Central Air Conditioners Cool, Clean and Circulate Air

It makes sense to know how a cooling system works. Understanding basic functions of central air conditioners help you make better choices when purchasing and maintaining them. They cool, clean and circulate the air.

Central air conditioners remove heat and dehumidify, or take away moisture from the air. They also have air filters for removing dust and other particles. Warm indoor air passes over a very cold coil that removes the heat and moisture. Lowering the humidity level makes the air temperature more comfortable. Moisture removed from the air collects in a pan underneath the indoor coil, and is sent to a house drain. The unit’s blower circulates the air, while refrigerant inside the coil cools it, and the outdoor compressor transfers heat from inside the home to the outside.

 Your boiler works throughout the year providing heat and hot water and goes unnoticed much of the time until a bill for repairs or utility bill arrives.  So when is the right time to replace your boiler?

The answer depends on many factors.  Here are some to consider.

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1)  Age:  How old is the existing boiler?  As boilers get older, the chance of a major repair is more likely.  If your boiler is more than 20 years old, it is time to at least consider a replacement.  Even if the boiler can last another 5 years, the increased efficiency and reliability will make it worth the investment.

2)  Efficiency:  Modern condensing boilers have efficiency advantages over older models.  The rating plate on the boiler will provide an initial estimate.  Simply take the output divided by the input to find the theoretical efficiency. 

 3)  Water Heating: If you are currently using a separate water heater or a tankless coil in the old boiler, you can have a much more efficient and faster recovery with a boiler mate tank off your new boiler.

4)  Finances: While the new boiler will surely reduce your energy bills, do   you want to make the investment at this time? There are utility rebates available to help lower the cost of a new boiler.

5)  Comfort: Modern condensing/ modulating boilers provide lower boiler temperatures depending on home heat loss and outdoor temperatures.

Why go with a Forced Air Humidifier?

A humidifier is a household appliance that increases humidity (moisture) in a single room or in the entire house. There are point-of-use Humidifiers, which are commonly used to humidify a single room, and whole-house or furnace humidifiers, which connect to a home’s HVAC system to provide humidity to the entire house.

For homes/buildings with a forced-air-furnace, a humidifier may be installed into the furnace. They can also protect wooden objects, antiques and other furnishings which may be sensitive to damage from overly dry air. In colder months, they may provide substantial energy savings, since as humidity increases, occupants feel warm at lower temperature. Bypass humidifiers are connected between the heated and cold air return ducts, using the pressure difference between these ducts to cause some heated air to make a bypass through the humidifier and return to the furnace. The humidifier should usually be disabled during the summer months if air conditioning is used; air conditioner’s partially function by reducing indoor humidity.

Advantages to a Bypass Flow-Through versus drum/disc wheel style:

• Reduced maintenance (new water panel only when clogged with dust or mineral deposits, typically once per year).
• Lack of pan of potentially stagnant water to serve as breeding ground for mold as with a drum-style humidifier.
• No incidental humidification caused by a constantly-replenished pan of water in a high velocity air stream.
• Uses little electricity.

Please call Bishop Heating and Air Conditioning for any questions you have have or to schedule an appointment to install a humidifier in your home or business.

Change your air filter regularly
Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.

Tune up your HVAC equipment yearly
Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort.

Install a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.

Seal your heating and cooling ducts
Ducts that move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent — and sometimes much more.

Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house. See our See our Duct Sealing brochure (1.13MB) for more information. for more information.

Consider installing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment
If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. If it is not performing efficiently or needs upgrading, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. Depending on where you live, replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can cut your annual energy bill by nearly $200. But before you invest in a new HVAC system, make sure that you have addressed the big air leaks in your house and the duct system. Sometimes, these are the real sources of problems rather than your HVAC equipment.

Ask about Proper Installation of your new equipment
Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new, energy-efficient models is a great start. But to make sure that you get the best performance, the new equipment must be properly installed. In fact, improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent — costing you more on your utility bills and possibly shortening the equipment’s life. Learn more.

Article Source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac