Air Conditioner Filters

Air Conditioner Filters

When people think about an air conditioner filter, efficency and how much dust they will stop are vital points. When replacing or upgrading your air conditioner filter you must take these thoughts into consideration.

There is also a very worthwhile thing that your air conditioner filter does. It is to help keep dust from appearing on the evaporator coil of your air conditioning system. The evaporator is found inside the air handler and is one of the principal components of any air conditioning system.

Most people know that any dust that passes through the filter ends up back in your house group and can be very painful to allergy sufferers and anyone else who is sensitive to dust and other allergy items.

The filter also serves another very worthwhile purpose. It also stops the evaporator coil from becoming bunged with dust and reducing the efficiency of the model.

The evaporator coil is built like the radiator inside a car. Like your car radiator, it wont be able to do its job without the correct amount of airflow. I am comparing the evaporator coil to a car radiator because we all know what a radiator looks like where as a evaporator coil works to cool air as it goes through it.

During the passing years dust builds up between the fins of the evaporator coil and can condition a layer on the surface of the evaporator coil fins. This happens over a length of time and can take copious months or years to occur.

If you have your air conditioner looked at regularly, the contractor will check this and forewarn you when it needs to be cleaned. Airflow through the evaporator coil declines and the equipment efficiency begins to suffer. Equipment failure can occur and lead to expensive, unwanted repairs.

As you can see cleaner air is not the only advantage you will get from using an efficient air conditioner filter. Money will also be saved because your air conditioning will perform at maximum efficiency.

Find more on filters and other information on air conditioning at www.proaircon.com

Having fitted air conditioning my self, I know what a nightmare it can be...built a site to help myself and others at www.proaircon.com

Automotive Air Conditioners

It's August, the car is jammed with kids and luggage, and you're finally on your way to the cottage. Suddenly you realize that your car's air conditioning system is on the fritz, and your family vacation really starts to heat up.

Automotive air conditioning systems were first introduced in 1940 to address customer demands for relief from unbearable heat. These systems use refrigerant to cool the air and remove the heat from the car's passenger compartment. Air conditioning also cleans the air that enters the car, and removes excess moisture as it dehumidifies the air.

There are three basic components to any automotive air conditioner system:

1. Compressor--Considered the heart of the air conditioning system, the compressor transfers and compresses refrigerant gas to let the heat out of the car.

2. Condenser--removes heat from the refrigerant and cools down the high-pressure gasses.

3. Evaporator--Acts as the heater core of the air conditioning system. The evaporator removes the heat from inside the car. The refrigerant then condenses the air and transforms it into water.

Cars manufactured in 1995 or later have been equipped with R-134A air conditioning system. These ozone-friendly units do not contain CFCs, are nontoxic and nonflammable.

Prior to 1995, automotive air conditioners came with R-12 refrigerant, most commonly Freon. During that time, a car owner experiencing air conditioner problems needed only to visit a local retailer to purchase a recharge kit. With a can of Freon and basic knowledge, the average driver could easily repair his or her own air conditioning system. When studies confirmed that R-12 systems were contributing to the damaged ozone layer, many countries including the United States banned their manufacture.

Common Problems
The most common complaint about automotive air conditioners, particularly R-134 systems, is the odor that permeates from the A/C vents. Mechanics and car manufacturers have concluded that accumulated bacteria and fungus in the evaporator core likely cause the odor. Because the air conditioning system is loaded with moisture, it attracts microbes. The solution offered by automakers is to make the blower motor effective in drying out the evaporator after the A/C system is turned off. General Motors introduced this breakthrough, called Electronic Evaporator Dryer.

This solution might offer relief to some car owners, but not to all. Installing this system can cost hundred of dollars. As a result, many car owners have resorted to finding alternative methods of fighting the odor. Using antibacterial chemicals such as Lysol can be an effective short-term solution. Keeping a can of Lysol handy can go along way for your odorous air problem. Just spay the Lysol inside the car, and in the air intake once a week, for temporary relief from the problem. Another way to help eliminate the odor is to shut off the A/C unit at least one mile before reaching your destination. This will allow enough time for the evaporator to dry out, essentially doing away with the moisture and microbes that cause odor. This can be the easiest and least expensive method in combating the issue.

Caring For Your A/C System

* To keep working efficiently, your automotive air conditioner must be recharged from time to time, depending on how often it is are used. Consult your mechanic or your owner's manual for information about system recharges.

* Call your mechanic if you see water leaking from the A/C system's condenser, as this can affect the refrigerant. Have the system repaired before refilling it.

* Replacing the filter once every three months will also help to maintain the performance of your automotive air conditioning system. This is where dust builds up when the A/C system is running.

* Setting the gauge at one specific temperature will also help it perform well. If you constantly switch from one temperature to another, your system will have trouble adjusting accordingly.

Automotive air conditioners can be a driver's best friend, whether you're traveling across town or from coast to coast. Keep your A/C unit well maintained, and keep your cool on the road.

Charles Jackson contributes to several web magazines, on recreation and hobbies and travel and recreation subjects

What To Look For In A Portable Air Conditioner

A portable air conditioner is a tool that you can't afford to be without. These units allow you to take air conditioning benefits with you, no mater where you want to go. In fact, you can use them to help you to stabilize the air that you are breathing in temporarily or they can be used continuously. Unlike a large, household air conditioning unit, these are much more affordable to purchase as well as to run. You can condition the air in the areas that you live effectively, without having to worry about the overall cost of the rest of the home being conditioned (even when you aren't in those areas.)

