The Furnace Filters » Air Conditioning

Beat the Heat with a Window Air Conditioner

Jared Williams — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:40:04 +0000

Window air conditioners are a convenient way to cool down certain areas of your house. Oftentimes, it’s simply not economical to cool down an entire house. There are plenty of rooms in your house that you probably don’t enter on a regular basis, and there’s no need to waste energy cooling those areas down.

Finding the right window a/c unit for your room begins with measuring both the room and the window. You measure the window for the obvious reason of not wanting to buy an air conditioner that won’t fit. You measure the room to make sure you are finding the most efficient air conditioner for the space you’re planning on cooling. Air conditioners are labeled for the room sizes that they’re best used for in either square feet or cubic feet, so make sure you measure the length, width and height of the room.

The EER (energy efficiency ratio) is a number that represents how efficient an a/c unit is. The higher this number is, the more efficient it is considered. Right now, these typically range from 9-12, but as technology improves this average range continues to increase. Another important efficiency factor to look at is to see whether the unit has the Energy Star seal which requires that a cooling unit be at least 10% more efficient than minimum government standards.

Finally, consider the style of your window before running out to buy an air conditioner. If you have the type of windows that slide open horizontally, then you can’t simply tilt your air conditioner on its side and hope for the best. They actually make vertical window air conditioners specifically for this style of window. These air conditioners have a taller, and thinner profile than standard window unit air conditioners.

Shopping for a window air conditioner can be a bit difficult at times. Look online for the best possible deals, but before you purchase make sure it’s rated to cool the size of the room you’re putting it in, energy efficient enough to keep your bills low, and of the proper style for your type of windows.

Replacing Air Conditioner Filters

Jared Williams — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:50:07 +0000

Clogged air conditioner filters affect the efficiency of air conditioners as well as the quality of air they release.

A dirty air filter reduces the cooling effect of air conditioning systems as well as its air flow. This makes air conditioners utilize more electricity to work, thus increasing your energy bills. Also the air that is released becomes packed with allergens and impurities. That being said, cleaning air conditioner filters periodically is extremely necessary. But sometimes it is not enough, therefore replacement might be needed. As a rule of thumb, air filters that are regularly used must be changed every 30–60days. To help you effectively accomplish the task, here are some tips on how to replace air filters.

Shut off the air conditioner and locate its filter. For a furnace system, the air filter is usually attached to the air conditioning unit, while for forced air system it is located over a vent where air is taken in. Most furnace filters are covered with a metal grill.
Figure out the actual size of the old filter. This is important to ascertain that new filter will fit perfectly on your air conditioning unit. If are unsure about the filter’s size, you may call the manufacturer and ask for the details of the air filter installed in your unit. Do not replace the filter unless you are already certain of its exact size.
Purchase a new filter of the same size. You may opt for a different variety of air filter that will better suit your needs, but remember that it should be of similar dimensions with the old filter.
Take note of how the air filter is attached to the air conditioner and the direction of the airflow before you remove the filter. Locate similar marking on the old filter.
Detach the old filter and clean the metal grill using a vacuum cleaner. Attach the new air conditioner filter in the same way the old one was attached. When done, carefully close the covering.

Replacing air conditioner filters should not be a difficult task. In fact, any person with a basic idea on the right filter replacement technique will be able to do it.

Keeping Cool When Its Hot with Portable Air Conditioning

Jared Williams — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:09:30 +0000

Summer is on its way and it won’t be too long before the mercury is climbing into the high numbers and we are all sitting around melting in the heat of those glorious, balmy summer days. If you look forward to those days with relish, then this probably is not for you, but if you are already breaking out into a sweat at the very idea of it, then perhaps you need to turn those thoughts to a nice cool breeze blown out from a ventless portable air conditioner that you can take from room to room with you.

