Save Energy without Compromising Comfort

Did you know that the performance of other building systems also (to a considerable extent) make demands on an HVAC system?

For example, during sunny days in San Jose, the topmost floor needs more energy to keep cool than the floor below.

It is most likely that a one-story building with a conventional black roof in Texas will cost considerably more to cool when compared to one with a reflective roof. However, if the same structure is in Minnesota and does not have adequate roof insulation, it will cost more to heat in the winter.

But, the roof is not the only part that affects the HVAC loads. Solar heat increase through windows, heat load from lighting systems, and air infiltration also have effects on HVAC loads. This holds true for various equipment as well; the range varies from computers to coffee makers.

In view of the mentioned facts, it makes perfect business sense to reduce energy. While, it costs nothing, it saves money, improves corporate reputation and enables you to do your part in the fight against climate change.

What does reducing energy mean?

A typical human tendency would be to state the following: I like to have my creature comforts such as air conditioning during summer and heating during winter. Reducing energy means compromising on these comforts. No way! I am fine as I am!

Well this is what we have to say.

This is no need to compromise with your comforts and luxuries while reducing energy consumption. All it takes is a little awareness and presence of mind.

We have for you some energy saving opportunities and knickknacks that will help you cut costs, increase profit margins, and save the Earth as well. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning can account for the majority of money spent on energy by a household or an organization. Even small adjustments can significantly improve the environment and also save money.

• Ensure workspaces and main areas of your home are shielded from draughts and direct sunlight
• Switch off equipment like mixers, computers, and washing machines or copier machines from the power connection.
• Dim or switch off lighting if you have sufficient daylight filtering into the area
• Ensure all controls are well-set. Time controls need to be monitored regularly
• Motivate family members and staff, encouraging them to review their practices and suggest ways to increase awareness towards energy consumption.
• Awareness on the potential waste in workplaces is important for reducing energy consumption.

Depending on the area required for cooling, the size and functions of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems vary. Some are large and some small. It would be good to analyze if the functions of these systems could be separated. For this, interaction of their services with each other needs to be scrutinized. For example, it is a sheer waste to increase the heating inside a building while the cooling device is trying to reduce the temperatures. A thorough look at how the elements of an HVAC system interact and fine tuning each part can save energy and money.

How to Reduce Energy Needs

We all love to have our creature comforts when we need them. The air conditioning during summer and the heater during winter! We rarely ever give a thought to the energy we use in using these systems. Nor do we spare one for the carbon footprint created due to the use of these systems. 

The world is now becoming more and more aware of the carbon emissions that cause carbon footprint, whose one of the results is global warming. There is a definite need to look for alternate forms of energy as the world’s energy reserves are being eaten up at an alarming pace.

“Experts at the Risø International Energy Conference in Denmark advocate using "off-the-shelf" technologies to create a sustainable global energy system. As long as the solutions can respond to fluctuations in energy consumption, intelligent energy systems are within reach. The most accessible improvements may be heating and cooling systems, suggests the International Energy Agency (IEA).”

Where do we stand? What is it that we can do to reduce our contribution of the carbon footprint?

We need to serious give a thought to the amount of energy we consume.

• The age of the appliances we use at home, especially or HVAC systems
• The direction our house or apartment is in
• The technology available in our HVAC systems
• The "off-the-shelf" technologies that can create a sustainable global energy system
• A serious effort to reduce energy consumption

These points need not lead to you compromising on your comforts. You can actually reduce your energy consumption without depriving yourself and your families of the comforts you and they are used to.

All it takes is a little awareness, a sincere effort, and little discipline!

These tips can help you to reduce your energy consumption to a great extent.

1. Passive heating, ventilation and cooling: This refers to controlling of heat from the sun along with ventilation to create benefit and avoid discomfort.
2. Maximizing inflow of natural, fresh air into the house will reduce energy spent on artificial airflow techniques.
3. Using ‘artificial’ and mechanical systems to fine tune the air indoors to the desired temperature, rather than creating the airflow.
4. Ensuring cross ventilation: this means having openings such as large windows preferably on opposite sides of the room. This will enable air to flow in and out easily.
5. Making the most out of the natural ventilation and light. This means you should try and use as much as natural sunlight to light up the room during the day, rather than using artificial lights.
6. Installing daylight blinds to enable natural light to enter the space is a good way to reduce energy consumption.
7. Using perforated blinds to use view the outside world.
8. Using solar heater to heat water for domestic use
9. These tips will not only help in reducing energy consumption, but also keep your pockets happy and you smiling!

