tremendous growth in the past few years. This sudden interest among customers have led to new products being developed and marketed by all the brands big or small. This flood of new models has made it difficult for many customers to choose the right unit for their needs.

The problem is further complicated by different sales persons promoting their products in different ways. There are those who claim that air conditioners can replace your need for dehumidifiers. It is a fact that air conditioners do control the humidity of the air. But it is equally true that air conditioners can in no way be compared to dehumidifiers. The primary task of an air conditioner is to regulate the temperature of an enclosed space, be it a room or an entire building. That it dehumidifies is an additional benefit. But it is not a replacement for a dehumidifier.

First of all, the freestanding air conditioner is the easiest to install. In fact there is hardly anything to install. You only have to plug it in and it is ready to start working. But with window air conditioners, and more so with central air conditioners, you need to go through a lot of installation work. This does not only mean that you have to put up with a considerable amount of hassle, but you also got to spend a significant sum of money to get the units installed. There are no such costs with a freestanding air conditioner.

Then there are those who claim that air conditioner can be a good replacement for an air purifier. Again such claims are highly exaggerated. Of course most air conditioners do come with a filter but the kind of filtration an air conditioner provides is in no way comparable to the filtration provided by an air purifier with a HEPA filter. So if someone has severe allergic or asthma problems, installing an air condition would not be good enough.

What however is important about air conditioners is hardly stressed on by the average sales person. They would seldom talk about the energy efficiency of the air conditioner though that is an important deciding factor. The energy efficiency of your air conditioner would decide how much your running costs you will need to bear. And since by choosing the proper air conditioner you can save up to 40% of your electricity bills, the efficiency of your air conditioner is very important.

The other thing that is important is the capacity of air conditioner you need. The capacity you will need in your unit would depend on the room you want to install it in. all you got to know is the floor area of the room and quoting that figure would help the air conditioner contractor to guide you on what capacity of air conditioner you need.



Miguel

Susan Slobac asked:


If you find that you change housing situations frequently, or work office spaces, then you will be happy to know that during the blisteringly hot summer months when you need air conditioning, portable air conditioners will provide you with the best value because you can take them with you when needed.

Permanent air conditions tend to be quite bulky. As well, they take up a lot of precious window space, and obliterate your view of the great outdoors. As their name implies, when the day comes that you leave your apartment and head to a new one, that permanent beast is not going anywhere with you.

Instead, a portable air condition can be easily moved on its coaster feet to any room or location you desire. You can find portable air conditioning units that beautifully cool rooms from as small as 200 square feet to as large as 500 square feet.

Many portable air conditioners, unlike the permanent ones, also offer several other features in addition to the all- important air cooling. Many offer heating capabilities, and can dehumidify the air as well. Several also come with a two-way oscillating fan, which can be a real boon when used with computer equipment or in a server room where keeping the temperature down and the air circulating is crucial to the maintenance of the electrical equipment. You can have your choice of remote control or manual control. Manual is recommended for use in computer and server room applications. In times of power failure, most of the portable air conditions will turn themselves back on when the power returns. In terms of safety, portable air conditioners are required to use leakage-current detection and interruption plugs as well.

Another cost-effective aspect of many portable air conditioners is that they recycle the moisture in the room when the unit is on, and they use the water to cool down the cooling coils. This makes the unit run more efficiently and it thereby saves you money.

Portable air conditioners are valuable because you can take them with you wherever you go. They work in indoor situations, such as those found in a home bedroom, apartment, classroom or office setting, very well. In addition, they function great in covered outdoor room areas as well. Now your garage, workshop or outdoor room can finally have the same comfortable temperature settings as your indoor ones can. Even places like a faraway cabin can benefit from the cooling efforts of a portable air conditioner. Breathe easier when you plug in your portable air conditioner, because they help to improve air circulation in spaces with poor ventilation. This is just another great value that you can enjoy from your portable air conditioner.



Jack

David Vandenberg asked:


Air Conditioner Maintenance

This topic is probably the most important in this whole article. Turn it on and forget it, will cost you a ton of money and repair bills. Some very easy simple maintenance throughout the hot season will keep your unit running smoothly and efficiently, which means a lower electric bill, and we all like that.

A/C Filters - This is the easiest and most efficient things you can do. You don’t need to pay someone to do this. I can’t tell you where your filter is because of the many A/C unit variations, but you need to locate it either by asking someone, or write down your model and look it up online. Once you know this, (there can be more then just one filter) then keeping the filter(s) clean is a breeze. Your typical air conditioner in most homes is clogged and dirty. This robs you of efficiency and money. When normal air flow is obstructed or heavily restricted, the air flow that bypasses the filter will be carrying dirt

into the evaporator coil which inhibits the coils ability to absorb heat, which in turn lowers the efficiency of the entire system, but hikes your electric bill. So, this is an easy one, clean your filter(s) on scheduled basis depending on where you live. Some filters can be cleaned, some are disposable and must be replaced. As the dirt builds up, the restriction of air increases, the efficiency depletes, and the energy consumption goes up, that simple.

If you live in a dusty dirty climate, you may be cleaning or changing filters every couple weeks. I personally change or clean mine every month. The filter should not get to the point of being black and caked with dirt.

