Find an Air Conditioning Engineer you can trust in Witham.

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.
 

As the heat start to come up especially during the summer months, the swelter will mercifully be kept in check by air conditioning. The technology has made a significant impact on modern life and it can now be considered a norm for all new and modern homes. So if you’re also planning to fit new HVAC air conditioning systems in your home or property, you may also be interested in knowing exactly how it works. In this article, we aim to provide you with an in depth insight into how air conditioning operates. Now let’s take a closer look at the process!

✓ A grille at the bottom of the machine absorbs warm air from the room

✓ The warm air is transmitted over some chiller pipes through which a coolant fluid is circulating. Working in a similar fashion as the chiller cabinet in a refrigerator, this part cools down the transmitted warm air and any excess moisture is duly removed by a dehumidifier.

✓ The air is then transmitted over a heating element which is quite similar to the one present in a fan heater. On a cold day, this part of the unit can be turned up in order to allow the HVAC works as heater.

✓ A fan which is positioned at the top blows the air back through another grilled into the room.

✓ Coolant flows through the the chiller pipes. In the process, it carries heat from the air blowing past the pipes and then it evaporates - converting the cool liquid into a hotter gas. This heat is then transported to the outside of the building from inside the room.

✓ With time, the heat inside the building slowly blows away into the outside air.

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.

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.

When the summer season is drawing close, that’s when air conditioning systems come in handy and super useful as the weather starts to get increasingly warmer. However as crucial as air conditioners are especially during the warm months in the UK, if they are not given the necessary attention, they can trigger some complications which is definitely not what you’d pray for. When your air conditioning system is not properly maintained, it can lead to an annoying summertime cough that’s likely going to affect both you and your loved ones. When this happens, the good thing is you can actually resolve it with some simple tips. To resolve the issue, simply replace your air conditioning filter or make use of a humidifier.

So now that you know that an improper maintenance of your air conditioning system can make you cough, you’d probably be interested in knowing what you can do to resolve this issue. Now let’s take a closer look at the remedies.

✓ Clean and replace your air conditioning filter

Your AC system blows to keep your house cool and comfortable. Directly beneath the front panel is the fine-meshed filter which works mainly to catch dust so as to make the air free of any dust. Hence, proper cleaning of this filter is essential to maintain efficiency of the operation of the system and also to prevent any health issues. If you’re allergic to dust to this becomes even more unbearable when the filter is no longer functioning as it should. They can be cleaned, but after some time, they should also be replaced as prolonged usage can also affect their efficiency.

✓ Humidifier

These helps to inject moisture into the air. They’re very durable and can work for up to 5 to weeks without needing to be cleaned. To help prevent cough, there’s need for some moisture in the air.

Creating a comfortable and relaxing work environment for employees should be one of the top priorities of every organization. A comfortable work place serves as a morale booster, encourages the workers to be a lot more efficient and also productive. In fact, installation of a heating and cooling system in this day and age is more of a necessity than a luxury. To get the best out of your employees, it’s important to create a good working environment for them to thrive.

There are some business owners who believe the installation of an air conditioning system is an expense that’s really not necessary, but at the end of the day, they end up paying more money finding and implementing alternative means of getting their workers more efficient and productive. Here are some of the reasons why getting an air con system for your office is vital:

• It saves you money. This is one of the most significant benefits of getting a new office air conditioning system. When working in a conducive environment, employee’s productivity are greatly increased. So rather than spending money on other ways to boost the efficiency of your staff, installing a new office air conditioning system might be all that’s needed.
• It prevent overheating of office appliances. Stuffs like PCs, mobile phones and more can be spoilt when there’s too much heat. Installing an office air conditioning system will protect your office appliances from overheating.
• It increases the value of your property. The value of your commercial property can be increased by investing in a new office air conditioning system. In terms of sale, your real estate asset will be valued higher with a new office cooling system than the old one. However, if you’re not thinking about sales yet, then you can enjoy the several other benefits of a new cooling system while knowing the value of your property has increased.

Air conditioning filters work mainly to collect dust from the air and as such, tends to get dirty pretty often with all sorts of materials such as hair fibres, pollen and more. If you have a large office, this gets even more important as more air circulates through your air conditioning system. Failure to change your office air conditioning filters when due can bring about of challenges not only to the system itself, but also to the health of the individual making use of the space especially those suffering from asthma or allergies (due to the reduction in air quality). So if you happen to have an air conditioning system in your office, you should probably find out how often it’s recommended to change the filters and that’s exactly why we’re here. Let’s take a look!

In the summer when the heat turns up there’s a huge need to change the office air filters on a regular basis ( at least once a month). This is due to the fact that your air conditioning system works extra hard and runs all the time during the warmer months. However, during the period when there’s a cool temperature, the air conditioning filter can be changed every 2 months as the unit wouldn’t be subjected to frequent usage during this period. What’s more? If you happen to have pets, a large family or live with an individual who suffers from asthma or allergies, it becomes a lot more important to change your air filters. Plus, a dirty filter is capable of increasing your energy cost within the range of 5 to 15 percent on a monthly basis.

Several individuals think that the the way their air conditioning system works is simply by pumping hot air out of their homes or offices, blowing a cool air in return. This is absolutely wrong! The hot air is, in fact, cycled back in as cold air and this process continues until the thermostats gets dropped down to the required or set temperature. The air conditioning system manages this in a similar way to how the refrigerator manages to stay cold and of course, excluding the insulated box.

The short and simple answer to the question of what gas an air conditioning use is Freon. This is a non inflammable gas which is subjected to the evaporation process over and over again in most refrigerators to keep the temperature at a low level. This same process is repeated in air conditioning systems. Now let’s take a look at how the Freon gas is incorporated in AC systems.

The cold Freon gas is firstly compressed by a compressor in the air conditioner. The gas is then combined with a little quantity of oil in order to lubricate the compressor. When Freon gas is compressed, the pressure is increased which makes it incredibly hot. It then moves through a couple of coils which works to lowering the heat and turning it to liquid. This Freon liquid will then be transmitted via an expansion valve which causes it to cool down until evaporation takes place. The outcome of this is a low pressure cold Freon gas which is then transmitted via another set of coils allowing the gas to collect the heat and lower the air within the room.

The air conditioner now filters the air and clears out the dust, smoke, pollen and other kinds of air pollutants. The system also absorbs excess liquid from the air too which it uses to cool down the system and pump it through a hose.