There are several issues to consider when adding central air conditioning to an existing heating system. If a home has an older heating system with no provisions for central air conditioning, the ductwork may be smaller than what is required for air conditioning. Increase the fan speed to compensate for the ductwork. A larger motor [...]
Is it being phased out like the refrigerant in your car? Unless a central home air conditioner is relatively new, the refrigerant used is R22. It is chemically different from the refrigerant used in an auto and has only one-twentieth the impact on stratospheric ozone. Because it is not as harmful to the ozone layer, [...]
When buying a new central air conditioner, what should you look for to ensure a high-efficiency unit that will last? One of the best guides to the efficiency of an air conditioner unit is the seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER).The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit will be. Federal legislation dictates a minimum [...]
As the summer months become warmer and longer, and winter?s chill makes its mark, Australian households are craving more comfortable, manageable indoor climates. This is where reverse cycle airconditioners that can both heat and cool your home come into their own, writes Kymberly Martin. There are a number of things to consider before purchasing a [...]
Due to the variety of building insulation materials available and the various building elements that may require insulation, there are a number of ways of installing building insulation. Where to insulate: Where to insulate depends on where your living or conditioned space (the space that you heat and air-condition) ends and where your unconditioned space [...]
Because they are usually pretty accessible, attics are one of the easier places in the home to inspect and insulate. And if there is no insulation, it’s usually the most cost-effective insulation project you can do. Keep in mind the rule that you want to insulate any surface that divides inside living areas from outside [...]
Walls are important to consider in an insulation evaluation because percentage-wise, they are a large portion of the building envelope. However, because of the difficulty and expense involved, insulating walls in an existing home is hard to cost-justify. You can check to see if your walls are insulated by removing an electrical outlet cover and [...]
Slab perimeters should be insulated with rigid insulation at the time of construction. However, this is a somewhat new practice, meaning older homes are unlikely to have slab insulation. Slabs lose heat at their perimeters because concrete is a fairly good conductor of heat. With no insulation, the temperature difference between the slab and the [...]
Second only to insulating the attic, insulating basements and foundations walls is often a cost-effective home improvement. It’s one that can also make the home more comfortable. Basements that are used as living space and heated or cooled should have insulation separating the living area from the outside air or ground. If there is none, [...]
Weather-stripping is designed to reduce air leakage around parts of the house that must move relative to one another, like doors and windows. Weather-stripping is easy to install and may be one of the most cost-effective home improvements. Besides improving the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems, weather-stripping keeps out dirt, dust, noise and [...]
Conductive heat loss through the ducts is typically as great or greater than losses from air leakage. Ducts running through unconditioned spaces like an attic or crawlspace should be insulated. If the ducts are in a basement, you will have to weigh the fact that insulating them will make the basement colder. If both the [...]
There are a couple of things that can cause your central A/C not cooling properly 1. Your condenser may be dirty. 2. There may be inadequate air flow around the condenser. 3. There might be a leak, and your unit is out of refrigerant. 4. Your duct system might be leaking. Things to do: 1. [...]
The Diagram below will give some idea how a central air conditioner for your house works: A central air conditioner uses the furnace’s blower to draw room air into the unit through return-air ductwork and a filter that removes dust, hair and lint. The room air moves past a chilled indoor coil-the evaporator-to release its [...]
Central air conditioners are designed to cool the entire house. Most are known as “split systems,” meaning the air conditioner‘s main components are separate from each other. The cooling coil evaporator is mounted inside the home, usually in the furnace plenum; while the other major components (the compressor and condenser coil and fan) are located [...]
Some Tips To Reduce The Energy Cost Of Your Home A/C Plant During Summer. A few simple steps as follows will save lot of energy: Set your thermostat at 78°F or higher. Each degree setting below 78°F will increase your energy consumption by approximately 8%. Use bath and kitchen fans sparingly when the air conditioner [...]
Air conditioning is one of those amenities that’s easy to take for granted if you have it, and-on a hot, humid summer afternoon-easy to covet if you don’t. In fact, in relatively warm climates, central air conditioners have become more the norm than the exception. In addition to cooling, they dehumidify and filter air, making [...]
Air conditioning systems can provide welcomed relief in the heat of the summer. An air conditioning system serves to cool the air inside a building. The system may serve to cool the air in either a small room or throughout the entire house. The system that you choose will depend largely on the size of [...]
Air conditioning is one of those amenities that’s easy to take for granted if you have it, and-on a hot, humid summer afternoon-easy to covet if you don’t. In fact, in relatively warm climates, central air conditioners have become more the norm than the exception. In addition to cooling, they dehumidify and filter air, making [...]
THE DUCT SYSTEM, used in air heating and air cooling your home, is a collection of tubes that distributes the heated or cooled air to the various rooms. This system can make a big difference in both the cost and the effectiveness of heating and cooling the home. The duct system can have an important [...]
Humidity is the condition of the atmosphere in relation to the water vapour it contains and is a fairly complicated subject to deal with fully, but a few brief notes will help you to understand enough of the subject for our purpose. Water vapour is always present in the air in varying amounts, the amount [...]
A good ventilation system is designed to keep the temperature and humidity at comfortable levels, to create enough air movement of acceptable velocity and direction to produce a feeling of freshness and comfort, and to maintain the purity of the air reducing the concentrations of dust, bacteria, odours and carbon dioxide to desirable levels for [...]
Air conditioning includes both the cooling and heating of air. It also cleans the air and controls the moisture level. An air conditioner is able to cool a building because it removes heat from the indoor air and transfers it outdoors. A chemical refrigerant in the system absorbs the unwanted heat and pumps it through [...]
Unfortunately, many duct systems are poorly insulated or not insulated properly. Ducts that leak heated air into unheated spaces can add hundreds of dollars a year to your heating and cooling bills. Insulating ducts that are in unconditioned spaces is usually very cost effective. If you are buying a new duct system, consider one that [...]