Calculate the Right-Sized Air Conditioner For Your Needs

Calculating your air conditioning requirements

Heat Load

The amount of heat generated is known as the heat gain or heat load. Heat is measured in either British Thermal Units (BTU) or Kilowatts (KW). 1KW is equivalent to 3412BTUs.

The heat load depends on a number of factors, by taking into account those that apply in your circumstances and adding them together a reasonably accurate measure of the total heat can be calculated.

Factors include:

The floor area of the room

The size and position of windows, and whether they have blinds or shades

The number of room occupants (if any)

The heat generated by equipment

The heat generated by lighting

Floor Area of Room

The amount of cooling required depends on the area of the room. To calculate the area in square metres:

Room Area BTU = Length (m) x Width (m) x 337

Window Size and Position

If, your room has no windows, you can ignore this part of the calculation. If, however there are windows you need to take the size and orientation into account.

South Window BTU = South Facing window Length (m) x Width (m) x 870

North Window BTU = North Facing windows Length (m) x Width (m) x 165

If there are no blinds on the windows multiply the result(s) by 1.5.

Add together all the BTUs for the windows.

Windows BTU = South Window(s) BTU + North Window(s) BTU

Occupants

You will have to take that into account people who normally working in the space. The heat output is around 400 BTU per person.

Total Occupant BTU = Number of occupants x 400

Equipment

Clearly most heat in a room is generated by the equipment. This is trickier to calculate that you might think. The wattage on equipment is the maximum power consumption rating, the actual power consumed may be less. However it is probably safer to overestimate the wattage than underestimate it.

Equipment BTU = Total wattage for all equipment x 3.5

Lighting

Take the total wattage of the lighting and multiply by 4.25.

Lighting BTU = Total wattage for all lighting x 4.25

Total Cooling Required

Add all the BTUs together.

Total Heat Load = Room Area BTU + Windows BTU + Total Occupant BTU + Equipment BTU + Lighting BTU

This is the amount of cooling required so you need one or more air conditioning units to handle that amount of heat.

Disclaimer: These calculations are intended as rough guide only. Complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed

Ward Rg

Tags: , , , ,

Share This

Posted on June 15th, 2008 by itbsuperrich
Filed under: aircompressorunloader.air-compressor-guide.info | No Comments »

Four Easy Home Energy Audit Areas

You can conduct your own home energy audit to reduce your energy bill. Energy prices are rising rapidly due to the natural disasters that hit the U.S. Gulf Coast and disrupted oil well operations. Here’s four areas you can easily assess for energy savings.

Find Air Leaks In Your Home:

Did you know you can increase your energy savings 5 - 30% per year just by plugging air leaks in your home? Here’s how you
investigate air leaks and plug them.

Check for air gaps along floor edges and baseboards. Look for air gaps around:

- Electrical outlets

- Switch plates

- Door weatherstripping

- Window frames

- Attic hatches

- Fireplace dampers

- Window or wall-mounted air conditioners

Here’s other places where air leaks drive up your energy bill:

- Pipes

- Wires

- Mail slots

Poorly done caulking and weather stripping are prime locations for air leaks. Run your hand along these areas to see if you can feel any drafts. Inspect all doors and windows. If you can rattle them, movement indicates possible air leaks. Can you see light coming through windows frames? If so, that’s an air leak you can plug.

Be sure your storm windows are properly closed and fit well. If you can’t afford to replace old ones, tape plastic sheeting over them for the winter to cut down on air leakage.

You can also check the outside of your home for air leaks. Look at the exterior corners, and where your siding and chimney
meet. Plug and caulk any gaps you see in these areas. Look where your house foundation and the bottom of your brick or siding meet. If you see holes there, seal and/or caulk them to shut off the leak.

Insulation:

If your home is not properly insulated, you’ll suffer enormous heating and air conditioning loss. Since energy prices are rising, you may wish to evaluate the present insulation in your home, and figure out if you need to replace or add to the insulation.

Check out your attic insulation, particularly around the attic hatch. Make sure it closes tightly and is properly weather stripped.

While you’re poking around your attic, be sure the pipes, ductwork and chimney is sealed as well. Expanding foam caulk is an excellent sealant for these areas.

