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Are you planning to install a new climate control in your home or property? If yes, then there are a number of things you’d have to consider before making a financial commitment and that’s related to air conditioning planning permission. It’s crucial to equip yourself with the facts so as to avoid any hiccups along the ways and end up with an AC system that works well and complies with all relevant air conditioning regulations. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into planning permission for air conditioning in homes. Let’s take a look!

In general, majority of small air conditioning installations do not need planning permission. In other words, you don’t have to submit a planning permission application to install an air conditioning system in your home or property – if you want to, simply go ahead with it. However, there’s a need to ensure that your external air conditioning units meet some regulations. These regulations include:

• It isn’t bigger than 0.6m3
• It’s over a metre from the boundaries of any property
• It’s more than a metre away from the edge of a flat roof
• It shouldn’t be fitted on a pitched roof

In addition, you’d have to ensure that there isn’t a wind turbine on the property. For a more accurate information, it’s more advisable to reach out to your local authority for advice on air conditioning planning permission before installing your air conditioning unit. They’re in a much better position to advise you on how to ensure that your air conditioning complies with the relevant regulations as well as whether or not you’ll need a planning permission.
 

When it comes to air conditioning, there’s nothing like a one-size-fits-all approach as different buildings have different needs. As a result, there are various types of air conditioners to address unique building requirements. Having a full grasp of the differences between a commercial air conditioner and a residential air conditioner can go a long way to help you in choosing the most appropriate system for your building to ensure all occupants can enjoy the high air quality at the perfect temperature.

Now, while both commercial and residential HVAC systems serve the same purpose of heating, cooling as well as ventilating, they are largely varied in terms of the parts and mechanisms. This is due to the fact that tackling the need for comfort in a home or residential space is very different when compared to a work environment.

First and foremost, there’s usually a distinct physical difference between commercial and residential air conditioners. The residential ones are usually central systems which are linked to a series of ducts, with the evaporator and condenser in separate areas of the property. On the other hand, the commercial systems normally combines both heating and cooling units in one rooftop package that prevents the noise it produces from disturbing the work of the occupants. Having the package on the roof also goes a long way to help the companies free up some physical space.

The main difference between a commercial air conditioner and a residential air conditioner, however, is the amount of power which the system consumes to cool off a space. This is partly because a work environment usually takes up more space than residential environments. As a result, heating and cooling systems that are intended for use in commercial spaces are usually built to be a lot more powerful.

Central air conditioning system is a system which operates by cooling air at a central place and distributes the cooled air to and from rooms with the help of one or more fans and ductwork. What makes the whole idea of air conditioning feasible is the operations of the air conditioner compressor. When it cooling gas is compressed, it allows it to absorb heat from the house and blows it outside into the outside air and that’s exactly how the cool air is being generated.

Central air conditioning are of two main types which includes a split system as well as a packaged unit.

Generally, in the split system AC unit, both the condenser and compressor are included in the outdoor metal cabinet, whereas the indoor cabinet includes the evaporator. Typically, in several split system air conditioning units, the indoor cabinet will also include an air handler or a furnace. What’s more? The evaporator coil of the AC unit is fitted in the cabinet or the furnace or heat pump’s primary supply duct. This type of central air condition is usually the most economical AC unit to fit if you already have a furnace in your home.

However, in a packaged central air conditioning system, the components including condenser, compressor and evaporator are all included in one cabinet. Supply of air as well as the return ducts are connected through the home’s exterior wall or roof to the package central air conditioning system - mostly placed outdoors. This type of central air conditioners also features electric heating oil or a natural gas furnace. With this perfect blend of central heater with air conditioner, there’s simply no need to a separate furnace indoors.

Yes - in the Summer many UK homes could benefit from air conditioning, particularly in southern and eastern areas and is global temperatures increase with longer, hotter, dryer Summer months. Also, most modern air conditioning units function as heat pumps, meaning they can be used in winter as part of a heating system.

When getting a new air conditioning system, it’s essential to always go for one that’s energy efficient, otherwise you’ll end up paying more money on your heating and cooling bills than necessary. Over the years, a variety of air con units have been developed which ultimately makes it a bit tricky trying to separate the “the boys from the men. Not all are created equal and most home and property owners who do not take the necessary measures and put certain things into consideration when buying a new AC system often go back home with the most visually appealing unit rather than an energy efficient one.

