Stop Sweating That A/C Bill
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average family shells out $1,500 annually for utilities. Air conditioning can account for as much as 70% of summer energy costs. To put this in everyday context, let's hear from Mr. Electricity: He says that running central A/C for 12 hours a day for three weeks uses more energy than leaving the refrigerator door open 24 hours a day for an entire year. (I'm not willing to sacrifice my Fudgesicle stash to fact-check that theory.)
To twist a timeless cliche: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of sweat. Small things (like changing the filter and cleaning the coil) can reduce your unit's original efficiency anywhere from 5% to 20% each year. Here are some additional tips that will help you beat the heat wave and keep your (financial) cool this summer:
Get audited: Many utility companies perform energy audits for free or a small fee. They'll identify trouble spots and make remedy recommendations.
Give your HVAC an annual physical: Regular maintenance (which you're going to schedule right now, right?) will prevent a minor HVAC problem from turning into a major one.
During an annual checkup, your heating/cooling pro can also look for buildup on the outdoor A/C and heating coils and clean them. Ask them how to check and clean the indoor coil, too. Because the coil is moist during summertime, it attracts a lot of dust. According to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), dirt buildup on the indoor coil is the most common cause of poor efficiency.
Keep your coolant: A system that's 10% low on coolant (also called freon or the "refrigerant charge") costs about 20% more to operate than a system that's fully loaded, says the ACCA. (Leave the topping off to the pros, since freon is a hazardous substance.) Additionally, low freon can cause the compressor to overheat and die early. That can result in a big-ticket repair bill if you have to replace the compressor or condensing unit.
Go with the flow: All A/C operation manuals recommend cleaning or replacing your air filter about once a month. (Easier said than done in my place, where doing so requires moving a bookcase. Is that bad feng shui?) Most filters cost less than a cappuccino, and a clean one can lower your A/C's energy suck by 5% to 15%.
Keep a lid on it: Grandma was right about drafts being dangerous. Worn-out (or nonexistent) weatherproofing can result in serious air leaks that can contribute to more than one-third of cooling costs. (Looks like plastic sheeting and duct tape are handy to have around.) About 30% of the heat in your house is absorbed through the roof. Vents and attic fans can help keep things circulating and prevent your bills from going through the ... well, you get it.
Do planetary good and save big: Switching to a high efficiency air conditioner (see energystar.gov for more), though costly, will probably put the most money back in your pocket over time. According to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), a homeowner replacing a 10-year-old unit could improve energy efficiency by as much as 55% by upgrading to a system with a more efficient SEER. Not only that, but the karmic bonus points are immeasurable. Two-thirds of all homes have A/C, releasing about 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. (That's two tons for each home with an air conditioner.)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Yeah it's hot so whatcha gonna do about it
Your air conditioner may not be broken, it may only need maintenance
Keeping your air conditioner running during the heat wave
Lawton_Monday was the hottest day of the year in Lawton, reaching a temperature of 108 degrees - and, the forecasts predict more of the same. It's also a banner season for the air conditioning business. Pippin Brothers in Lawton says it's working overtime lately since more and more people have been calling to complain that their air conditioners are broken. However, when a maintenance tech arrives, they find that the air conditioner isn't broken at all. Instead, it hasn't been properly maintained.
Chief Executive Officer of Pippin Brothers Heat and Air, Mark Pippin, says that the number one complaint is that a unit seems to be improperly cooling a home. However, he says the problem is not always with the air conditioner itself. The first step in troubleshooting a problem with your air conditioner: "Make sure your filter is clean," says Pippin.
Pippin says it's easy to check your filter yourself. He recommends that air filters be changed monthly - sometimes more. "If you've got cats and dogs, more than that," he says. "That air circulating like that collects more dander." He says you could run up some hefty bills if you don't change them regularly. "It can increase your utility bills by 50-70% in one month - sometimes double."
Pippin says that it also helps to keep your air ducts and vents clean. The dirtier they are, the harder your unit has to work - and, if it breaks, it may be a while before you cool off, because his technicians have been handling so many calls, they're about a day and a half behind on their response time.
Pippin also warns of the dangers of not having proper air conditioning. Without central air or a window unit, extreme heat can be dangerous for the elderly and young children. "When we get in the attics, they're about 150 degrees," he says. "You can imagine how that heat can come down, without air circulation. There's hardly any wind blowing today. It can get to 120 degrees easily."
He says the average life span of an air unit once was 17 years, but the newer models now only last about 13. Just as with any large appliance, air conditioning units come in different sizes and prices. They can range in cost anywhere from $5,000-$12,000.
Keeping your air conditioner running during the heat wave
Lawton_Monday was the hottest day of the year in Lawton, reaching a temperature of 108 degrees - and, the forecasts predict more of the same. It's also a banner season for the air conditioning business. Pippin Brothers in Lawton says it's working overtime lately since more and more people have been calling to complain that their air conditioners are broken. However, when a maintenance tech arrives, they find that the air conditioner isn't broken at all. Instead, it hasn't been properly maintained.
Chief Executive Officer of Pippin Brothers Heat and Air, Mark Pippin, says that the number one complaint is that a unit seems to be improperly cooling a home. However, he says the problem is not always with the air conditioner itself. The first step in troubleshooting a problem with your air conditioner: "Make sure your filter is clean," says Pippin.
Pippin says it's easy to check your filter yourself. He recommends that air filters be changed monthly - sometimes more. "If you've got cats and dogs, more than that," he says. "That air circulating like that collects more dander." He says you could run up some hefty bills if you don't change them regularly. "It can increase your utility bills by 50-70% in one month - sometimes double."
Pippin says that it also helps to keep your air ducts and vents clean. The dirtier they are, the harder your unit has to work - and, if it breaks, it may be a while before you cool off, because his technicians have been handling so many calls, they're about a day and a half behind on their response time.
Pippin also warns of the dangers of not having proper air conditioning. Without central air or a window unit, extreme heat can be dangerous for the elderly and young children. "When we get in the attics, they're about 150 degrees," he says. "You can imagine how that heat can come down, without air circulation. There's hardly any wind blowing today. It can get to 120 degrees easily."
He says the average life span of an air unit once was 17 years, but the newer models now only last about 13. Just as with any large appliance, air conditioning units come in different sizes and prices. They can range in cost anywhere from $5,000-$12,000.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Cold facts about reducing AC bills
Myth: It's cheaper and more efficient to cool your home with an evaporative cooler than with a central air-conditioner.
Reality: An evaporative cooler consumes only about a quarter of the electricity required to run an air-conditioner, but it uses enough water over the summer to fill a swimming pool. That's all lost water because it quickly evaporates. In our desert climate, that's not an efficient choice.
Today's Super-efficient Air Conditioners generally trump evaporative coolers in the efficiency department. If you're running an evaporative cooler along with your air-conditioner, they're competing with each other, as the air-conditioner removes humidity from the air and the evaporative cooler adds it back. That's just a waste of money.
Rosie's tip: Reserve your evaporative cooler for spot cooling, like in the garage or on your back patio.
Myth: Running ceiling fans all day in every room will help cool your home.
Reality: Ceiling fans don't cool the air. They make you feel cooler because they move the air, so it feels as if a breeze is cooling your skin.
A ceiling fan that's running in an unoccupied room is using electricity without doing any good. Turn off your ceiling fans when you leave a room, and flip them on when you come back in.
Rosie's tip: Install ceiling fans, especially in rooms where your family tends to congregate. A ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort.
Myth: Cranking your thermostat way up whenever you leave the house will reduce your air-conditioning bills.
Reality: The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save 10 percent a year on heating and cooling bills by setting your thermostat up 10 degrees or so in summer or back in winter - for eight hours. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing a programmable thermostat.
Here's what doesn't work:
1. Changing the thermostat setting for short periods several times a day. If you'll be gone for less than six hours, leave your thermostat where it is.
2. Lowering the thermostat to 60 degrees when you get home to kick the air-conditioner into high gear to cool the home more quickly. That doesn't cool your home off any faster, but it will use more energy than if you set the thermostat to a reasonable temperature.
Rosie's tip: Set it and forget it. You can set various schedules for work and sleep on weekdays and weekends - and let the programmable thermostat "remember" when to change for the most efficient - and comfortable - result. A caution: Don't use a regular programmable thermostat with a heat pump.
Myth: Closing air-conditioner registers in unused rooms will save energy and money.
Reality: If you seal off a room's registers, you can create more pressure on your air-conditioning system, and that could result in air leakage throughout the system. A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory proved that closing registers in unused rooms increases energy use throughout the home.
Rosie's tip: Leave your registers open. To save energy in unused rooms, close the drapes on sunny days.
Myth: Your air-conditioner ducts need regular cleaning.
Reality: For most people, duct cleaning has no benefit. It doesn't make your air-conditioner work better, or reduce dust in your house.
Even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says there's no need to clean ducts unless your air-conditioning professional finds visible mold growth inside the ducts, your ducts are infested with bugs or mice or are so clogged that dust is blowing through the supply registers into your home.
Rosie's tip: Keep your ducts clean by preventing dust and dirt from getting into them. Invest in a $5 pleated filter, and change it every month.
Romero has been in the Arizona home-building and remodeling industry for 35 years. He has a radio program from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KTAR-FM (92.3) in the Valley, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson, and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KAZM-AM (780) in northern Arizona. For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com.
