Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus
Installed. I'll see how it goes when it warms up a bit here.
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From online sources (and I live in an area where A/C is practically year round):
Remember the
Quartet For Indoor Comfort:
• Air temperature (heating & cooling)
• Air movement (circulation, ventilation and filtration)
• Mean Radiant Temperature (building envelope with good insulation and glazing)
• Relative Humidity (tight building envelope)
"
The way we build has a greater impact on our comfort, energy consumption and IAQ than any HVAC system we install."
E-BOOK ($69 w/survey coupon) MIKE NEWBERRY
How To Repair Air Conditioners
Condenser Concerns
Here's a good study on A/C shading. Shading's not as helpful as common sense would make you think..Note the surprising volume of air a system moves through the condenser. No wonder shading can be problematic in regards to minimizing re-ingestion of hot air by the unit.
FSEC-PF-302-96
Obstruction of air flow of the condensing unit:
• Refrain from the urge to build a shed, frame or cover for the condensing unit. It is designed to be able to withstand the elements of the outdoors and must be allowed to "breathe" properly. A minimum of five feet of totally free air space is necessary for the fan's exhausted air before it should encounter any objects.
• Don't forget that foliage will also obstruct the air coming into the condenser.
• Additionally, be mindful that the best ventilation of the air around the unit will be more efficient. If hot summer exhausted air is bounced off anything and is allowed to recirculate into the unit, the temperature of the unit is increased dramatically and your operating cost will be higher for it and the life of the unit will be shortened
Misters on the condenser can help but not many areas have good enough water quality not to cause damage over the long term from scale buildup or corrosion. Here in central FL there is a premium condenser spec that is used for beachside installs...special coils made to withstand salt air corrosion. Also hear some AC pros warn about compressor damage from liquid entering compressor because the coils were over-cooled during certain ambient temperatures, but this may be anecdotal.
Grass clippings, dog hair and dryer lint are murder on efficiency. I'd build a hard apron around that unit before anything else (rock, etc, that can be blown clear
and keeps animals away!).
Let me share a little-known fact about dogs and the condenser coil fins.
• These fins are made of aluminum and the urine of male dogs will react as a strong alkali on that area of the fins and they will powder-up, crumble and fall off the unit. You end up with a huge hole in the condenser coils or an area of dead aluminum mass that will either pass unused air or will be too dense a mass of gunk to pass any air through that area of damaged fins. Needless to say, this is bad.
• Animals should not be allowed within ten feet of the condensers. Dogs love to lay in the moving air of the intake of the unit and the fins of the coil fill solid with their hair and cost you money. It is nearly impossible to get out of the coil.
A
Watersaber would be a better expenditure of money. A good cleaning trumps gimmicks, overall.
You might also look into a
5-2-1 Hard Start Kit for the compressor (see YouTube video). Investigate.
Add the following to your unit which it should have had from the factory (to run more efficiently for all conditions):
A] Low pressure cut out CO=40psi and CI=80psi,
B] Anti-restart timer 3-5 minutes,
C] High pressure cut out manual reset,
D] Crank-case heater if a reciprocating compressor,
E] Expansion valve AND sight glass (see below),
F] Head pressure controller if you are going to operate the system when it is cold outside.
If you make all these modifications then you can run your system continuously with out hurting anything. note: no ice will form on the coil and you will have to make sure the system is properly charged. But if you want the house to be a "meat locker" because you sleep during the day or have health problems then add the above items and "freeze your self out". A larger coil (than normally spec'd for the unit) will make a huge difference too.
HVAC Performance
The A/C Enhancer
Enhances the Efficiency and Dehumidification Capacity of your existing Central Air Conditioning System.
The Standard Un-Enhanced System:
*The most inefficient time in the operation of an air conditioning system is the start-up time.* The more the system starts and stops the less efficient it will be.* For the average system it takes between 8 to 10 minutes of operation for the system to reach its peak operating efficiency and its peak dehumidification capacity.* The other problem is when the air conditioner stops the inside coil is saturated with moisture.* Some of this moisture runs off, but a lot of it stays on the coil, up to 3 gallons on some new high efficiency coils.* When the air conditioner comes back on and the fan starts blowing the warm air across this warm coil, the moisture is blown off the coil back into the house.* It then takes about 8 minutes of operation to get the coil cold and moist to start the dehumidification process.* This is very inefficient.* Some variable speed units have come out with what they call an enhanced mode that runs the blower at a reduced speed for 8 ½ minutes every time the system starts.* This time is not adjustable and in humid climates will cause the unit, ductwork, and grilles to condense water and sweat.*
*This is unacceptable.
The AC-EnhancerTM is the Solution to the problems of the Un-Enhanced System.
*How It Works:
The AC-EnhancerTM allows the condensing unit to cool the inside evaporator coil below the dew point temperature before the blower is brought on.* This allows the coil to start dehumidifying the air before the blower comes on.* With the coil pre-cooled it reduces the “blow-off” of moisture, thus reducing the time it takes the system to start the dehumidification process and increasing the overall dehumidification capacity of the system.* The compressor is allowed to start with a reduced load so that it can reach its peak efficiency faster.*
The AC-EnhancerTM *then brings the blower on at a reduced speed to allow the compressor to increase its load at a controlled rate before bringing the blower up to its full speed.* This allows the system to get up to its peak capacity and efficiency in 2 minutes or less and will not cause sweating of the system, ducts, or grilles.*
Why Don’t the Manufacturers Do this?
*The AC-EnhancerTM *increases the overall delivered efficiency and dehumidification capacity of the air conditioning system.* The manufacturer’s SEER ratings of the equipment are based on a unit in a laboratory environment with continuous run time.* They do not measure start-up inefficiencies when rating the equipment.* Therefore, the manufacturers would not gain any SEER rating increase, but the homeowner can benefit greatly with this technology
(See Powerpoint presentation):
Aeroseal
If $30 of every $100 on your summer A/C bill is going into the attic . . . .
HEAT RECOVERY
If you are in a hotter area like Florida or Texas, consider a heat recovery unit for free hot water and further A/C efficiency increase. A $30-$50 monthly saving is average for electric water units. (Gas water heaters take longer, but they'll pay for themselves and the HVAC will work easier & longer). The longer the cooling season, the faster the payout.
(See JSMENEEN site, above)
Trevor-Martin Corporation
http://www.p2pays.org/ref/11/10104.pdf
Enviro-Pak Home
http://www.achrnews.com/copyright/BN...536?view=print
How can hot water heat recovery air conditioning reduce your power bill?
These units have been around for decades and kick solar hot water to the curb every time in hotter climates.
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