A Different Type Of Heating And Cooling System

March 23, 2011 at 9:36 am | No comment | Category: Air Conditioning

Everyone always complains about those air conditioning bills, and we have reason to because they are so costly. It is difficult trying to keep the temperature of our homes the same all the time because the temperature outside changes and it can change very fast. There are times in February when the weather goes from freezing one day to feeling like spring the next. Depending on how well your home keeps in heat, it may be harder to keep in the air conditioning or the heat, which can be frustrating. Some homes have so many windows and draft that heating and cooling becomes a very expensive ordeal. One type of heating, which is geothermal, is much more efficient and is a lot better for the environment. The installation of the geothermal heat pump can get pricey, but after the initial installation, heating and cooling bills can decrease as much as 40%.

When you cool or heat your home, air is typically taken from the outside and used to change the temperature of your home. However, to change the heat from hot to cold or the other way around takes a lot of energy and this is why it is so costly. The way this new heating and cooling system works is by heating liquid underground and pumping it back up to your home. It uses real energy from the earth and this is why it is so much more effective and safe for the planet. As for cooling, this device takes the hot air out of the home and back into the earth.

As far as the advantages and disadvantages go, there are far more advantages than disadvantages. These systems, while they may be pricey at the beginning, do not cause any trouble, are very quiet, and the money that you put into it will pay for itself through the savings that you can accumulate. Imagine being able to spend more money on food or save up for new furniture or other things that you want just from savings!

More and more people are making switches to greener living by adding solar panels as energy sources and this is one of those things. If you have the money saved up and you are trying to transform your home into a more efficient one, it could take a lot of time and work to get it working, but once you do it will be a great investment. As long as you take the time to come up with a lump of savings to pay for this to be installed, you should have no other problems with it. They last a very long time and everything is underground so once it is all set up, you do not have to worry about it, which is a great advantage.

If you want to save some money and go earth friendly, this could be a great project to invest in. You may have to get a few things installed, but it is worth it.

Tips for Better Home Indoor Air Quality

March 7, 2011 at 4:31 pm | 1 comment | Category: air quality

Since most people spend the majority of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is essential to good health. Indoor air pollution can cause major heath problems, including severe allergies, asthma, upper respiratory infection and dry skin. There are many factors that contribute to this pollution, and thus a variety of things you can do to ensure a healthier indoor environment for you and your family. Here are ten ways to improve the quality of air inside your home.

1. Invest in good, quality air conditioning filters and air purifiers. Pleated electrostatic air filters and HEPA filters with a MERV rating of 8 or higher will be more efficient at cleaning your indoor air than standard panel fiberglass filters. Though they are more expensive, it is worth the money you’ll save in heating and cooling costs and in the maintenance and repair of your HVAC system. Good furnace filters will remove small particles like dirt, dust mite debris, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, lint, smoke and more.

2. Use natural, eco-friendly cleaning products. Vinegar, lemon and baking soda can be used to make homemade, inexpensive and effective cleaning solutions. Non-toxic cleaning products are also available for purchase in stores.

3. Clean, dust and vacuum regularly. This may sound like common sense, but it makes a huge difference in the quality of your indoor air, especially if you suffer from allergies related to dust mites, pollen or lint. Carpets easily trap indoor air contaminants. A HEPA vacuum filter will be more efficient at capturing these unwanted particles. Also, make sure to replace your vacuum filters, bags and belts regularly, to improve suction and lengthen the life of your vacuum cleaner. Clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces, and wash all bedding in hot water, at least once a week.

4. Use the hood vent above the stove while cooking, to reduce smoke and odor. This is one thing most people neglect. While cooking, smoke and odors from the food travel throughout the kitchen and eventually throughout the rest of your home, settling on furniture, walls and carpet. The microwave and hood range vents above your stove are meant to capture these airborne particles, and should be turned on before cooking, and left on, during and after the cooking process until the air is sufficiently clear. If you do start using these vents regularly, make sure to also clean and change the filters when necessary.

5. Maintain optimal temperature and humidity with a programmable thermostat and humidifier. A programmable thermostat is a little more expensive than a standard one, but it can save you up to 33 percent a year in heating and cooling costs. Some are able to optimize the humidity levels in your home, as well. Humidity should stay between 40 and 50 percent. Too much moisture in the air can result in mold growth, while too little moisture can cause dry skin, chapped lips, sinus problems and difficulty breathing.

6. Get a few indoor plants. Some indoor plants work asnatural air purifiers.

7. Burn candles sparingly, if at all; use non-toxic room deodorizers and avoid tobacco smoke. If you do smoke, it is best to do so outside. Candles and room deodorizers can also emit toxic fumes and smoke that is harmful to the lungs. Use flameless, wickless plugin candles with naturally flavored wax, whenever possible. Gas fireplaces and stoves should be checked yearly for emissions.

