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Heat Pump Efficiency – Your Solution For Summer and Winter Comfort

Written by Rm Harrington on . Posted in Energy Efficient HVAC, Heat Pumps.

Mesa Air Conditioning At ACHBenefits of an Installed Heat Pump System

During warm weather, heat pumps and air conditioners function identically. Both HVAC approaches are designed to provide homes and businesses with the physical comfort of reliable cooling and dehumidification. The typical A/C or HP system uses a process defined as vapor compression cycling. In general, refrigerant materials are noted for the temperature increase that takes place when the materials are compressed and then rapidly expanded. Thus a cycle of circulating refrigerant material through a compression / expansion process results in mechanically generated cool air.

Whether in homes or businesses, the process remains the same. The condensing unit of the air conditioning system houses the compressor and is typically stored external to the home or office. This is the noisy maker, the energy consumer, and the home of the condensing coil.

However, when the weather changes and you need something that provides heat as well as cooling comforts, heat pump efficiency suddenly takes a valuable leap above the capacity of a standard air conditioner. It’s a reversal of processes. Whereas an A/C condensing unit is capable only of functioning as a cooling system, a heat pump can reverse the process so that the heat of compression rather than venting into the outside air ends up within your home or office living and working quarters.

Layman’s Definition of Installed Heat Pump Functionality

So, you ask. Define heat pump efficiency in simple terms. Herein are the basics:

  • Heat pumps move heat from one fluid to another
  • In an air-source HVAC system, air is the fluid within the home and the external fluid is the outside air source.
  • In a geothermal heat system, water is the external fluid source
  • In times of hot external temperatures, the heat pump moves inside air into the outside fluid
  • In times of cold external temperatures, the heat within the outside fluid is moved to the inside air system.

Sophisticated Definition of Installed Heat Pump Functionality

Tip: Expect a 15-year lifecycle on the typical air-source HVAC heat pump. Furnaces usually pull 20-years. The actual processing method of a HP is as follows:

  1. The external compressor unit pressurizes the system refrigerant
  2. The pressurized refrigerant is piped inside the home
  3. As the inside condensing coil receives the heated gas, room air passes over the coil and heat is transferred into the passing air.
  4. During the process of heat exchange, the refrigerant cools and condenses
  5. Now pressurized as a liquid, the refrigerant passes through a throttling valve, which causes expansion, cooling, and a shift into a state of low pressure liquid
  6. In the cooling process, the external evaporator coil uses external air to boil the cold liquid refrigerant back into a gas
  7. In the event that the external air is too cold to enable adequate heat generation, supplemental electric heat strips within the air handler provide the home with reliable heat.

During winter months, ice sometimes forms on the external coil system. The heat pump then engages a periodic defrost cycle which enables the system to melt ice and resume normal operation.

All AC Brands In AZAir-Source HVAC Heat Pump Efficiency

Every form of measurement needs a base line. Thus horsepower as well as watts and amperage define engine performance. Likewise, heat pumps also require a base line measuring gauge. We call it the Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF). The gauging is based upon comparing the ratio of heat provided in Btu per hour to watts of energy consumed. The HSPF process also factors components such as:

  • Energy loss during the systems defrost cycle
  • Energy loss during system startup
  • Energy loss during system stops
  • And modifications due to specific climates.

Typical HSPF standards range from 7.7 for minimum efficiency equip to 8.2 for high efficiency units. Variable speed air-source HVAC systems may rate as high as 9.0. Actual efficiency performance varies from climate to climate.

When performing air-cooling services, heat pump efficiency performance is measured and rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). Again: the calculations factor in concepts such as start, stop and specific climate. Current national mandates set minimum residential air conditioning SEER rates at 13.0. However some units actually exceed a 19.0 SEER rating. And again, variable speed systems typically out perform standard units.

Expect to spend around 30% more for a variable speed HP or variable speed A/C. However, expect benefits as follows:

  • Better energy efficiency
  • Quieter operation
  • Better dehumidifying functions
  • AND better home comfort.

For more details on how to fit your Arizona home with a quality installed heat pump efficiency system, contact American Cooling and Heating now.