Its no great secret that power prices are going up and up and there is no end in sight as our natural resources dwindle and the cost of producing electricity rises. That means if you are running a whole house air conditioning system, the cost each year is going to eat an ever larger slice out of your family budget until before too long it gets too expensive to run it. Maybe that is about to happen as soon as this year and you are facing a bleak time with long periods of down time when the indoor temperatures may get unbearable. What do you do in this situation? Do you cut corners and take from other areas of your budget? Or do you turn the power sucking monster on for longer today, only to have to run it for less time tomorrow to compensate?

Well, there is an alternative that can be economical enough to allow you to stay cool while not consuming huge amounts of expensive power to do so. The new breed of ventless portable air conditioners is not only more compact than its predecessors, but it is more efficient and uses less energy to to the same job. What’s more, when compared to the power consumption of a whole house air conditioning system, it uses only a fraction of the power guzzling behemoth. The beauty of the portable unit is in its very portable nature.

You don’t really need to have the whole house kept cool, because you are not likely to be occupying every room at the same time. In fact, you only really need to cool the room you are occupying, making a portable unit the perfect alternative. When you’re done in one room, or say you are going off to bed, then you just unplug the unit and wheel it to the next room. Switch on and in no time at all, you are cool and comfortable. Now isn’t that a happy ending?

How to Use Portable Air Conditioners

Jared Williams — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:53:46 +0000

Portable air conditioners will not be able to cool down your entire home the way a central air system will, but if you only need to cool down a single room, it can be a cheap and practical solution. Before acquiring a portable air conditioner, make sure you understand its limitations, and make sure you choose a unit with the appropriate strength.

Fast, Budget Solution for Limited Needs
A fancy central air system might offer a lot of benefits, but it certainly has its downsides as well. It is expensive to purchase and it will use electricity amounts bordering on the obscene. Finally, you will need professional assistance installing it. This is not to say that installing such a system is a bad idea, in very hot climates it might be money well spent, and a number of companies, like “Air Conditioning Repair Atlanta“, will even offer installation at attractive prices. The point is that you need air conditioning that suits your needs.

Cooling Down Your Bedroom
If you don’t want to spend too much on your electricity bills and only need to slightly cool down your bedroom, ensuring a healthy amount of sleep, installing a portable room air conditioner might be a good solution. You will avoid the expense of cooling down your entire home and can easily turn the air conditioner on and off as needed. Portable room air conditioners are good for all types of small rooms.

The Areas that a Central Air System Won’t Reach
There are some places that a central air system will often not be connected to. An example, could be a garage or a workshop. If you often spend time working here, you will want the temperature to be reasonable. The problem is that it will often be difficult and expensive to connect the central air system to these areas of your home. Again, cheap portable air conditioners might make sense in this area of your home. You will be able to cheaply cool down the workshop, and you will not be forced to waste electricity when you are not working.

Choose the Appropriate Unit
When choosing small portable air conditioners, make sure you choose one that is appropriately effective. The units are divided into four categories of strength, the weakest appropriate for rooms measuring 150 square feet, the strongest appropriate for rooms that are 350 square feet.

If you make sure a portable air conditioner fits your needs and you choose one with appropriate strength, you should soon be enjoying a comfortable temperature at a low level of expense.

Why Air Conditioning Is Safe

Jared Williams — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:35:06 +0000

In some circles air conditioning has become something to criticize. There is a lot of misinformation around about how air conditioning can cause different health problems and it’s difficult to know who to trust. This article will talk a little bit about the potential health problems of using air conditioning as well as why it is usually completely safe to use.

The main reason that lots of rumors started about the safety of portable air conditioning units is because they can be a hazard if they aren’t maintained correctly. If you have an air conditioning unit that isn’t maintained correctly then different kinds of bacteria can build up inside and then be spread around the room. This can cause different kinds of problems depending on how severe the bacteria can potentially be.

However, as long as air conditioning units are maintained correctly that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. If you don’t know how to maintain your air conditioning unit it is always a good idea to go and visit someone who does or pay to have it done. It’s much better to make sure your air conditioning unit is safe than it is to try and save money.

