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

EER and Air Conditioners

When considering what kind of air conditioner to purchase for your home or for a single room of your house, you will want to pay close attention to the Energy Efficiency Rating (or EER) of the different units. What is this EER that is so frequently spoken of for air conditioners and refrigerators, you ask? Such a good question should be addressed so that you can make the best possible decision for your next air conditioner.

As stated earlier, EER stands for Energy Efficiency Rating. Standardized by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, this rating reports central air conditioning efficiency at 95 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors and 80 degrees F indoors. EER is a measure of the amount of electricity needed by an air conditioner to cool a room or house to a desired level of BTU (British Thermal Units). Moreover, EER applies primarily to commercial air conditioning systems and measures the "steady-state" efficiency of air conditioners. This means that EER tells the efficiency of the air conditioner once it has already been running for a period of time (due to the fact that more energy is required to get the air conditioner started). The rating system consists a ratio of desired BTU level to wattage usage to cool to that level. For example, an air conditioner that can cool 10,000 BTU using 1000 watts would have an EER of 10. Generally speaking, a EER of 10 is the minimum of new units.

In relation to EER, another rating used by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (or SEER). SEER is only applicable to residential or consumer cooling units and is often considered to be a more correct and reliable indicator of the overall energy efficiency than the standard EER. Currently, air conditioners must have an SEER of at least 13 to be sold in the U.S. Some air conditioning units have an SEER of up to 21. Though SEER is often criticized for not taking into account the air conditioner's efficiency while under partial load, even though there is no widely available rating of residential air conditioner efficiency under partial load.

One rating system that does address the issue of partial load efficiency is the Integrated Part Load Value (or IPLV). Also developed by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, IPLV measures partial load efficiency only in commercial cooling units. Contrary to the EER, which measures commercial air conditioners at their "steady-rate", IPLV measures commercial air conditioner efficiency in a variety of conditions - namely, at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% capacity and at different temperatures.

Another rating to take into consideration is the "fleet efficiency" or "air conditioner rating". The fleet efficiency measures the aggregate efficiency of all cooling systems built by a particular brand. The fleet efficiency tells nothing about the air conditioner quality or the durability of a certain brand's air conditioners, but it will give you an idea of how much it will cost you to run an air conditioner of different air conditioners. Because it only measures efficiency, it doesn't necessarily indicate that a particular model from one brand of air conditioner outperforms any other model of air conditioner built by a different company.

When purchasing an air conditioner, whether it is a commercial, residential, or portable air conditioner, be sure to look at the yellow tags that are required by federal law to be displayed by the manufacturer. These tags show the EER of the air conditioner as well as an estimated annual operating cost for the given unit. Probably the most convenient element of the yellow EnergyGuide tag is a sliding scale which helps you compare different units easily as its EER is plainly displayed on a scale from 10 to 16.9. Consult with a qualified air conditioner technician to determine the correct capacity that you will need to cool the desired area. Also, look at many different models and brands of air conditioners to make sure you find the best possible unit for your needs.

Shawn Hart is an Internet marketing professional for Air-Conditioner-Home. For more information about portable air conditioners and refrigeration visit Air-Conditioner-Home.com.

3 Great Reasons To Buy A Portable Air Conditioner

1. Oprah said so.

2. It looks like the robot from ?Lost In Space?.

3. Brad and Angelina are adopting one.

For those of you who make your decisions based on real information, here are some cool portable air conditioner facts.

A goldmine of enlightening information can be uncovered by visiting forums. For instance, when I wanted to tap into the experiences of actual portable air conditioner owners, all I had to do was Google ?portable air conditioner forums? and Voila!, I had instant access to pages of relevant information from 3 different forums.

I encourage you to try this technique. Just substitute any generic product or service description for ?portable air conditioners? plus the word ?forums?.

What I uncovered was concerns over energy consumption, how energy consumption impacts circuit load, noise level, venting, the disposal of water from the dehumidifying process, and of course, price.

Energy Consumption

In the United States, the average air conditioner runs 750 hours each year. Since air conditioners use a lot of electricity, their efficiency has become a public issue. The EER, or Energy Efficiency Rating, is the ratio of the Btu's per hour to the number of watts the unit draws.

