Recently, researchers have found out that simply keeping a bedroom door closed can adversely affect comfort, safety and health in a house. This is because it blocks the air’s pathway, thus reducing air flow into the room and through the system as well. Pressurization of the room, which is caused by air trapped within the space, forces the cool air out of the house. All this has a significant impact on the energy efficiency of a house. How Closed Doors Affect Energy Efficiency When air is forced out of a room under pressure, an equal amount needs to be drawn so as to replace the expelled draught. Depending on the number of closed doors, the rate of entry of hot or cold outside air could go up by anything between 300% and 900%. This raises utility bills, decreases comfort and brings in a host of health problems. Since fluids seek the path of least resistance, […]
Using Fans Or Air Conditioners To Cool Your Home
Everybody wants to live in a comfortable home with the right temperature. During the summer months, temperatures can get quite high and this is the time to consider the perfect cooling system. The fans or A/C debate appears to be a no-brainer because most people prefer air conditioners. Your decision to cool your home with either an air conditioner or a fan depends on your inclination as well as your budget. Just look at the facts and numbers below and decide whether to use fans or A/C to cool your home. The high cost of air conditioning Cooling your home with an air conditioner does not come cheap. A typical window air conditioner that runs for 12 hours per day will cost the average American $40 per month at 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. The 2.5-ton residential central air conditioner uses about 1,300 kilowatt-hours per month. This costs approximately $150 monthly. On the other hand, a […]
Choosing The Chassis And Your Air Conditioner
If you are a first time shopper for an air conditioner, chances are that there are a lot of terms that you will want to become familiar with. While some may be less important than others in the long term, there are a few terms that can help you make a more informed purchase. Among those terms are different types of chassis. Some buyers may ask: what is a fixed chassis? Understanding how the chassis works and what kind of difference it makes in the system is an important part of selecting the right one for your home. There are two main types of air conditioners, just like there are two main types of corresponding chassis. If you are considering purchasing a single unit air conditioner for your room, it is important to look into either a window mounted air conditioner or a wall mounted one. Both can offer various advantages and disadvantages, but their […]
You Can Learn To Control Costs Of Home Comfort By Understanding Their Origins
Winter is a time when the mercury drops and you are required to use devices to raise the temperature inside a home, so that you can live comfortably, without being overwhelmed by winter wear. In fact, the ideal comfort comes from temperatures that give you what is called “shirt sleeve weather” Heating can be through fireplaces that use coal, wood or other fuel, but this gives localized areas of warmth, that can restrict movement within the home. Furnaces that heat up air and fans that blow them through ducts to the areas where they are needed are other alternatives. Individual heaters can also be used in spaces to heat air to the desired level. All these gadgets require different forms of energy whose costs for a home can be quite staggering. Are their methods to help in controlling home comfort costs? The obvious one is to use equipment that is energy efficient and produces the […]
Are Higher HVAC Efficiency Standards Going To Be Implemented Soon?
In 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy’s plan for increasing HVAC efficiency was to go into effect. After working with leaders in both the HVAC and utilities industries, the DOE’s plan to increase HVAC efficiency standards from a minimum of 78 AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) to a new minimum of 90 AFUE seemed destined to make a significant impact in reducing energy consumption. Unfortunately, these standards came at a high price. It became evident that many homeowners would struggle financially trying to comply with the proposed higher HVAC efficiency standards. The major problem presented with these higher AFUE ratings is that only a condensing furnace would be able to meet the new minimum requirement. While there is little doubt that a condensing furnace can offer increased energy efficiency and meet the 90 AFUE proposed by the DOE, implementing this plan would require homeowners to undertake costly and extremely difficult retrofitting measures before this new […]
