HVAC Systems



             


Monday, March 24, 2008

Portable Air Conditioners Work Well to Cool Rooms

If you live in an apartment or work in an office situation, then you know how unpleasant it can be in the summer when everything gets so hot and sticky. Wouldn't it be nice to have some cooling air conditioning that you could bring with you and put it where it is most needed? Well, now you can with a portable air conditioner. Portable air conditioners work well to cool rooms, and the best part is you can take them with you when you move or change offices.

You can obtain a portable air conditioner to fit the area you wish to cool. It can be as small as 200 square feet or as large as 500 square feet. Many of these portable air conditioners are multi-functional units, and some offer heat as well. You can find a unit to meet your specific needs, in the size you need as well.

Breathing fresh air is always an issue, especially in a home or office situation where germs are present. Several different types of portable air conditioners offer ionizers and UV lights that are used to kill bacteria on contact. They also work to improve air circulation in rooms that are poorly ventilated, and they do so in such a way as to maximize energy savings.

Permanently installed air conditioners can have the problem of running too hot, and breaking down as a result. This is certainly possible during long periods of hot weather when the system is continuously in use. With a portable air conditioner, on the other hand, you will not have this problem. These units are designed to take moisture from the air into the unit where it is used to cool the cooling coils, thereby recycling the water and making the entire air conditioner run at maximum performance levels.

The rooms that you choose to cool (or heat, for that matter) with these magnificent portable air conditioners can be indoor rooms, such as those found in your home, office or an apartment. They are also very effective when used in covered outdoor rooms as well. Consider all the smoldering and sweaty days you spent working on a project in your garage in the heat of summer. Now picture yourself working away in utter comfort, because you are using your portable air conditioner to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Another great application for portable air conditioners is in your summer cabin. A spot used infrequently, but when you are ready to enjoy it you want it comfortable. A portable air conditioner can make all the difference in a pleasant vacation and an overheated miserable one. See for yourself why portable air conditioners are a take-away solution for temperature comfort.

Susan Slobac has been a home improvement and appliance professional for many years.

She is featured in many publications as being an expert in appliaces such as air conditioners, portable air conditioners and

home appliances

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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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Sunday, December 9, 2007

HVAC Maintenance

Does HVAC Maintenance Pay For Itself?

Most people would not even consider not changing the oil in their vehicle. Maintaining your HVAC system is no different. By getting involved in a quality maintenance program you will reduce energy costs, extend equipment life, optimize comfort conditions and increase system reliability. Just knowing your equipment is operating safely is a peace of mind in itself.

Many businesses use what I call ?the breakdown maintenance program.? In other words ?I?ll worry about it when it breaks.? We all know this almost always happens at a inconvenient time like when it?s 20 below zero or 95 degrees in the shade. This way of handling things is also very hard on your equipment and may decrease the life of it by as much a half. Maintaining is much cheaper than replacing.

Here are some of the savings you can expect from a quality maintenance program:

Adjusting operating sequence of equipment 25-35%

Cleaning Coils 5-15%

Changing dirty air filters 10-15%

Removing scale from condenser coils 25-30%

Adjusting air/fuel ratio of burner 15%

Cleaning burner assembly 15%

Removing soot from fire side of burner 9%

Eliminating V-belt slippage and pulley alignment 15-20%

Not to mention the money saved in break down service calls.

So if your not already set up with some type of HVAC maintenance program you may want to seriously consider talking to your local HVAC contractor about getting set up with a program to meet your needs.

Information provided by Terry Manlick of HVAC Maintenance & Supplies Other HVAC related articles as well as maintenance supplies can be found at http://www.mainsupplies.com

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