How to Get the Optimal Cooling System for Summer Comfort in Your Home

Cooling your home or office is not solely about air conditioning, though that likely is a large part of your overall cooling system. An energy-efficient cooling plan considers proper insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, daylighting, shading, and ventilation.

Ventilation

Ventilation is an energy-efficient way to create air flow through a building. It may be natural or forced.

Evaporative Cooling

Evaporative cooling, or “swamp cooling,” is a good energy-efficient option for dry climates.

Air Conditioning

Air conditioners may be small room air units or large central air conditioning systems. Regardless of the size, most air conditioners can operate at a higher efficiency than other types of cooling units, and this is particularly true with newer models.

Innovative Emerging Cooling Technologies

We are tracking innovative technologies in heating and cooling that are continuously being developed and enhanced. Call us to ask about the latest options in cooling systems.

How Air Conditioning Works

Air conditioners use refrigeration principles to cool inside air. The physical law that results in cooling occurs when a liquid is converted into a gas and it absorbs heat. Air conditioners take advantage of this law by forcing chemical compounds to evaporate and condense over and over again in a closed set of coils.

The chemicals used in this process are called refrigerants. These have properties that enable them to change at low temperatures. Air conditioners also employ fans to move warm inside air over these cold, refrigerant-filled coils to produce the desired cool air.

When hot air flows over the cold coils, the refrigerant inside absorbs heat as it changes from a liquid to a gas. To keep cooling efficiently, the air conditioner has to convert the refrigerant gas back to a liquid again. To do that, a compressor puts the gas under high pressure, producing heat. All the extra heat created by compressing the gas is then pushed outside with the help of a second set of coils, called condenser coils, and a second fan. As the gas cools, it changes back to a liquid, and the process starts over again.

Benefits of Reduced Chlorofluorocarbon Use in Cooling Systems

Since the late 1970s, the government has regulated chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) production. Its phase-out is a benefit to the earth’s ozone layer, slowing the CFC growth in the atmosphere. The ozone layer is expected to recover completely from past CFC accumulation by the year 2050.

In addition to the health of the ozone layer, CFC phase-out will impact human, plant, and other animal life positively. The number of cases of skin cancer is expected to decline as a result.

The CFC phase-out has also led to development of new technologies, increased energy efficiencies, and additional pollution prevention initiatives.