There are actually many different circumstances were air conditioning can save lives and be extremely beneficial to health. During a very hot summer older people struggle with the heat and air conditioning is really important to make sure they stay the right temperature. Also, when surgery is taking place you need to make sure that the air around is as clean as possible and air conditioning units help filter out the different kinds of bacteria from the room. Air conditioning units save many lives each year so you shouldn’t think of them as something that can cause health problems in most cases.

If you’d like to hear what experts in the HVAC field have to say about this topic, take a look at the HVAC talk forum.

Portable Air Conditioners Have Many Advantages

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:12 +0000

If you are debating the benefits of portable air conditioners versus a central system or just looking for a unit to supplement the central air conditioning that is already installed in your home then there are some important advantages that you should review. Namely, Portable air conditioners save you money, they keep different people in your home at the temperature they prefer and they are very versatile.

Portable Air Conditioners Save Money

Money can be saved by using portable room air conditioners. The savings are due to several different factors. First of all, a single unit is much cheaper than buying and installing central air conditioning. If you require several units in order to cool several rooms in your home, you will still save money since not every unit will need to run simultaneously. With central cooling, you have to turn on the whole system to cool the whole house which causes high energy bills. With small portable air conditioners, you can cool only the room your are in and save a lot of money on electricity bills.

Portable air conditioners keep everyone comfortable

Every person has their own internal thermostat. Some people can be hot while others are cold. One person may be cooking in the kitchen causing them to get overheated while another person is sitting at their computer and is feeling cooler. Using a separate portable air conditioner in each room allows each person to control the temperature to their liking. Larger rooms that are shared with different family members require larger units but you can get cheap portable air conditioners for bedrooms or small areas keeping everyone in your home comfortable. Another option for air conditioning when you are on a budget is a mini air conditioner. These are cheaper than central air conditioning and work well for many people but they can not be moved around as portable air conditioners can.

Portable air conditioners are very versatile

If you do not have a budget to buy several portable air conditioner units, you can still benefit from the versatility of a portable unit. To do so, look for a unit with the highest BTU that you can afford. This will allow the unit to be used in rooms of varying sizes. It is easy to wheel the unit from room to room saving you the cost of buying multiple units. Everstar portable air conditioners are a reputable and reliable choice and sell portable air conditioners for different needs.

Now that you have reviewed the advantages of portable air conditioners, you can choose the set up that works best for your home layout and for your budget. The fact that portable air conditioners can save you money, keep everyone happy and are versatile to boot, make them a great choice for cooling your home.

The Dual Benefits of Heat Pump Air Conditioners

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:50:02 +0000

If you are looking for a way to both heat and cool your home without having to purchase separate units for each job, you should look into a heat pump which is an excellent option. What follows is some basic information about how heat pumps work, how heat pumps are used for air conditioning and the cost of heat pump air conditioners and heat pumps. After reading this information, you should be able to find a heat pump unit that will heat and cool your home and save you money in the process.

How a Heat Pump Works

To understand how heat pumps provide both heating and cooling you first need to understand how a heat pump works. A heat pump moves heat from one location to the other. This diffusion of heat will either cool or heat a room depending on the flow of the heat. The best example of how a heat pump works is to observe a refrigerator. Refrigerators are classic heat pumps. They move warm air from inside the fridge to the outside of the fridge. This is why the inside of the fridge is cold and the sides and back are often quite warm. Seeing how this technology works with regards to refrigerators will help us understand how heat pumps are used for air conditioning.

Heat Pump Air Conditioners

Many people use heat pumps for heating. They work by transferring the warm air outside into your home. Heat pump air conditioning does the opposite. It transfers warm air in a room to the outside which consequently cools the room. The same device can be used for both situations. A heat pump will cool your home if switched to the reverse position. Having one device saves you the money required to buy two separate units. There are other things to know about the cost of heat pumps and how they save you money.

