04 Jun 09 The Hidden Dangers Of Air Conditioners

Air conditioning has become a convenient and commonplace addition to homes and businesses, but what most people don’t even consider are the damaging environmental and health effects that air conditioners have. First off air conditioners are horrifically bad for the environment, as many of them still contain hydrofluorocarbons which are known to destroy the ozone layer when they are released into the air. Although these are slowly being fazed out from air conditioner use, they are still used fairly commonly in many air conditioners.

Not to mention the problems arising from global warming, which is causing the use of air conditioning to spike, also spiking the number of carbon emissions released into the air from those units. Which means in trying to cool ourselves through global warming, we are actually adding to the problem every time you turn on your air conditioner to escape the heat.

There are also negative health effects to indoor air circulation. Namely, circulated air increases the amount of mold spores floating throughout your house, as well as any sort of chemical by products that get released into the air from appliances or cleaning supplies you may use. Air conditioning keeps the harmful elements circulating, which can lead to aggravated sinus problems.

Air conditioners are also negative for your body’s natural adaptation to hot and cold environments. The more time you spend in air conditioning, the less able your body is to coping with actual heat when you move outside an air conditioned environment. Which is bad for everyone as this increases reliance on technology and the resources it exhausts for unnecessary tasks, like driving somewhere within walking distance so that you don’t have to face the heat. That exhausts irreplaceable fossil fuels for a task that was essentially completely unnecessary, not to mention the damage it would do to your physical health in the long run from not getting the exercise of never walking anywhere.

Tags: Adaptation, Air Circulation, Air Conditioner, Air Conditioners, Air Conditioning, Carbon Emissions, Cleaning Supplies, Cold Environments, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, Harmful Elements, Hydrofluorocarbons, Mold Spores, Negative Health Effects, Ozone Layer, Physical Health, Reliance, Sinus Problems, Unnecessary Tasks, Walking Distance

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30 May 09 Air Conditioner Buying Guide

Air Conditioner: How Important Is the Looks?

When we decide to buy an air conditioner, one of the primary things that concern us is how the unit would look. Of course we also debate about the brand, the price and other things, but the looks always seem to be crucial in our buying decision.

In fact, many companies try to sell their products highlighting the looks of the unit rather than the functionality. The idea is that all air-conditioners at the end of the day will cool the rooms. The distinguishing factor would be how good they look. But really, how crucial are the looks of an air conditioner.

In a way they are. Just like any of the furniture in your room, the air-conditioner too would be visible and you surely wouldnt want a odd and ugly looking thing jutting out of your window or wall. It should ideally blend in with the decor of the room. At least it shouldnt be messing up if not adding to the style of your interiors.

If you plan to install a central air conditioning system, make sure that the outdoor compressor is installed under a shelter where the compressor will have enough shade. Believe it or not, this alone can reduce the energy consumption of the unit by 10 percent. Also ensure that there is a one-foot airflow all around the unit.

But are the looks of an air conditioner worth the kind of attention it gets. Frankly, no. there is much more important things about an air conditioner that needs to be taken account of, but are not. Like the efficiency of an air-conditioner.

There would be only a select few who actually give a second thought about the efficiency of an air conditioner. However, having an efficient portable air conditioner means you are going to save on your electricity bills. And the savings you can achieve can be quite something. In fact, you can save anything around 30 to 40 percent of the running costs of an air conditioner with a more efficient air conditioner.

We also hardly have a clue as to what capacity air conditioner we need for our room. To know that, we first need to be sure about the dimensions of our room. And after that we can either do some reading and calculate ourselves the capacity of air conditioner we need or we can enlist the help of an expert, an experienced air-conditioner contractor.

Besides these things we also need to consider the sound that the unit produces. It is alright hat you have a sleek looking air conditioner in your living room, but you definitely wouldnt want a constant noise to mess up the environment. So look out for that bit too.

By. Jason Uvios

Tags: Air Conditioners, Air Conditioning System, Air Freshener, Airflow, Buying Guide, Central Air Conditioning, Central Air Conditioning System, Clue, Efficiency, Electricity Bills, Energy Consumption, Functionality, Furniture, Important Things, Portable Air Conditioner, Running Costs, Second Thought, Www Target

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07 Jan 09 Air Conditioners Become Energy Efficient

Did you know that one sixth of all the electricity generated in the United States is used to air condition buildings? With that thought in mind the U.S. Department of Energy is raising the minimum energy efficiency rating for air conditioners as of January 23 2006. Whether it is to reduce consumers’ energy bills or reduce pollution, higher energy efficiency ratings on air conditioners can only be beneficial to everyone involved.

So how do you know the efficiency of your air conditioner? Once way is through an energy efficiency ratio measurement called the SEER. This SEER is used to rate all air conditioners on their efficient use of energy in order to set a standard of environmentally friendly machines. The term SEER stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. Generally the higher the number of SEER the air conditioner is given, the more energy efficient it is.

As environmental concerns continually grow the SEER on air conditioners has changed. In 1992 the SEER minimum standard for air conditioners was 10 and by 2006 it was rumored that it would be changed to a minimum of 13 and voila, that will be the new standard when this new law is passed in January. A change from a 10 rating to a 13 rating in SEER roughly translates into a 30 percent improvement in efficiency of that particular air conditioner.

The only downside to a higher SEER or energy efficient air conditioning unit would be the increased purchase and installation cost. Most people don’t mind however because the train of thought is that an increase in front end cost will more than be surpassed by increased savings in energy bills over the long haul.

Now if you thought the fact that one sixth of the electricity generated in the United States is used for air conditioning was cool, this is even better. The Department of Energy estimates that by 2030, the changes in energy and SEER laws will save enough electricity to power 26 million homes for a whole year.

What else can you do to save energy besides buying a better air conditioner? The biggest thing is proper maintenance of your cooling unit. Regular checks for proper function and changing the air conditioner filter when required will help the unit run at optimum efficiency. The last thing and it may already be too late, is to make sure your air conditioner is installed properly by a qualified technician.

The enviroment is our greatest asset. Ray Burton writes information about home appliances such as air conditioners and furnaces and ways to cut cost and energy usage.

Tags: Air Condition, Air Conditioner, Air Conditioners, Consumers Energy, Department Of Energy, Efficient Use, Energy Bills, Energy Efficiency Rating, Energy Efficiency Ratings, Energy Efficiency Ratio, Energy Efficient Air Conditioning, Energy Estimates, Higher Energy, Long Haul, Minimum Energy, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, Seer, Train Of Thought, U S Department, Voila

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04 Jun 09 The Hidden Dangers Of Air Conditioners

30 May 09 Air Conditioner Buying Guide

07 Jan 09 Air Conditioners Become Energy Efficient

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