Reality: An evaporative cooler consumes only about a quarter of the electricity required to run an air-conditioner, but it uses enough water over the summer to fill a swimming pool. That's all lost water because it quickly evaporates. In our desert climate, that's not an efficient choice.
Today's Super-efficient Air Conditioners generally trump evaporative coolers in the efficiency department. If you're running an evaporative cooler along with your air-conditioner, they're competing with each other, as the air-conditioner removes humidity from the air and the evaporative cooler adds it back. That's just a waste of money.
Rosie's tip: Reserve your evaporative cooler for spot cooling, like in the garage or on your back patio.
Myth: Running ceiling fans all day in every room will help cool your home.
Reality: Ceiling fans don't cool the air. They make you feel cooler because they move the air, so it feels as if a breeze is cooling your skin.
A ceiling fan that's running in an unoccupied room is using electricity without doing any good. Turn off your ceiling fans when you leave a room, and flip them on when you come back in.
Rosie's tip: Install ceiling fans, especially in rooms where your family tends to congregate. A ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort.
Myth: Cranking your thermostat way up whenever you leave the house will reduce your air-conditioning bills.
Reality: The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save 10 percent a year on heating and cooling bills by setting your thermostat up 10 degrees or so in summer or back in winter - for eight hours. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing a programmable thermostat.
Here's what doesn't work:
1. Changing the thermostat setting for short periods several times a day. If you'll be gone for less than six hours, leave your thermostat where it is.
2. Lowering the thermostat to 60 degrees when you get home to kick the air-conditioner into high gear to cool the home more quickly. That doesn't cool your home off any faster, but it will use more energy than if you set the thermostat to a reasonable temperature.
Rosie's tip: Set it and forget it. You can set various schedules for work and sleep on weekdays and weekends - and let the programmable thermostat "remember" when to change for the most efficient - and comfortable - result. A caution: Don't use a regular programmable thermostat with a heat pump.
Myth: Closing air-conditioner registers in unused rooms will save energy and money.
Reality: If you seal off a room's registers, you can create more pressure on your air-conditioning system, and that could result in air leakage throughout the system. A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory proved that closing registers in unused rooms increases energy use throughout the home.
Rosie's tip: Leave your registers open. To save energy in unused rooms, close the drapes on sunny days.
Myth: Your air-conditioner ducts need regular cleaning.
Reality: For most people, duct cleaning has no benefit. It doesn't make your air-conditioner work better, or reduce dust in your house.
Even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says there's no need to clean ducts unless your air-conditioning professional finds visible mold growth inside the ducts, your ducts are infested with bugs or mice or are so clogged that dust is blowing through the supply registers into your home.
Rosie's tip: Keep your ducts clean by preventing dust and dirt from getting into them. Invest in a $5 pleated filter, and change it every month.
Romero has been in the Arizona home-building and remodeling industry for 35 years. He has a radio program from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KTAR-FM (92.3) in the Valley, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson, and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KAZM-AM (780) in northern Arizona. For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Depending on where you live Going Green Really does Pay!!!
City cash for home repairs has catch
IMPERIAL BEACH – Imperial Beach is giving away money to homeowners – up to $30,000 each – to make their homes more energy-and water-efficient, beautify the exterior and improve safety indoors.
The only catch is that homeowners must stay put for 15 years for the loans to be forgiven.
The City Council received an update of the Clean and Green Program last week from Jerry Selby, the city's redevelopment director. He said two projects have been completed and a third is in the works. Four are in various stages of development, either awaiting bids or contractors.
Clean and Green Program facts
Up to $30,000 per home is available.
Funds must be used to improve energy efficiency and water conservation, and the home's aesthetics and interior safety.
To apply, go to cityofib.com or City Hall, 825 Imperial Beach Blvd.
Owners must provide proof of income and homeownership, and live in their homes for 15 years for loans to be forgiven.
The Clean and Green Program provides loans to qualified owners of single-family homes. The money is to be used to improve energy efficiency and water conservation, fix up exteriors and make interiors safer.
“Everyone seems pretty happy,” Selby said.
Using $180,000 in redevelopment housing funds, Imperial Beach approved the pilot program in December. An applicant's income, based on family size, cannot exceed 120 percent of the area's median income. For example, a family of four cannot qualify if it earns more than $86,500 annually.
Retirees Rueben and Alicia Bingham have lived in their home for more than 40 years. The couple borrowed $20,040 to upgrade their heating and air-conditioning system, install a tankless water heater and add nine dual-paned windows. They also fixed part of a fence.
“We were on the way to getting a reverse mortgage to make all the repairs when I heard about the program,” Rueben Bingham said. “How can you beat a deal like that? It's great, especially for seniors living on a fixed income.”
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Selby said Rueben Bingham is a good example of someone who appreciated the program and benefited from it.
“He loved it,” Selby said. “He had the time to do the work. He hustled it along and was a satisfied customer.”
The city has offered several programs over the years to help residents and business owners spruce up homes and shops. The Imperial Beach Facade Improvement Program, also funded by the Redevelopment Agency, gives business owners up to $10,000 to upgrade storefronts.
Dozens of shops have completed work. Storefront projects must comply with city codes and be approved by the Design Review Board. Applicants must touch up paint and make repairs annually.
One program wasn't as successful as city officials had hoped. In September 2005, the City Council approved a loan program for residents who wanted to fix up their homes using federal Community Development Block Grant money.
The program was canceled after a year and three homes completed. City officials were concerned that the approval process required by the block-grant funding didn't allow the city enough time to respond to residents' requests. Additionally, the maximum $10,000 forgivable block-grant loan didn't allow for a sufficient amount of improvements, making a less-than-noticeable impact on the property, Selby said.
The city decided to begin the Clean and Green Program in its place. In January, the city advertised the program in its newsletter and in newspapers.
Selby said word of mouth is spreading. He said that in addition to the Binghams, one resident got a new roof and another is looking at a new concrete driveway and fencing.
After signing a loan agreement, homeowners are required to contract for the work, which the city pays for directly, Selby said. Other eligible improvements include solar panels, plumbing and insulation.
The loans are interest-free. If residents stay less than 15 years, they must pay a prorated amount for each year of residency, with the balance due at the sale, transfer to a new owner or lease to a tenant.
Selby said the city will check annually to make sure owners comply. If the homeowner sells the home or dies, the city would place a lien on the property for the prorated balance.
Selby said $120,000 remains in the budget. He said the balance is because of many homeowners not applying for the maximum.
Selby said that once the fund is exhausted, he might request more redevelopment housing funds from the City Council if there's a need.
Rueben Bingham said he replaced “an old, bent, rusted fence with a white vinyl low fence that needs no repairs and looks much prettier.” He said he had never heard of a tankless water heater until his old heater began to leak. He now has a new storage closet where his old water heater once sat.
Bingham also is pleased with his new air-conditioning and heating unit. He and his wife had an old wall heater and no air conditioning. They say they're proud that the improvements beautify the city and save on water and energy.
“We've only used the air a couple of times,” Rueben Bingham said. “A while back, the beach area got up to 80 degrees. I set it at 80 and it went on, and because of the new windows, it retained its coolness for hours.”
IMPERIAL BEACH – Imperial Beach is giving away money to homeowners – up to $30,000 each – to make their homes more energy-and water-efficient, beautify the exterior and improve safety indoors.
The only catch is that homeowners must stay put for 15 years for the loans to be forgiven.
The City Council received an update of the Clean and Green Program last week from Jerry Selby, the city's redevelopment director. He said two projects have been completed and a third is in the works. Four are in various stages of development, either awaiting bids or contractors.
Clean and Green Program facts
Up to $30,000 per home is available.
Funds must be used to improve energy efficiency and water conservation, and the home's aesthetics and interior safety.
To apply, go to cityofib.com or City Hall, 825 Imperial Beach Blvd.
Owners must provide proof of income and homeownership, and live in their homes for 15 years for loans to be forgiven.
The Clean and Green Program provides loans to qualified owners of single-family homes. The money is to be used to improve energy efficiency and water conservation, fix up exteriors and make interiors safer.
“Everyone seems pretty happy,” Selby said.
Using $180,000 in redevelopment housing funds, Imperial Beach approved the pilot program in December. An applicant's income, based on family size, cannot exceed 120 percent of the area's median income. For example, a family of four cannot qualify if it earns more than $86,500 annually.
Retirees Rueben and Alicia Bingham have lived in their home for more than 40 years. The couple borrowed $20,040 to upgrade their heating and air-conditioning system, install a tankless water heater and add nine dual-paned windows. They also fixed part of a fence.
“We were on the way to getting a reverse mortgage to make all the repairs when I heard about the program,” Rueben Bingham said. “How can you beat a deal like that? It's great, especially for seniors living on a fixed income.”
Advertisement
Time to Get Heart Healthy?
How to Destroy Acne Without Destroying Your Skin
View Your Free 2008 Credit Reports and Scores
Selby said Rueben Bingham is a good example of someone who appreciated the program and benefited from it.
“He loved it,” Selby said. “He had the time to do the work. He hustled it along and was a satisfied customer.”
The city has offered several programs over the years to help residents and business owners spruce up homes and shops. The Imperial Beach Facade Improvement Program, also funded by the Redevelopment Agency, gives business owners up to $10,000 to upgrade storefronts.