 

Arizona Home Cooling or 12-Tips For Saving Money On Cooling Costs

Written by Rm Harrington on . Posted in Cooling Tips, Energy Efficient HVAC, Maintenance.

Mesa Air Conditioning At ACHSave Energy and Reduce the Cost of Air Conditioning Your Arizona Home

The cost of Arizona home cooling may well account for forty percent of your 2015 energy bill. But here’s a kicker that you may not realize, especially if you use a yearly averaged energy billing payment plan: Most of the financial outlay for high energy consumption occurs during the blazing heat waves that accompany normal Arizona summers. In fact, the summer cost for cooling the average Arizona home typically accounts for up to seventy percent of your summer energy bill.

But do not despair. By following a few simple yet comfort-efficient methods of home cooling management you can effectively reduce the short-term and the long-term cost of air conditioning your Arizona home.

The following tips are a condensed and/or expanded update of from the cost of air conditioning pages of APS, Arizona’s longest-serving and largest electric provider. Examine them. Determine which ones can fit into your lifestyle while helping you save on AZ home cooling expenses.

Tips That Will Help You Save Money On Arizona Home Cooling Costs

1) Caulk… It’s a major part of prevent lost of internal air temperatures. Two tubes and a cheap caulk gun will handle most household air leaks. Make sure you do the sill plates as well as the windows and door-frames.

2) Bath and Kitchen Exhaust Fans… It seems a simple thought yet it is often overlooked. Unnecessary use of exhaust fans will draw cool air from your home. The loss may be low volume, but in a course of time excess usage of bath and kitchen exhaust fans will increase the cost of air conditioning and thereby amplify your total home cooling bill.

3) Take Control Of Your Thermostat… Bumping the desired temperature by only one degree warmer can reduce your AZ home cooling expenses by up to 3% during summer months. Special tip: By using more room fans and ceiling fans, you can jack the thermostat to 79-degrees and still feel as much as 5-degrees cooler.

4) Dryer Ventilation… Surprise. Your dryer vent may be leaking heat and moisture into your home. Furthermore, if vented through the crawlspace it may be torn and leaking there. To ensure efficient Arizona home cooling, do a routine yearly dryer vent check and fix.

5) Windows… If the air conditioning is running the windows need to be closed. Install blinds or heavy-duty curtains and keep them closed as often as possible.

6) Storm Doors… The freedom to open the main doors and view the world through your storm door will up the cost for cooling your house.

7) Make Better Use of Exhaust Fans… Normal cooking generates heat and moisture. Use the kitchen exhaust for the purpose designed but make sure to flip the off switch when the meal is done cooking.

8) Natural Defrosting… You do know that frozen food will defrost inside of your refrigerator, right? When possible, avoid microwave defrosting. Using natural defrosting will help you get a drop in the cost of air-conditioning your home.

9) Cloths… It may be “passé” but cloths will dry when hung on an outside line in the sun.

10) Consider signing up for an APS Time Advantage Plan (2). Most electric providers offer customers various peak and off-peak hour programs, all designed to help you pull a lower energy bill while maintaining efficient Arizona home cooling.

11) Process Scheduling… Plan your process schedule so that heat-producing chores, including cooking, ironing, drying cloths and more occur during the cooler hours of the day.

12) Home Lighting… Appliances, lights, and even fans in unused rooms can increase your AZ home cooling expenses. When not in use, turn them off.

Bonus Arizona Home Cooling Tip…

For rapid service and a premier low-cost startup of an Arizona air conditioning and heat pump maintenance program, Happy Familycontact American Cooling and Heating. We can set you up on a price-efficient annual or semi-annual system maintenance program that can reduce the cost for cooling your Arizona home while also helping you increase the lifespan of your home HVAC equip.

ACH. We offer the best in reliable service, professional treatment, and technical skills. So act now. Take control of the cost of air conditioning. Get the comfort of peak system performance while reaping the benefits of reduced AZ home cooling expenses.

 

 

 

 

Trane Air Conditioning Healthcare Solutions Increase Home Cooling Efficiency

Written by Rm Harrington on . Posted in Air Handlers, Energy Efficient HVAC.

