Find an Air Conditioning Engineer you can trust in Yelverton.

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.
 

As a business owner, you’d be aware before now that there’s usually a need to make financial commitment on some things that do not directly generate revenue or profit for the business. One of these expenses is an air conditioning which may not directly make you more money, but is known to provide a wide array of benefits in a work environment. If you’re still yet to be convinced about the need for an air conditioning system in your workplace, here are some reasons that explains to you why installing a heating and cooling system at your workplace can be a huge step forward for your business.

• No waste of working hours. According to several studies, when a work environment is overheated or not comfortable, workers’ productivity is always at the receiving end. In several cases, the employees tend to waste at least an hour of their working time as a result of the heat ( this number can even be higher in some cases). Also, they tend to avoid work when on their seat which is a big reason why installing an AC system at your workplace should never be overlooked.
• Improved employees’ health. For every business owner, the well being of your employees should be a top priority as this would imply a lower medical expenses and sick or redundant days. A relaxing and comfortable working environment will make the employees feel good and help them stay healthy which is crucial for improved productivity.
• It saves you money. Due to higher electricity consumption, several business owners tend to shy away from installing air conditioning systems. Compared to a normal fan, it does consume more power, however an AC system provides the better overall savings in the long run.

There are a wide range of ways in which having an answer to this question can help home and property owners. For instance, this can help you predict the cost before fitting a new unit. However, regardless of your purpose, this guide has been created to give you an idea of the energy usage that’s associated with different types of air conditioners. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, it should be said that there’s no straightforward answer to this question as there a number of variables that can affect the energy efficiency of one’s air conditioning unit. As a result, the calculations for your personal space may vary from the estimates you’ll see on the internet. For example, the type of air conditioner you choose to install will be a key determinant of your system’s energy usage.

• On the average, a central air conditioning system incorporates within the range of 3000 and 3500 watts per hour during the summer months. However, if you happen to operate the “fan only mode of your central air conditioning unit, the energy usage will most likely drop to about 750 watts per hour.
• For a mid sized portable air conditioning unit, you can expect the system to consume an average of 2900 watts per hour. However, large units as you would have expected would exceed the energy usage of central air conditioning units, this can be up to 4100 watts per hour.
• For a mid sized window air conditioning unit, this will consume about 900 watts per hour. While you can expect the smaller unit to use about 500 watts per hour and the larger ones to consume about 1440 watts per hour.

As the heat start to come up especially during the summer months, the swelter will mercifully be kept in check by air conditioning. The technology has made a significant impact on modern life and it can now be considered a norm for all new and modern homes. So if you’re also planning to fit new HVAC air conditioning systems in your home or property, you may also be interested in knowing exactly how it works. In this article, we aim to provide you with an in depth insight into how air conditioning operates. Now let’s take a closer look at the process!

✓ A grille at the bottom of the machine absorbs warm air from the room

✓ The warm air is transmitted over some chiller pipes through which a coolant fluid is circulating. Working in a similar fashion as the chiller cabinet in a refrigerator, this part cools down the transmitted warm air and any excess moisture is duly removed by a dehumidifier.

✓ The air is then transmitted over a heating element which is quite similar to the one present in a fan heater. On a cold day, this part of the unit can be turned up in order to allow the HVAC works as heater.

✓ A fan which is positioned at the top blows the air back through another grilled into the room.

✓ Coolant flows through the the chiller pipes. In the process, it carries heat from the air blowing past the pipes and then it evaporates - converting the cool liquid into a hotter gas. This heat is then transported to the outside of the building from inside the room.

✓ With time, the heat inside the building slowly blows away into the outside air.

In several parts of the UK, air conditioning systems are a must especially in the warmer summer months. Fortunately, if your AC system isn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to, suffers frequent system breakdowns when overworked mostly during the hot summer days or perhaps you’re just tired of just having to manage with window units, the latest air conditioning units offers both features and performance that’s superior to the earlier models. And as you would have expected, each facet comes with a cost.

There are a number of factors that can determine the cost of an air conditioning unit. Out of all these factors, the size of your home happens to be the most significant factor that influences an air conditioning unit’s cost. Air conditioning systems are measured in tons, which is a measure of the amount of heat they’re able to remove from a home within an hour. As a rule of thumb, you’ll require about 1 ton of cooling per 500 to 600 square feet. Unfortunately, the square footage alone can’t be used to determine the tonnage. Other factors that’ll also play a significant role includes the efficiency of your most preferred AC unit, how well the home is insulated as well as the thermal nature of your home. On the average, a new air conditioning system for an average home should be within the range of £1000 to £3000 for a unit as well as the installation costs which can vary largely depending on the condition of your ducts. These figures may seem quite expensive, but when the hot summer days come, you’d be glad to have had one installed in your home.