Dozens of shops have completed work. Storefront projects must comply with city codes and be approved by the Design Review Board. Applicants must touch up paint and make repairs annually.
One program wasn't as successful as city officials had hoped. In September 2005, the City Council approved a loan program for residents who wanted to fix up their homes using federal Community Development Block Grant money.
The program was canceled after a year and three homes completed. City officials were concerned that the approval process required by the block-grant funding didn't allow the city enough time to respond to residents' requests. Additionally, the maximum $10,000 forgivable block-grant loan didn't allow for a sufficient amount of improvements, making a less-than-noticeable impact on the property, Selby said.
The city decided to begin the Clean and Green Program in its place. In January, the city advertised the program in its newsletter and in newspapers.
Selby said word of mouth is spreading. He said that in addition to the Binghams, one resident got a new roof and another is looking at a new concrete driveway and fencing.
After signing a loan agreement, homeowners are required to contract for the work, which the city pays for directly, Selby said. Other eligible improvements include solar panels, plumbing and insulation.
The loans are interest-free. If residents stay less than 15 years, they must pay a prorated amount for each year of residency, with the balance due at the sale, transfer to a new owner or lease to a tenant.
Selby said the city will check annually to make sure owners comply. If the homeowner sells the home or dies, the city would place a lien on the property for the prorated balance.
Selby said $120,000 remains in the budget. He said the balance is because of many homeowners not applying for the maximum.
Selby said that once the fund is exhausted, he might request more redevelopment housing funds from the City Council if there's a need.
Rueben Bingham said he replaced “an old, bent, rusted fence with a white vinyl low fence that needs no repairs and looks much prettier.” He said he had never heard of a tankless water heater until his old heater began to leak. He now has a new storage closet where his old water heater once sat.
Bingham also is pleased with his new air-conditioning and heating unit. He and his wife had an old wall heater and no air conditioning. They say they're proud that the improvements beautify the city and save on water and energy.
“We've only used the air a couple of times,” Rueben Bingham said. “A while back, the beach area got up to 80 degrees. I set it at 80 and it went on, and because of the new windows, it retained its coolness for hours.”
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Is nothing sacred
Copper thieves steal church's air conditioning units
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Innocent people and businesses are out thousands of dollars because of copper thieves destroying air conditioning units.
Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ on West Chestnut Street is usually warm with praise, but last Sunday it was downright steamy.
"It was in the 80's and that was with 3 large fans going," said Carl Hines, who is the church's treasurer.
It was so hot, a woman fainted. It wasn't because of something spiritual, but because the church was vandalized.
"It makes you angry that someone would do this not only to a church, but to anybody," said Hines.
Thieves hoping to make a quick buck off the copper, ripped off four of the church's air conditioning units for probably less than $200, but will cost the church an estimated $5,000 to fix it.
"There's very little conscience of people who would do it to a church," said Hines.
The owner of A.N. Roth Company, a heating and cooling business across town, said he sees this far too often.
"Within the last year it's gotten kind of ridiculous," said Phil Roth of these crimes.
He said cages can protect your property from these thieves, but they cost several hundred dollars and are only as good as the padlock on them. He also suggested putting up alarms and sensors.
"They now make a motion sensing light that takes a video at the same time," Roth said.
But it only takes about five minutes for a thief to get in and get those precious metals out.
"If someone wants it bad enough, you aren't going to stop them," said Roth. "The only thing that you can do is deter them, whether they leave you alone or go to your neighbor next door."
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LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Innocent people and businesses are out thousands of dollars because of copper thieves destroying air conditioning units.
Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ on West Chestnut Street is usually warm with praise, but last Sunday it was downright steamy.
"It was in the 80's and that was with 3 large fans going," said Carl Hines, who is the church's treasurer.
It was so hot, a woman fainted. It wasn't because of something spiritual, but because the church was vandalized.
"It makes you angry that someone would do this not only to a church, but to anybody," said Hines.
Thieves hoping to make a quick buck off the copper, ripped off four of the church's air conditioning units for probably less than $200, but will cost the church an estimated $5,000 to fix it.
"There's very little conscience of people who would do it to a church," said Hines.
The owner of A.N. Roth Company, a heating and cooling business across town, said he sees this far too often.
"Within the last year it's gotten kind of ridiculous," said Phil Roth of these crimes.
He said cages can protect your property from these thieves, but they cost several hundred dollars and are only as good as the padlock on them. He also suggested putting up alarms and sensors.
"They now make a motion sensing light that takes a video at the same time," Roth said.
But it only takes about five minutes for a thief to get in and get those precious metals out.
"If someone wants it bad enough, you aren't going to stop them," said Roth. "The only thing that you can do is deter them, whether they leave you alone or go to your neighbor next door."
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Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Times they are a Changin'
Solar Powered Air Conditioning Under Development
The consumer-grade absorption chiller under development by UC3M uses the heat of the sun to cool water. (Source: Universidad Carlos III of Madrid)The sun will keep you cool in just a few seasons.
The Montreal Protocol, crafted in 1987 and signed by 191 countries as of 2007, put the hot iron to the cooling industry. It has seen several revisions since 1987 and some of its strictures affect industry as a whole while others involve mainly cooling and refrigeration.
The ultimate goal of the protocol is to reduce the amount of several ozone-depleting chemicals used by industrialized nations to zero. Most CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) were to be phased out of use by 1996; other less dangerous CFCs and chemicals are to be phased out by 2010; HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) are on a longer leash, and have cease and desist date of 2030, 2020 in developed nations.
Unfortunately for the air-conditioning and refrigeration industries, this means an industry-wide change in practice, as HCFCs are commonly used as refrigerants in modern cooling machines. There are several technologies that cool without the use of these refrigerants, but until recently, they have been utilized mostly only in large-scale applications. Absorption chillers are used in many industries, from commercial to machinery cooling.
Absorption chilling differs from standard mechanical air conditioning in that it doesn't use an active force, such as a compressor, to condense the coolant chemical, but rather uses heat to drive a circulatory system. Many absorption chillers are utilized in areas where ample amounts of waste heat are available (turbine power or water heating systems are common sources). This allows them to make use of waste heat for a secondary purpose, thereby making the entire system more efficient and cost-effective.
This nearly century-old technology has not been widely used in consumer arenas like home cooling as the heat needed to power the system would cost more than the typical compressor-driven air-conditioning unit and there are not usually readily available sources of waste heat powerful enough to harness. Professor Marcelo Izquierdo of the Universidad Carlos III of Madrid and his group of researchers are aiming to put this technology into homes, however, with a little help from a very large furnace – the sun.
Izquierdo's team built an absorption chiller unit that closely resembles a typical exterior air-conditioning unit, and it works by capturing solar energy and residual heat to provide the impetus for the system's circulation. The device uses a refined lithium bromide-based coolant process – most absorption chillers use either an ammonia, hydrogen and water or a lithium bromide solution and water system – and is capable of cooling water to a temperature of 7C to 18C with an ambient temperature of 33 to 43C. The machine can produce enough chilled water to cool a 120 cubic meter area via a water-to-air heat exchanger.
Neither the lithium-bromide solution nor the more common ammonia and hydrogen systems are ozone depleting. This makes them a viable alternative to the HCFC refrigerants used in modern compression systems. In the very near future, consumer-grade absorption chiller units could become common in many regions that experience high temperatures during one or many seasons. Using the Big Heater in the Sky itself to power the cooling units is an ironic twist and one definitely worthy of more research.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The consumer-grade absorption chiller under development by UC3M uses the heat of the sun to cool water. (Source: Universidad Carlos III of Madrid)The sun will keep you cool in just a few seasons.
The Montreal Protocol, crafted in 1987 and signed by 191 countries as of 2007, put the hot iron to the cooling industry. It has seen several revisions since 1987 and some of its strictures affect industry as a whole while others involve mainly cooling and refrigeration.
The ultimate goal of the protocol is to reduce the amount of several ozone-depleting chemicals used by industrialized nations to zero. Most CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) were to be phased out of use by 1996; other less dangerous CFCs and chemicals are to be phased out by 2010; HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) are on a longer leash, and have cease and desist date of 2030, 2020 in developed nations.
Unfortunately for the air-conditioning and refrigeration industries, this means an industry-wide change in practice, as HCFCs are commonly used as refrigerants in modern cooling machines. There are several technologies that cool without the use of these refrigerants, but until recently, they have been utilized mostly only in large-scale applications. Absorption chillers are used in many industries, from commercial to machinery cooling.
Absorption chilling differs from standard mechanical air conditioning in that it doesn't use an active force, such as a compressor, to condense the coolant chemical, but rather uses heat to drive a circulatory system. Many absorption chillers are utilized in areas where ample amounts of waste heat are available (turbine power or water heating systems are common sources). This allows them to make use of waste heat for a secondary purpose, thereby making the entire system more efficient and cost-effective.
This nearly century-old technology has not been widely used in consumer arenas like home cooling as the heat needed to power the system would cost more than the typical compressor-driven air-conditioning unit and there are not usually readily available sources of waste heat powerful enough to harness. Professor Marcelo Izquierdo of the Universidad Carlos III of Madrid and his group of researchers are aiming to put this technology into homes, however, with a little help from a very large furnace – the sun.
