How A Room Air Conditioner Works

The most common and cost efficient cooling device is the room air conditioner. This consists of indoor and outdoor portions. An air filter, a fan and a cooling coil are parts of the indoor portion. The warm, humid air is drawn through the filter and into the fan then blown over the cooling coil. The cooling coil then cools and humidifies the air before it is blown into the room. The cooling coil contains a refrigerant fluid, which changes its physical property from liquid to gas because heat from the warm air passing over the coil causes its evaporation. Heat from the warm and humid room air is taken through this process. The outdoor portion of the unit consists of a compressor, a fan and a condenser. The cooling coil gives off low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas to the compressor. The compressor on the other hand delivers high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas to the condenser. The fan blows outdoor air over the condenser. Inside the condenser the high temperature, high pressure refrigerant gas is converted to refrigerant liquid. Heat from the hotter refrigerant gas is taken by the cooler outdoor air passing over the condenser.

This process causes the refrigerant gas to change to the liquid state. The refrigerant fluid circulates through the closed path leading through the cooling coil, the compressor and the condenser in a constant motion. The relatively cool outdoor air is sucked by the fan for cooling the condenser and then blows the hotter air back outdoors. In a room air conditioner, electric motors drive the compressor and the two fans. 110-volt lines are used for smaller room air conditioning units while for larger units 220 volt line supplies are used. An entire small residence can be cooled by some room air conditioners with sufficient capacity.

Although a room air conditioner is the lowest-cost cooling device, it has its own disadvantages which include the following:

1. Most room units can provide only widely irregular room air temperature.
2. Most room air conditioners operate with noise.
3. It is difficult to obtain an even distribution of cool air.

Because of the known disadvantages of a room air conditioner many people prefer to use the more expensive central cooling system.

A central cooling system is commonly divided into two units: An indoor and an outdoor unit. A filter, a fan and a cooling coil constitute the indoor unit. The outdoor unit on the other hand consists of a compressor that is motor-driven, a fan for the condenser and a condenser. A cabinet mounted outdoors houses these components. Most home cooling systems provide humidity reduction but offer only very limited humidity control. The length of the compressor operation determines the moisture content reduction. For example, a low indoor humidity value of 40 percent is reached when the compressor operates continuously for several hours during a hot summer day, but as night time approaches and the compressor stops operating, the water drops on the cooling coil tend to evaporate and a jump in the indoor humidity occurs. This variable humidity and its limited control however, are acceptable to home owners who are using the central cooling system.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Air Conditioning

Are Air Conditioners Good Dehumidifiers?

Although the air conditioner is here almost for a century, the market for the device, especially the domestic market, is seeing a surge that it had never seen before. This can be attributed to various reasons. While some claim that more people these days have more disposable income which allows them to invest on these devices, there are others who believe that global warming and increased temperatures all over have pushed the sales for air conditioners upwards.

Whatever may be the reason, the fact is that sales have increased and those who are in the business of selling air conditioners are trying to make the most of this opportunity. This would make them claim things which are not completely true. They can even claim that air conditioners come with features, which upon investigation might prove to be completely false. So guard against what you are being told. It is your duty to be mindful. If you are duped, much of the blame rests with you.

Many air conditioner sales person would claim that their air conditioner dehumidify the air. Let us examine how much truth is there in their claim. It is a fact that air conditioners do actually dehumidify the air to a certain extent. The evaporator coil inside the air conditioner which is a below the dewpoint can actually condense the water vapor from the air that is being processed. So when the processed air is released into the room it is devoid of the water vapor that was there in earlier.

But this is by no way the primary function of the air conditioner. Its job is to maintain a temperature. That it dehumidifies is a bonus. But since dehumidifying is not its job, the amount of dehumidification it actually achieves is also limited. This can vary from anything between 40% to 60%.

If you are really keen on dehumidifying the air of your room then you must invest on a dehumidifier itself, a device dedicated to this job. The results you will achieve are much better.

So while buying an air conditioner, keep in mind why you are buying it. It is not for dehumidifying. If however, you feel that your conditioner does enough of dehumidifying and you are happy with what the air conditioner achieves then it is good for you. but never ever buy an air conditioner with the misconception that it will double-up as the dehumidifier.

Jason Uvios writes on "Are Air Conditioners Good Dehumidifiers?" to visit it :- air purifier,air ozonators and air conditioner

Safe Server Room Cooling: Choosing The Right Portable Air Conditioner For Your Data Center

Even in the winter months, server rooms need the cooling power of portable air conditioners if adequate temperatures can't be reached through building's internal cooling system. In fact, the winter months present a potentially hazardous problem for server rooms. Rooms in many buildings can't be adjusted independently. So while hot air is forced through the vents to keep employees happy, temperatures in server rooms can mount to dangerously high levels. There are several different types of portable air conditioners and choosing the right one for your server room could be critical to the health of your servers.

Ventilation Portable air conditioners for server rooms need some form of ventilation. Otherwise, while cold air blows out the front, hot air will blow right out the back, keeping the overall temperature level except for the area directly in front of the unit. This doesn't mean that you need a window. Though many people imagine a boxy window portable air conditioner when they hear the term "portable air conditioner," this is not the optimal type for a server room. Not only are there more powerful units, but the reduced security of window units isn't ideal for a server room.

The right type of portable conditioners for a server rooms are those that can vent into a drop ceiling via a ventilation tube. If your server room doesn't have a ceiling adequate for ventilation, an outside wall can be modified to accommodate the small circular ventilation tube which forces out the hot air. Unlike portable air conditioners without vents, this type literally draws the hot air out of the room and forces it into another location.

BTU's BTU's or, British Thermal Units, refer to the energy units that a portable air conditioner can produce. Larger rooms need portable air conditioners with larger BTU's. Generally speaking you can use the following guidelines to determine the necessary BTU's needed to cool your room:

BTU's Square Feet 7,500: 150 9,000: 200 10,000: 250 12,000: 350 13,000: 400

Room size isn't the only consideration. In server rooms especially, the heat generated by the servers also must be taken into consideration. To determine the amount of BTU's needed to displace the heat generated by the equipment, multiply the total wattage of all equipment by 3.5. You'll also want to factor in any people who work in the room on a regular basis. To do this, multiply the number of occupants by 400.

Most suppliers of portable air conditioners also offer professional installation. Though they can be easily rolled from room to room, there is a small amount of installation required for venting the displaced air. In the past, larger portable air conditioners required complex wiring, but now some manufactures models, like the Avenger, can be used with a standard plug while still providing serious cooling power. Once installed, your portable air conditioner can run smoothly, quietly, and virtually maintenance-free for years.

For more information on portable air conditioners, visit http://www.Coldair.net

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 atHVACR Careers-school and job information