Making Optimum Use of Natural Environment

Every country is proud of its resources. They are the backbone of the economy. Using the economy’s resources and transforming them into positive energy results in building capital stocks. These again add to the wealth for generations to come.

However, the current use, or rather misuse, of the existing resources is delivering a message, loud and clear, that there are slim chances that there will be enough resources left for future generations to use. This scenario is especially dominant in the developing countries, where access resources are plenty, but their use is so rapid that their share of the already scarce resources is endangered.

On the other hand, there are serious consequences of our use of the resources. The impacts, or rather the harmful impacts on the environment can induce damages that go far beyond the capacity of the environment.

Let us see why our natural resources are essential.

Measuring the essentialness of a resource has different dimensions. It can mean several things. One could be that a resource might be essential for disposing waste or processing waste. Then, a resource may be essential because it offers satisfaction to the human psyche. There are some resources that can be termed as essential because of ecological reasons.   

A resource could also be essential for production. The production of oxygen, clean air, graceful surroundings, etc.

Here are some tips on how we can use natural resources to our advantage, without polluting the environment. We can actually save energy, reduce pollution and help in preserving the environment by proper utilization of the natural resources. The bottom line is awareness.

Planting Trees the Right Way

Ø  Trees provide multiple benefits to us. They give us shade, block the wind, prevent soil erosion, attract birds and make the air pure.

Ø  They also clean our water and make our surrounding more beautiful with their greenery. 

Ø  We all know that in winter, we look for methods to avoid the chill wind from blowing indoors. And in summer, we enjoy the shade under the trees.

Ø  What we do not know that planting trees in the right direction can help save up to 30% of our energy bills. 

Ø  Deciduous trees are trees that shed their leaves in winter. If we plant deciduous trees on the east and west sides of the house, the house will be cool in the summer and warm in winter.

Ø  The shade from the foliage of leaves will protect the house from the direct rays of the sun, preventing the walls from getting hot.

Ø  You will need to run the air conditioning lesser or maybe not too. Reduction in energy use means savings in terms of money.

Ø  Plus your green gas contribution also reduces and helps you fight global warming.

Ø  Planting trees and shrubs in a position where they can provide shade to the outdoor unit of the air conditioners helps in cooling the building more efficiently and reduces about 10% of our energy consumption.

Ø  Trees can be used to shade the patios, sidewalk, and driveway too. The shade will keep the concrete, yard and the surroundings cool.

Ø  If you want to block the cold winter winds, plant an evergreen conifer on the north and northwest of your house. A row of conifers will create a kind of wall to keep off the cold winter winds. This will also save heating costs up to 30%.

Ø  When the leaves of the deciduous trees fall in winter, the sun pours into your house through branches, reducing your need to keep the heater on to ward off the chillness.

Winter is the Time to Save Energy

Fall and winter are the best times of the year for some and not so for others. While attempting to keep warm, most of us end up in spending far more energy than what is required. You try to keep the heater or furnace on all day in an attempt to keep your indoors warm and save the chill from sweeping indoors. These activities can prove costly in terms of energy, which translates into cost for which payments need to be made.

One good way to assess the energy efficiency of your home is to get a home energy checkup or an energy audit done just before winter. You can conduct an energy audit yourself or employ the services of a professional energy auditor.

Benefits of an Energy Audit

1. A home energy audit helps owners determine the places where the house is leaking energy, in other words, money.

2. An energy auditor will help you find problems and corrected them too.

3. Thermography or infrared scanning equipment used for home energy audit can detect the various leakages in your home that allow, warm air to move out and cold air to sweep in.

4. The blower door test is the best way to identify air leakages and analyze why the house is not comfortably warm in winter.

There may be air leaking out through the face plates on switches, windows, pipes, and may be under the sinks too.

Energy auditors may use thermography -- or infrared scanning -- to detect thermal defects and air leakage in building envelopes.

If you do not wish to hire a professional, you could conduct a simple do-it-yourself walk-through of your home. This can help you identify the energy gaps in your home and prioritize on some energy efficiency upgrades.

There are a few other ways in which you could refrain from using more energy in winter. Here are some tips that could prove useful.

