Comments on: 9 Uncommon Tips for Keeping Cool with a Struggling Air Conditioner

By: wd

wd — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 08:51:24 +0000

Allison, your #1 item (keep
Allison, your #1 item (keep the sun out) is a good target. You've mentioned solar screens and these appear to do the job, claiming to reduce solar heat gain substantially with their 80% closed screen material.

In addition to screens, consider grates. Solar grates produce savings similar to screens. Screens are mounted outside the window and are recommended for permanent installation to avoid handling damage. As a result, they are found mostly in warmer climates where the loss of winter heating through the windows is accepted. Screens darken the room some while maintaining a view. The night view is very limited, however. The appearance from the street is changed. Screens operate by physically blocking light.

Grates are 80% open and operate with selective reflectivity. Infrared is selectively absorbed while visible light reflects into the room. Think cool and bright. Maintenance after 10 years is nil. Grates are designed for seasonal use and winter heating from sunshine is unaffected. A view is maintained and is best head-on. Appearance from the street is changed.

Regardless of the design, the key is to get outside the window and intercept the radiant infrared so that the heat is delivered to the surroundings rather than the building interior. A white roof doesn't hurt either.

By: Thomas Edgar

Thomas Edgar — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:36:57 +0000

Hi there! I have been reading
Hi there! I have been reading about how to maintain your AC and I have found some interesting tips! One of them is that we have to remove debris from outside unit! Everybody knows that the most central air conditioning systems today have an outdoor component and an indoor component. The outdoor component helps keep your property cool by removing hot air and expelling it outside. If there are debris, like leaves or grass clippings, clogging up the condenser unit, the air conditioner’s productivity could be compromised. We have to make sure to regularly clean the area around your condenser and also the filters to help keep our AC unit working at its best.

By: Thomas Edgar

Thomas Edgar — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:38:50 +0000

Thank you so much for the
Thank you so much for the excellent tips! That would be really helpful for me and my customers!
I'll have to say that many of my clients really let the filter get too dirty! That is so wrong! The filters should be cleaned at least once per month! That's the thing I keep telling them, but they always forget!
So my advice to all of you is to change or clean (depends on your AC) your filter!
I'll try to think of tips to help more people!

By: Paul S.

Paul S. — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:48:24 +0000

This would turn the
This would turn the construction world upside down, but one crazy idea would be for HVAC (yes, V included) to be designed, the structure built under those assumptions and tested, and only after that HVAC specified. Like I said, it would turn a lot of building processes upside down.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 03:22:11 +0000

my reality is that I have
my reality is that I have both blower door and pressure pans for duct leakage testing.

have happily been doing this work for 12+ years.

don't work for utility

not subsidised by utility.

can't fix all of them, but I sure can fix the ones I'm hired to fix.

oh and if they need a load calc, duct sizing or duct design..got that covered too.

if you see a need, you educate yourself to fill it.

and you charge based on your level of experience & education.

cheaper energy raters..you bet. but you get what you pay for. or don't pay for.

if you've gotta pull numbers out of your trick bag..& lie to the homeowner..thats your gig.

not mine.

you don't speak for all of us.

that is reality.

By: pj

pj — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 02:40:18 +0000

Thanks Debbie, <
Thanks Debbie,

I am sorry, I though we were supposed to be talking about "reality".

Try this, open your phone book (or Google Air conditioner) and call the first 10,000 HVAC contractors listed to come out to your home for a quote to replace your HVAC system.

Notice, around 9,500 will do no load calculation, 500 will enter guesses into their computer and confirm they were right, and the number of folks using a blower door or any other test gadget will be equal to the number who arrive riding Unicorns.

Where is this fantasy world where the contractor on HVAC replacements absorbs all this testing cost? There are over 70,000 AC companies in the US. Please find me one that does this testing on a replacement quote prior to a check.

As you stated,

“Those that can do”, those that use Blower Doors, need subsidies!

P

By: Debbie

Debbie — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 00:47:18 +0000

p
&
p

if you have to make so many assumptions to manipulate the manual j..why bother?

leave it for those of us who

inspect existing homes for input values, test the house for air and duct leakage and know how to correctly size hvac.

plenty of work for the 500 sq ft per ton guys. when homeowner keeps paying for more expensive equipment and higher utility costs who do they call?

problem solvers, not parts changers.

those who can do.

those who use wag rule of thumb sizing keep us in

business.

good article Alison.

your thinking goes right along with what I've learned in my 12+ years in the efficiency business.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:05:55 +0000

Here’s one I’ve never heard
Here’s one I’ve never heard mentioned in building science circles: Water Your Roof!

I read a book called “How to Really Save Money and Energy in Cooling Your Home” by George S. Barton

Put sprinklers on top of your roof to spray at set intervals a fine mist, not bulk water, and as the water evaporates it cools the roof. Is this legitimate?

http://www.KnowledgePublications.com/978-1-60322-005-7_detail_page.htm 

By: Pj

Pj — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:29:22 +0000

Alison,

Alison,

I am sorry to be the one to let you know all US HVAC guys back into the loads we want by gaming our computers, I thought you would have known that.

Also, there is no Santa Claus.

pj

By: ted kidd

ted kidd — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 23:19:19 +0000
"Of course. But I
"Of course. But I challenge people to find any better sizing methods."

M Johnson - I like David Butler's truing method, measuring run time of equipment at design.

I like Phil's SatJ calculator truing method, back into load by truing consumption.

I like thoroughly interviewing the homeowner about how things work "on the ground", and understanding if they are implementing crazy tactics.

I like not counting on a single method for sizing, because sometimes the other methods call attention to weakness in one approach or another.

WRT to AC above load. If it's not keeping up, drive the house to the lowest comfortable thermostat setting overnight to drive heat out of the houses mass.