Top Ten AC from ASHRAE

OK, so you just got central air conditioning and heating and you want to know what 10 things should I know about this contraption? Or...you've had air conditioning for years and you've never thought about it. Here's your answer. ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) handles this issue in 10 short sections on their web page http://www.ashrae.org/education/page/1455#3.

1. How AC works

   The first section shows how air conditioning works, with a small colored drawing to describe how the air flow works and the various parts. this is a topic I've gone over in the blog quite a bit, so if you're interested...click the archives on our page under "How air conditioning works."

2. What is a TON of cooling?

   Heating and cooling is usually measured in tons of output. These 'tons' also need to be 'sized' specifically to your home to ensure proper room temperature.

   "A ton of cooling is now defined as delivering 12,000 BTU/hour of cooling. BTU is short for British Thermal Unit "

   One BTU is about the amount of energy provided by a kitchen match. If you would like more information about definitions and sizing or even cooling specific terms please visit our glossary page at http://www.sinclairair.com/GlossaryPage/Glossary.html#B

3. What can go wrong

   This is a popular question, and as it turns out, there are many things that can go wrong with a unit.

   "They are sized to meet a certain “load” on the house. They are designed to have certain amount of refrigerant, known as the “charge”. They are designed to have a certain amount of air flow across the coils. When any of these things changes, the system will have problems. If you produce more heat indoors either from having more people or appliances or because of changes in the house, the air conditioning may not be able to keep up.

   As such, it is important to make sure your unit has the proper amount of refrigerant, is cleaned regularly, and that you change the filter often. If you practice good maintenance, your unit should work for a long time.

4. What filters do

   Filters are necessary because they keep the unit clean and also catch particles and prevent them from getting into the air in your home. This two-fold defense will keep your unit and your family healthy.

5. Maintain the System

   Like your car, or anything else, regular maintenance will make a huge difference in the life of your system. Your unit should be looked at about once a year, more if you use it all the time.

6. Ducts matter

   Ducts are the paths in which cold air gets into your rooms. These ducts need also to be cleaned and maintained. If they get loose, (or chewed through - it happens) you are loosing a lot of cold air to your attic. If your ducts have been in your house for a long time, it's probably a good idea to check them - if they are accessible, or have them checked out. You don't want to pay to heat the outside.

7. Increase your efficiency

   This is also a topic that I cover often in the blog, click "save energy" or "energy efficiency" to learn more.

8. Lighten your load

   This is also pretty common sense and I've written about this before too. If you have every appliance in the house on - appliances that get 'hot' (like the TV, computer and duh the oven or stove) your ac is going to work WAY over time. Turn some of that stuff off - and especially if it's 100 degrees outside, you really don't need the lights on.

9. Ventilate

   Make sure the air is flowing in your house - ceiling fans help or even just slightly cracking a back window can draw air through if your home doesn't have an open floor plan. However, DO NOT - I repeat - DO NOT only turn the fan on - that doesn't help ANYTHING at all and I can't even describe to you how many times we get service calls for an AC that isn't turned on because the homeowner is ONLY running the fan. The fan is not supposed to cool the house - only move air, and it wastes energy. So, the best thing to do is turn your thermostat on, leave the fan and ac on auto and let the energy star thermostat save you money and keep you comfy.

10. Humidity

    This is another reason not to use the fan by itself. The fan does NOT remove humidity in the air and it's the humidity that makes things unbearable. Now air conditioners do their part to keep the indoor humidity levels low, but only when used properly. If you live in an especially humid area, talk to your contractor about special humidity options.

So that's it. AC 101 in ten easy steps. And now you can impress your friends at parties...or on game shows? You know what a TON of air is.