• Rearrange the furniture of your rooms. You could move your furniture in such a way that you are away from the exterior walls and windows of the house. These may be drafty and you may end up increasing the temperature to keep warm. 
• Open the drapes and let the sunshine in. This holds good for windows that face the south as the rays of the sun in winter can reach indoors. Keeping drapes open, allowing sunshine in reduces the need to keep the room heater or furnace on for warmth.
• Take shorter showers. People usually like to linger in the shower. If you are one among them, try to make your shower time shorter. This will save the energy spent on heating water that you use while spending that additional time basking in the shower.
• Clean or replace the furnace filters every month. If the filters are dirty, they restrict the airflow into the furnace and thus the system has to work doubly hard to provide the required heat. This translates into excess energy usage, which again makes you end up with increased energy costs.
• Keep your furnace well lubricated. This will help you save up to 5% energy.
• Make use of your appliances efficiently. Using the dishwasher only when it is full, using cold water to wash reduces your washer's energy consumption by 75 %. 
• Insulate the hot water pipe all the way to the wall. This will help in reducing heat loss in transit.
• Plug all appliances that "leak energy." Many electronic appliances, such as VCRs, chargers, computer peripherals and TVs continue to consume electricity even when they are switched "off." Turn off all these when they are not in use.

Advantages of Replacing Your Old HVAC System

People in San Jose often have come across this question - do I repair my HVAC equipment or get a new one? 

Well, if your system has become old, you may definitely need to consider this question.  You may also face this question if your energy bills are high and increasing by the month. If you system is noisy, it probably means that there is some part inside that is wearing and tearing and a major expense may be round the corner.  

Considering the fact that new technology keeps coming and there is constant upgrading where equipment is concerned, it is definitely better to consider replacing your old system with a new one. 

Here are some advantages to replacing your system over repairing it.  

1. Energy Savings: As HVAC systems grow old, their efficiency reduces and their energy consumption increases. Studies say that a 10-year-old air conditioner can consume about 50% more electricity in comparison with a new one. The air conditioning and heating systems that have recently come into the market are definitely more efficient. You can save a lot of money by way of energy bills. 

2. No Repair Costs: An aging HVAC systems is a definitely costly as it attracts constant repairs. You can calculate the amount you have spent on repairs yourself by taking a look at your last two years’ bills. If you have replaced any major components like the compressor, evaporator or condenser coils, you are likely to spend on them soon too. A new system will give you relief from repairs for a few years.  

 

3. Competitive Rebates, Incentives, and Loans Rates: As new technology replaces the old one, new HVAC systems come into the market. Competition in the market increases as there is an increased variety available for customers to choose from. Competition paves way for rebates. The government offers tax credits for systems based on green technology. There are also special financing offers available from dealers and manufacturers. You can take advantage of these and consider purchasing a new air conditioning and heating system. Repairs do not have any rebates. 

4. Less Noise, Quiet operation: New systems boast of noise-free operation. Reports say that both the external components and internal air handlers have become much quieter than their yesteryear counterparts. New technology claims that you will not even hear your HVAC system working. It is that quiet. Replacing your old system with a new one enables you to enjoy the quieter new equipment with zero noise pollution. 

5. Environmentally-friendly: There may be a point where you may feel that from a financial point of view, your payback period is longer than you expected. You can consider that you are helping the environment by saving fossil fuels and slowing down CO2 emissions. Though it may be difficult to calculate the saving in terms of actual dollar, it makes sense to add this benefit to the environment. 

6. Greater Reliability: With a new system, you are assured that there are zero chances of an event of breakdown when you least expect it.  Studies say that older equipment break when they are needed the most, usually in summer when the usage is the heaviest. If your system is old and the summer is coming up, you could make a smart buying decision and bring home a new HVAC. 

7. Better comfort: If your home has hot spots in summer and cold spots in winter, there may be a problem with the size of your air conditioner or heating system. It is often seen that over-sized air conditioners turn on and off quickly, but the air in the room has a damp feeling. New systems deliver more comfort and better air circulation.

Importance of Compressor Health in Air Conditioning Maintenance

The compressor is the most important part of the air conditioning system. This vital part is also known as the heart of the system. Just as the human heart needs to be in good condition, so is the compressor. And the compressor needs looking after to keep good health. The compressor, like the heart, depends on many other parts that are connected with it. There are circuits that pass electric current and the flow of air, these are vital to the compressor just like veins in the body that run blood to the heart. 

If the compressor is overworked, it will eventually wear out and stop functioning. To run efficiently, keep the compressor in tip-top condition and your air conditioning system will run smoothly and efficiently.

Here are some troubleshooting tips that will help you keep your compressor in good health.

1. Clean the coil

Make sure that the coils of the air conditioner’s compressor are clean. Dirt on the coils creates higher than normal head pressures. When this happens, heat is created, which results in warm saturated suction temperatures. Such a situation can lead to compressor failure.

2. Proper refrigerant charge

Ensure that the refrigerant charge is well maintained. There needs to be proper electrical current flowing into the compressor.

3. Prevent Oil Contamination

Remember, an oil leak can get trapped in the suction line. Oil contamination can cause oil pump failure. This is one of the ways that the compressor can fail.

