Find an Air Conditioning Engineer you can trust in Lochgilphead.

Are you planning to install a new climate control in your home or property? If yes, then there are a number of things you’d have to consider before making a financial commitment and that’s related to air conditioning planning permission. It’s crucial to equip yourself with the facts so as to avoid any hiccups along the ways and end up with an AC system that works well and complies with all relevant air conditioning regulations. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into planning permission for air conditioning in homes. Let’s take a look!

In general, majority of small air conditioning installations do not need planning permission. In other words, you don’t have to submit a planning permission application to install an air conditioning system in your home or property – if you want to, simply go ahead with it. However, there’s a need to ensure that your external air conditioning units meet some regulations. These regulations include:

• It isn’t bigger than 0.6m3
• It’s over a metre from the boundaries of any property
• It’s more than a metre away from the edge of a flat roof
• It shouldn’t be fitted on a pitched roof

In addition, you’d have to ensure that there isn’t a wind turbine on the property. For a more accurate information, it’s more advisable to reach out to your local authority for advice on air conditioning planning permission before installing your air conditioning unit. They’re in a much better position to advise you on how to ensure that your air conditioning complies with the relevant regulations as well as whether or not you’ll need a planning permission.
 

Central air conditioning system is a system which operates by cooling air at a central place and distributes the cooled air to and from rooms with the help of one or more fans and ductwork. What makes the whole idea of air conditioning feasible is the operations of the air conditioner compressor. When it cooling gas is compressed, it allows it to absorb heat from the house and blows it outside into the outside air and that’s exactly how the cool air is being generated.

Central air conditioning are of two main types which includes a split system as well as a packaged unit.

Generally, in the split system AC unit, both the condenser and compressor are included in the outdoor metal cabinet, whereas the indoor cabinet includes the evaporator. Typically, in several split system air conditioning units, the indoor cabinet will also include an air handler or a furnace. What’s more? The evaporator coil of the AC unit is fitted in the cabinet or the furnace or heat pump’s primary supply duct. This type of central air condition is usually the most economical AC unit to fit if you already have a furnace in your home.

However, in a packaged central air conditioning system, the components including condenser, compressor and evaporator are all included in one cabinet. Supply of air as well as the return ducts are connected through the home’s exterior wall or roof to the package central air conditioning system - mostly placed outdoors. This type of central air conditioners also features electric heating oil or a natural gas furnace. With this perfect blend of central heater with air conditioner, there’s simply no need to a separate furnace indoors.

When it comes to air conditioning, there’s nothing like a one-size-fits-all approach as different buildings have different needs. As a result, there are various types of air conditioners to address unique building requirements. Having a full grasp of the differences between a commercial air conditioner and a residential air conditioner can go a long way to help you in choosing the most appropriate system for your building to ensure all occupants can enjoy the high air quality at the perfect temperature.

Now, while both commercial and residential HVAC systems serve the same purpose of heating, cooling as well as ventilating, they are largely varied in terms of the parts and mechanisms. This is due to the fact that tackling the need for comfort in a home or residential space is very different when compared to a work environment.

First and foremost, there’s usually a distinct physical difference between commercial and residential air conditioners. The residential ones are usually central systems which are linked to a series of ducts, with the evaporator and condenser in separate areas of the property. On the other hand, the commercial systems normally combines both heating and cooling units in one rooftop package that prevents the noise it produces from disturbing the work of the occupants. Having the package on the roof also goes a long way to help the companies free up some physical space.

The main difference between a commercial air conditioner and a residential air conditioner, however, is the amount of power which the system consumes to cool off a space. This is partly because a work environment usually takes up more space than residential environments. As a result, heating and cooling systems that are intended for use in commercial spaces are usually built to be a lot more powerful.

If you want to guarantee the comfort of those inside your work environment, getting a commercial HVAC system should be a top priority. And if you already have one installed, knowing the best time to have it replaced rather than repaired will go a long way to save you some huge bucks. For instance, an air conditioning system that’s old and malfunctioning is best replaced due to the fact that all the components are probably weak and can only keep generating series of faults till it finally breaks down beyond repair. When evaluating your air conditioning unit, there are some factors that you’ll need to take into account to save yourself some money and headaches. Let’s take a look!