EER ratings of 7 or 8 are at the low end of energy efficiency. Many units have ratings around 12 which are good. The highest rated portable air conditioner I could find was the Amcor AL10000E. It has an awesome EER of 16.6.

Energy Consumption and Circuit Load

Before you start your search for a portable air conditioner, check your breaker box for the number of amps available to the room you want cooled. If you buy a unit that draws 14.5 amps on a 15 amp circuit, you?ll have the additional but unintended cooling effect of sitting in the dark while enjoying your new portable air conditioner.

Noise Level

Most portable air conditioners that deliver 14,000 Btu?s or less have a noise level around 50 decibels. This is comparable to the loudness of most refrigerators. At 60 decibels, a 16,000 Btu unit is slightly noisier. Think of what it?s like to watch TV in the kitchen while the fridge is running.

Venting

There is some controversy as to whether a dual hose unit is superior to the single hose configuration. On one hand, a single hose unit will exhaust from the room some portion of the cool air it just produced.

On the other hand, a dual hose unit eliminates this problem, but the warmer unconditioned air used to cool their compressors results in slightly less efficiency. They also use two internal fans which result in slightly higher energy usage.

Another hot topic at the forums that people are venting about is having to wrap insulation around the hose of their single hose unit. This is done to prevent the hot exhaust hose from adding heat back into the room. Personally, I can?t think of anything better than duct tape wrapped around insulation to brighten up a room.

Water Water Everywhere

Portable air conditioners offer three methods for disposing of the water extracted by the dehumidifier component.

The most convenient is auto evaporation which eliminates the need for drains or reservoirs. The reliability of this method varies from unit to unit.

The second method is direct drain using a hose attached to the unit. This can be problematic unless the unit is located near a floor drain. Not much chance of that, so you?ll have to use a bucket.

And finally, you get to empty the pan yourself. Just make sure the pan is large enough so the air conditioner doesn?t shut off in the middle of the night when the pan fills up.

Price

I think price is a secondary consideration to efficiency. As usual, a higher priced unit that operates more efficiently will always end up costing less in the long run than a cheaper, less efficient model.

Portable air conditioners are much less efficient than comparable window units and cost roughly twice as much. What you're paying for is the flexibility to roll it from one room to another or into a closet for easy storage.

Another Option to Consider

For the price of a portable air conditioner you might be able to buy a window air conditioner AND a new window to put it in.
http://www.alternative-heating-info.com alternative heating and cooling for the home, pellet burning stoves, radiant home heating systems, solar heating systems, geothermal heating and cooling.

Automotive Air Conditioner Basic Troubleshooting Tips

If your automotive air conditioner isnt working quite right, here are a few ideas to begin. First of all start with the control panel on your dashboard. Most automobiles have an A/C button that actually turns the compressor on and allows cold air to be circulated. You might have accidentally hit the recirculation button instead of the A/C button. (Dont laugh, I had a friend that spent a week in a hot car and all he needed to do was press the right button.) The second thing to check is the actual function of the controls. Do they move at all? Are they loose and giggle around? The big question is do they feel different from the last time your air conditioner worked? This could tell if the controls are messed up and need replacing. Your air conditioner system may be fine but the controls could be frozen or broken. If your controls seem to be functioning, lets move to the blower fan. Turn on your car and start youre air conditioner as you normally would. Then turn your blower to its highest setting. Can you here your fan blowing? If you can hear it, does it sound weak or whining. This could signal that your blower motor is malfunctioning or needs to be replaced. If it doesnt work at all, check the fuse for the blower motor. The fuse for your blower motor should be located in the fuse box under the dash. Most automobiles have the fuses clearly labeled. First take out the blower fan fuse with the removal tool provided in the fuse box. A blown fuse should be easy to identify. However if you are unsure, replace it with a similar rated fuse and try your blower again. If that fuse blows you may have a bad blower motor or a short in the circuit. In this case, you will need an authorized mechanic to fix it.