8. Leave shower doors and curtains open after showering. Closing them retains moisture inside your shower, leading to mildew and mold growth. Breathing it in is harmful to the lungs. If your bathroom is carpeted, instead of tiled, you run a higher risk of mold infection. Wipe down the walls of your shower to further reduce moisture. Make sure there are no plumbing leaks anywhere in your home, and that the area under all sinks is consistently dry.

9. Invest in eco-friendly furnishings. Pressed wood, coated with polyurethane finish will not emit formaldehyde. Make sure draperies and floor tiles are asbestos and formaldehyde-free. Hardwood floors are also much safer than wall-to-wall carpet which easily traps pollutants inside the home. Non-upholstered furniture is also less likely to absorb harmful pollutants, and is easier to clean. Avoid lead-based paint.

10. Do not leave the car running in the garage, even if it’s open. Carbon monoxide can easily seep through walls and doors and is toxic to your health and fatal in large doses.

Air filtration experts also recommend that you have your home tested for radon and mold, especially if you notice any changes in your health after moving or renovating. Those with greater sensitivities to allergies should consider hypoallergenic pets, and allergen-proof bedding, as well.

Ongoing Air Conditioning Maintenance Assures You a Long Life of Cooling

February 9, 2011 at 1:38 pm | No comment | Category: Air Conditioning

One of the most important things that a person can do for their Fort Lauderdale area A/C system is to get a precision tune up. This is also known as a full cleaning and inspection of your air conditioner.

Every home owner should have their A/C systems cleaned once a year to help prevent parts from breaking and to help maintain the efficiency of their system. In warmer clients the air conditioner is running almost all day and everyday during the summertime, particularly if the temperature is 90° or hotter.

Changing the oil in a car is just as important as having maintenance on your unit. Not having your A/C units cleaned once a year is exactly like not having the oil in a car changed for 166,000 miles. This may sound extreme but just think about how long the ac runs during the summer months in the blazing heat of Florida.

So what should this process involve and how do you know that it was done correctly.

Maintenance on the air conditioner should include the cleaning of the condenser coil (outside unit) and the air handler evaporator coil (inside unit), checking the pressures, flushing the drain line, inspecting the connections and a basic cleaning of the units (wiping off dirt and dust).

By getting maintenance done every year the technician will be able to notify the homeowner if they notice an initial problem beginning with the air conditioner. The older the system is, the more important it is to get maintenance done yearly in order to avoid costly repairs.

A properly maintained A/C unit can also help you avoid the effects of air pollution in your home

It’s a proven fact that the air in your house is dirtier than the air outside. Keeping the air clean in a house is often one of the toughest things for a consumer to maintain. There are many different effects of air pollution on humans that can easily be prevented.

Some of these include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Worst case scenarios can result in upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

There are a several things a person can do to help keep the air in their house clean. Simply opening the windows in your house will help bring in fresh air and move the pollutants out. Having a reliable air filter for your air conditioner system and changing it as often as necessary will also help control the dust in your home.

Having a good air filter that cleans the air before it goes through the A/C system and re-enters the house is also essential. Trane offers a product called CleanEffects. The Trane CleanEffects utilizes patented, breakthrough air cleaning technology to remove up to an astounding 99.98% of airborne allergens and pollutants from the air that passes through the filter. Having the air ducts throughout your house sanitized can also help kill any mold, prevent it from growing, and keep the air in your home as fresh as possible.

Remember, if you keep your A/C unit properly maintained annually and do some basic things to keep the air in your home clean, you can expect a long life of fresh air and great cooling from your Air Conditioning unit.

Federal Tax Credits are going to end soon, So buy and save now!

October 20, 2010 at 9:59 am | 3 comments | Category: Air Conditioning

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed a stimulus bill (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) that made some significant changes to the energy efficiency tax credits.

Tax Credits for Homeowners

The efficiency levels have been modified to reflect the highest tier of the CEE High-efficiency Specification for Residential HVAC Systems for equipment “placed in service” between Feb. 17, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2010.
The tax credit has been raised from 10% to 30% for certain products.
The tax credits that were for a specific dollar amount (i.e. $300 for a CAC), have been converted to 30% of the cost.
The maximum credit has been raised from $500 to $1500 for the two years (2009–2010). However, some improvements such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and solar panels are not subject to the $1,500 maximum.

Call us today to learn more on how you can save money, before time runs out on this incredible offer.

Liebert XD systems

July 16, 2010 at 9:28 am | 2 comments | Category: IT Cooling Systems

The Liebert XD system offers a flexible, energy-efficient solution to your extreme density cooling needs. By eliminating the extreme heat densities associated with increased computing capacities, the Liebert XD system enables IT and data center managers to take advantage of the newest, most advanced computing technologies available– which means your computing and cooling can keep pace with your business.

What is the Liebert XD system?

