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Cool, Clean
Air all Round You
Air
Condition Services
About Air
Conditioners
Indoor air conditioning is a key concept when constructing
any modern household. Air conditioning systems will keep you cool during the
hot summer months, and make staying in a pleasant, relaxing experience not to
be missed.
Depending on your living situation, you can purchase various types of air
conditioners. For college dorms and smaller apartments that lack air
conditioning systems, it is very easy to go out and purchase a smaller window
unit to help with air circulation. Houses and larger commercial building will
use carefully place condensing units or even cooling towers to power indoor air
conditioning.
An air conditioner is basically a refrigerator without the
insulated box. It uses the evaporation of a refrigerant, like Freon, to provide cooling. The mechanics of the Freon evaporation cycle are the same
in a refrigerator as in an air conditioner.
The most common refrigeration cycle
uses an electric motor to drive a compressor. Since evaporation occurs when
heat is absorbed, and condensation occurs when heat is released, air
conditioners are designed to use a compressor to cause pressure changes between
two compartments, and actively pump a refrigerant around. A refrigerant is
pumped into the cooled compartment (the evaporator coil), where the low
pressure and load temperature cause the refrigerant to evaporate into a vapour,
taking heat with it. In the other compartment (the condenser), the refrigerant
vapour is compressed and forced through another heat exchange coil, condensing
into a liquid, rejecting the heat previously absorbed from the cooled space.
Insulation reduces the required power of
the air conditioning system. Thick walls, reflective roofing material, curtains
and trees next to building also cut down on system and energy requirements.
Refrigeration air conditioning
equipment usually reduces the humidity of the air processed by the
system. The relatively cold (below the dewpoint) evaporator coil condenses
water vapor from the processed air, (much like an ice cold drink will condense
water on the outside of a glass), sending the water to a drain and removing
water vapor from the cooled space and lowering the relative humidity. Since
humans perspire to provide natural cooling by the evaporation of perspiration
from the skin, drier air (up to a point) improves the comfort provided. The
comfort air conditioner is designed to create a 40% to 60% relative humidity in
the occupied space. In food retailing establishments large open chiller
cabinets act as highly effective air dehumidifing units.
How the Evaporation Cycle
Works
- The compressor compresses cool Freon
gas, causing it to become hot, high-pressure Freon gas.
- This hot gas runs through a set of coils
so it can dissipate its heat, and it condenses into a liquid.
- The Freon liquid runs through an
expansion valve, and in the process it evaporates to become cold,
low-pressure Freon gas.
- This cold gas runs through a set of
coils that allow the gas to absorb heat and cool down the air inside the
building.
Mixed in with the Freon is a small amount of lightweight
oil. This oil lubricates the compressor.
Window Air Conditioners
A window unit implements a complete air conditioner in a small
space. The units are made small enough to fit into a standard window frame. You
close the window down on the unit, plug the unit in and turn it on to get cool
air. If you take the cover off of an unplugged window unit, you will find that
it contains:
- A compressor
- An expansion valve
- A hot coil (on the outside)
- A chilled coil (on the inside)
- Two fans
- A control unit
The fans blow air over the coils to improve their ability
to dissipate heat (to the outside air) and cold (to the room being cooled).
Maintenance
Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady
decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.
Keeping
your system properly maintained will lower energy and repair costs, prevent
breakdowns and prolong the life of your equipment. Some maintenance jobs
should be left to the professionals, but there is much that you, as a
homeowner, can do to prolong the life of your equipment, keeping it running at
peak efficiency.
Air Conditioner Filters
The most
important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air
conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. Clogged, dirty
filters block normal airflow and reduce a system's efficiency significantly.
With normal airflow obstructed, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt
directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil's heat-absorbing
capacity. Filters are located somewhere along the return duct's length. Common
filter locations are in walls, ceilings, furnaces, or in the air conditioner
itself.
Some
types of filters are reusable; others must be replaced. They are available in a
variety of types and efficiencies. Clean or replace your air conditioning
system's filter or filters every month or two during the cooling season.
Filters may need more frequent attention if the air conditioner is in constant
use, is subjected to dusty conditions, or you have fur-bearing pets in the
house. If you use a disposable type filter, it's always wise to keep several
spares inside the house.
Sealing and Insulating Air Ducts
An enormous waste of
energy occurs when cooled air escapes from supply ducts or when hot attic air
leaks into return ducts.
Recent
studies indicate that 10% to 30% of the conditioned air in an average central
air conditioning system escapes from the ducts.
