Keep Your Home Cool
11:16 |
Upgrading Your Home’s Heating and Cooling Systems
At this time of year, it’s hard to know where
to turn the fireplace pilot light off or being plan for those warmer days ahead
with an upgraded home cooling or air conditioned system.
Today, heating and cooling technologies have
become more sustainable and sophisticated with innovations in radiant heat, forced
air and portable air conditioning systems.
Conserve Energy. Save Money.
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| Source : hvac-leads.com |
That’s why it pays to review your home’s heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) performance. Renovations are a good
time to review mechanical systems to increase their efficiency and longevity
and to reduce operating costs.
Forced Air Systems: Are they running as efficiently as possible?
If you have a forced air system, you have a heating
or cooling plant which re-circulates house air. The basic components are a fan,
a burner or other heat source, a heat exchanger, supply ducts, grilles or
diffusers, a return air path and controls.
The common optional components are a cooling
coil, air filtration, humidification, an outside air supply and zone controls
to allow heating or cooling of individual parts of the house. Examining these
components now with a qualified professional can not only help to extend your
mechanical system’s lifespan but also ensure that you have warranty protection.
How Your Cooling Plant Stays Cool and Safe
Virtually all residential cooling plants are
electric motor-driven refrigeration units. The major component, incorporating a
compressor, condenser and cooling fan, is generally located outdoors in a
weatherproof cabinet. A refrigerant, circulated by the compressor, extracts
heat from house air through a coil mounted in the airstream and discharges it
outdoors through the outside condensing coil. Because cooling of air also
reduces its capacity to hold moisture, a cooling unit will also dehumidify
indoor air. This moisture will accumulate as condensate on the expansion coils
in the fan coil and must be collected and drained away. Checking for trapped
moisture in cooling equipment can prevent serious health risks since it acts as
a growth medium for bacteria and fungi.
Heat Exchangers
Heat pumps are primarily designed for heating
homes but may also function as cooling plants when their operation is reversed.
Heat is extracted from outdoor air or groundwater and discharged into the house
air through a coil. Heat pumps can also be designed to have their cycles
reverse automatically for summer cooling.
Air compact air conditioners on their way out?
Window air conditioners are noisy and
problematic, but are sometimes the only available means of providing comfort in
existing homes in the hottest and most humid season.
They are also useful for allergic persons
during pollen season because they allow cooling without introducing large
amounts of pollen-laden outdoor air. They also can provide some basic air
filtration.
How do I install one?
A typical unit fits into a window opening or
is placed in a dedicated opening in an outside wall. It contains a small
compressor and fan with two heat exchange coils. The evaporator surface tends
to become quite wet when operating because warm room air loses moisture as it
condenses on the cool surface. This
moisture is collected in a drip pan and carried outside by a small tube which
must be kept clean.
Some units have controls to select the amount
of outdoor air mixed with re-circulated air and basic filters. In some cases,
filters can be upgraded to a medium-efficiency type which will remove some
pollen, dusts and soot from outdoors. The manufacturer should be consulted
about filter options.
The main concern with these units, aside from
the noise, is the difficulty in keeping them clean and preventing the growth of
microbes in the condensate pan and drainage system. When dust collects on the
evaporator and pan, it may clog up the drain tube creating conditions which
will grow fungus or bacteria. Some microbes will produce disagreeable odours
and stains while others are a health hazard. If window air conditioners are
necessary, it is important that they are cleaned and the condensate collection
system sterilized regularly.
What about a split-system?
A split-system air conditioner is a
wall-mounted unit containing only the evaporator, a fan and filters. The noisy
compressor is mounted separately outdoors. These units often have better fans
and filters than window air conditioners.
Portable air conditioners mounted in cabinets
on wheels are also available which use a water-cooling feature to boost
efficiency. One model contains a compressor and evaporator, and has a water-cooled
condenser fed from a small water tank. It requires a 10 cm (4 in.) diameter
hole in the wall to connect an exhaust duct. These units can also have good
quality fans and medium efficiency air filters.
Central Heat Pump/Air Conditioner
An outside unit with compressor and coil
exchanges heat with outdoor air or groundwater. The inside unit is a fan coil.
It may require an electric heating coil for the coldest weather. Peak demand
could also be met with an oil-fired water heater, with due consideration to
avoidance of oil swells and products of combustion.
(Source CMHC)
For information on renovation industry best
practices, home financing or home maintenance needs, contact: http://www.homeforcebc.ca/
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