Sleep Well with a Healthy Room Temperature

If you are lacking good sleep, then the temperature of your room needs a little attention! Your bedroom may be either too warm or too cold. Either way, the temperature can affect your sleep.

Medical experts agree that the room temperature is an important factor that influences sleep. According to H. Craig Heller, PhD, professor of biology at Stanford University, “When you go to sleep, your set point for body temperature — the temperature your brain is trying to achieve — goes down. Think of it as the internal thermostat. That mild drop in body temperature induces sleep.”

The next thing that comes to your mind is the question:

What is the best bedroom temperature for getting a great night’s sleep? 

Well, it is difficult to recommend a specific range.

You might be surprised to learn that to sleep better, it does not matter how you prefer the temperature to be. A cooler room is likely to give you better sleep and certainly improves the quality of your sleep.

Ralph Downey III, PhD, chief of sleep medicine at Loma Linda University says that if your bedroom is warm, and is likely to get uncomfortably hot later in the night, you are more likely to wake up from sleep during the night, and going back to sleep will be difficult.

When a person goes to sleep, the set point for the body temperature and the temperature brain strives to achieve dips. Thus, if it is too cold or too hot in the room, there is a struggle within the body to achieve this set point.

Researchers and medical personnel feel that the key to good sleep is to match the room temperature with the lowered temperature of the body. This is a theory well supported by doctors and psychologists as well.

In addition to the right temperature, there are other strategies too, for creating ideal sleeping conditions.

• The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that your bedroom should resemble a cave. Experts from the academy say that the bedroom should be cool, dark, and quiet.
• Observe the bats. They follow this logic and can sleep well. They are sometimes called champion sleepers because of their ability to sleep for as long as 16 hours a day.
• Avoid the soft and smooth foam pillows. They feel real good as they conform closely to the shape of the body, but they can make you feel hot too.
• Try wearing socks on your feet while sleeping. The toes are most vulnerable to cold. There is nothing better than cold feet to disrupt the sleep.
• Work out a mutual understanding regarding the temperature with your bedmate. The recommended range is between 65° and 72° Fahrenheit. However, higher and lower can be individual preferences. The idea is to get improved quality of sleep.

Research also says that for normal sleepers, a drop in the core temperature of the body increases the temperature in the feet and the hands. This happens because the body radiates heat and blood vessels dilate.

However, for troubled sleepers, studies show that a cool room and feet placed on a hot-water bottle, rapidly dilates the blood vessels, and helps in adjusting the internal thermostat to set a better temperature.

How Air Quality Contributes to Employee Productivity

We all know that homes and offices need to have ample ventilation. With the boom in corporate style offices since a couple of decades, it has become inevitable for all offices to be multistoried complexes with centralized air conditioning. This has given rise to concerns of indoor air quality.

What is Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air inside your home or office. Closed air conditioned offices do not always have enough ventilation to keep away air pollutants. This can make the indoors unhygienic and affect the health of the employees.

There are three strategies normally used to improve indoor air quality. They are:

• ventilation,
• reduction of indoor pollution sources and
• cleaning

Ventilation eradicates air pollutants that originate inside the building. These pollutants include bio-effluents. Studies have found that the outdoor air supply rate provides subjectively acceptable indoor air quality. Preventing the accumulation of moisture in the building is usually sufficient to maintain the pollutant concentration at healthily low levels. Periodic cleaning such as vacuuming is essential as well.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Productivity

People who work in offices spend over 90% their time indoors. This holds true for people who live in apartments too. Increasingly, people are found indoors at malls, shopping centers, or in vehicles. Studies on realistic experimental exposures have shown that common indoor sources of air pollution are floor-coverings, air filters of the centralized air conditioners, personal desktops, mold growth from damp or wet porous areas such as carpeting, ceiling panels etc.., and much more.

Exposure to these indoor air pollutants can be short-term; but these short-term effects were demonstrated repeatedly in a study to employees. These employees developed subclinical SBS symptoms such as headache. Temperature and noise distraction were also studied and it has been found that the performance of real office work, measured over a period of time over time, will be would be significantly affected by the indoor environmental quality.

How can we Reduce Indoor Air Pollution?

A number of national organizations, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Lung Association, and the Environmental Protection Agency, have studied and stated that air pollution in our indoor settings, could be more of a health concern when compared with the air pollution outside.

