Portable Air Conditioners - an Inexpensive Cooling Solution for Your Home

Portable air conditioners have become very popular in recent years. Many people use them even if they have a central system because portable A/C can provide excellent cooling for a significantly lower cost. Find out about the pros and cons of a mobile A/C unit and if one could work for you. A portable air conditioner is a self contained unit, usually about 30 inches tall and about 80 pounds in weight. The best thing is that it doesn't require any installation: it stands on the floor and you don't have to fit it in your window or your wall. Most mobile A/C units have little wheels, so you can easily move them around. Portable A/C pros: - you can move your portable unit from room to room, so there is no need to buy a window-mounted air conditioner for each room - you don't have to block your window or make holes in your wall - a portable air conditioner is ready to use as soon as you unpack it - using a mobile air conditioner to cool only one room instead of switching on a central system saves you a lot on energy bills Parable air conditioner cons: - a portable unit costs slightly more than a window air conditioner with a similar cooling capacity - comparable to central air conditioning and mini-split systems (where the compressor is outside), portable A/C is loud. If noise is an issue, look at the reviews of several portable units and select the one that makes the least noise. Is portable A/C effective in cooling large rooms? That depends on the size of your unit. Small portable units with cooling capacities of about 8000 BTU are perfect for a 300 sq. foot room, while larger 24000 BTU air conditioners can effectively cool a 1000 sq. foot room. So, as you can see, a properly sized mobile air conditioner can do a good job even in a very large room. However, you should know that larger doesn't necessarily mean better. An air conditioner that is too large will consume more energy and won't cool your room effectively, because it will stop and start constantly. Portable air conditioner energy efficiency Everybody knows that air conditioners chew a lot of energy, so energy efficiency is a big issue. However, recent developments in technology allow manufacturers to produce very efficient air conditioners. A few years ago an EER (energy efficiency ratio) of 6 or 7 was considered good. Now the standard is 12 or higher. Modern portable air conditioners are as energy efficient as window or mini split units. To select the most efficient air conditioner, look at its EER - the higher, the better. Also choose a unit with an Energy Star. The Energy Star means that an air conditioner meets energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. How affordable is a mobile air conditioner? You might be surprised to learn that portable A/C is not too expensive. The prices have gone down significantly, in recent years, and now you can buy a good unit from around $300. Of course, air conditioners with a larger cooling capacity cost more, and so do those with higher energy efficiency ratings. However, when it comes to paying more for a more efficient unit, you actually save money because your energy bill will be lower.

To conclude, if you don't have air conditioning and don't feel like investing in a central system, a portable air conditioner can be a great alternative. And if you have a central A/C, it's still a good idea to have a portable unit for cooling just the room you are in, instead of the entire house. It can significantly reduce your bills.

Tanya Turner publishes 100 Air Conditioner Reviews.com where you can find tips on air conditioner shopping, price comparison and reviews of portable air conditioners .

Do You Know How Important Your Air Conditioner Filter Is?

When most people think about an air conditioner filter, it is in terms of how efficient they are and how much dust they will stop. These are important things and should be considered when replacing or upgrading your air conditioner filter.

There is another very important job that your air conditioner filter does. It helps to keep dust from collecting on the evaporator coil of your air conditioning system. The evaporator is located inside the air handler and is one of the four main components of any air conditioning system. The air filter is usually located somewhere just before the evaporator coil.

Everyone knows that any dust that passes through the filter ends up back in your living space and can be very irritating to allergy sufferers and anyone else who is sensitive to dust and airborne contaminants.

What most people dont realize is that your air conditioner filter also serves another important purpose. It also prevents the evaporator coil from becoming plugged with dust and reducing the efficiency of the equipment.

This evaporator coil is constructed very similar to the radiator in a car. Like your car radiator, it will not be able to do its job without proper airflow. I am comparing the evaporator coil to a car radiator because most of us know what a radiator looks like, but an evaporator coil works to cool air as it passes through.

Over time dust collects between the fins of the evaporator coil and can even form a layer on the surface of the evaporator coil fins (like a blanket). This happens over a period of time and can take months and even years to happen.

If your air conditioner develops a problem with ice build up and it was never a problem in the past, there are two probable causes. The evaporator coil is becoming dirty and causing low operating pressures, or you are not changing your air filter often enough.

If you have your air conditioner serviced regularly, the technician should check the coil condition and advise you when it needs to be cleaned. As airflow through the evaporator coil becomes more and more restricted the equipment efficiency begins to decline. This can even cause equipment failure and lead to expensive repairs.

So, cleaner air is not the only benefit you will get from using an efficient air conditioner filter. You will also save money because your air conditioning equipment will perform at a higher efficiency and you will reduce service calls.

Donald Munn has been in the air conditioning, ventilation and heating industry for twenty years and shares his experience and insight into furnace filter selection, performance and care at www.furnacefiltercare.com
 

HVACR Careers - School and Job Information

 

Careers in HVACR ? Education and Training for Success

What is HVACR?

The "Heating-Ventilation-Air Conditioning-Refrigeration"(HVACR) industry manages indoor environments. The HVACR industry covers the comfort systems - heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration - that our society depends on year around. The heating and cooling industry is a $150 billion a year business that employs many people and more skilled people are needed to fill the increasing demand. The HVACR industry works on issues that affect our environment such as indoor air quality and protecting the earth's ozone layer through refrigerant recovery.

Where do HVACR people work?

• Sports arenas
• Shopping malls
• Theaters
• Office and apartment buildings
• Private homes
• Factories
• Grocery stores
• Industrial plants
• Hospitals
• Homes

Technical Jobs are the Fastest Growing Segment of the Economy

Jobs in the $150 billion a year HVACR industry are predicted to increase throughout the end of this decade and throughout the twenty-first century, as demand grows for new industrial, commercial, and residential climate control systems. To maintain or replace older comfort systems, additional new jobs will be created.

The HVACR industry offers well-paying jobs, ranging from a $29, 500 salary for beginning technicians with a two-year Associates Degree to a $40,000 salary for B.S. Graduates with a four-year technical degree. Sales and business HVACR jobs offer similar compensation.

Why is HVACR important in our daily lives?

• In the home people depend on air conditioning and heating to keep comfortable.
• Electronic and computer manufacturers need cool, clean, and very dry air for their products.
• Hospitals, day care centers, and community centers depend on HVACR equipment to maintain comfortable temperatures and good air quality.
• Research labs, medical manufacturers and food preparation companies need HVACR equipment to ensure that their products are pure and safe.
• Farmers, livestock shippers, and fruit growers rely on refrigerated trucks, warehouses, and display cases to keep their products fresh.
• Printers use high-speed, multicolor printing equipment that requires strict humidity control to ensure product quality.

What education and training is needed?

To get started in the HVACR field, you should enroll in the following courses in high school:

• Computer Applications
• CAD - Computer-Aided Design
• Business
• Sales and Marketing
• Air Conditioning
• Math - algebra and geometry
• Sheet Metal
• Electricity/electronics
• Mechanical Drawing
• Blueprint reading

The stronger your training, the greater your chances for advancement in the field! After graduating from high school, you can get additional training at a local community college or at a university.

Scholarships & Loans: Most schools can help you finance your college education through scholarships and loan packages.

100% Job Placement: Look for two-year associate programs or colleges and universities with high rates of job placement. Often they can find jobs for 100% of their HVACR students.

For more information on becoming an heating technician or air conditioning technician please visit our school at rel="nofollow" href="http://www.refrigerationschool.com">http://www.refrigerationschool.com