Liebert XD is a high heat density cooling solution that offers solutions utilizing Open or Closed Architecture, Water based or Pumped Refrigerant based technology, and a wide range of equipment configurations. Open architecture systems utilize cooling coils near the heat load, either inside or outside the open server rack, and utilize the room air volume as a thermal storage to ride through short power outages. Closed architecture systems fully enclose the rack with the cooling coils inside. Other provisions are required for power-loss ride-through. Pumped Refrigerant technology eliminates the presence of water in a data center. It operates at low pressure in the piping system and becomes a gas at room temperatures, if a leak would occur. It utilizes micro-channel coil efficiency and low pressure drop.

Water based systems offer a cooling alternative where electrical hazards are minimal or the use of water is not a concern. They are also designed to work in any size space from a small computer room to a large data center.

How can I design a Liebert XD high heat density cooling solution with built in redundancy?

Redundancy can be designed into a solution utilizing the open architecture version of Liebert XD by combining CRAC units and interlaced pipe connection between the cooling modules and the supporting XDP/XDC. The interlaced connection means that cooling modules next to each other are connected to different XDP/XDC units. For the XDH, which has dual piping circuits, this interlacing can even be done within each module.

How much time do I have until the servers start to shut down in case of a cooling system failure?

For a closed architecture cooling solution, how fast this situation might occur depends in general on the load in the rack, the thermal mass in the rack and the heat exchange with the surroundings (leaks). In extreme situations, an over temperature situation can occur within seconds. For an open architecture solution, similar factors have an impact on how fast this situation would occur. However, since the room works as a heat sink, it will typically take minutes until an over temperature is reached. Full scale tests that Liebert have done together with Hewlett Packard showed that 104ºF entering air temperature to the server (which is the temperature when most servers start to shut down) was reached after 23 minutes at 3.5kW per rack heat load in the room. At 7kW per rack heat load, it was reached after 7 minutes; and at 11kW per rack, 104ºF was reached after 2 minutes.

What is the difference between Open and Closed architecture and which architecture is recommended?

Each architecture has its advantages. In general, an Open architecture allows the room to be a heat sink (for ride through during failures or power loss), does not limit the rack selection, has a less complex emergency mode and allows the racks to “borrow” cold air from each other. A Closed architecture solution has low audible noise, is deployable as a single rack, minimizes the air circulation in the room and does not require hot/cold aisle arrangement.

Why is Liebert XD called Supplemental High Heat Density Cooling?

The Liebert XD system is doing sensible cooling (the temperature of the cooling fluid supplied to the cooling modules is always above the actual dew point in the room so no condensation can occur on the coils in the modules or on the piping) to match the high heat density load. It supplements the precision cooling equipment which typically still is required for humidity control and air filtration.

How to Make Your Air Conditioner More Efficient

May 26, 2010 at 6:30 pm | 12 comments | Category: Air Conditioning

In times of rising energy costs and rapidly depleting fossil fuels, making your South Florida air conditioner more efficient will reduce your energy usage, make your home more comfortable, save money, and possibly help to save the environment. No matter what kind of air conditioning system you have, there are steps you can take to make your air conditioning system more efficient without purchasing a new system.

Here are some basic tips on how to make your air conditioner more efficient:

Have your air conditioner professionally serviced annually
Clean your air ducts
Install clean air filters every 3 months during the cooling season
Find and seal all cracks in your house. Small cracks are not uncommon around seams, corners and other areas. These can be sealed with caulk.
Find and seal any gaps or cracks around windows and doors. This can be accomplished with weatherizing tape or with caulk.
Close the flue in your fireplace chimney. A surprising amount of air exchange can occur through an open flue.
Use high-efficiency windows and doors or storm windows and doors. Well-insulated windows can reduce your cooling cost by 25-50%.
Add weather-stripping to windows and doors to create a tight seal. If you are not planning to upgrade your windows and you want to achieve better efficiency, the same weather-stripping used in winter can be used to seal and insulate these areas.
Use major appliances during the coolest part of the day or evening. Appliances generate heat when they are in use, particularly dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Using these appliances during the cooler parts of the day causes less stress on the working of your air conditioner.
Use shades and blinds to block the heat and UV rays from the sun. Shades and blinds provide more than privacy – they also deflect heat from the sun and the UV rays that could damage your furniture and carpeting.
Add UV coatings or films to exterior windows. Many newer windows have low-e coatings which allow light to enter the room but block the heat and the UV rays. These coatings can be added to the windows by professionals or you can buy and apply sheets of UV deflecting film.
Check the insulation around windows and doors. These are the greatest opportunities for gaps and cracks that allow heat exchange.
Check the insulation in your attic (most heat exchange occurs through the roof). Be sure you have the right kind and amount of insulation and that your attic is properly vented.
Use ceiling fans to better circulate the cooled air
Use register/vent booster fans to better circulate the cooled air
Seal off any unused/unconditioned parts of the house so cooled air will not escape into these areas and heat will not enter the main part of the house
Use ventilation fans to carry heat and steam from the bathrooms and kitchen

These steps will make any air conditioning system more efficient. This will enable you to save energy and cost and reduce the demand on fossil fuels.

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