Here are some actions that employers or the management of a company can take to reduce ‘employee exposure’ to pollution inside the office:

• Reduce the source of the pollutants: Using products or methods that do not release or stir up high amounts of particulates or volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Choose products that are less toxic, when you have a choice. The Material Safety Data Sheet or MSDS will help you in determining the product with reduced health hazard.
• Take care in storing chemicals properly. The storage area should not be occupied by people. Ensure that there is a vent that opens directly to the outside of the building.
• Control exposures at the source. It is better to refrain your indoors from getting polluted, rather than trying to do rigorous cleaning later. Install that mechanical exhaust vent directly over a place that is frequently used, such as a copier machine.
• Periodic examination and/or replacement of filters in the air conditioners and vents is a must.
• Prepare a maintenance schedule for the office equipment and stick to it.
• Increase the ventilation (fresh air) inside the office. Ensure that your air handling system Is well designed and functions smoothly.  Merely opening windows can also help a great deal.
• Filter the air that blows out from the vacuum cleaners, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners, before it is inhaled.
• Stop or reduce pollutant pathways and prevent them into the office. Physically separate the areas of occupancy and the areas where high levels of pollutants can be generated.
• Reduce the use of carpeting. This is a breeding ground for most biological pollutants like mold, dust mites, and bacteria.

Fix your Noisy Air Conditioners

Have you ever heard your air conditioner making peculiar sounds? If the answer is yes, then it is time for a little update on some important facts about your air conditioner.

You should start with observing the kind of sound that your air conditioner makes. Here are some types of sounds that air conditioners can make: clicking, tweeting, chirping, rattling, squealing, humming and grinding.

Are you surprised? Well, you ought to be! Especially, if your air conditioner is making any of these sounds.

So what is that you need to do if your air conditioner makes noises?

Noises that come from the air conditioner can be indications that there is something seriously wrong inside.

Clicking and ticking sounds: If the air conditioner makes noise similar to clicking or ticking, it might indicate that some part within is not working fine. One possibility of repetitive clicking could be a problem in the system’s relay function. In such an instance, you need to call the electrician for help. Clicking or ticking sounds in the system normally relate to problems in the electrical portions. It is best mended by an electrician.

Rattling and Squealing Sounds: If your air conditioner is making sounds that resemble rattling or squealing, it could mean that there is something wrong with the outdoor fan. On the other hand, this type of sound could also mean that there is a foreign particle inside, such as a twig or a branch, leaf, or stick. These may have fallen on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner and can be the cause of these noises. Debris such as toys, rocks or mulch can also get caught inside the system and cause the noise. It is best to call a technician to repair the fault. Their training and tools will help them detect the area of fault and rectify it immediately.

Tweeting or Chirping Noises: If you hear sounds from your air conditioner that resemble the chirping of birds, especially when the system is switched on after a long break, you need not worry. This type of noise is common at the beginning of a season. Since the unit been shut for a long time, and it indicates that the machine needs a bit of warming up. Of course, all the gadgets need to start working again after a long rest. However, if the sound continues persistently, and shows no sign of reducing, it is of concern.  In such a case, it is best to seek professional help.

Grinding or Humming Noises: If you hear your system humming, there is every possibility that it needs lubrication. It is not uncommon for the motor in the AC unit to make a humming noise. This is no great threat to the air conditioner. Yours could be one of those units that come with unsealed motors. Such systems need to be lubricated at regular intervals. The lubrication can be in the form of SAE 10 oil that needs to be placed in the oil ports. It is a good habit to oil the air conditioner motor at the beginning of each summer.

There can be other noises from the air conditioner. A central air conditioner can be noisy when there is a problem in the condenser. There are several ways to solve these, but it is best to call a technician to look into the problem. However, if your unit is very old, it you can replace it with a new one. 

Use your Air Conditioner Wisely

Did you know wise usage of air conditioners saves lots of your money? As technology advances, newer models of air conditioners are available in the market. These days, room air conditioners deliver significantly more efficiency than the models designed a decade ago. So when you replace your old air conditioner with a new one, you are actually saving a lot on your utility bills.

So how can I use my air conditioner wisely?