When purchasing a new energy efficient system, there’s a need to look out for some things that can go a long way to help keep your heating bills and your home’s temperature low. Let’s take a look!

• Get the appropriate size for your space. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when buying a new air conditioner is getting the wrong size. A unit that’s too small will have to work overtime to achieve the set temperature for the room and driving up your energy bills, while a unit that’s too large will cool the air pretty easily and quickly but leave it damp and clammy.
• Energy saving setting. Always look out for this feature when buying a new unit. This allows the unit to turn off both the compressor and the fan once the space has been cooled off which in turn helps you conserve energy.
• ENERGY STAR® Certification. When deciding on the best air condition for your home, always look for the blue ENERGY STAR® certification. This implies that the unit has met or exceeded certain higher efficiency standards than other similar models.

Air conditioning filters can get dirty over time, especially through heavy use. This can have a major impact on how efficient a unit is, increasing how much energy it uses and reducing how effective it is.

This is why it’s a good idea to service your air conditioning system regularly. Part of this should involve checking, cleaning and replacing your filters, to help your units run as efficiently as possible.

If you’re looking to purchase and install an air conditioning system in your home or property, what immediately comes to mind is the type to invest in. When it comes to air conditioners, the available choices are numerous - from window units to central air conditioning, through-the-wall air conditioners, portable air conditioners, ductless split system, package terminal air conditioners, swamp coolers as well as geothermal cooling systems. In this post, we’re going to consider the various type of air conditioners in order to help you make the best decision moving forward. Let’s take a look!

• Window air conditioners. These are the most popular type of air conditioners which are typically mounted in a window. They possess an exhaust system which pushes hot air out the back and sides while the refrigerant cooling is pointed indoors.
• Central air conditioning. This is the most effective form of air conditioning if you happen to own a large home and want all rooms cooled at once.
• Portable air conditioners. Just like window air conditioners, these are self-contained air conditioning systems. In other words, portable air conditioners have all their essential components in one appliance just like in window air conditioning units.
• Through-the-wall air conditioners. These self-contained units that operates by bringing in warm air which is then exhausted while they send cool air back into the room ( similar to window air conditioners).
• Ductless split system air conditioners. Just like the name suggests, these are two-part air conditioners that are able to cool various areas within a home.
• Package terminal air conditioners. These are the type of air conditioners that are mostly used for cooling in commercial spaces like hospitals, hotels and the likes.
• Evaporative or “swamp” coolers. Although these aren’t as common as refrigerant air conditioners but they are just as effective. While conventional air conditioners make use of a refrigerant known as Freon, swamp coolers only incorporates air and water to function.

Also referred to as Freon, the refrigerant “R22 is a commonly used chlordiflouromethane that’s usually incorporated in air conditioning systems as well as many other refrigeration applications. However, because of the evidence discovered which shows the gas can contribute to the damage of the ozone layer, the refrigerant has now been banned since Dec 31, 2009 as it became legally required that any system making use of R22 and became faulty must be replaced.

Generally, R22 owners in commercial applications are now responsible for checking for leaks, record keeping as well as labelling of equipment using this type of gas. Failure to comply with these directives can lead to hefty fines.

Existing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment that makes use of R22 can still be used. However, the owner of the equipment will be denied any rights to purchase extra tanks of gas that’ll keep the equipment running. In the event whereby an air conditioning system requires a complete recharge of the R22 refrigerant, according to the law, it’ll be considered obsolete and therefore will have to be replaced. What’s more? As the remaining supplies of R22 starts to decline, the price of getting the refrigerant is expected to skyrocket. As a result, do not be shocked if the cost of purchasing more R22 to keep your current equipment running outweighs the cost of replacing your existing equipment with a new and environmentally approved one.

As R22 is gradually being phased out, there are new ozone friendly alternatives which are being introduced into the refrigerant market. Out of these alternatives, the most common one is the R410A, which is purely a combination of hydrofluorocarbons which does not deplete the ozone layer.