Geothermal cooling is a process by which shallow ground is utilized within a system to regulate temperature. The upper 10 feet of the earth's surface holds a stable temperature between 50° to 61°F (10° to 16°C). This stable temperature is harnessed, using a geothermal device, to draw heat energy out of a system and thus transfer the cool temperatures into a warmer area.

Surface temperature has almost no effect on the ground underneath the frost line. Using this knowledge, a pump can be placed under the ground, in an area such as a basement, that effectively pulls the cool sustaining temperature from the ground. This device is connected to a loop of copper tubing or high-density polyethylene, which is literally buried underneath the earth's surface. 

All refrigeration and air conditioning processes use a gas to facilitate the transfer of heat between the air-conditioned area and the outside atmosphere. This process relies on the use of a compressor to increase the pressure in the evaporator section, or air conditioned area, of the system which in turn allows the absorption of heat from that area. This absorbed heat and any heat generated by the compression process needs to be rapidly removed from the refrigerant in the outside, or condenser, part of the system so that the cycle of heat transfer can be repeated. This is typically done by allowing the hot refrigerant to circulate through a series of tubes exposed to a fan induced airflow.

Portable indoor air conditioners are usually used in small rooms or locations that don’t require temperature regulation on a regular basis. For example, in countries where temperatures rarely become uncomfortably hot, a portable air conditioner may be the best solution because it doesn’t require any installation. Portable units are often placed on rollers in a room and require a hose or vent that connects the conditioner to the outside in order to remove heat. These units come in a variety of power levels to suite the needs of a particular room size.

Understanding the heating load is important. When installing a heater, if the heater is too small for the space, it will struggle to heat it, and use a lot of energy in the process. On the other hand, if the heater is too large for the space, it will not operate efficiently, generating wasted energy which adds to the lifetime cost associated with the structure. Heating load can also be an important factor when evaluating sustainability or thinking about changes which could be made to make a structure more sustainable.

 

The first refrigerators built from the 1800’s until the 1920’s primarily used toxic gases such as ammonia (NH3), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Unfortunately, the units occasionally leaked and caused several deaths, which prompted the refrigeration industry to put forth a concerted effort to find a safer refrigerant gas. The result was the discovery of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gas, which was a mixture of chlorine, fluorine and carbons. Freon® became the trademark name for a CFC gas that was primarily used as a refrigerant. This gas was colorless, odorless, nonflammable and non-toxic, and soon became the predominant gas used as a refrigerant.

Air conditioning and heating systems circulate air through a network of ducts in a home’s crawl spaces. Filters are designed in most systems to trap dirt before it enters the ductwork, but over time these become dirty, too. A homeowner can clean the ducts without professional help by replacing filters and cleaning all duct covers and the ducts themselves with common household tools.

Begin the process of developing clean air ducts by determining if the ducts need cleaning. If grills appear covered with lint or other dirt, the ducts likely need cleaning. Even if the exterior of the grills appear clean, cleaning may be necessary, and this can be determined by removing the grill and inspecting the wall around it where the duct contacts the building material. If this area is dirty, the ducts need cleaning as well.

Replace all duct and return vent grills. If any of the grill cleaning was done indoors, vacuum the area where the cleaning took place. Regardless of where the cleaning was done, vacuum the area around the grills and the return vent covers.

There are two main factors that go into air conditioning prices: size and quality. Those who want the best, most efficient units are going to pay the most money. Those who feel they can get by with a little less will find there are some products on the market for them as well. Some additional minor factors will also play a role in the costs. Some consumers may be willing to pay a little more for a specific brand. Together, these issues can add up to a significant difference in air conditioning prices.

This will mean the system is not helping to control the humidity inside the home, which can cause an uncomfortable living environment, as well as other problems. Generally speaking, when it comes to air conditioning prices, the larger units will cost more.

 

An air ionizer is a device that is intended to purify the air in a room by electrically charging the air molecules. Instead of using fans and filters to purify the air, an air ionizer uses ions to remove microscopic particles from the air. An air ionizer makes the air in a room healthier for people who are suffering from asthma, allergies, impaired immunity or respiratory ailments because fewer allergens circulate into the lungs.

Air ionizers rely on the chemical properties of particles. An ion is just a particle that is charged, either negatively or positively. Air ionizers, which can be tabletop or standalone units, create negative ions using electricity. Opposites attract, so the negative ions flood the room and seek out positively charged particles, such as dust, bacteria, pollen, smoke and many other allergens.