Costs of Heat Pump Heat and Air Conditioning

The costs involved in running a heat pump and heat pump air conditioner is much less than traditional gas heating or the running of other electrical units. This is because it uses the amount of electricity required for a small heater and converts it into a much great heat output. This results in a saving of about half the monthly costs as compared to gas or conventional electric heating. The installation of a heat pump costs more but this is offset by the lower energy bills you will have in subsequent months. In addition, the fact that a heat pump can be reversed and used for cooling will save you the cost of buying an additional cooling unit. Heat pump air conditioning also filters the air in your home and can act as a dehumidifier as well.

Now that you know how a heat pump can be used for both heating and cooling it is easy to see how it will serve your purposes and save you money. Understanding how a heat pump works and how it can therefore be used for both heating and cooling as well as knowing what costs are involved in heat pump air conditioners and heat pumps will give you the knowledge required to compare heat pumps to other forms of heating and cooling.

Not Looking Forward to Hot Summer Nights Ahead? Air conditioning is the Answer

Jared Williams — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:41:51 +0000

The summer months are always just around the corner it seems, and you know what that means; hot, sticky days spent trying to cool off and nights spent tossing and turning and trying to do anything that will cool you off to allow yourself a good night’s sleep. The out of doors is full of warm weather.

I’m sure you have tried the cold water bottle, the opening of windows and the fans but nothing seems to work. In the winter, we complain about the cold and in the summer, it is the heat. If there ever a happy medium? Well, there is; air conditioning. It used to be that only businesses had these systems installed but now many people are making the switch as well which may have you asking yourself, do you need air conditioning? There are many things to ask yourself and to consider before making the switch and here are some of those things:

1)Babies and young children along with the elderly are the ones who are most affected by extreme heat so if any of the people living in your household fall into any of these groups, it may be for you.

2)Installing the system will require space, renovations and a fee. Make sure you are ok with these things before jumping in.

3)There are many other ways to deal with extreme heat in your home. If none of things have worked for you, than it is time to try something new!

4)Some people find it to be too cold so if you are sensitive to cold, consider buying a system that allows you to adjust the settings to the temperature that you want.

Purchasing a new air conditioning system is not something you should do overnight. Ask other people who have had experiences with these systems and get their opinions and do a lot of research before making the purchase!

The Importance of Replacing Air Conditioning Filters

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:47:09 +0000

In the hot summer months, entering a home or office that has air conditioning can be very revitalizing. When you have an air conditioner, it is important to maintain the air conditioner so that it can operate at its maximum efficiency and properly cool the room it resides in. One of the ways to do this is by keeping the air conditioning filters clean and replacing them on a regular basis. If you are a sufferer of asthma or allergies, it’s even more critical to replace the filters quite often in order to prevent any health problems.

If you have an air conditioning system in your home or office, you need to be diligent about replacing the air conditioning filters periodically. Depending on how much the system is used, the air conditioning filter should be replaced approximately 3 to 6 months in order to maintain the efficiency of the unit. Proper maintenance helps the interior of the unit to stay clean and free of dust build up and blockages from other particles. In addition it also keeps the air that is expelled out into the room clean. If the filters are not cleaned and replaced on a regular basis, the system will take much longer to cool the room.

Air condition filters should be cleaned twice a month to keep the system running at its best. By checking your air condition filter on a regular basis, you will be able to determine if it needs to be cleaned. If there is a layer of dust on the filter, then it is best to first vacuum and then wash it with warm water and mild detergent. It’s also wise to clean the vents and ducks to be sure that the air conditioner is working properly.

There are many different kinds of air conditioning filters that the consumer can purchase. Some filters are disposable, which are not overly expensive to purchase. There are permanent mesh filters, electronic and electrostatic filters that also help to prevent odors and smells.

Replacing your air conditioning air filter will keep your air conditioner working at its maximum level and prolong the life of your system. During the humid and hot weather, it is a convenience that you do not want to have any trouble with. Neglecting your system will result in higher electrical bills and repair bills. Changing the air filters can prevent unscheduled repairs from occurring. It’s a good practice to maintain a regular cleaning and replacement of the air conditioner filters in order to keep the system from running into any added unnecessary expenditures in the future.