Izquierdo's team built an absorption chiller unit that closely resembles a typical exterior air-conditioning unit, and it works by capturing solar energy and residual heat to provide the impetus for the system's circulation. The device uses a refined lithium bromide-based coolant process – most absorption chillers use either an ammonia, hydrogen and water or a lithium bromide solution and water system – and is capable of cooling water to a temperature of 7C to 18C with an ambient temperature of 33 to 43C. The machine can produce enough chilled water to cool a 120 cubic meter area via a water-to-air heat exchanger.
Neither the lithium-bromide solution nor the more common ammonia and hydrogen systems are ozone depleting. This makes them a viable alternative to the HCFC refrigerants used in modern compression systems. In the very near future, consumer-grade absorption chiller units could become common in many regions that experience high temperatures during one or many seasons. Using the Big Heater in the Sky itself to power the cooling units is an ironic twist and one definitely worthy of more research.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, July 17, 2008
New York HVAC Contractor Busted Again
I-Team 10 investigation: Contractor at it again?
A local contractor is temporarily banned from operating a home improvement business. That order came today as a judge hears evidence that James Sudore continued to defraud customers even after agreeing to change his ways. The attorney general is now taking him to court, accusing him of contempt.
James Sudore told a judge four years ago that he would pay back customers he ripped off and agreed to change his practices in order to keep operating but the state says he has continued to take money for work he never completed and he never paid back his previous victims. Now Sudore finds himself in court on contempt charges facing new customer complaints.
Sudore owns a company called New York Heating and Chimney Services and Air Conditioning but court papers filed by the attorney general's office accuse him of fraudulent and deceptive business practices.
The state says he has taken deposits from customers and failed to return to do the work. In 2004 he agreed to reimburse 18 consumers and pay a fine for doing the same thing but he admitted in court he largely ignored that order.
The attorney general's office says he should be put in jail. “Mr. Sudore got an attorney and promised to comply with the law. When he took money from consumers, he was going to deposit it in an escrow account and pay restitution to victims and to this date he's only paid $3,500 out of a $27,000 judgment,” said Carlos Rodriguez.
I-Team 10’s Brett Davidsen: “You can't tell us why you never made good on your debts?”
James Sudore: "Just, unfortunately sometimes things go wrong, but I’m here today to try to resolve something."
Sudore will return to court next week as the attorney general's office plans to bring in customers who claim they were scammed and his legal problems only look to get more complicated.
He was charged this past spring in criminal court on felony grand larceny charges related to more customer complaints. That case is now before a grand jury.
A local contractor is temporarily banned from operating a home improvement business. That order came today as a judge hears evidence that James Sudore continued to defraud customers even after agreeing to change his ways. The attorney general is now taking him to court, accusing him of contempt.
James Sudore told a judge four years ago that he would pay back customers he ripped off and agreed to change his practices in order to keep operating but the state says he has continued to take money for work he never completed and he never paid back his previous victims. Now Sudore finds himself in court on contempt charges facing new customer complaints.
Sudore owns a company called New York Heating and Chimney Services and Air Conditioning but court papers filed by the attorney general's office accuse him of fraudulent and deceptive business practices.
The state says he has taken deposits from customers and failed to return to do the work. In 2004 he agreed to reimburse 18 consumers and pay a fine for doing the same thing but he admitted in court he largely ignored that order.
The attorney general's office says he should be put in jail. “Mr. Sudore got an attorney and promised to comply with the law. When he took money from consumers, he was going to deposit it in an escrow account and pay restitution to victims and to this date he's only paid $3,500 out of a $27,000 judgment,” said Carlos Rodriguez.
I-Team 10’s Brett Davidsen: “You can't tell us why you never made good on your debts?”
James Sudore: "Just, unfortunately sometimes things go wrong, but I’m here today to try to resolve something."
Sudore will return to court next week as the attorney general's office plans to bring in customers who claim they were scammed and his legal problems only look to get more complicated.
He was charged this past spring in criminal court on felony grand larceny charges related to more customer complaints. That case is now before a grand jury.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Saving a Bundle on Air Conditioning
Saving A Bundle On Air Conditioning
As temperatures rise, energy costs from running the air conditioner do, too, but you don't have to break the bank to keep your cool. Here are some tips to stay energy efficient this summer.
Heating and cooling costs make up 56 percent of the energy bill of the typical American household. And, now that we're in the heat of summer, it's a good time to think about reducing the amount we spend on our air conditioners, to save some cold, hard cash.
CENTRAL AIR
Even if your unit is only 10 years old, you may save 20 - 40 percent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer, more efficient model.
Proper sizing and installation are key elements in determining air conditioner efficiency. Too large a unit won't adequately remove humidity. Too small a unit won't be able to attain a comfortable temperature on the hottest days. Improper unit location, lack of insulation, and improper duct installation can greatly diminish efficiency.
If you have a central air unit, make sure the condenser is located in a shady spot and has room to dispose of the heated air it removes from your house. Don't crowd it with shrubs or anything else.
When buying a central air conditioning system, make sure the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is 13 or better (14 in warmer climates). The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system, and as we know, a less efficient system will cost you more to run (get this: upgrading from SEER 9 to SEER 13, power consumption is reduced by 30 percent. It's claimed that this can result in an energy savings valued at up to $300 per year.
Also, (and this goes for window units too), perform regular maintenance on your air conditioning unit. Replace the filter monthly during the cooling season, and have a professional service your system at the beginning of each cooling season.
Finally, check with your state to see if it has any incentive programs for you to buy a more efficient unit.
WINDOW UNITS
It's all about finding an EnergyStar unit (which means that it's at least 10 percent more energy efficient than the minimum federal government standards).
You'll then want to figure out what size AC you need -- that is, how many BTUs you need, and that's pretty easy to figure out. According to the Department of Energy, you'll need about 20 BTUs per square foot of a room. If you get something smaller, you're not going to be able to cool the room appropriately, and you're going to strain the heck out of your AC; if you get an AC that's too big, you're going to be wasting energy and throw money right out the window.
GET A CEILING FAN
Utilize fans as much as possible. If the temperature is just slightly uncomfortable, consider using an oscillating fan, or ceiling fan if you have one. Just a slight breeze or circulation caused by fans can make it feel a few degrees cooler. Even the most power-hungry fan costs less than $10 a month to use if you keep it on 12 hours a day. Good fans make it possible for you to raise your thermostat setting and save on air-conditioning costs. Ceiling fans will push air down toward the floor, circulating the air in your house and helping to cool it more efficiently than running the air conditioner by itself.
INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
This varies the temperature according to when you're home, and can help you save 10 - 20 percent on your energy bill. Set it for a lower temperature when you're home. If you'll be gone for more than a few hours, it makes sense to set the air conditioning at a higher temperature while you're gone. Use a programmable thermostat that adjusts your air conditioner's setting automatically. That enables you to stop cooling things down so much when nobody's home for long stretches of time, or at night when it's cooler outside. You can program the thermostat to increase the comfort level in your home shortly before you wake up or return home from work.
The Early Show's resident veteriinarian, Dr. Debbye Turner, says it's OK to turn the AC off when your pet is home alone. She says that, if your pet is perfectly healthy, you can let the temperature reach up to 80 degrees, but if your dog is a little sicker or has breathing problems, you'll want to lower that to keep him or her healthy and safe.
CLOSE DRAPES OR SHADES ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF YOUR HOUSE
Typically, the most sunny parts of your house are the south and west; the sun has intense warming effects, and when it's allowed to enter a window without the heat being able to escape, it will act like a greenhouse. Keep as much direct sunlight out as possible to keep your home a few degrees cooler.
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN USE AND CLOSE DOORS leading TO UNUSED ROOMS
Standard incandescent bulbs generate a good deal of heat. Having lights on when it's not necessary just increases the temperature in the house. Consider switching to CFL bulbs, which run cool, and also consume less electricity.
SEAL UP AIR LEAKS IN YOUR HOUSE
Just as cold air can find its way into your house in the winter, hot air does the same thing during the summer. Caulk or seal places where utilities come into your home (plumbing, electricity, dryer vents, etc.). Fill gaps around chimneys, and weather-strip around drafty windows and doors.
As temperatures rise, energy costs from running the air conditioner do, too, but you don't have to break the bank to keep your cool. Here are some tips to stay energy efficient this summer.
Heating and cooling costs make up 56 percent of the energy bill of the typical American household. And, now that we're in the heat of summer, it's a good time to think about reducing the amount we spend on our air conditioners, to save some cold, hard cash.
CENTRAL AIR
Even if your unit is only 10 years old, you may save 20 - 40 percent of your cooling energy costs by replacing it with a newer, more efficient model.
Proper sizing and installation are key elements in determining air conditioner efficiency. Too large a unit won't adequately remove humidity. Too small a unit won't be able to attain a comfortable temperature on the hottest days. Improper unit location, lack of insulation, and improper duct installation can greatly diminish efficiency.
If you have a central air unit, make sure the condenser is located in a shady spot and has room to dispose of the heated air it removes from your house. Don't crowd it with shrubs or anything else.
When buying a central air conditioning system, make sure the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is 13 or better (14 in warmer climates). The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system, and as we know, a less efficient system will cost you more to run (get this: upgrading from SEER 9 to SEER 13, power consumption is reduced by 30 percent. It's claimed that this can result in an energy savings valued at up to $300 per year.