There are many different models of portable air conditioners on the market that you can take full advantage of. You'll be able to purchase based on your own specific needs as well as your budget. What you should do, though, is to compare what each has to offer to you so that you can ultimately see improvements in your overall healthy and wellness.

For one thing, take the time to consider the area that the unit provides conditioning for. Getting a unit that provides for conditioning for that area only will save you time and money. You should also look at the warranty on the product, insuring it is as long as possible. Consider how often the unit will need to be emptied. Since most of the portable air conditioner options on the market will pull water from the air and then store it in a tank to keep the unit cool. But, these units will require the emptying of these tanks to keep them running.

Purchasing a portable air conditioner is an ideal tool to have. The best route to take is to insure that you provide for a high quality product that will offer you the ultimate benefits. Comparing the products that are available help you to make the right decision.

Kerry Rodden is an expert on air purifiers, and has written many articles on air purifiers, fans, vacuum cleaners, air fresheners and a lot more.

You can read more of Kerry's articles about air purifiers at http://www.lowplaces.net

Adjust The Thermostat Levels To Increase The Efficiency Of The Air Conditioner

Be it the hot and scorching summer months or the cold and chilly winter months, it is hard to imagine life without an air conditioner. There are several issues that we need to consider before buying an air conditioner. This would include the make of the air conditioner, the capacity of the air conditioner, the room you would be installing it in, etc. There is also the issue of efficiency of an air conditioner linked to the choice you make.

The efficiency of an air conditioner is important to many people as the running costs of an air conditioner is generally pretty high. With a lower efficiency air conditioner, these costs could sky rocket. However, there are a number of things we can actually do to increase the efficiency of the air conditioner.

The first thing that we need to do is take proper care of the device. Maintaining the air conditioner and its different parts in prime working condition ensures that the unit will work at its optimal level and be more efficient.

Similarly, if we keep the room from heating up too much from the rays of the sun by drawing the curtains, we can further increase the efficiency of the air conditioner.

Another very effective way to increase the efficiency of an air conditioner is by adjusting the thermostat levels of it. By setting it at proper levels you can save significant amount of power consumption. During the summer months try and adjust the thermostat levels at 78 degree Fahrenheit or higher. If you adjust at any lower temperature, you will be spending about 7% extra on your electricity bills for every additional drop of Fahrenheit degree temperature.

Similarly during the winter months adjust your air conditioner?s thermostat level at 68 degree Fahrenheit or below it. This will again save you a lot of power consumption and hence cooling costs.

If you are not used to such temperature in either of the seasons, then it will take time for you and your family to adjust. Don?t just rush into it. First let your family know why you are adjusting the thermostat levels. Then reach the level gradually by changing the thermostat temperature every day by a degree. This would help you and your family to acclimatize better. And in no time you will be saving a lot of extra bucks on your electricity bills. You can even plan for something with those extra dollars to reward yourselves for sticking to the plan.

Adjust the Thermostat Levels to Increase the Efficiency of the Air Conditionerbest air conditioner, window air conditioner and air conditioner repair.

Updating Your HVAC System

The shock of skyrocketing utilities bills may have you thinking about upgrading your HVAC system?. and rightly so, because there is no chance the fuel costs are going to go down.

The newer heating and air conditioner systems are much more efficient than older units and offer significant long-term energy savings. The Government has mandated that any cooling units should have a SEER rating of at least 13 starting in 2006 and this is good, because a twenty-year unit may have a SEER rating of only 7 or 8. However, for real savings you should look at your whole home as an energy eating beast that needs to be put on a diet. This includes repairing air leaking windows and door seals

It does little good to replace an older HVAC system and expect great reduction in utility bills, if you don?t attend to the areas where you are losing energy. New HVAC systems are expensive and the temptation may be to just install a new high efficiency furnace and air-conditioning system and hope for the best. The fact is, the reduction in utility bills may be disappointing because you may have overlooked a major player in the whole HVAC system?. like the ductwork.

A poorly designed, leaking and under insulated ductwork system can waste 30 percent or more of the money you pay to run your heating and cooling system.and nullify any gain you might realize by installing a new high efficiency system. Many duct systems are poorly insulated and leak conditioned air into un-conditioned attics and crawl spaces. I commonly find disconnected ductwork during my home inspections.

When ducts leak, conditioned air can be forced out unsealed joints and lost. In addition, also un-conditioned air can also be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. Attic temperature can be very high in the summer and cold in the winter?so, any attic air that enters your system through un-sealed duct joints will have to be cooled in the summer and heated in the winter, this increases the load on your system and increases your energy bill.

Surprisingly an older home may have a much better designed duct system than a new home and may only need a leak check and insulation upgrade. Newer homes on the other hand may be victim of cost cutting measures and poorly designed duct systems. The use of flex duct has grown in popularity because ease of installation and the high cost of shop made sheet metal ducts. Flex ducts even installed properly are a poor substitute for well designed properly insulated sheet metal ducts. It is common practice to make plenums and coil boxes out of taped together duct board.

Be sure to include an evaluation of your ductwork system in your plans to upgrade your HVAC system. There is no use in exhausting valuable conditioned air to the great outdoors through leaks and worn-out duct insulation. If your duct system needs an overhaul, you might want to consider a high velocity delivery system that uses smaller PVC pipe ducts. These high velocity systems are much easier to install and insulate. The bottom line on a HVAC system upgrade for maximum efficiency must include more than just the new equipment. Don?t forget about the duct work and include it into your budget.

Jim McDonald is a retired contractor and a licensed home inspector

jim@getinfoweb.com