• Age. If your commercial HVAC system is within 15 to 20 years old and starting to look like a giant rust attached to your building, then its probably time to get a replacement. Also when old, most commercial air con systems are usually much less efficient and will consume more energy which implies higher energy bills.
• Wear and tear. If your system has experienced a significant amount of wear and tear, then its probably not heating or cooling as efficiently as it used to. Depending on the product’s quality as well as the level of maintenance many commercial HVAC system would be overdue for an upgrade by the time they’re about 15 years old.
• Malfunctions. When it comes to heating and cooling systems, some issues are quite easy to fix or resolve while others ( such as a broken furnace fan or refrigerant problems) should be best left to the experts. However, if the malfunctions are becoming more often or serious enough, then you should probably consider getting an upgrade.

If you’ve made the decision to purchase an air conditioning system for your office, the next step is deciding whether to install the unit yourself or get in touch with a professional for help. To several business owners, this is a very simply decision to make, - a lot of money can be saved by making the task a DIY project. However, the installation of a heating and cooling system requires some specific skills and knowledge that, when not properly mastered, can lead to some installation faults which will ultimately make the system consume more energy than necessary while also affecting its durability. On the other hand, installation done by a well trained professional will not only save you a lot of money, but will also ensure you get to enjoy your system for a long period of time.

If you’re yet to be convinced about the importance of a professionally installed office air conditioning system, here are some point that just might make you have a rethink.

• Professionals are experienced and highly skilled. When it comes to the installation of heating and cooling systems in a work environment, there’s a need to call in a reliable professional. This is because AC system installation requires a well trained individual who know just how best to ensure your AC system works efficiently and for a long period of time.
• Most professionals are insured. When you call in an insured office air conditioning expert, you’ll have a peace of mind knowing you’re fully covered in case something goes wrong during the installation process.
• Professionals able to provide expert advice. Having a good experience in field and good knowledge of heating and cooling systems, professionals are able to provide helpful tips such as maintenance procedures so as to ensure you get to enjoy your investment for a prolonged period.

When it comes to conservatory air conditioning, a huge mistake you’d not like to make is to purchase and install a wrong sized HVAC system. When that happens, not only will you be left unsatisfied, but you’d also end up incurring much more expenses than necessary. If you go for an AC unit that’s too small, it won’t be powerful enough to cool your conservatory as you would like. However, when you go ahead to select an oversized AC unit, your conservatory would be cooled relatively quick but will leave the air in the structure with excess humidity and consume more electricity as it’s going to cycle on and off which will ultimately cost you more money. In other words, it’s always a smart decision to take your time to calculate the right air conditioner size for your conservatory before you make a purchase decision. So how exactly can you go about the determination of the appropriate HVAC unit size for your conservatory? Let’s take a look!

• Take the measurement of the conservatory’s square footage using a tape measure. If the space isn’t rectangular or square in shape, simply divide the conservatory in section comprising both squares and triangles which you can measure.
• Calculate the conservatory’s square footage. For a square or rectangle, simply multiply the length by the width. However if your space is in another shape, you can determine the square footage of the triangular sections by multiplying 0.5 by length and width, and the sum each of the sections.
• Determine the cooling capacity required for the space in question which is measured in British Terminal Units (BTUs)/hour. For more information to determine the BTUs needed depending on your conservatory size, simply visit the United States Department for Energy Star.

Having your office air conditioning units serviced on a regular basis comes with a wide range of benefits. With proper servicing of your unit, your air con will be able to blow cold or hot air into your space, the lifespan of the heating and cooling system is extended, harmful bacteria and fungal spores will also be removed and lots more. However, since servicing of office air con units does not come free, you’d probably want to know the number of times the task is needed in a year. In this post, we’re going to look at the recommended number of times to have your office heating and cooling units serviced.

Servicing of an office heating and cooling system is generally recommended to be done twice a year - once in the fall and the other in the spring. By doing this, you’ll be not only be able to guarantee that the unit is clean, but also that the parts are in great shape and that it’s working as efficiently as possible. What’s more? This task has to be carried out whether or not you put the air con unit to use. Even in the event whereby the system is leak proof and adequate coolant is available there are usually still reason to have it serviced. If you haven’t used the AC unit in your office for quite a long time, the hoses and seals become brittle more quickly due to the fact that the lubricant and coolant do not circulate.

Asides from having your units checked by a professional, there’s also a need to carry out some maintenance tasks by yourself. This way, you get to enjoy your office AC unit for a long period of time.

NO - as air conditioning systems use fluorinated gases as refrigerants, all work on them must be done by professionals holding valid F-Gas certification. There is a range of different qualifications and certifications that apply for this, so it's always best to ask someone who is qualified to do this.