Also, (and this goes for window units too), perform regular maintenance on your air conditioning unit. Replace the filter monthly during the cooling season, and have a professional service your system at the beginning of each cooling season.
Finally, check with your state to see if it has any incentive programs for you to buy a more efficient unit.
WINDOW UNITS
It's all about finding an EnergyStar unit (which means that it's at least 10 percent more energy efficient than the minimum federal government standards).
You'll then want to figure out what size AC you need -- that is, how many BTUs you need, and that's pretty easy to figure out. According to the Department of Energy, you'll need about 20 BTUs per square foot of a room. If you get something smaller, you're not going to be able to cool the room appropriately, and you're going to strain the heck out of your AC; if you get an AC that's too big, you're going to be wasting energy and throw money right out the window.
GET A CEILING FAN
Utilize fans as much as possible. If the temperature is just slightly uncomfortable, consider using an oscillating fan, or ceiling fan if you have one. Just a slight breeze or circulation caused by fans can make it feel a few degrees cooler. Even the most power-hungry fan costs less than $10 a month to use if you keep it on 12 hours a day. Good fans make it possible for you to raise your thermostat setting and save on air-conditioning costs. Ceiling fans will push air down toward the floor, circulating the air in your house and helping to cool it more efficiently than running the air conditioner by itself.
INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
This varies the temperature according to when you're home, and can help you save 10 - 20 percent on your energy bill. Set it for a lower temperature when you're home. If you'll be gone for more than a few hours, it makes sense to set the air conditioning at a higher temperature while you're gone. Use a programmable thermostat that adjusts your air conditioner's setting automatically. That enables you to stop cooling things down so much when nobody's home for long stretches of time, or at night when it's cooler outside. You can program the thermostat to increase the comfort level in your home shortly before you wake up or return home from work.
The Early Show's resident veteriinarian, Dr. Debbye Turner, says it's OK to turn the AC off when your pet is home alone. She says that, if your pet is perfectly healthy, you can let the temperature reach up to 80 degrees, but if your dog is a little sicker or has breathing problems, you'll want to lower that to keep him or her healthy and safe.
CLOSE DRAPES OR SHADES ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF YOUR HOUSE
Typically, the most sunny parts of your house are the south and west; the sun has intense warming effects, and when it's allowed to enter a window without the heat being able to escape, it will act like a greenhouse. Keep as much direct sunlight out as possible to keep your home a few degrees cooler.
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN USE AND CLOSE DOORS leading TO UNUSED ROOMS
Standard incandescent bulbs generate a good deal of heat. Having lights on when it's not necessary just increases the temperature in the house. Consider switching to CFL bulbs, which run cool, and also consume less electricity.
SEAL UP AIR LEAKS IN YOUR HOUSE
Just as cold air can find its way into your house in the winter, hot air does the same thing during the summer. Caulk or seal places where utilities come into your home (plumbing, electricity, dryer vents, etc.). Fill gaps around chimneys, and weather-strip around drafty windows and doors.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A Little Help from My Friends
Brent S
Fan Relay
Have a Bryant central A/C unit that wasn't blowing cold, but otherwise worked fine. Had a tech come out to the house and he identified a loose Schrader valve, and recharged. Now blowing cold for a week.
Before the tech visit, the fan would blow continuously when the tstat was in the "on" position, and fan would only blow only when the compressor is running in the "auto" position. As expected.
After the tech visit, the fan behavior is reversed. The fan blows continuously in the tstat "auto" position, and only when the compressor is running in the "on" position. I checked the tstat with a multimeter and the fan is not running when 24V is sent to the Green fan wire, and it is running when there is no 24V to the Green fan wire. It's as if the fan relay that was normally open is now normally closed.
I didn't watch the tech when he was on the roof, but now I'm suspicious that he changed something electrically. I'm going to climb on the roof and take a look; any ideas on things to check?
Thanks
Saturn
Sounds like a t-stat setting problem he may have inadvertently changed some of the setup options while he was checking it. Get your t-stat manual out and go back thru the initial setup and set to match your unit. When you are checking for G terminal voltage be sure that you are going from G to a ground (C terminal maybe?) since G to R will show O voltage if the G terminal is energized as both have 24 volts keep in mind that the voltage meter shows voltage differential.
Brent S
Thanks for the advice. The tech was never in the house (i.e. he never touched the tstat). This is an old-school mercury (non-electronic) tstat so there are only 3 wires: R (24VAC power), G (fan), and Y (cooling). There are no settings other than fan ON or AUTO, temperature setting, and COOL/OFF. When I tested the tstat I disconnected the G and Y wires, put the tstat in ON mode, and put the multimeter probes between the R and G terminals. Got 0VAC, meaning the same voltage that was at R was also at G (i.e. fan relay should be energized). Then put the tstat in AUTO mode, and measured ~24VAC (i.e. fan relay should not be energized). After all that I swapped out the tstat with another identical model, and got the same performance. So the tstat(s) are working correctly, sending 24VAC to the G wire when in the ON position. But the fan does not run. When the voltage is 0VAC to the G wire, the fan runs.
So my conclusion is that the tstat is not the issue. The tech changed something on the roof, or something coincidentally broke.
mike n
Air Conditioning Repair
For the work that you described nothing should have been done to the control circuitry however since coincidences are rare he probably changed something and forgot to change it back or was just poking around in stuff he wasn't familiar with.
If you get on the roof (I am guessing we are talking package unit western U.S.) you will first want to look at the control wires as they enter the unit and since you shared type of stat if it is a heat pump you will have several wires depending on brand if it is straight electric or gas pack you will have 4 wires you will probably want to look for the green and yellow wires he may have done something with them if not he may have reversed wires on a fan relay although I can't imagine why, but hey at least he got you some cool air wait a minute I just saw that you already told me you had 3 wires so straight cooling no heat he has reversed the red and yellow wires so just switch them back and you should be fine
Brent S
I climbed on the roof this morning and sure enough found that the tech had switched the R (power) and Y (cool) wires. Why he would do this I'll never know. I'm not really even sure how this would have manifested the behavior I observed, but nevertheless I switched them back and now every thing works exactly as I expect. If anyone needs the name of an HVAC service in Albuquerque, NM that you should definitely avoid, let me know (there were other issues besides the tech re-wiring for me).
And thanks again for your help!
mike n
Air Conditioning Repair
He had them jumped out to make the unit run while he was working on it and just put them back wrong The reason it was acting funky is that your control voltage was being distributed through your thermostat in the wrong direction, instead of r to possibly y and g it was coming in on y to r and g and y and g are closed anytime your switch is turned from off to cool
Fan Relay
Have a Bryant central A/C unit that wasn't blowing cold, but otherwise worked fine. Had a tech come out to the house and he identified a loose Schrader valve, and recharged. Now blowing cold for a week.
Before the tech visit, the fan would blow continuously when the tstat was in the "on" position, and fan would only blow only when the compressor is running in the "auto" position. As expected.
After the tech visit, the fan behavior is reversed. The fan blows continuously in the tstat "auto" position, and only when the compressor is running in the "on" position. I checked the tstat with a multimeter and the fan is not running when 24V is sent to the Green fan wire, and it is running when there is no 24V to the Green fan wire. It's as if the fan relay that was normally open is now normally closed.
I didn't watch the tech when he was on the roof, but now I'm suspicious that he changed something electrically. I'm going to climb on the roof and take a look; any ideas on things to check?
Thanks
Saturn
Sounds like a t-stat setting problem he may have inadvertently changed some of the setup options while he was checking it. Get your t-stat manual out and go back thru the initial setup and set to match your unit. When you are checking for G terminal voltage be sure that you are going from G to a ground (C terminal maybe?) since G to R will show O voltage if the G terminal is energized as both have 24 volts keep in mind that the voltage meter shows voltage differential.
Brent S
Thanks for the advice. The tech was never in the house (i.e. he never touched the tstat). This is an old-school mercury (non-electronic) tstat so there are only 3 wires: R (24VAC power), G (fan), and Y (cooling). There are no settings other than fan ON or AUTO, temperature setting, and COOL/OFF. When I tested the tstat I disconnected the G and Y wires, put the tstat in ON mode, and put the multimeter probes between the R and G terminals. Got 0VAC, meaning the same voltage that was at R was also at G (i.e. fan relay should be energized). Then put the tstat in AUTO mode, and measured ~24VAC (i.e. fan relay should not be energized). After all that I swapped out the tstat with another identical model, and got the same performance. So the tstat(s) are working correctly, sending 24VAC to the G wire when in the ON position. But the fan does not run. When the voltage is 0VAC to the G wire, the fan runs.
So my conclusion is that the tstat is not the issue. The tech changed something on the roof, or something coincidentally broke.
mike n
Air Conditioning Repair
For the work that you described nothing should have been done to the control circuitry however since coincidences are rare he probably changed something and forgot to change it back or was just poking around in stuff he wasn't familiar with.
If you get on the roof (I am guessing we are talking package unit western U.S.) you will first want to look at the control wires as they enter the unit and since you shared type of stat if it is a heat pump you will have several wires depending on brand if it is straight electric or gas pack you will have 4 wires you will probably want to look for the green and yellow wires he may have done something with them if not he may have reversed wires on a fan relay although I can't imagine why, but hey at least he got you some cool air wait a minute I just saw that you already told me you had 3 wires so straight cooling no heat he has reversed the red and yellow wires so just switch them back and you should be fine
Brent S
I climbed on the roof this morning and sure enough found that the tech had switched the R (power) and Y (cool) wires. Why he would do this I'll never know. I'm not really even sure how this would have manifested the behavior I observed, but nevertheless I switched them back and now every thing works exactly as I expect. If anyone needs the name of an HVAC service in Albuquerque, NM that you should definitely avoid, let me know (there were other issues besides the tech re-wiring for me).
