The changing landscape of air conditioning

by Amili R. SEO

Over the past few years, the air conditioning domain has witnessed tremendous development in various facets of the industry. From smart features to easy installation, air conditioners have become more environment-friendly, less noisy and most importantly great power saver.

Air conditioners have become a necessity in today’s lives. Due to rising temperatures all across the world, people find air conditioning a faster and improved way to achieve comfortable living conditions. With improved air conditioner installation kit and easy to use air conditioner accessories, improved technology has been playing a pivotal role in driving innovation in the air conditioning domain.

Some of the general concerns related to air conditioning include ozone-depleting refrigerants, excessive noise levels, and space consumption etc. These issues have become a passé today.

Fortunately, the latest AC technology means people can chill out about those concerns. With enhancements in fan-blade shape and compressor technology, some models are found to make one-twentieth the noise of conventional units. A new refrigerant, known broadly as R410A, is free of the chlorine that affects the ozone layer. And on energy consumption, the decline is quite visible. Twenty years ago, a typical system might use 6,000 watts of electricity per hour to cool an average-size house. Nowadays, that same house can be cooled with as little as 1,710 watts per hour, a surprising 250-percent increase in operating efficiency.

Irrespective of your air conditioner’s efficiency, it needs to be sized appropriately to ensure optimum comfort and reduced energy costs. The key is right balance between the condenser, where the refrigerant is pressurized and cooled, and the evaporator, where indoor air is refrigerated and dehumidified before being passed through the region’s ductwork by the air handler.

Condensers are measured by the refrigeration ton, or "ton" for short. This reflects the amount of refrigeration required to freeze one ton of water in 24 hours — 12,000 Btus per hour. In general, it takes a ton of air-conditioning to cool 1,000 square feet of well-insulated space. When commending size, a knowledgeable air-conditioning contractor will consider your home's layout, insulation levels, air leakage, sun exposure, and overall climate.

Before an installation expert takes out its air conditioner installation kit, it is necessary to keep in mind the below pointers.

· Refrigerant overdose: "There's a cowboy mentality that says jam a little more gas in, but you need a precise amount and no more, or the system won't cool properly."

· Overly long pipes: "Refrigerant lines are typically limited to 50 feet. Longer than that means the refrigerant can't complete its cycle, and the condenser will run forever."

· Insufficient clearance: "The condenser usually needs about two feet around it in every direction, so enough air can circulate and pull the heat out."