Find an Air Conditioning Engineer you can trust in Rutland.

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.
 

We all know how helpful air conditioning systems can be especially during the hot summer season which is great at making your home feel nothing less than an inferno. So if you have an AC system, you’d probably want to know if leaving it on will be cheaper and more efficient.

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, leaving your air conditioning system on will make make it cheaper and more efficient. This isn’t what you or many other people will have in mind though. Under no circumstances should you leave you air conditioning system on full blast 24/7. To make your air conditioning system more efficient by leaving it on has a right and wrong way you can go about it. Let’s have a look!

If you’d ever noticed, any time you turn your air conditioner off during a very a hot day, even if it’s for just a couple of hours, things tend to get thrown out of balance pretty quickly. When turned back on, your AC system will have to work even harder to restore the usual comfort levels in the room. When you abuse this dial in such a fashion, the AC system can only become more inefficient rather than making your home more comfortable quickly.

On the other hand, your AC system ( when tuned to the right settings) can help maintain the proper temperature and humidity balance within your home instead of turning it off while away. And upon getting back, you can simply turn down the thermostat a bit which helps you prevent the usual stagnant air that you’d be hit with when your return home (with the AC system turned off) that’ll have you racing for the dial.

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.

If you live in the UK, you’d know by now that no matter what’s happening in the world around us, nothing is going to stop the heat from getting in. And that’s exactly more reason why a well functioning cooling system is more of a necessity than a luxury. Hence, we’ve put together this list to help you avoid common air conditioning mistakes this summer. Let’s take a look!

• Not changing the filter. In the summer when the heat turns up there’s a huge need to change the 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. 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.
• Not having the right size. When it comes to air conditioning, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You simply have to purchase and install the right size for your property which is chiefly determined by the type of the dwelling, the home’s size and other factors.
• Ignoring red flags. Calling in a technician isn’t always the most convenient thing to do especially when life gets a bit busier. However, when you choose to ignore warning signs that something is wrong with your HVAC system, you risk a total breakdown of the unit. What happens is the problem becomes an even more serious issue which will be very costly to repair or at times, replaced.

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.

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.

When it comes to conservatory air conditioning, a huge mistake you’d not like to make is to purchase and install a wrong sized HVAC system. When that happens, not only will you be left unsatisfied, but you’d also end up incurring much more expenses than necessary. If you go for an AC unit that’s too small, it won’t be powerful enough to cool your conservatory as you would like. However, when you go ahead to select an oversized AC unit, your conservatory would be cooled relatively quick but will leave the air in the structure with excess humidity and consume more electricity as it’s going to cycle on and off which will ultimately cost you more money. In other words, it’s always a smart decision to take your time to calculate the right air conditioner size for your conservatory before you make a purchase decision. So how exactly can you go about the determination of the appropriate HVAC unit size for your conservatory? Let’s take a look!

• Take the measurement of the conservatory’s square footage using a tape measure. If the space isn’t rectangular or square in shape, simply divide the conservatory in section comprising both squares and triangles which you can measure.
• Calculate the conservatory’s square footage. For a square or rectangle, simply multiply the length by the width. However if your space is in another shape, you can determine the square footage of the triangular sections by multiplying 0.5 by length and width, and the sum each of the sections.
• Determine the cooling capacity required for the space in question which is measured in British Terminal Units (BTUs)/hour. For more information to determine the BTUs needed depending on your conservatory size, simply visit the United States Department for Energy Star.