Find an Air Conditioning Engineer you can trust in Northampton.

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.
 

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.

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.

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.

If used and maintained properly, air conditioning can actually be a great way to create a healthier environment. As well as controlling the temperature, it also filters your air, removing pollutants like dust, pollen and mould particles.

However, to maximise these benefits, it’s important to keep your system clean. Dirty units and systems can become a health hazard, so always make sure you service your air conditioning at least once or twice a year.

Most air conditioning units will need yearly maintenance. This will involve a full service and cleaning of filters. In very dusty areas units may need more frequent maintenance. Regular servicing will extend the life of an air conditioning unit. Keep a record of when this is done so you know when to contact someone!

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.

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.