HVAC Systems



             


Monday, March 3, 2008

Can Air Conditioners Make You Fat?

During the hot summer months as soon as we return home from work the first thing we do is turn on the air conditioner. Yes it helps to keep us cool and comfortable, but seldom do we actually think that it can have effects that are harmful to us. But as recent research shows, air conditioners can actually make us fat.

The most modern of technologies like air conditioning and heating make us live in a thermoneutral zone. What this means is that we get used to living at a temperature where there is no need for our body to regulate its temperature. It is only when our body?s temperature is below or above this thermoneutral zone that it works to attain that level. In the process it needs energy and as a result it has to burn calories supplied by our body.

In fact David Allison, the director of Clinical Nutrition Research Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham holds that the air conditioner might be one of the several factors that are behind the obesity problem that has reached almost epidemic proportions in America.

He actually enlists a number of factors that can be contributing to this obesity explosion besides fast food and lack of exercise. These include lack of sleep, certain medications and even things like quitting smoking as it can increase snacking when the individual becomes desperate for a comfort food.

It is suggested that the use of air conditioners should be restricted as much as possible. Since most, if not all modern offices come with air conditioners these days, it wouldn?t be possible for a working individual to avoid the effects of air conditioning all day. But at least when he is home, he can limit the use of the air conditioner. He can fix a certain time in the day, only when he will allow himself the comforts of the air conditioner. The rest of the time he has to do with a ceiling fan.

There are also skeptics who can?t quite buy this theory. Their argument is that, people all over the world are living in different climactic conditions and they still are thin. So air conditioning shouldn?t play a role. The skeptics also seem to have a point. So the whole topic needs further research.

At the end of the day, good eating habits and regular exercise are the best way to stay clear of obesity.

Jason Uvios writes on "Can Air Conditioners Make You Fat?" to visit it :- air conditioner repair, buy air conditioners and air condition

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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Benefits Of A Freestanding Air Conditioner

It is a tough job surviving the summer months without proper air conditioning. Generally it is hot, and it is humid too. With an air conditioner installed not only will it cool your surroundings cool but you will also have a less humid place to work or relax in.

There are mainly four kinds of air conditioners available in the market. They are:

1. Central Air Conditioners
2. Window Air Conditioners
3. Freestanding Air Conditioners
4. Ductless Air Conditioners

Of these, the most convenient and economical would be the freestanding air conditioners. There are a number of benefits that the freestanding ones have over the other types. We will list a few below.

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.

The other great advantage is that with a freestanding air conditioner you can have it wherever you want to have it. So when you are in your living room with your friends you can have it over there, and when you are back for to sleep after an evening of fun you can have it in your bedroom. The freestanding air conditioners are light enough to be moved around. This means that you can further save on your expenses. If you had window air conditioners you needed to install separate ones for each of the rooms. With freestanding air conditioners you can do with a single unit. Although central air conditioners cool the air of all the rooms together, but they also consume much more power than the freestanding air conditioners. Power is being expended for rooms which are not occupied. With freestanding air conditioners you can reduce your electricity bills.

Since there are no installation issues it can be used anywhere. While window air conditioners require a window or an open stretch of wall and the central air conditioner requires the provisions for ducts, you can place the freestanding air conditioners anywhere.


Jason Uvios writes on "Benefits of a Freestanding Air Conditioner" to visit it :- cool air conditioner, air ozonators and air conditioners.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Portable Air Conditioners Review

When most people think of portable air conditioners, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to portable air conditioners than just the basics.

With the onset of the damp weather, it becomes difficult to survive without constant central air conditioning but that can prove to be quite expensive. The answer to this problem is a portable air conditioner as it has many advantages. It is easy to shift from one place in the home to another and that makes a portable air conditioner the ideal cooling system solution for your home, office or industrial site.

The portable air conditioners are easy and quick to install, as they do not involve any lifting or tearing up of windowsills. Moreover it can be shifted very easily from one place in the home to the other. For taking care of the hot spots in the central air conditioning, the portable air conditioners are far more convenient than window air conditioners. It is also ideal for window shapes, which present problems for installation. There is nothing like portable air conditioners for use as a spot cooler in the home.