Arizona Trane Air HandlersTrane Air Conditioning Healthcare Solutions – Innovation Commercial and Industrial Upgrades

Trane Air Conditioning healthcare solutions seem ever on the move. The array of new heating and cooling benefits touch both the commercial and the industrial HVAC marketplace. We see it year after year. Some school, medical center, or industrial site reaps renewed and extended benefits from the A/C innovations incorporated into Trane commercial products. For example:

  • St. Lucie county school district recently linked with Trane for a new chiller plant upgrade. Benefits of the new system include energy savings and better air-chiller efficiency.
  • Hardin Medical Center used Trane Air Conditioning healthcare solutions to upgrade cooling equipment to the tune of a 25-percent reduction in energy and operating costs. Administrators at the Center define the upgrades as cost-efficient while also improving the comfort/satisfaction ratio with patients, physicians and medical staff members.
  • The ASHE Annual Conference reveals even more Trane High Performance solutions.
  • Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC) called on Trane CDQ™ desiccant dehumidification technology to assure precise temperature and humidity control in the CyberKnife™ robotic surgery system (1). CDQ™ is designed for facilities requiring lower dew point settings. The system can increase cooling coil capacity by 20-300 percent.

But how quickly does a commercial or industrial A/C solution get into the Trane residential Air Conditioning delivery system?

Effects of Commercial Trane HVAC Equipment On Residential A/C Customers

Back in July 2014, a Trane news brief “Trane Showcases High Performance Solutions for the Healthcare Market at ASHE Annual Conference” announced several products and services designed to help healthcare providers improve customer care and support. The changes include three primary components:

  1. The Performance Climate Changer
  2. The Trane Wireless Comm
  3. AND a unique partnership between Trane and Fellon-McCord.

Sounds nifty, but how do these Trane/Ingersoll Rand commercial air conditioning products and air conditioning product reliability promises relate to residential heating and cooling customers? Well… Let’s consider for a moment the purpose and features of the Trane Performance Climate Changer™ (PCC):

Crafted to deliver better indoor air quality, energy efficiency and occupant comfort over a wider range of applications than what is available via previous products, the Trane Performance Climate Changer™ air handler systems enable better cost-control and business budget management. Furthermore, the PCC air handler delivers optimized airflow throughout the entire HVAC system. Constructed with double-wall casing panels and high-performance foam insulation, the units can be tailor designed to fit a specific application. The superior casing design reduces air leakage and wasted energy consumption. Some configurations even feature SDDPtm fan arrays. But…

The units are designed for commercial applications. Homes don’t need these high-performance HVAC systems. Yet every business product eventually changes the daily lifestyle of the human creature. For example: Popular Mechanics reports that the first discovery of the cooling effects associated with liquid evaporation took place in 1758. Yet it was 1902 before Willis Carrier invented his Apparatus for Treating Air. Twelve years later air conditioning finally reached the residential environment. By the 1950s, home air conditioning was defined as “just another way to keep up with the Joneses.”

Maybe we don’t need a home version of the Trane Performance Climate Changer™. But whenever corporate entities introduce new technology into the business world, eventually the average homeowner will prosper from that technology. For years,  Trane Air Conditioning healthcare solutions have helped the company find better ways to serve the residential HVAC marketplace. It’s the kind of technology I want when cooling my home. Who knows how much of the PCC technology will eventually help reduce my home heating and cooling bill. Ask your Arizona AC service center to help you make sure you don’t miss out on the benefits of Trane HVAC technology.

Get more information on Trane residential High-Efficiency Air Handlers.

American Cooling and Heating Serving Arizona

Licensed Bonded Insured:

  • AZROC K79 license 183933 Residential, Commercial, Industrial, HVAC and Refrigeration Contractor.
  • AZROC KB2 license 238225 Residential, Commercial General Contractor.
  • TDLR TACLA21146C Residential, Commercial, Industrial, HVAC and Refrigeration Contractor.

 

 

1) http://www.trane.com/content/dam/Trane/Commercial/global/markets/healthcare/casestudies/CASE_West_Jefferson_Medical_Center.pdf

 

 

Energy Efficient Air Conditioning; Central Air Conditioning

Written by Rm Harrington on . Posted in Arizona Air Conditioning Installation, Energy Efficient HVAC.