Do you have an adequate vapor barrier in your attic? Some possible barriers are tar paper, Kraft paper, or plastic sheeting. If you don’t have vapor barrier material, you can paint the interior ceilings with a vapor barrier paint. Vapor barriers reduce moisture. Less moisture increases insulation effectiveness and decreases structural damage.

Don’t block your attic vents with insulation. Seal electrical boxes with caulk and cover your attic floor with the recommended amount of insulation.

Don’t forget to check your basement. If it’s not heated, be sure your living room floor has insulation underneath it. In many parts of the U.S., the insulation R value should be 25. If your basement is heated, the insulation R value should be 19. Consult with your local home improvement store for more details.

Furnaces, Heat Pumps, and Air Conditioners:

Proper maintenance of your furnace, heat pump, and air conditioning unit will do two things: it’ll extend the life of the system, and each unit will operate at peak energy efficiency. Be sure to replace system filters monthly with forced-air furnance systems.

This is a simple maintenance task anyone can do, but if you forget to do it, expensive repairs could be necessary.

Is your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump more than 15 years old? If so, you should seriously consider replacing the system, since new units are very energy efficient. If your current system is in poor condition, a new one will reduce your energy consumption and energy bills.

Insulate your ductwork and pipes in unheated spaces with insulation material that has an R value of at least 16.

Lighting:

Inspect the wattage size of your light bulbs. If you’re using 100-watt bulbs when 60 or 75 watt light bulbs will do, swap them out. Fluorescent lighting is a good energy efficient method for lights that are on for hours at a time. Check with your local electric company to see if they offer rebates or incentives for using energy-efficient lighting.

Doing these four simple energy audits are easy. They don’t take up a whole lot of time, but they can certainly reduce your
energy bills and make your home more energy efficient.

nancy@improveyourhomesvalue.com

http://www.improveyourhomesvalue.com

Cut your energy costs with the “Six Home Improvement Money and Energy Saving Techniques” ebook.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Share This

Posted on June 9th, 2008 by itbsuperrich
Filed under: aircompressorunloader.air-compressor-guide.info | No Comments »

Basic Features Of Portable Evaporative Coolers

The portable evaporative coolers are the best option to beat the heat if you are residing in a hot and dry climatic region and looking out for some cost effective cooling system. They work by using either the direct or the indirect evaporative cooling techniques. What makes the portable evaporative coolers all the more attractive and useful is the fact that you do not require to install it permanently at any place. These evaporative coolers can be carried easily from place to place depending on the area that needs cooling.

Requirements For Portable Coolers

Before opting for a portable cooler, it is essential to know how well it can satisfy your requirements. The portable units are suitable for rooms that are small in size. For better results, you need to position them near doors and open windows. The opposite side of the room needs to have an opening for proper air circulation. Water has to be poured at regular intervals as the water consumption rate can go up to 3-4 liters per hour. It is best to search for models having variable fan speed and water level gauge.

Workings Of Evaporative Coolers

The evaporative coolers provide a natural way of cooling the room temperature by supplying a constant flow of fresh and cool air to keep you comfortable during summer. Placed next to an open window or door, they draw outside air and make it pass through moisture rich pads. This process cools and filters the warm air which is then circulated in the room. The fresh cool air entering the room flushes out the stale hot air through the open doors and windows.

Due to their portable nature, you can not control the water level by connecting them to water mains. The water level needs to be regulated manually by adding water at regular intervals.

Maintaining Your Portable Cooler

Extreme humid conditions decrease the cooling capacity of evaporative coolers. Moreover, humidity can speed up corrosion of the cooling unit and shorten its lifespan. Make sure that your portable swamp cooler has regular supply of water to moisten the pads. Use water softeners to decrease mineral content in water to ensure that no mineral sediment is accumulated on the wet pads. Proper filtering system must be installed to restrict pollens and odors from entering your room. The water line requires protection against freeze bursting during winters. With their low initial cost and equally low cost of operation, the portable evaporative coolers come as a blessing for those with restricted budget.

Matthew Anderson adds regularly reviews on air coolers to http://www.evaporative-air-coolers.com . An online information magazine about the basics of how evaporative air coolers work and some of the advantages of the technology for a good swamp air cooling, including brands like champion and mastercool . Read more about how to use and maintain portable evaporative cooler parts for different models and manufacturers at his specialized website

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Share This

Posted on June 6th, 2008 by itbsuperrich
Filed under: aircompressorunloader.air-compressor-guide.info | No Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »
Close
E-mail It