4. Avoid voltage fluctuations

Electrical problems are the main cause for compressor failure and the most common is electrical failure. Ensure that there are no voltage fluctuations in the electricity system in your house. Imbalances in electrical supply result in improper voltage. This overheats the compressor, leading to its failure.

5. Avoid overheating

Overheating occurs when there is not enough suction cooling or there is lack of condenser cooling It can also occur if there is air inside the air conditioning system. This may give rise to both the pressure and temperature, resulting in incorrect compressor performance.

6. Periodic maintenance

Regular checks and cleaning is the key component that will keep your compressor in good health. You can hire the services of a professional technician for periodic maintenance checks. This will also help in identifying any major repairs that the system is heading towards, well in advance. Periodic maintenance plays an important part in preserving the life of the compressor.

In addition to the tips mentioned above, it will do you a world of good to have some basic tools handy at home. 

Have a megohmmeter handy as you can measure the integrity of the compressor winding insulation. Contractors suggest that this is a great diagnostic tool that alerts the HVAC owners of the potential failures that are likely in the near future. 

Most of the causes for compressor failure can be easily avoided with a little care and maintenance.  All you need to do is conduct regular checks, adopt preventative maintenance measures and replace old parts with new ones as soon as they show signs of wearing. Regular maintenance ensures long compressor life and a healthy and efficient air conditioning unit. 

While DIY top-up kits are also available, it would be advisable to employ a professional HVAC technician for the periodic checks and maintenance. An air conditioning specialist will also pressure-check the system to ensure that there are no environmentally toxic nitrogen gas emitted from the air conditioner. When the system is recharged with refrigerant, the required level of oil is needed to lubricate the compressor. The contractor will know how much oil is required for lubrication.

How to Improve the Quality of Your Home's Indoor Air?

Indoor air quality is a matter of concern in all homes. The effects of indoor air on health haven’t had the attention it deserves. Until recently, nobody even spared a thought to indoor air quality, not even considering that the indoors can get polluted. Pollution was always connected with outdoor air, the indoors were, apparently, more healthy. 

How do the indoors get polluted?

All indoors can get polluted, giving rise to serious health hazards.  Various studies suggest that the risks from poor quality indoor air can be substantially higher when compared with outdoor contamination. Pollutants in the indoor air can emanate from different sources, such as the fabric of buildings, combustion due to heating or fuel, and infiltration from outside, through water, air, or soil. Some indoor pollutants could be chemicals, living organisms like mold and pests, and gases.

House dust mites can be a major cause for indoor air pollution. These are usually found in bedding, carpet, and furniture. These thrive the most in coastal areas where the humidity is high.

Indoor air pollutants also include radioactive gas formed in the soil- radon – which is the leading cause of lung cancer among those who do not smoke. Radon can enter inside your house through cracks and openings in floors and walls in contact with the ground.

Another major cause is secondhand smoke that comes from burning tobacco or tobacco products. The smoke can cause serious respiratory illnesses and even cancer.

Space heaters, woodstoves, water heaters, gas stoves, dryers, and fireplaces in homes can also be a major source of air pollution. The amount of pollutants that can be produced from these appliances depends on the type and installation of the appliance. Maintenance of the appliance also plays a major role in release of pollutants in the indoor air.

The indoor may be polluted with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are chemicals often found in paints and paint strippers, lacquers, cleaning supplies, varnishes, pesticides, office equipment, and repellents. Some air fresheners and dry-cleaned clothing can also be a source of VOC.

Volatile organic compounds irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and cause headaches, nausea, and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Some of them can cause cancer.

How can you improve your indoor air quality?

Cleanliness - the magic word to control indoor air pollution.

Careful inspection of the building to look for the presence of damp or moist surfaces and any visible moulds is the first step. Sampling the surfaces with sterile swabs where you suspect that moisture or mould could be present is another step that with help in determining the presence of fungal and microorganisms.

Controlling the different sources of pollution is the most effective way to improve indoor air quality. 

Increasing the ventilation of the house and bringing in fresh air will help in reducing indoor pollutants. Whenever the weather permits, keep your windows and doors open. You can also run the air conditioner keeping the vent control open. Having exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens that will flush the air outdoors will also increase the ventilation and reduce indoor pollutants.

Clean the air filters of your air conditioners regularly. If required, change them regularly they are clean and no dust is trapped within.

Adjusting the indoor humidity can also decrease indoor air pollutants. High humidity increase the moisture in the air and the dampness will increase the cultivation of mold. The best way to do this is to maintain the indoor humidity between 30 and 50%. You could use a moisture or humidity gauge, to check the indoor air humidity.

These are some steps you could follow to maintain healthy indoor air quality in your homes.