If the blower fan is working properly and you can only get cold air out of the defroster vents, you may have vacuum-system supply line problem. To check for this, look for a small black plastic tube going from the engine area through the dash. It is usually right by the refrigerant lines. Check this tube and see if it has holes or is not connected. If all of these little tips are not helping and youre A/C doesnt blow cold air no matter how many switches you turn on or off, you will probably need an certified mechanic. Good luck and stay cool!

Jason is the webmaster for Red Hill Supply - Online Air Tools Automotive Air Conditioning Tools, Refrigerant Leak Detectors, and More - Red Hill Supply

redhillsupply.com

jmiller@redhillsupply.com

HVAC Air Filters Amongst The Best Air Filters For Air-Conditioning

Most of the time people are not aware about the dangers of air pollution inside our rooms. Our rooms are most polluted places in the cities we live. A number of small particles of dust, dirt, and pollen circulated within our living rooms and we continue breath such airs for long hours. The particles in air can increase our allergy symptoms or even can trigger some of the diseases. We only care about pollution in the cities and HVAC air filters help us in controlling air pollution especially inside our homes. HVAC air filters are widely used in various applications such as air conditioning, heating and other ventilating applications. These are designed in such a way so that the HVAC air filters provide us the best air.

Although we might use one or other equipment fitted with HVAC filter so that we inhale pure air, but we hardly realize the damage a room air can cause to our health. We live more than 50 percent time in our room, which is many times more polluted than the air outside the room, and we ignore it always. HVAC filters are highly efficient filter papers used in our ventilation systems and are able to absorb this smaller number of particles from our room air.

If we look of the indoor pollutants, we will find a number of hazardous pollutants that are dealt by us daily in our houses. These are sometimes man made pollutants and we should try to avoid them and if it is not possible to avoid them, what we can do is best we can use HVAC air filters in our ventilation systems so that the pollutant created by them do not remain prolong in the air.

A large number of companies are producing HVAC air filters and some of the company?s products are excellent in the performance. There are huge positive feedbacks have been received for polyester based HVAC air filters and now these are widely been used for various applications. These are not only useful for residential buildings but these HVAC air filters also suit best requirements of commercial buildings.

HVAC air filters are the best choice for today as many routes that probably we might not know are creating more and more indoor pollution. The air pollution level in some of our houses is continuously rising and smoking is one of the reasons for it. More and more people smoke and that too inside the living rooms and fine particles produced by smoke are deadly enough to create hundreds of times more pollution than the pollution created by a diesel vehicle on the road. We must understand the needs to control this harmful nature of indoor pollution and therefore we should use an HVAC air filter especially in our ventilators.

Looking for Top Brand Air Purifiers at Below Retail Prices?

FITZZ.COM - Personal Health & Sports Products - Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Online

Looking for Top Brand Air Purifiers at Below Retail Prices?

FITZZ.COM - Personal Health & Sports Products - Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Online

HVAC Training - Education and Training for Success

What is HVAC and HVAC Training? The "Heating-Ventilation-Air Conditioning-Refrigeration" (HVAC R) industry manages indoor environments. HVAC training provides technicians with the ability to design, service, and install comfort systems - heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration - that our society depends on year around. The HVAC industry is a $150 billion a year business that employs many people and more skilled people are needed to fill the increasing demand. Experts with HVAC training work with issues that affect our environment such as indoor air quality and protecting the earth's ozone layer through refrigerant recovery.

Where Do Professional with HVAC Training 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.

Specialists with HVAC training receive well-paying jobs, ranging from a $29,500 salary for beginning HVAC technicians with a two-year HVAC Training Associates Degree to a $40,000 salary for B.S. Graduates with a four-year HVAC technical degree. Sales and business jobs for HVAC trained professionals offer similar compensation.

Why Is HVAC 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 HVAC equipment to maintain comfortable temperatures and good air quality.
? Research labs, medical manufacturers and food preparation companies need HVAC 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.

HVAC Training Information

To get started in the HVAC 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 better your HVAC 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 HVAC training 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 the students they offer HVAC Training.

Learn more about http://www.refrigerationschool.com HVAC Trainingcourses and job fields.

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