Find an Air Conditioning Engineer you can trust in Archway.

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.
 

With heating and cooling bills making up more than 50 percent of one’s overall utility expenses as reported by the Department of Energy, you’d probably want to know some ways in which in you can improve the efficiency of your air conditioning system. With the warmer months just around the corner, now is the best time to get started. Not only will you be able to improve the air conditioning efficiency in your home, but you’d also be able to save some money on cooling and heating bills. In this article, we’re going to consider the top 5 tips you can implement to get your air conditioning system running efficiently and at its maximum. Let’s take a look!

• Ensure that around your outdoor condenser unit is clean. When clean and free of debris, your outdoor unit is able to function at its best. This can be done by yourself just by watching a couple of videos, however you’ll need a professional whenever a more thorough and in depth cleaning required.
• Vacuum indoor vents and keep vents unblocked. In order to ensure there’s an uninterrupted airflow from your system, there’s a need to vacuum dust as well as form of debris away from the indoor vents. You should also keep items such as furniture and blinds away from obstructing the vents.
• Increase your thermostat by a number of degrees. Generally, adjusting temperature 5 to 8 degrees can go a long way to help you save some money.
• Keep lamps and other heat producing appliances away from the thermostat. Having heat producing appliance will only inform the thermostat that the air in the room needs extra cooling. This will make the system run longer and use up more electricity.
• Keep the curtains and blinds closed. This is to prevent the heat of the outside coming in and vice versa.

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.

With summer fast approaching, most business owners are getting ready to battle the great heat that often comes with it. One of the most important tasks would be to make sure that the commercial HVAC system is in top condition to run efficiently and smoothly through to help lessen or cancel out the effect of the summer’s heat in the work environment. Air conditioning systems when not properly maintained can take up to 30 percent energy which is capable of sending your utility bills through the roof during the season that calls for a heavy usage. In this post, we’re going to consider some top tips you can implement to prepare your commercial unit for summer air conditioning. Let’s take a look!

• Filter cleaning and maintenance. When the filter is clogged the cooling is decrease and more energy is consumed (implying higher electricity bills) as the unit works harder to have your work environment cooled. The filter accumulate dust, dirt and other particles pretty easily which also affects the indoor air quality since they’ll get pushed out with the cool air distributed. Therefore, there’s a need to ensure that the filters are washed regularly and also changed (at least once a month during summer).
• Air flow leaks and obstructions. If the blower components aren’t properly adjusted, this can lead to a 15 percent drop in the system’s efficiency. Also, gaps and obstructions in duct work can lower air flow in the HVAC unit. Therefore, you’ll need to check the ducts and connectors for loose spots or damages, also check walls, doors and windows for cracks and leaks which can allow the outside warmth to draft in and the cool air to flow out.

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.

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.

Having its usage banned in air conditioning systems and many other refrigeration applications due to the danger it poses to the ozone layer, several companies that are affected by the R22 legislation would possess a policy to identify specific recommended alternatives. If you’re also affected by this new legislation, then you’ve come to the right place. Generally, the alternative that’s selected is usually dependent on the business unit level as well as the business’ energy efficiency requirements.  In this post, we’re going to consider some of the recommended alternatives to the R22 refrigerant. Let’s take a look!

• R140a. This refrigerant is commonly used in industrial refrigeration, residential air conditioning, industrial air conditioning as well as commercial centrifugal compressors.
• R134A. This refrigerant is commonly used in domestic refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, transport refrigeration, residential air conditioning, commercial centrifugal compressors and mobile air conditioning.
• R407C. This is commonly incorporated in industrial refrigeration, residential air conditioning and commercial air conditioning.
• R407A. This type of gas is commonly incorporated in commercial refrigeration, plug ins as well as vending machines.
• MO99 ( R438A). This gas type is common applied in commercial refrigeration, plug ins, vending machines, industrial refrigeration as well as residential air conditioning.
• RS-44b. This is commonly used in all refrigeration systems.

These R22 alternatives are all believed to be environmental friendly having little to no impact on the ozone layer. However, one drawback possessed by of these alternatives is when POE oil is incorporated. This can result in excess moisture which causes acid build up inside the refrigerant lines. What’s more? These refrigerant alternatives also work at a higher pressure which means that it may cause more wear and tear on components.

Air conditioning is a way of controlling air temperature, humidity, quality and movement in an inside space. Air conditioning is best known as a way to cool down air temperatures in properties. But it can be a great, efficient way to heat your home or business too. You can also use it to reduce the moisture in your air in humid or damp conditions, and filter out things like dust and pollen. There are lots of different types of air conditioning available, so you can pick one that suits you and your property.