Benefits Of Good Air Conditioning

It’s a sunny 74 degrees in early March as I write this article and it feels amazing. It also feels like a promise for much warmer days to come as the year goes on. This should come as no surprise; according to the National Climatic Data Center, 2015 was the hottest year on record with 2014 coming in a close second. In fact, of the top 15 hottest years reported by the NCDC, 14 have been in the 21st Century. All this heat comes with serious consequences to human life and health which makes the smart use of air conditioning very important. The benefits of a good air conditioning system makes it a worthwhile investment.

Importance of Air Conditioning

1. It’s literally a life saver

An Environmental Protection Agency study of heat-related deaths found that more than 9,000 Americans died from the heat between 1979 and 2013, a figure which does not even fully capture the magnitude of the problem. Many more deaths have heat as a contributing factor but not the main cause. Keeping cool with an efficient air conditioner is the best means of preventing heat-related deaths and illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2. Better air quality

Air conditioners circulate and filter air, removing pollutants and mold from the air. This is especially important for people who suffer from allergies and asthma because it minimizes the irritants that trigger an attack. This only holds true, however, if your system is kept clean and filters are regularly changed. Otherwise, the AC can actually contribute to indoor air pollution.

3. Fewer insects and parasites

The filters also keep out insects and are far more effective than a screen in an open window. Insects are annoying but they can also be dangerous to people with allergies. One of the benefits of good air conditioning system is that it will helps keep indoor pets flea and tick free,

as well.

4. Improved work force efficiency

We’ve all experienced the mental sluggishness that comes with a day that is just too hot. There’s actually a scientific basis for this. According to an article in Scientific American, the energy the body expends trying to cool itself down takes away from our ability to think and reason. When offices are air conditioned, people are able to work better and make better decisions.

5. Cooler tempers

It’s not just our brains that suffer from the heat either. When the mercury rises so do tempers.  As an article on Today.com explains, while our brains are slowing down, our bodies are speeding up with increased heart rates and higher blood pressure. All this leads to more aggressive behavior making a cool environment key to maintaining peace at home, work, and in public places.

6. Easier sleep

Those same physical changes – higher heart rate and blood pressure – that make us angry can also make it next to impossible to get a good night’s sleep. One’s core body temperature is also a critical factor in getting to and staying asleep. A too hot (or too cold) room interferes with natural temperature regulation which doctors say functions best at between 65 and 75 degrees.

7. Protects furniture

Heat, and especially the humidity that often accompanies it, can wreak havoc on furniture of all kinds. Wood gains and loses moisture with the air around it which over time leads to warping. Leather also absorbs moisture which could eventually cause that stylish couch to rot. And any fabric is susceptible to the mold that breeds rampantly in damp environments.

8. Prevents electronic devices from overheating

Almost as scary as the effects of heat and humidity on our bodies is the damage they can do to our electronics. The phones and computers we depend on daily can suffer serious meltdowns when the temperature goes up leading to loss of data and an overall shorter lifespan. If your place of work includes computer servers, they can be completely destroyed or at least suffer major damage if not kept cool enough.

9. Better security

We’ve already discussed how open windows, even with screens, are limited when it comes to keeping bugs out. They’re even worse at keeping out unwanted people. Depending on where you live or work, an unsecured window or door simply isn’t safe. You want to keep your loved ones and valuables protected from both the elements and the unpleasant side of humankind.

10. Fewer sweat stains

This pales in comparison to many of the other issues, but the heat can be murder on your clothes.  Unsightly discoloration from sweat can cause serious embarrassment and send a favorite shirt to the rag bag. Keeping cool with a central air conditioning system can help preserve your wardrobe and your budget.

Call Armstrong Air and Heating today at 407-877-8090 to get started with AC maintenance or a new air conditioning system.

What is air conditioning?

In 1908, the ‘father of air conditioning’, G. B. Wilson defined air conditioning as being able to:

• Maintaining a suitable humidity in all parts of a building.
• During certain seasons, freeing the air from excessive humidity.
• Being able to provide a constant and adequate supply of ventilation.
• Removing from the air, any micro-organisms, soot, dust and other ‘foreign bodies’.
• During warmer seasons, efficiently keep the indoor air cool.
• Have the potential to at least partially warm rooms in the winter.
• Air conditioning should not be too expensive to buy or maintain.

How does air conditioning work?

Air conditioners work by moving the heat from inside your office or workplace, outside. It then blows cool air back into the building. The way the machine cools the air is through blowing it over a set of cool pipes, called an evaporator coil. It works on the same basis as a fridge or when water evaporates from the skin.

The evaporate coil is filled with coolant or refrigerant, which changes from a liquid to gas as it absorbs heat from the air. This is then pumped through another coil to the outside of the building, where it cools and returns to its liquid form. This outside coil is aptly named the condenser as a result.

There is a pump, called the compressor, which moves the coolant between the two coils, as well as changing the pressure of the coolant to ensure it all evaporates and condenses in the appropriate coil.

The motor that runs the compressor uses all the energy needed to complete this and the system will usually give out three times the cooling energy that the compressor uses. This is due to changing the state of the coolant from liquid to gas, allowing much more energy to be moved than the compressor uses.

What is a ‘Ton’ of cooling?

Cooling was achieved by storing big blocks of ice before the invention of air conditioning. When air conditioners started to be used instead, they were measured by the equivalent amount of ice that would have melted in a day, giving us the term ‘ton’ for measuring air conditioning.

What are air conditioning filters?

Most air conditioning systems have a filter above the evaporator coil that removes particles to keep the air conditioning system clean and remove particles from the air.

As it does its job, the filter will become loaded with more random particles, reducing air flow. If filters are left unchanged, the air flow will decrease, and they become a new source of air pollution.

The best way to deal with decreased air flow is to regularly change your air conditioner’s filters to ensure it remains efficient.

How to further increase your air con’s energy efficiency?

One of the biggest things you can do to maximise the efficiency of your air conditioning is to seal any leaking ducts, along with maintaining clean filters and cleaning the coils.

Another way to maximise the efficiency of your air conditioning is to make sure nothing is blocking the air flow of your air conditioner. By buying an air conditioner matched for your climate (not that much of an issue here in the UK), you can ensure that you’re not using unnecessary energy powering it.

Make life easier for your air conditioning unit

By reducing the amount of work your air conditioner has to undertake, it can provide you with better results.

By increasing the level of your building’s insulation or reducing other air drafts, you can reduce the energy spent on heating and cooling.

The use of high-efficiency products if you have to renovate or rebuild parts of your building will also help your air conditioning.

On the inside of your building, you can improve the efficiency of your air conditioning through simple tasks such as turning off electrical appliances when you’re not using them.

Make use of the extraction fans in your kitchen and bathroom to remove excess humidity in those rooms, and energy-efficient appliances will all contribute to the efficiency of your home.

The power of ventilation

Without allowing your building proper ventilation, stagnant air has the potential to lead to comfort and significant health problems. It’s generally recommended that your building has enough ventilation to exchange the air inside at least every four hours.

One of the positive outcomes of older homes having drafts is that they probably don’t need help with ventilation, whereas modern homes will need help to meet minimum ventilation standards.

Have questions about the air conditioning and ventilation system in your business or commercial space?

Contact Sovereign Planned Services to help with your Heating and Cooling needs throughout England.

If you need more information on air conditioning systems to meet your business requirements, please contact Sovereign Air Conditioning, and we’ll be happy to help you in any way possible.