And thanks again for your help!
mike n
Air Conditioning Repair
He had them jumped out to make the unit run while he was working on it and just put them back wrong The reason it was acting funky is that your control voltage was being distributed through your thermostat in the wrong direction, instead of r to possibly y and g it was coming in on y to r and g and y and g are closed anytime your switch is turned from off to cool
Friday, July 11, 2008
Another Air Conditioning Scam
Consumer warning issued for air conditioner
The Better Business Bureau issued a strong warning to Utahns looking to beat the heat this summer. At issue is questionable advertising about a home air cooling system. Customers are heated-up over this cooler in an ABC 4 Consumer Alert.
A full page advertisement ran in several Utah papers on Monday with a 48-hour offer for 50-dollars in free gas with the purchase of a new eco-friendly air cooler that uses the same energy as a 60 watt light bulb.
The Better Business Bureau says the ad is misleading and that the company, Universal TechTronics, has a history of complaints.
Jane Driggs, President and CEO of The Better Business Bureau of Utah explains the ad makes the product Cool Surge look like an air conditioner, but it's not, it's an air cooler. The unit uses a fan to blow air over two ice packs and water to produce cold air. But as stated in the ad, the product can only drop the temperature by up to 10 degrees. Driggs says the company markets the Cool Surge as an alternative to the high price of central air conditioning.
The Cool Surge sells for 228-dollars plus shipping and handling, but similar air coolers are priced at 100-dollars. Even with the 50-dollar gas incentive, buying locally would save the customer over 100-dollars.
“The advertising is bad; it lures customers to them and gives them a false sense of what the product actually is. Also the complaint that customers have been filing on different products from this company say they can't get a hold of them, they can't get a refund, the product is a piece of junk,” states Driggs.
In the past nine months, the Better Business Bureau has received nearly 200 complaints about Universal TechTronics’ business practices. So far there have been no complaints about the Cool Surge from Utah customers. The Better Business Bureau is asking the company to modify its ads or pull them altogether.
The Better Business Bureau issued a strong warning to Utahns looking to beat the heat this summer. At issue is questionable advertising about a home air cooling system. Customers are heated-up over this cooler in an ABC 4 Consumer Alert.
A full page advertisement ran in several Utah papers on Monday with a 48-hour offer for 50-dollars in free gas with the purchase of a new eco-friendly air cooler that uses the same energy as a 60 watt light bulb.
The Better Business Bureau says the ad is misleading and that the company, Universal TechTronics, has a history of complaints.
Jane Driggs, President and CEO of The Better Business Bureau of Utah explains the ad makes the product Cool Surge look like an air conditioner, but it's not, it's an air cooler. The unit uses a fan to blow air over two ice packs and water to produce cold air. But as stated in the ad, the product can only drop the temperature by up to 10 degrees. Driggs says the company markets the Cool Surge as an alternative to the high price of central air conditioning.
The Cool Surge sells for 228-dollars plus shipping and handling, but similar air coolers are priced at 100-dollars. Even with the 50-dollar gas incentive, buying locally would save the customer over 100-dollars.
“The advertising is bad; it lures customers to them and gives them a false sense of what the product actually is. Also the complaint that customers have been filing on different products from this company say they can't get a hold of them, they can't get a refund, the product is a piece of junk,” states Driggs.
In the past nine months, the Better Business Bureau has received nearly 200 complaints about Universal TechTronics’ business practices. So far there have been no complaints about the Cool Surge from Utah customers. The Better Business Bureau is asking the company to modify its ads or pull them altogether.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Saving Money on Air Conditioning Repair
Feeling The Pinch: Ways to save money and electricity during Heat Wave Alert
Chances are you have your air conditioning blasting tonight and there's an even better chance you'll get a hefty bill for it.
The air conditioning repair man here is working overtime right now, keeping the house cool. But comfort comes at a price in the form of an electric bill. But we found it doesn't have to hurt so bad.
Burning sun and sweltering heat has sent many people rushing for the thermostat. People with don't have air conditioning are rushing out to get it.
But comfort comes at a price.
So we went to PG&E to find out how to save on electricity. Spokesperson Cindy Pollard told us it starts at the front door.
Cindy Pollard, PG& E Spokesperson, " We also make sure that you have good weather stripping."
That keeps the cold air in and the hot air out. Also close the drapes to keep the sun out. And of course, bump up the thermostat when you're not at home.
Fans are a good way to keep the air circulating and keeping you cool. But running them when you're not at home is a waste of money.
A simple thing to do and really save money is to unplug things like microwaves and toasters. They use something called standby power even when they're off.
Of course, you could always let someone else pay for the PG&E bill.
Going shopping only saves you money if you don't buy anything.
There's the age old debate between turning off your air conditioner when you leave the house or just turning up the thermostat.
We say it's a good idea to turn it off if you are going out of town. But on a daily basis, cranking up the thermostat is the best way to go.
Chances are you have your air conditioning blasting tonight and there's an even better chance you'll get a hefty bill for it.
The air conditioning repair man here is working overtime right now, keeping the house cool. But comfort comes at a price in the form of an electric bill. But we found it doesn't have to hurt so bad.
Burning sun and sweltering heat has sent many people rushing for the thermostat. People with don't have air conditioning are rushing out to get it.
But comfort comes at a price.
So we went to PG&E to find out how to save on electricity. Spokesperson Cindy Pollard told us it starts at the front door.
Cindy Pollard, PG& E Spokesperson, " We also make sure that you have good weather stripping."
That keeps the cold air in and the hot air out. Also close the drapes to keep the sun out. And of course, bump up the thermostat when you're not at home.
Fans are a good way to keep the air circulating and keeping you cool. But running them when you're not at home is a waste of money.
A simple thing to do and really save money is to unplug things like microwaves and toasters. They use something called standby power even when they're off.
Of course, you could always let someone else pay for the PG&E bill.
Going shopping only saves you money if you don't buy anything.
There's the age old debate between turning off your air conditioner when you leave the house or just turning up the thermostat.
We say it's a good idea to turn it off if you are going out of town. But on a daily basis, cranking up the thermostat is the best way to go.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
More tips fpr Savings and Comfort
Cooling off is hard to do
It's no secret that summer is hot. Duh-uh. It's also a given these days that cooling the house is more expensive than ever. Power needs fuel and fuel is, well, the engine that's driving household budgets these days.
Here are some ways to trim the costs of keeping the house cool as summer heads into its hottest period.
Easy to dos
* Set the thermostat to 76 to 78 degrees or higher when your home is occupied, and 85 degrees when unoccupied. Consider installing a programmable thermostat, which can be bought at most major home improvement stores, to perform this task for you.
* Do not set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on the air conditioner. It will not cool the building faster, and, if you forget to change the setting, can result in excessive cooling and unnecessary energy consumption.
* Use shades and blinds to keep the sun out, and secure windows tightly to prevent air conditioning loss.
* Station fans in areas of your home where you spend time. Consider installing ceiling fans in bedrooms and other high occupancy areas. Use ceiling fans only when a room is occupied.
* Perform regular maintenance on cooling equipment, such as cleaning condenser coils, checking refrigerant pressures, changing belts and filters, and fixing duct leaks.
* If replacing a central air conditioning unit, older appliances, or electronic equipment, consider ENERGY STAR® products, which use significantly less energy.
n Place your gas water heater on "vacation" mode, or turn off your electric water heater when you leave town for extended periods of time.
The sound goes whup, whup, whup ...
* An easy option - and one that's environmentally friendly to boot - is the venerable ceiling fan. The tried and true can cut cooling costs and also conserve energy. For example, on a hot summer day, it costs an average of 43 cents an hour to run central air conditioning, and 16 cents an hour to run a room air conditioner. In contrast, a ceiling fan costs only a penny an hour to operate. This can save you up to 40 percent on home cooling costs.
What to buy?
* When choosing a ceiling fan, look for one with the government's ENERGY STAR® logo, since these products have been identified by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency as being among the most efficient on the market. There are many such energy-efficient ones available.
It's no secret that summer is hot. Duh-uh. It's also a given these days that cooling the house is more expensive than ever. Power needs fuel and fuel is, well, the engine that's driving household budgets these days.
Here are some ways to trim the costs of keeping the house cool as summer heads into its hottest period.
Easy to dos
* Set the thermostat to 76 to 78 degrees or higher when your home is occupied, and 85 degrees when unoccupied. Consider installing a programmable thermostat, which can be bought at most major home improvement stores, to perform this task for you.
* Do not set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on the air conditioner. It will not cool the building faster, and, if you forget to change the setting, can result in excessive cooling and unnecessary energy consumption.
* Use shades and blinds to keep the sun out, and secure windows tightly to prevent air conditioning loss.
* Station fans in areas of your home where you spend time. Consider installing ceiling fans in bedrooms and other high occupancy areas. Use ceiling fans only when a room is occupied.