If you’re looking to purchase and install an air conditioning system in your home or property, what immediately comes to mind is the type to invest in. When it comes to air conditioners, the available choices are numerous - from window units to central air conditioning, through-the-wall air conditioners, portable air conditioners, ductless split system, package terminal air conditioners, swamp coolers as well as geothermal cooling systems. In this post, we’re going to consider the various type of air conditioners in order to help you make the best decision moving forward. Let’s take a look!

• Window air conditioners. These are the most popular type of air conditioners which are typically mounted in a window. They possess an exhaust system which pushes hot air out the back and sides while the refrigerant cooling is pointed indoors.
• Central air conditioning. This is the most effective form of air conditioning if you happen to own a large home and want all rooms cooled at once.
• Portable air conditioners. Just like window air conditioners, these are self-contained air conditioning systems. In other words, portable air conditioners have all their essential components in one appliance just like in window air conditioning units.
• Through-the-wall air conditioners. These self-contained units that operates by bringing in warm air which is then exhausted while they send cool air back into the room ( similar to window air conditioners).
• Ductless split system air conditioners. Just like the name suggests, these are two-part air conditioners that are able to cool various areas within a home.
• Package terminal air conditioners. These are the type of air conditioners that are mostly used for cooling in commercial spaces like hospitals, hotels and the likes.
• Evaporative or “swamp” coolers. Although these aren’t as common as refrigerant air conditioners but they are just as effective. While conventional air conditioners make use of a refrigerant known as Freon, swamp coolers only incorporates air and water to function.

Several individuals think that the the way their air conditioning system works is simply by pumping hot air out of their homes or offices, blowing a cool air in return. This is absolutely wrong! The hot air is, in fact, cycled back in as cold air and this process continues until the thermostats gets dropped down to the required or set temperature. The air conditioning system manages this in a similar way to how the refrigerator manages to stay cold and of course, excluding the insulated box.

The short and simple answer to the question of what gas an air conditioning use is Freon. This is a non inflammable gas which is subjected to the evaporation process over and over again in most refrigerators to keep the temperature at a low level. This same process is repeated in air conditioning systems. Now let’s take a look at how the Freon gas is incorporated in AC systems.

The cold Freon gas is firstly compressed by a compressor in the air conditioner. The gas is then combined with a little quantity of oil in order to lubricate the compressor. When Freon gas is compressed, the pressure is increased which makes it incredibly hot. It then moves through a couple of coils which works to lowering the heat and turning it to liquid. This Freon liquid will then be transmitted via an expansion valve which causes it to cool down until evaporation takes place. The outcome of this is a low pressure cold Freon gas which is then transmitted via another set of coils allowing the gas to collect the heat and lower the air within the room.

The air conditioner now filters the air and clears out the dust, smoke, pollen and other kinds of air pollutants. The system also absorbs excess liquid from the air too which it uses to cool down the system and pump it through a hose.

Having its usage banned in air conditioning systems and many other refrigeration applications due to the danger it poses to the ozone layer, several companies that are affected by the R22 legislation would possess a policy to identify specific recommended alternatives. If you’re also affected by this new legislation, then you’ve come to the right place. Generally, the alternative that’s selected is usually dependent on the business unit level as well as the business’ energy efficiency requirements.  In this post, we’re going to consider some of the recommended alternatives to the R22 refrigerant. Let’s take a look!

• R140a. This refrigerant is commonly used in industrial refrigeration, residential air conditioning, industrial air conditioning as well as commercial centrifugal compressors.
• R134A. This refrigerant is commonly used in domestic refrigeration, commercial refrigeration, transport refrigeration, residential air conditioning, commercial centrifugal compressors and mobile air conditioning.
• R407C. This is commonly incorporated in industrial refrigeration, residential air conditioning and commercial air conditioning.
• R407A. This type of gas is commonly incorporated in commercial refrigeration, plug ins as well as vending machines.
• MO99 ( R438A). This gas type is common applied in commercial refrigeration, plug ins, vending machines, industrial refrigeration as well as residential air conditioning.
• RS-44b. This is commonly used in all refrigeration systems.

These R22 alternatives are all believed to be environmental friendly having little to no impact on the ozone layer. However, one drawback possessed by of these alternatives is when POE oil is incorporated. This can result in excess moisture which causes acid build up inside the refrigerant lines. What’s more? These refrigerant alternatives also work at a higher pressure which means that it may cause more wear and tear on components.