Heating and Cooling
The basics of choosing an air conditioner
There are few people who live in a place where air conditioning is not needed at some time of the year, and invariably in the summer. If you live in a place where the temperatures rise substantially in summer, and especially if there is high humidity too, an air conditioner is absolutely essential. But what type of air conditioner to choose? Really there are just two types of air conditioner: the fixed unit and the portable unit. This article will look at these two types and discuss some of the considerations that need to be taken when buying an air conditioner.
One of the most common type of unit is the fixed type, which is installed in a window or on a wall. This will have vents on the outside of the building and will pull in air from the outside, cool it and sometimes remove humidity too, and then send it out into the room. The fixed type is a very efficient air conditioner, and the more expensive models enable you to control the temperature to a high degree. Usually this type of air conditioner is provided with a remote control unit in order to operate the unit from the comfort of your chair if need be.
The portable models have improved greatly over the past few years, and in some cases can provide air conditioning that is on a par with fixed units. However the cooling is not usually as good as fixed unit, and the portable models are usually better used in rooms that are on the small side and perhaps not used regularly and therefore do not need a permanently fixed air conditioning unit.
It also needs to be remembered that one of the main functions of air conditioning is not only to simply cool the air but also to remove moisture from it. In short a good air conditioning unit will have a dehumidifier as part of it. This is essential for humid parts of the country, since high humidity can make the heat seem much higher than it actually is.
In conclusion, the main decision that needs to be made is how often the room is used, and whether there is a need for a fixed unit or whether a portable unit will suffice, and then whether there is also a need for a dehumidifier. Once these decisions have been made it is a simple matter of choosing a good air conditioner from the many models now available.
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How to heat and cool your home for less
Whether you are worried about your electricity bills because of your family's budget or environmental impact, you can do a lot to improve your situation. The houses are the second place where the energy is wasted - only our cars are "better" when it comes to wasting energy. Fortunately unlike in case of cars, we can do a lot to make our houses more energy-efficient.
Here's the first step: make sure that all your doors and windows can be really closed tight. If not, order to repair them or seal the leaks yourself. Your objective is to eliminate all drafts you can. If a cold air can't get in, you will not lose energy heating it. Another important thing is either insulating your cellar too, or at least making the cellar doors well-insulated to prevent cold from entering your house from the ground.
The energy use can be also limited by keeping your heating and cooling systems in good condition. If you fail to install new filters every few months and schedule your furnace maintenance every ten years instead of ever second year, you can expect that those systems' efficiency will be cut by half. Also, remember about checking the cooling system for coolant leaks regularly. If any of the systems you have is older than sixteen-twenty years, it is recommended to replace it - old technologies are usually much less efficient than modern solutions.
Keep your thermostat in the area of your house which is far away from any really hot or cold places. Otherwise you risk your thermostat to excessively heat or cool your house basing on false readings. You may reduce the risk by installing a programmable Energy Star ratter thermostat, but it is much better to get it installed in another place.
If you make sure that your house is well-insulated, eliminate most of the drafts and keep your cooling and heating systems in prime condition, it's usually enough to reduce your bills by a half. If you want to do more than that, you may want to consider some additional means, like installing a heat pump or using a fireplace insert instead of real fireplace.
Another simple, yet effective tip is to use shades to either keep the sun out or keep the heat in depending on what season it is. Keeping out direct afternoon sunlight during the summer, keeps your house cooler. For those in northern climates, you want the afternoon sun to come in during the winter to heat the house up a bit.
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