InspectApedia

Today's Blog entry comes courtesy of http://inspectapedia.com/. InspectApedia

"is an building encyclopedia which provides illustrated, detailed un-biased, in-depth information on detecting, diagnosing, correcting and preventing building defects, failures, and health or safety hazards including environmental concerns."

Even though InspectApedia is based out of New York, many of the common household and otherwise inquiries are also relevant in California. There are many different links to the left regarding building safety and even some highlighted "green" options.

For the guise of my posting, I would like to direct attention to: http://www.inspect-ny.com/aircond/AirConditionerChart.htm. This page discusses how to choose an air conditioner based on sizing and usage needs. (While these numbers won't be exact - New York and California are in different climate areas) This site brings up some things to think about...like whether or not a kitchen or boiler room will be cooled. This influences the styling of the duct work.

Here are some other questions to ask to help understand the types of sizing utilized for your home:

* What are the sun and heat characteristics of the geographic area where the building is located (southern U.S. vs. northern U.S. or Canada, for example)? * How much direct sunlight is falling on the building? * Is it bright hot sun or only partly sunny? * What are the exterior colors of surfaces on which sunlight is falling? * How well the building is insulated? * How drafty is the building? * How many occupants are in the building? * What other heat sources (or cooling sources) are in the building? * How high are the interior ceilings? * How does air circulate within the occupied spaces? * What defects in the air conditioning system need to be overcome, such as duct system errors or damage, dirty filters, blocked cooling coils, etc. ?

The best way to ensure that you are getting a good deal on air conditioning is to first, do your research. Understand terms and jargon that are being thrown around, and if you missed a term or didn't understand it - ASK! There are no stupid questions when dealing with someone who is going to charge you a lot of money. Second, know what your specific needs are - do you want an air purifying option? Do you use your kitchen a lot? etc. Third, get several different quotes and make sure that you are comparing "apples to apples" and "oranges to oranges" if someone is selling you the top of the line equipment and someone else is quoting for low end - OF COURSE their prices won't be comparable. And lastly, don't just choose a company because of their lowest bid. Make sure you understand and trust your company. This is a huge commitment! Happy Hunting. For more information, please visit our "information" page on our website.