* Perform regular maintenance on cooling equipment, such as cleaning condenser coils, checking refrigerant pressures, changing belts and filters, and fixing duct leaks.
* If replacing a central air conditioning unit, older appliances, or electronic equipment, consider ENERGY STAR® products, which use significantly less energy.
n Place your gas water heater on "vacation" mode, or turn off your electric water heater when you leave town for extended periods of time.
The sound goes whup, whup, whup ...
* An easy option - and one that's environmentally friendly to boot - is the venerable ceiling fan. The tried and true can cut cooling costs and also conserve energy. For example, on a hot summer day, it costs an average of 43 cents an hour to run central air conditioning, and 16 cents an hour to run a room air conditioner. In contrast, a ceiling fan costs only a penny an hour to operate. This can save you up to 40 percent on home cooling costs.
What to buy?
* When choosing a ceiling fan, look for one with the government's ENERGY STAR® logo, since these products have been identified by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency as being among the most efficient on the market. There are many such energy-efficient ones available.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
New ideas for your old Air Conditioner
These ideas will help your old air conditioner keep you cool
Air conditioning used to be a luxury. Now, it's a necessity. When it's summer and the power fails -- the air conditioning goes off. If it stays off for more than a few days, people and animals can get sick and even die.
Unfortunately even though most of us have central air conditioning, we're still not really comfortable. The air often feels muggy and some rooms never get cool. The main reason for this is that most air conditioners were improperly sized and do not process the air correctly.
Air conditioners cool and dehumidify air. If the contractor oversized the condenser, it cools air too quickly, and there is not proper time for dehumidification. Adding to this problem, because the ducts in most homes leak like a sieve, it's possible that up to 40 percent of the cool air doesn't get where it is needed. The only ways to rectify these conditions are to replace the air conditioner and seal the ducts. The Department of Energy (DOE) recommends replacing air conditioners that are more than 10 years old.
If replacement is an option, be sure that your contractor does a heat gain study and replaces your old unit with a properly sized, two-stage Energy Star-rated air conditioner. The new unit will make you more comfortable and save you money on your electric bill.
Sealing the ducts can easily save you 3 percent on your heating and cooling bills.
If you have to live with your old air conditioner, here are 12 tips for keeping cool.
1. Be realistic. Central air conditioning is only designed to make the inside temperature 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. If it's 90 degrees outside, the air conditioner can only lower the inside temperature to 75 degrees.
Don't expect a room air conditioner to cool an entire house. It was made to cool a limited number of cubic feet. Window air conditioning units operate most efficiently when you close the door of the room in which they are located.
2. Don't open the windows. When you open the windows, humid air rushes in and even a properly sized air conditioner gets overwhelmed.
3. Pull down the shades during the heat of the day and turn off unnecessary lights. Unnecessary lights not only create heat, but they cost money.
4. Keep the temperature constant unless you will be going away for a long period of time. It takes hours of operation to lower the temperature in a house from 85 to 72 degrees. Pick a temperature you can live with and leave it.
5. Turn on fans. Cold air sinks to the floor. Hot air rises, making heads hot and second-story rooms uninhabitable. A breeze circulates the air and makes air conditioning more efficient.
6. Buy an hygrometer and check the humidity. If the air conditioner doesn't lower the humidity below 50 percent, buy an Energy Star-rated dehumidifier. The lower you get the humidity, the cooler you will feel.
7. Remember that it is the furnace fan that distributes the cooled air. Cold air is heavy so the fan dumps it as soon as possible. Rooms closest to the furnace get cooled, while second-story rooms don't. Take off the return air vents in the coolest rooms and seal them with plastic wrap. This forces the furnace to draw hot air from warm rooms replacing it with cooler air.
8. Change furnace filters. Clogged filters can burn out the motor.
9. Add attic insulation and soffit vents. If you cool the attic with proper ventilation and isolate it from the rest of the house with R-49 insulation, the whole house will be cooler, and you will save money on heating and cooling.
10. Hot air seeps in all around the house. Caulk and install weather stripping around windows and doors, especially the attic access door.
11. Appliances create heat. Use the oven, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer in the evening when the electric rates are lower and the temperature is cooler.
12. If one or two rooms are always hot, consider installing a ductless air conditioner dedicated to those rooms. Prices start at about $2,500.
Follow these rules and keep your cool.
Air conditioning used to be a luxury. Now, it's a necessity. When it's summer and the power fails -- the air conditioning goes off. If it stays off for more than a few days, people and animals can get sick and even die.
Unfortunately even though most of us have central air conditioning, we're still not really comfortable. The air often feels muggy and some rooms never get cool. The main reason for this is that most air conditioners were improperly sized and do not process the air correctly.
Air conditioners cool and dehumidify air. If the contractor oversized the condenser, it cools air too quickly, and there is not proper time for dehumidification. Adding to this problem, because the ducts in most homes leak like a sieve, it's possible that up to 40 percent of the cool air doesn't get where it is needed. The only ways to rectify these conditions are to replace the air conditioner and seal the ducts. The Department of Energy (DOE) recommends replacing air conditioners that are more than 10 years old.
If replacement is an option, be sure that your contractor does a heat gain study and replaces your old unit with a properly sized, two-stage Energy Star-rated air conditioner. The new unit will make you more comfortable and save you money on your electric bill.
Sealing the ducts can easily save you 3 percent on your heating and cooling bills.
If you have to live with your old air conditioner, here are 12 tips for keeping cool.
1. Be realistic. Central air conditioning is only designed to make the inside temperature 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. If it's 90 degrees outside, the air conditioner can only lower the inside temperature to 75 degrees.
Don't expect a room air conditioner to cool an entire house. It was made to cool a limited number of cubic feet. Window air conditioning units operate most efficiently when you close the door of the room in which they are located.
2. Don't open the windows. When you open the windows, humid air rushes in and even a properly sized air conditioner gets overwhelmed.
3. Pull down the shades during the heat of the day and turn off unnecessary lights. Unnecessary lights not only create heat, but they cost money.
4. Keep the temperature constant unless you will be going away for a long period of time. It takes hours of operation to lower the temperature in a house from 85 to 72 degrees. Pick a temperature you can live with and leave it.
5. Turn on fans. Cold air sinks to the floor. Hot air rises, making heads hot and second-story rooms uninhabitable. A breeze circulates the air and makes air conditioning more efficient.
6. Buy an hygrometer and check the humidity. If the air conditioner doesn't lower the humidity below 50 percent, buy an Energy Star-rated dehumidifier. The lower you get the humidity, the cooler you will feel.
7. Remember that it is the furnace fan that distributes the cooled air. Cold air is heavy so the fan dumps it as soon as possible. Rooms closest to the furnace get cooled, while second-story rooms don't. Take off the return air vents in the coolest rooms and seal them with plastic wrap. This forces the furnace to draw hot air from warm rooms replacing it with cooler air.
8. Change furnace filters. Clogged filters can burn out the motor.
9. Add attic insulation and soffit vents. If you cool the attic with proper ventilation and isolate it from the rest of the house with R-49 insulation, the whole house will be cooler, and you will save money on heating and cooling.
10. Hot air seeps in all around the house. Caulk and install weather stripping around windows and doors, especially the attic access door.
11. Appliances create heat. Use the oven, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer in the evening when the electric rates are lower and the temperature is cooler.
12. If one or two rooms are always hot, consider installing a ductless air conditioner dedicated to those rooms. Prices start at about $2,500.
Follow these rules and keep your cool.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Air Conditioning Repair if you ask We Will Help
Questions About Air Conditioner Components
Q. The air conditioning is set to 70 degrees and the current temperature is going to be 100. Currently it is 85 inside the house. The thermostat is set on "cold" for the AC unit of the heat pump. The heat pump runs and blows air, but the problem is, it is not blowing cold air, instead it blows air only. It is an inside unit and the fan is working properly. I can hear the unit working; the only problem is the air it is blowing is not cool. What would be the possible problem? Can I fix it myself or would I need assistance?
A. You say the inside and outside are running. If the big copper line outside is not cold and wet and the little copper line is not warm, shut off the outside unit and call an HVAC tech to look at it.
Q. When the HVAC guys talk about an air handler, what exactly are they talking about? Is this a slang term they throw around or does it mean something specific? Is any fan and duct system an air handler, or does it always mean a fan and electric resistance heaters? What about an air conditioner evaporator coil and fan - is that an air handler?
A. You have it, it's not slang at all. When we say air handler it is just that: a box with a blower in it. It can also have an A/C coil in it for A/C, and a coil in it for A/C and heat pump. If it is for a heat pump, then it can have electric strip heaters in it. A lot of them have a slot for the filter to go in. Forget any ductwork or duct system that all goes on to them.
Q. What is a damper, and do I need to put one in when running basement HVAC?
A. Dampers are a piece of metal installed inside the ductwork to allow or restrict flow of air. Some dampers allow air for combustion to the main unit. Others are so you can decide how much heat or cold air you want to a certain area. If what you are speaking of is for combustion or venting out gases, contact someone who installs these units for information.
Q. What is the chemical that is running through the coil in the top of the furnace? I just hit mine with a drill and it emptied into my basement. Do I need to be worried?
A. That would likely be the air-conditioning coil, and you have released its refrigerant. It is possible to be asphyxiated because refrigerant is heavier than air and will push out the oxygen, but the amount that is in your system will not do much in a normal basement. Turn off the heat to your furnace if a combustion type, turn on the circulating fan and open the doors in your house for a while. Call for service to have them make the repairs, pump down the system to remove the moisture, and recharge.
