Understanding Air Conditioning Jargon

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Most of the year air conditioning gets forgotten about, until the temperature soars and then it is a frantic rush to get into the office to cool off. However, when it comes to getting it fixed or replaced there are a few words that you need to be comfortable with which could end up saving you thousands of pounds.

The first thing you need to understand is the SEER rating of your unit. This is a measurement of the efficiency of your unit so the more efficient it is, the cheaper it is to run. Not only this but it is better for the environment, what more could you want? You should be looking for a unit with a SEER rating of 16 or above. It has been stated by Ed Purvis who is the vice president of Emerson Climate Technologies which is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning company, that a unit with this level of SEER rating could save you around £250 per year.

Now the higher the SEER rating the more expensive the unit tends to be, so finding a unit that is at the right price and with an appropriate rating depends on how much you will be using the unit. If you are in an office where the unit is used most of the year round then it makes sense to have one with a higher rating and vice versa.

Next on our list of air con jargon is modulation. This is the speed in which your unit operates and is often called variable speed. These units are less expensive to run as the amount of energy that is used to power the unit varies. This is because your office temperature is moderated to ensure that it is an even temperature at all times and doesn’t suddenly feel really cold or really warm. These modulated units also help control the humidity in your office which is a major reason as to why you feel hot. A modulated unit that also comes with humidity control could save you around £180 per year.

Last on our list are heat pumps. In the past, traditional air conditioning units have used refrigerant which is pumped into coils and then cools down the air before it is pushed into the space you are trying to cool. When it comes to heat pumps they simply remove the hot air which is fed outside and this process uses a lot less energy than the first.

Overall, to find out what is best for your needs you should talk to an engineer but knowing and understanding the vocabulary will help you determine what you do and don’t need from your unit.

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