Air Conditioning Coils - Coils can collect dirt over time, especially if the filters are not cleaned regularly. Regardless, the evaporator coil will collect dirt over time anyway. This again, just like the filters, reduces it’s ability to absorb heat, which reduces efficiency, and raises the electric bill. Clean the coils at a minimum, every year. If you have an outside A/C unit, the coils will become dirty much faster. Keep an eye on the coils to make sure they are not collecting dirt.

A/C Coil Fins

You thought we were done, didn’t you! Not quite. Around the coil mentioned above are the coil fins. These maze like aluminum fins are very flexible and sensitive. They can be easily bent or flattened, exactly like the radiator on your car, this is bad. When a fin is bent it blocks air flow over the coil and has the same effect as being dirty. You can buy a simple little tool at most auto part stores called a “Fin Comb” which you gently run across the fins and straighten them out. A little tedious if you have allot of bent fins, but well worth the time to do it.

Air Duct and Refrigerant Leaks

This really would be more of a “Repair” topic, but you can catch these things during your maintenance. First let’s talk about air duct leaking (central type). When your nice cold air is leaking out of the duct work instead of delivering all of it to where it’s supposed to, it’s costing you a fortune. It would be pretty accurate for me to say that 10%-30% of most central air conditioning ducts are leaking. This is just pure wasted energy and money. The solution is very easy, maybe a little tedious, but if your ducts are leaking and you correct those, you will notice your system will work better, and your electric bill will drop!

Duct work is typically sealed with “Mastic”. Never use duct tape. I know, I like duct tape myself and it has many uses, but sealing airways efficiently is not one of them. Duct work is not all the same and comes in many shapes and sizes, and depending on homes age, the builder, and if the central A/C unit was a pre-install or a post-install, will determine where your ducts are located. If your lucky and can access them, you could check for obvious leaks yourself.

The best and effective course of action is to have an HVAC company leak test your duct work. This is not too costly, and will easily pay for itself if you have any leaks that should be sealed. Refrigerant leaks will require some experience and proper tools to detect. By all means, if you have the equipment, test it yourself. Otherwise you want to call your local (and reputable) HVAC company to determine the source of the leak and repair it. Refrigerant charge should match the manufacturer specs for the best efficiency. If your refrigerant has been charged, but your A/C is dwindling or doesn’t work, you just might

have a leak, or the charge may be too low.

Sizing Your Air Conditioner

Air conditioners, as I mentioned earlier come in different sizes and need to be matched to the area you intend to cool. It’s beyond the scope of this

article, so I’ll point you in the right direction. Do a search for “ACCA”-(Air Conditioning Contractors of America) or search for ASHRAE”-(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers). They both publish proper sizing procedures and calculations.

Air Conditioner Efficiency Ratings

Energy efficiency ratings show how many Btu per hour are removed for each watt of power used. You will find these ratings listed in one of two ways or both:

EER - “Energy Efficiency Ratio” and SEER - “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio”

This rating is posted on the labeling. Look for a high EER rating. Buy the most efficient rating you can afford. Room A/C units typically range from 5000 Btu and up and have a 8.0 EER and up.

Central A/C systems typically have a 10.0 EER or SEER and up. You can do much better, but you’ll pay a little more. Don’t settle for the minimum, get the highest rating you can when it comes to the EER or SEER. It will pay for itself in the long run. Technology changes quickly, so don’t be surprised to see some very high EER or SEER numbers!

Get Ready for Summer Means more then just cleaning the BBQ grille!

If you already have air conditioning in your home, you will want to do a pre-season check to ensure your unit is running efficiently. If you cannot do this yourself, hire a local reputable HVAC service.

*Test for refrigerant leaks and ensure charge is correct and matches manufacturers specs for the unit.

*Measure air flow through the evaporator coil

*Clean all filters or replace as needed. Make sure all coils are clean.

*Check for and fix all air leaks if you have a central A/C system.

*Check electrical connections and terminals for tightness, corrosion, and apply a non conductive grease to inhibit corrosion.

*Oil motors and check any belts for correct tension, or excessive wear or cracks.

*If you have any bushes blocking your A/C unit whether it be a window unit, or pedestal mounted, remove them, they are blocking the air flow.

*If you do not have one, consider an electronic thermostat. A faulty or “off the mark” thermostat will waste energy.

Air Conditioning Recap and Summary

*Refrigerant is pumped by the compressor through copper lines into a Evaporator which absorbs heat, then goes to the condenser which dispels the heat. Of course you also have fans that blow the cold air in, and the heat out.

*You will find single room air conditioners, and central whole house air conditioners.

*Swamp coolers are a good alternative if you don’t want the A/C and live in a low humidity region.

*Keep your filters clean, you evaporator and condenser coils clean, your fins straight, your refrigerant charged and leak free, and your ducts (central a/c) clear of obstructions and leak free.

*Properly size the air conditioner you choose according to it’s purpose and cooling area size. This includes window units, not just central systems.

*Pay attention to energy efficiency ratings (EER and SEER) when making your purchase. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit will be.

*Give your A/C unit a good check and cleaning before the weather becomes too hot and you have to make an emergency call to your HVAC service.

Article Copyright 2007-2008 David V | DIYinnovation.com



Nellie

cheerio21599 asked:


The apartment we live in doesn’t have windows we can put air conditioners in. We just have a sliding glass door and the kitchen window opens from the side. How can we cool off the house with an air conditioner? The fans just blow hot air around.

Katherine