For
central air conditioning to be efficient, ducts must be airtight. Hiring a competent professional service
technician to detect and correct duct leaks is a good investment, since leaky
ducts may be difficult to find without experience and test equipment. Ducts
must be sealed with duct "mastic." The old standby of duct tape is
ineffective for sealing ducts.
Obstructions
can impair the efficiency of a duct system almost as much as leaks. You should
be careful not to obstruct the flow of air from supply or return registers with
furniture, drapes, or tightly fitted interior doors. Dirty filters and clogged
evaporator coils can also be major obstructions to air flow.
The large
temperature difference between attics and ducts makes heat conduction through
ducts almost as big a problem as air leakage and obstructions. Ducts in attics
should be insulated heavily in addition to being made airtight.
Outside
Units
Dirt, leaves,
grass and other debris clog the condenser coils, straining the system.
Once a month,
inspect the outdoor unit to insure that nothing is obstructing the airflow
across the coil. Remember, before you do any work on your condenser unit turn off the power at the
disconnect switch mounted on the wall near the unit. If you don't have a
disconnect switch, turn off the breaker. If you find that your unit is becoming
dirty, you can follow the procedures below.
Performing
Outside Maintenance
- After disconnecting the power, if leaves
or other debris have collected inside the condensing unit, open the unit
by undoing the screws on the top panel and tipping it up. Remove any
debris from the enclosure. Then, reverse the procedure insuring the screws
are replaced before restoring power. Do not open the electrical panel cover. This is best left to a
certified technician.
- Check to be sure your compressor unit is level. An
unleveled unit will be nosier, less efficient, and cause excessive wear.
Check the level in both directions, making adjustments if necessary. Be careful how much you move the unit.
It has rigid connections to the electrical and refrigerant lines. Too much
(and it doesn't take much) movement could cause a refrigerant leak to
occur.
- Finally, check the condensate line for a bacterial slime that tends to
grow in condensed water. The condensate line is the drain that removes
water that has condensed from your indoor coil. Pour a 1:9
bleach-and-water solution through the line. Find the fitting for the hose,
pull it out, and flush the line all the way to the floor drain. If the drain is difficult to reach, you
may be wiser to call your HVAC (Heat, Ventilation and Air Conditioning)
contractor to do the job.
Always be careful when
using lawn mowers and trimmers around your condensing unit. Flying debris can
damage the coil and fins.
A Word about Heat Pumps
Imagine that you took an air conditioner and flipped it
around so that the hot coils were on the inside and the cold coils were on the
outside. Then you would have a heater. It turns out that this heater works
extremely well. Rather than burning a fuel, what it is doing is "moving heat."
A heat pump
is an air conditioner that contains a valve
that lets it switch between "air conditioner" and "heater."
When the valve is switched one way, the heat pump acts like an air conditioner,
and when it is switched the other way it reverses the flow of Freon and acts
like a heater.
Heat pumps can be extremely efficient in their use of
energy. But one problem with most heat pumps is that the coils in the outside air
collect ice. The heat pump has
to melt this ice periodically, so it switches itself back to air conditioner
mode to heat up the coils. To avoid pumping cold air into the house in air
conditioner mode, the heat pump also lights up burners or electric strip
heaters to heat the cold air that the air conditioner is pumping out. Once the
ice is melted, the heat pump switches back to heating mode and turns off the
burners. Maintenance is similar to
straight air conditioners and usually serviced by the same contractors.
Heat,
Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Contractor
Your
contractor may be required to have a license, depending on your province/state
or local requirements. They should be well trained, and experienced to provide
quality installation and repair. Don't be afraid to ask you contractor about
his or her training, experience, and membership in associations.
Contractors
are required to be certified to handle refrigerant in cooling systems. They are
also required to own and use refrigerant recovery equipment. Ask for proof that
your contractor is certified. Check the contractor's record and their
performance. Get a list of their past projects and take a look at their work.
Call the Better Business Bureau to find out if there have been any complaints
against them and get a list of references from the contractor.
This paper is intended for informational purposes only. Nothing contained herein constitutes legal,
financial or other professional advice. Transmission of these materials is not
intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, any relationship of any
kind between the provider and the recipient. Some of these points may not apply
in your area. Different term and conditions may vary from state to state and
province to province. All articles, text and photographic material presented
here is for the use and pleasure of the recipient only.
On the Internet visit http://www.411homeservices.com/
or
On the telephone call 1 800-xxx-xxxx enter code 201#
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