Central A/C, The Core Of Energy Efficient Air Conditioning

According to the “Energy Saver 101 Infographic” on home cooling from Energy Gov, high-efficiency home air conditioning systems, when coupled with other energy saving actions, can reduce your A/C energy consumption by 20 to 50 percent (1). Considering that American homeowners as a group spend over $11 billion per year for home cooling, updating an over-used and under-equipped HVAC system is worth a long, hard look at cost versus energy efficient air conditioning.

Central Air Conditioning – A Brief System Comparison

Modern home cooling systems come in various shapes and sizes that are functional according to four basic styling: 1) Room or Space systems, 2) Ductless Mini-Split units, 3) Evaporative Cooler Systems, and 4) Central A/C Systems. Cost wise pertaining to original investment expenses, window or room systems come in least expensive whereas the ductless Mini-Split system comes in as most expensive. The comparison pricing includes unit cost plus installation costs. The following breakdown views pros, cons, and other aspects of the primary home cooling systems:

— Room Systems – Room units are popular, available as portable or stationary, inexpensive, and have a life span of 10 to 15 years.

TIP! Learn more energy efficient air conditioning. Visit and download the ENERGY STAR Guide. It provides information for homeowners to learn more about how they can save money while still keeping their home comfortable all year round, so it is a worthy ready.

— Evaporative Cooler Units – Designed to cool outdoor air by circulating it through evaporated water, “Swamp” coolers come in second lowest in price and include an average installation cost similar to that of standard central air conditioning. Evaporative units work well in arid climates but are suited for areas with high humidity. They also tend to require more frequent maintenance than other types of cooling systems. Average life span is 15-20 years.

— Central Air Conditioning – Using a system of whole-home ducts and registers, a central A/C system provides reliable, energy efficient air conditioning throughout your home. The units are quiet, convenient to operate, and less expensive that a ductless mini-split system. For homes not already equipped with the necessary ductwork, installing central air can be somewhat expensive. However, the central cooling systems typically out perform window units and other types of zone-specific cooling units. Life span averages 15 to 20 years.

— Ductless Mini-Split Units — Designed as wall mounted, ductless zoned air conditioning systems, the Mini-Split A/C device is easy to install yet more considerably more expensive than Central A/C. They function in a ductless environment, thus eliminating the need for installing duct work in homes that lack the basics of central cooling layout. Under the right circumstances, installing a highly efficient ductless system makes good sense. But in a home already equipped for central cooling, you should avoid the extra expense. Life span of a ductless mini-split A/C unit is 12 to 15 years.

Energy Efficient Air Conditioning

TIP! The correct HVAC system should have sealed air ducts to minimize heating or cooling loss as air travels to different rooms. Every room is different, and the heating or cooling requirements vary. Make sure your installer covers all the bases.

Modern central A/C systems consume 20-40 percent less energy than a unit that is over 10 years old. They provide much better energy efficient air conditioning than do room A/C units and they don’t take up internal living space or deteriorate the curb appeal of your Arizona home. With over twenty years in business serving the Arizona community, American Cooling and Heating can help you determine the best system for meeting your home cooling needs.

New residential A/C standards have now been in effect since January of 2006. All modern central air systems are required to provide a minimum of 13-SEER cooling efficiency. But for most homes, going a bit higher is well worth a bit of additional startup expense. The trained and certified HVAC techs at American Cooling and Heating will make sure your get a right-sized unit designed specifically for your home and the existing circumstances. Our installation team will ensure that your Phoenix AC installation:

  • Allows sufficient room for indoor maintenance, service and repairs
  • Is supported by an adequate duct/register system
  • Includes proper sealing of all ducts and registry joints
  • A cleared area around the outdoors condensing unit
  • Is fully charged with the exact factory-recommended refrigerant
  • Meets the industry standards for duct-sizing methodology
  • Is properly sized for your home.

 

Make contact today: For a free estimate on how to reap the best pricing on Central Air Conditioning in Arizona.

 

 

1) http://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-saver-101-infographic-home-cooling

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