A portable air conditioner is an excellent choice for saving money as just one unit needs to be purchased and it can be shifted easily to where you need it as it is mounted on castors and some can weigh only about 36 pounds. Moreover, as only one room is cooled at a time instead of the whole house, the total energy consumption is very low as compared to other air conditioning systems.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Another advantage of portable air conditioners is the energy efficiency that they provide. The average efficiency is in the 8 to 10 range although some are as high as 15, which is 50 percent better than most older central air conditioners. The small size of the portable air conditioners is very advantageous and as such it can fit in a corner or against a wall. It functions like an effective dehumidifier if you do not vent the warm exhaust air out through a window and its size is also the same as that of a room dehumidifier.

In order to reduce humidity and allergies, even the small ones remove 35 pints of moisture per day from the room air. The portable air conditioners also use the heat-exchange principle as the other air conditioners to cool and dehumidify the air. The operating principle is also similar to a window air conditioner as the room air circulates over cold evaporator coils to cool and dehumidify it inside the unit. The room air is exhausted outdoor after flowing over the hot condenser. There is no chance of already-cooled indoor air escaping outside as two ducts are now used.

Nowadays, you have electronic controls in most models and you can set the desired room temperature, blower speed, start and stop timer, and operation mode (cool, dehumidify, heat). The portable air conditioners also have hand-held remote control with which you can conveniently change all the settings as per your need.

The other features of portable air conditioners include a built-in air cleaner with an optional charcoal filter and oscillating louvers to distribute the cool air throughout the room. You can also switch off the louvers to direct the flow of air towards yourself, if you so desire. The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about portable air conditioners.

Masni Rizal Mansor provide tips and review on portable air conditioners, Carrier air conditioners and central air conditioners.

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Friday, January 18, 2008

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 .

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Saturday, December 1, 2007

HVAC Noise: Solving a Common Noise Problem

Noise pollution caused by rooftop and ground-level HVAC equipment including chillers, boilers, and air handlers has become one of the most annoying as well as dangerous environmental problems in cities worldwide. As urban noise increases and residential growth multiplies, residents and communities are demanding better noise reduction solutions for heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. Outdoor community noise problems caused by commercial and industrial HVAC systems may require an acoustically engineered Sound Barrier Wall.

Sound barrier walls have been used extensively for years in the transportation and industrial fields. A sound barrier wall is an exterior structure, normally made of masonry or earth, designed to protect sensitive land uses, such as residential areas from noise pollution. These noise pollution abatement products are now being used to help eliminate unwanted noise from HVAC systems as well.

Traditional material for noise barrier walls for HVAC systems has been reflective products. Reflective products, like concrete or brick, simply redirect the unwanted sound waves in other directions, and can actually increase noise by unintentionally reflecting sound waves. There is a better solution. Absorptive sound enclosures and architectural screens actually absorb the unwanted sound waves, minimizing the risk of unintentional reflected noise. Absorptive sound walls reduce reflections and are able to maintain the effectiveness of the barrier. Therefore, the overall noise level is reduced. The advanced materials found in absorptive barrier walls present a much more effective noise barrier solution. There are different solutions for this problem such as the LSE System, an absorptive sound barrier created by Sound Fighter Systems, that actually absorbs the sound waves that hit it, thereby eliminating unwanted noise.

So, if you are facing problems with noisy HVAC equipment an absorptive sound barrier wall is obviously the most effective noise mitigation solution available for this very demanding application. Absorptive walls outperform and outlast all other noise reduction products. Plus, many systems such as the LSE System are an aesthetically pleasing HVAC sound wall with the added benefit of noise pollution reduction.

Murray Stacy is Vice President of Sound Fighter Systems, LLC, which has been researching, designing and manufacturing highly efficient absorptive noise barrier walls since 1973, making it the oldest established manufacturer of such products in America. Sound Fighter walls have been produced for unique noise mitigation applications around the world, and several of the company's walls are in their 30th year of effective service. http://www.soundfighter.com

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