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Air Conditioning FAQ
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What does the term HVAC mean? |
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HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer
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"Heat pump" is the term given for a type of air conditioner in which the refrigeration cycle is able to be reversed, producing heat instead of cold for the indoor environment. They are also commonly referred to, and marketed as, a "reverse cycle" air conditioner. Using an air conditioner in this way to produce heat is significantly more efficient than electric resistance heating. Some home owners have elect to have a heat pump system installed, which is actually simply a central air conditioner with heat pump functionality (the refrigeration cycle is reversed in the winter, blowing the recovered heat inside and blowing the cold air outside). When the heat pump is enabled, the indoor evaporator coil switches roles and becomes the condenser coil, producing heat. The outdoor condensor unit also switches roles to serve as the evaporator, and produces cold air (colder than the ambient outdoor air).
Heat pumps are more popular in milder winter climates where the temperature is frequently in the range of 40-55°F (4-13°C), because heat pumps become inefficient in more extreme cold. This is due to the problem of the outdoor unit's coil forming ice, which blocks air flow over the coil. To compensate for this, the heat pump system must temporarily switch back into the regular air conditioning mode to switch the outdoor evaporator coil back to being the condensor coil so that it can heat up and de-ice. A heat pump system therefore will have a form of electric resistance heating in the indoor air path that is activated only in this mode in order to compensate for the temporary air conditioning, which would otherwise generate undesirable cold air in the winter. The icing problem becomes much more prevalent with lower outdoor temperatures, so heat pumps are commonly installed in tandem with a more conventional form of heating, such as a natural gas or oil furnace, which is used instead of the heat pump during harsher winter temperatures. In this case, the heat pump is used efficiently during the milder temperatures, and the system is switched to the conventional heat source when the outdoor temperature is lower.
Some window type air conditioning units (RAC - Room Air Conditioners) have the heat pump function. However, a window unit that has a "heat" selection is not necessarily a heat pump because some units use electric resistance heat when heating is desired. A unit that has true heat pump functionality will be indicated in its literature by the term "heat pump".
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Air Conditioning Maintence - The Better and More Cost Efective Means
Check and Clean Condenser Coil & air filters
Foreign material on the condenser coil & air filters of the air conditioner reduces the system's capacity to remove heat from the house so your air conditioning system must run longer, increasing energy consumption and reducung the mechanical life of the air conditioning unit.
Check voltage andrunning amperage on motors
Improper voltage an amperage can reduce significantly the life of the compressor, evaporator and the condenser motor, Increased current is a good indication of an iminent breakdown.
Check and adjust blower components
Proper adjustment, cleanliness of blower and components are necessary for adequate air flow to assure proper capacity and equipment reliability.
Check condensate drain (clean if necessary)
A clogged drain can create considerable water damage to the air conditioner, an increase in the corrosion factor, as well as affect indoor humidity levels.
Check operating pressures for proper refrigerant charge
Improper refrigerant charges either too much or too little could damage the compressor and could cause high electric bills through a inefficient system.
bullet Check air filters
A dirty filter can substantially reduce the air flow over the evaporator coil, resulting in inadequate cooling of your home. A Dirty filter could cause high energy usage and compressor damage due to liquid flood back.
Check thermostat calibration
An improperly calibrated thermostat will call for more or less cooling than desired. The former will cost more money, the latter will cost you comfort.
Lubricate all moving parts where necessary
Poor lubrication causes drag in the motor and drive shaft, thereby requiring more electricity to overcome resistance. The lack of lubrication can ruin bearings and burn out a motor.
Check all electrical connections
Resistance caused by loose connections will create excessive heat at the point, causing damage to the unit. Loose connections cause improper voltage to various components, making them either inoperative or causing eventual failure.
bullet Check run and starting capacitors.
Important!
It is best that the work outlined above, especially concerning the elecrtrical and refrigeration components be attended to by your local air conditioning contractor.
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How Important Is Your Air Conditioner Filter? - To Work or Not to Work?
When most people think about an air conditioner filter, it is in terms of how efficient they are and how much dust they will stop. These are important things and should be considered when replacing or upgrading your air conditioner filter.
There is another very important job that your air conditioner filter does. It helps to keep dust from collecting on the evaporator coil of your air conditioning system. The evaporator is located inside the air handler and is one of the four main components of any air conditioning system. The air filter is usually located somewhere just before the evaporator coil.
Everyone knows that any dust that passes through the filter ends up back in your living space and can be very irritating to allergy sufferers and anyone else who is sensitive to dust and airborne contaminants.
What most people dont realize is that your air conditioner filter also serves another important purpose. It also prevents the evaporator coil from becoming plugged with dust and reducing the efficiency of the equipment.
This evaporator coil of the air conditioner is constructed very similar to the radiator in a car. Like your car radiator, it will not be able to do its job without proper airflow. I am comparing the evaporator coil to a car radiator because most of us know what a radiator looks like, but an evaporator coil works to cool air as it passes through.
Over time dust collects between the fins of the evaporator coil and can even form a layer on the surface of the evaporator coil fins (like a blanket). This happens over a period of time and can take months and even years to happen.
If you have your air conditioner serviced regularly, the technician will check this and advise you when it needs to be cleaned. As airflow through the evaporator coil becomes more and more restricted the equipment efficiency begins to decline. This can even cause equipment failure and lead to expensive repairs.
So, cleaner air is not the only benefit you will get from using an efficient air conditioner filter. You will also save money because your air conditioning equipment will perform at a higher efficiency.
It is also worth mentioning at this stage that dirty filters can cause more severe and costly problems! |
If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Likewise, one approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming in.
Outdoor air enters and leaves a house by: infiltration, natural ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor air flows into the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors (air may also move out of the house in this manner -- this is called exfiltration). In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by wind.uran Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from exhaust (vented outdoors) fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and the kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and duct work to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low and pollutant levels can increase.
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Copyright 2012 l Airconditioning Zone l Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, Western Cape l
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