Q. The present location of the thermostat is in the living room. There two vents in this room. One is on the opposite wall from the thermostat about 2-3 ft. to the left. My question is, should the thermostat be in the hallway or doesn't it matter? Does the location of the lamp have any affect on proper operation? The lamp actually blocks the air from directly hitting the thermostat.
A. In general, thermostats should be installed in an inside hallway away from any heat source, supply air vent, light, or window. You don't want a lamp by the thermostat. You don't want the air from a register to blow on the thermostat. This may cause the thermostat not to work properly or malfunction.
Q. The air conditioning is set to 70 degrees and the current temperature is going to be 100. Currently it is 85 inside the house. The thermostat is set on "cold" for the AC unit of the heat pump. The heat pump runs and blows air, but the problem is, it is not blowing cold air, instead it blows air only. It is an inside unit and the fan is working properly. I can hear the unit working; the only problem is the air it is blowing is not cool. What would be the possible problem? Can I fix it myself or would I need assistance?
A. You say the inside and outside are running. If the big copper line outside is not cold and wet and the little copper line is not warm, shut off the outside unit and call an HVAC tech to look at it.
Q. When the HVAC guys talk about an air handler, what exactly are they talking about? Is this a slang term they throw around or does it mean something specific? Is any fan and duct system an air handler, or does it always mean a fan and electric resistance heaters? What about an air conditioner evaporator coil and fan - is that an air handler?
A. You have it, it's not slang at all. When we say air handler it is just that: a box with a blower in it. It can also have an A/C coil in it for A/C, and a coil in it for A/C and heat pump. If it is for a heat pump, then it can have electric strip heaters in it. A lot of them have a slot for the filter to go in. Forget any ductwork or duct system that all goes on to them.
Q. What is a damper, and do I need to put one in when running basement HVAC?
A. Dampers are a piece of metal installed inside the ductwork to allow or restrict flow of air. Some dampers allow air for combustion to the main unit. Others are so you can decide how much heat or cold air you want to a certain area. If what you are speaking of is for combustion or venting out gases, contact someone who installs these units for information.
Q. What is the chemical that is running through the coil in the top of the furnace? I just hit mine with a drill and it emptied into my basement. Do I need to be worried?
A. That would likely be the air-conditioning coil, and you have released its refrigerant. It is possible to be asphyxiated because refrigerant is heavier than air and will push out the oxygen, but the amount that is in your system will not do much in a normal basement. Turn off the heat to your furnace if a combustion type, turn on the circulating fan and open the doors in your house for a while. Call for service to have them make the repairs, pump down the system to remove the moisture, and recharge.
Q. The present location of the thermostat is in the living room. There two vents in this room. One is on the opposite wall from the thermostat about 2-3 ft. to the left. My question is, should the thermostat be in the hallway or doesn't it matter? Does the location of the lamp have any affect on proper operation? The lamp actually blocks the air from directly hitting the thermostat.
A. In general, thermostats should be installed in an inside hallway away from any heat source, supply air vent, light, or window. You don't want a lamp by the thermostat. You don't want the air from a register to blow on the thermostat. This may cause the thermostat not to work properly or malfunction.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Stay Cool and Save Money
You Can Save Money on Air Conditioning
During the heat of the summer air conditioning can seem like a godsend -- that is, until the electric bill shows up. Paying for electricity is the price we all have to pay to make our home livable. I know you've thought how nice it would be to cut down on the amount of power your air conditioner uses. You can help your air conditioner out (and more importantly, keep money in your pocket) by reducing humidity so your air conditioner doesn't need to deal with it.
How an air conditioner cools your home
An air conditioner makes your home feel more comfortable by doing two things:
It lowers the air temperature.
It removes humidity from the air circulating in your home (because cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air).
Air feels comfortable when the humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent. During the summer the air in your home can easily have humidity well over 80 percent. This makes it uncomfortably hot and muggy, whereas lowering the humidity makes the air feel cooler.
Lowering humidity levels in your home
You can control the humidity level in your home in a number of small ways. Together they can significantly reduce your electric bill. Here are some ideas:
On hot muggy days, keep your windows and doors closed. Also try to limit the amount of going in and out that you, you kids or your pets do. Every time you open a door, humidity comes in.
Use exhaust fans in your kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. They will blow moisture-laden air directly outside your home so the air conditioner won't have to do it.
Ensure your dryer is vented directly to the outside so any moisture from the clothes dryer doesn't add to the humidity inside.
Check to be sure you don't have any plumbing leaks or drips. If you do, fix them. Otherwise, the water from the leaks will evaporate and add to the inside humidity levels.
Be sure you don't have any water from outside seeping in through your foundation. Down spouts and drainpipes should direct rainwater well away from your home.
Adapt your cooking to the weather. On really hot days try not to cook meals that require boiling water on the stove.
If you have houseplants, putting them outside for the summer can actually reduce humidity levels inside. Plants pass moisture out through their leaves and into your home.
Finally, buy a dehumidifier.
Residential dehumidifiers only cost $100 to $300 and do a great job of taking moisture out of the air. In fact, in a single day a small dehumidifier can remove at least 10 quarts of water from the air, while a large one could take out over 25 quarts.
An energy efficient dehumidifier (look for the Energy Star label) will use a lot less electricity than an air conditioner.
When the weather gets hot, minimizing the humidity in your house won't guarantee you'll never need to turn on your air conditioner. But here's one guarantee you can take to the bank: If you lower the humidity levels in your home, you will have lower electric bills.
During the heat of the summer air conditioning can seem like a godsend -- that is, until the electric bill shows up. Paying for electricity is the price we all have to pay to make our home livable. I know you've thought how nice it would be to cut down on the amount of power your air conditioner uses. You can help your air conditioner out (and more importantly, keep money in your pocket) by reducing humidity so your air conditioner doesn't need to deal with it.
How an air conditioner cools your home
An air conditioner makes your home feel more comfortable by doing two things:
It lowers the air temperature.
It removes humidity from the air circulating in your home (because cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air).
Air feels comfortable when the humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent. During the summer the air in your home can easily have humidity well over 80 percent. This makes it uncomfortably hot and muggy, whereas lowering the humidity makes the air feel cooler.
Lowering humidity levels in your home
You can control the humidity level in your home in a number of small ways. Together they can significantly reduce your electric bill. Here are some ideas:
On hot muggy days, keep your windows and doors closed. Also try to limit the amount of going in and out that you, you kids or your pets do. Every time you open a door, humidity comes in.
Use exhaust fans in your kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. They will blow moisture-laden air directly outside your home so the air conditioner won't have to do it.
Ensure your dryer is vented directly to the outside so any moisture from the clothes dryer doesn't add to the humidity inside.
Check to be sure you don't have any plumbing leaks or drips. If you do, fix them. Otherwise, the water from the leaks will evaporate and add to the inside humidity levels.
Be sure you don't have any water from outside seeping in through your foundation. Down spouts and drainpipes should direct rainwater well away from your home.
Adapt your cooking to the weather. On really hot days try not to cook meals that require boiling water on the stove.
If you have houseplants, putting them outside for the summer can actually reduce humidity levels inside. Plants pass moisture out through their leaves and into your home.
Finally, buy a dehumidifier.
Residential dehumidifiers only cost $100 to $300 and do a great job of taking moisture out of the air. In fact, in a single day a small dehumidifier can remove at least 10 quarts of water from the air, while a large one could take out over 25 quarts.
An energy efficient dehumidifier (look for the Energy Star label) will use a lot less electricity than an air conditioner.
When the weather gets hot, minimizing the humidity in your house won't guarantee you'll never need to turn on your air conditioner. But here's one guarantee you can take to the bank: If you lower the humidity levels in your home, you will have lower electric bills.
Helpful Air Conditioning Repair Tips
It might surprise you to know that buying a bigger room air conditioning unit won't necessarily make you feel more comfortable during the hot summer months. In fact, a room air conditioner that's too big for the area that is supposed to cool will perform less efficiently and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized unit. This is because room units work better if they run for relatively long periods of time than if they are continually switching off and on. Longer run times allow air conditioners to maintain a more constant room temperature. Running longer also allows them to remove a larger amount of moisture from the air, which lowers humidity and, more importantly, makes you feel more comfortable.
Sizing is equally important for central air conditioning systems, which need to be sized by professionals. If you have a central air system in your home, set the fan to shut off at the same time as the cooling unit (compressor). In other words, don't use the system's fan to provide circulation, but instead use circulating fans in individual rooms.
Cooling Tips
Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are most effective when operated at night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.
Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. When it's humid, set the fan speed on low. You'll get better cooling, and, slower air movement through the cooling equipment allows it to remove more moisture from the air, resulting in greater comfort.
Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
Sizing is equally important for central air conditioning systems, which need to be sized by professionals. If you have a central air system in your home, set the fan to shut off at the same time as the cooling unit (compressor). In other words, don't use the system's fan to provide circulation, but instead use circulating fans in individual rooms.
Cooling Tips
Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are most effective when operated at night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.
Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. When it's humid, set the fan speed on low. You'll get better cooling, and, slower air movement through the cooling equipment allows it to remove more moisture from the air, resulting in greater comfort.
Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
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