1. Take a tour of your house. Understand the ventilation system of your home. Take a close look at those windows that are normally kept closed. You will now come to know if you really need an air conditioner.
2. If you still need a room air conditioner, choose either a wall-mounted or a window mounted model. While wall-mounted units will cost you more, there are chances that the leaks will be on the outside and no hassles inside. On the other hand, a window air conditioner will block that lovely view as well as the light from your window. Here is a time you will need to consider the options carefully and prioritize.
3. Get the right size. It is important that the unit you purchase is of the right size or else the cooling will be compromised. An undersized air conditioner does not effectively handle the heat. The unit will need to overwork and lead wear and tear. The system will not perform optimally nor deliver on its full energy performance promise.
4. SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is an important parameter for all new cooling systems. The higher the SEER, the more will be the energy efficiency. However, units with higher SEER ratings can be more expensive, but their efficiency repays that extra cost many times over during their lifespan.
5. Look for an ENERGY STAR® models. Air conditioners that are ENERGY STAR model, means that they have an ENERGY STAR rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This certification spells high performance and efficiency.
6. Use the ceiling fan on when the air conditioner is in use. Set the temperature not too low. This will bring down the energy consumption and also deliver efficiency and long life.  
7. Set the thermostat settings at ‘fan only’ at night. This will ventilate your house at night and will be huge savings over air conditioning.
8. Humid climates need models that are effective at removing moisture from the air. These air conditioners come with a variable-speed or multi-speed blowers. You can run the unit at low speed. This will no doubt reduce the cooling efficiency somewhat but will do a good job in dehumidifying the home. It makes sense to lower speed when the day is very humid.
9. You can also adjust the variable-speed blower, which is controlled by a humidistat. This means that your unit can automatically change the fan speed to higher or lower depending on the humidity levels in the room.
10. A well-maintained and clean air conditioner always delivers efficiency. Periodic cleaning of the filter and the ducts ensure smooth performance and optimum cooling comfort.  A well oiled system does not have to work very hard to deliver efficiency. This, in turn, results is lesser wear and tear, and extended unit life. Schedule an inspection by a professional technician at least once a year. This will ensure that your cooling system is working safely and efficiently.

Get Professional Help or DIY

Cleaning the air conditioner or heating system twice a year is a must. You can do the cleaning yourself or you can hire the services of a professional contractor who is specialized in HVAC cleaning and repair. 

The central air conditioning system of your house needs cleaning at least once in every six months. Here are a few things that you need to check every time it is time to clean the air conditioning system.

In winter, make sure you cover the outdoor unit of your air conditioner with plywood. This will prevent ice from falling on it or creating any other damage.

Make sure you do not wrap the unit with plastic. Do not even use any other material that will completely block the airflow. If you do so, moisture will get trapped inside and result in corrosion.

Turn the power off and feel the pipes. See if they are warm and cool.

Turn the power on and get the thermostat going so that the outdoor unit starts working. Listen to sound and pay careful attention to pick up any odd noises that may be an indication of a prospective damage.

Let the unit run for 10 minutes. Then pull back the insulation on the insulated tube. This tube or pipe should be cool, about 60 degrees. The other pipe connected to the unit should be warm, at skin temperature. If either are not so, there is something wrong and only professional help can prove helpful in checking the refrigerant level.

Next comes your compressor. Surprisingly, the compressor can be termed as the most fragile component of your air conditioner. Do not start your outdoor unit immediately, if you have just cleaned it when the power to your compressor has been off for more than four hours.

Let the outdoor unit have the power on for 24 hours before you switch the unit on. Remember to start the thermostat on its cooling mode and set the temperature before you turn the outdoor unit on.

Treat the compressor with care. Never start the air conditioner before five minutes since it has been switched off. The compressor needs time to ‘decompress’ before it can start again. If the compressor is started sooner, the motor gets stressed and this will affect the working life and efficiency of the compressor.

The furnace filter needs to be changed if it is dirty. The filter needs to be dust-free, only then the evaporator coil fins will clean. Before you pull out the filter, turn off the power that is supplied to the furnace, if not the dust within will not only blow throughout the system, but also on your face. Clean the filter or replace it with a new one, depending on how clogged it is.

Vacuum the bottom side of the fins of the evaporator coil. You can use a soft brush attachment for doing this. If you would rather not do the cleaning, hire a professional to do so. You will not need to clean the evaporator coil if the air that flows in is clean.

The plenum houses the evaporator coil, which dehumidifies the air indoors as cools it. Condensation takes place and the water that condenses on the coil comes out through the condensation tube. Ensure that this tube is not clogged. There may be sludge and algae inside the tube or at the drain port. Having a flexible tube will be easy to pull off and clean.

Apply five drops of special oil for electric motors if the fan motor has lubrication ports.