Category: Air Conditioning

Air conditioners and refrigerators have many similarities. In fact, the only difference between the two is that refrigerators only cool a small enclosed space while an AC cools a large open space. So, how do air conditioners work? Read on to find out. Components of an AC Like refrigerators, air conditioners have a compressor, refrigerant liquid, refrigerant piping, fans and a thermostat. Each of these components is used for a different purpose. For instance, the thermostat is responsible for switching the system on and off depending on the difference between the actual room temperature and the reference temperature. Refrigerator piping connects the two ends of the compressor and carries the refrigerant throughout the cooling system. The fans are responsible for driving air into the indoor wall-mounted unit for cooling as well as through the outdoor unit to cool the refrigerant and take away the heat. The compressor is responsible for compressing the refrigerant into a liquid and keeping it under pressure. Lastly, the refrigerant is the working fluid. It absorbs heat from the surroundings and takes it to the compressor coils for cooling. How Air Conditioners Work Air conditioners are able to cool a room because of a physical law,

In 1902, Willis Carrier invented the first modern electrical air conditioner. However, previous generations had their own ways of fighting the heat and keeping themselves cool during the summer. Throughout human history, people have come up with ingenious ways to stay cool during the hottest times of the year. Geothermal and Water Cooling: Everything Old Is New Again In almost every way, human technology has advanced by light-years since the Stone Age. However, state-of-the-art geothermal cooling relies on the same principle that our cave-dwelling ancestors understood millennia ago: it’s cooler underground. The earliest humans dug burrows or settled in existing caves in order to escape the heat above ground. Water cooling is another piece of technology that we associate with modern air conditioning, but this idea is as old as the Pyramids—literally. The ancient Egyptians used to hang wet reeds in their windows so that the water would cool the breezes sweeping in from the hot Nile River valley. The Invention of the Fan Moving air has a greater cooling effect on the skin than stationary air, which is why breezes feel so delightful on hot days. Centuries ago, people realized they could make their own breezes with the use

Air conditioning systems are very expensive to replace, and it’s tempting to try to save costs wherever possible. When one unit of your air conditioning system fails, replacing one unit while keeping the older, still-functioning unit sounds like a practical cost-saving measure. However, mismatched air conditioning components can have a negative effect on the efficiency, reliability and life-span of your system. The indoor and outdoor units of a residential air conditioning system function together despite the fact that they are split into two units. As a result, the system suffers stress when the two units have dissimilar components that were designed to work at different levels of efficiency. You Can’t Teach Old Coils New Tricks When mismatched air conditioning components are forced to work together, it can put stress on the older unit and seriously compromise the function of the new unit. Newer condenser coils are more efficient, have a larger, grooved surface area, and employ other enhanced features that improve their performance. Older coils do not have these features, and are often incompatible with new condenser coils. New air conditioning units use thermal expansion valves with a hard shut-off to control their use of refrigerant. However, older units were not

Are you suffering from headaches, congestion or fatigue? These symptoms could be caused by poor indoor air quality. Start monitoring your IAQ today. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of their time indoors. If you fall into this category, you are breathing indoor air for nearly every minute of your life, which means that the quality of that air is extremely important to your health. If you’ve been experiencing nagging health symptoms, such as persistent headaches or congestion, indoor air quality (IAQ) could very well be the culprit. Health Effects of Poor IAQ Breathing in an environment with poor IAQ can have numerous short-term and long-term effects on your health, including: Exposure to certain pollutants can also cause long-term health effects, including respiratory disease, cancer and heart complications. The importance of monitoring IAQ, both in the home and in the workplace, cannot be emphasized enough. What Controls IAQ? The IAQ in your home or office is largely controlled by the performance of your HVAC system. There are many conditions that can negatively affect your system’s performance, such as microbial growth and moisture. Microbial growth can be increased by the presence of heat and humidity, which can cause

As summer heats up in California, many people seek air conditioning solutions for their homes. Portable air conditioner units may seem appealing at first, but several factors make them less attractive than window units. At MightyServ, were committed to connecting clients with the best possible units for their spaces. Before investing in a portable AC, review the FAQs below and feel free to reach out with any questions. How Portable Are These AC Units? We’ve found that portable AC units aren’t as mobile as advertised. Frequently displayed without hoses and marketed as no-installation systems, these units seem like quick, easy cooling solutions. However, all AC units work by dispersing warm air outside the building, which presents some difficulties when it comes to portable devices. Window AC units employ coolants to move heat from inside the home into coils outside the house, where it’s expelled. A portable device works similarly, except the coils are indoors. A hose resembling a clothing dryer vent hose must connect to the coils. Warm air travels through these tubes and is released outside. In combination with its 50- to 80-pound weight, this large hose attachment makes portable AC units less mobile. Because the tube must connect

Incidents of counterfeit R-22 are on the rise—with dangerous and costly results. MightyServ cares about our clients, and we want to ensure they have the best information available. Consider the following before buying or recharging an AC unit. Learning About R-22 R-22 is the refrigerant inside many air conditioning units; the refrigerant is composed of liquids and gases with cooling properties. The refrigerant has a negative impact on the ozone layer when emitted from cooling units. As a result, the government mandated that production must slow down and come to a halt by 2020. Recycled R-22 will remain legal after the cutoff. However, timeframe of the completed phase-out will depend on contractors turning in the refrigerant for recycling, making it difficult to determine how much will be available. Decreased availability of R-22 caused its price to soar. In 1998, a pound of R-22 cost about $10, but by 2013, the same amount cost approximately $50—and prices have continued to climb. Lower availability and higher costs led to a growing counterfeit industry, which presents serious risks. Understanding The Dangers Of Counterfeit R-22 Counterfeit R-22 usually contains combinations of hydrocarbons that make it flammable. Fake versions of the approved alternative R410 (M099

As businesses grow, their IT requirements grow with them, and soon require a separate room. Computing produces heat, and overheating from numbers of computers in a small space can soon lead to damaged equipment, data loss and company downtime. Businesses are increasingly realizing the necessity of investing in computer room cooling systems, and there are various options for doing this without breaking the bank. First of all, it is important to recognize that the cooling equipment used in these areas has to be equipment designed specifically for computers. Air conditioning systems designed for humans will be largely ineffective, as well as adding greatly to operating costs. In addition, what is particularly important is that the equipment should include precision temperature and humidity controls. If the temperature is too high, the equipment will malfunction, and its life will be shortened, while if humidity is not controlled, the equipment is likely to suffer damage due to electrostatic charge, or from condensation. Many businesses are finding that the perfect solution can be provided by computer ductless split systems, which, as they require no duct system, are simple and cost-effective to install. One big benefit of these systems is their flexibility, which means that