10 things that you should know about your air conditioner
All right, all right. I’ll admit – on the surface, air conditioners don’t seem that interesting. For one of the most important home comfort systems, it does not get a lot of attention. Here are 10 interesting things that you may not know about air conditioners.
- Heat transfer. Did you know that your air conditioner does not create cool air? Refrigerant in the system transfers heat from indoor air and then transfers that heat into the outdoor air. That’s why refrigerant is so important.
- Biggest energy consumer. Your heating and air system is the biggest energy consumer in your home. That is why we always recommend you invest in the most efficient system you can afford.
- Air conditioners and heat pump are similar. Both of these systems use the same principles to provide cool air for your home. Heat pumps just reverse the flow of refrigerant to provide warm air as well.
- Widespread air conditioning is recent. Today, it’s hard to imagine a life without air conditioning. If you have a car without air conditioning, you know just how awful it can be during a hot summer. Imagine if that was your whole house! Air conditioning did not become a household thing until the 1950s.
- They need maintenance You can’t just have your air conditioner installed and then forget about it. Like your car, your air conditioner needs yearly “wellness” checks. This assures peak performance and efficiency levels.
- You can thank your air conditioner for your health. Air conditioners have done more than just keep your environment cool. Without air conditioning technology, many medical developments wouldn’t be here. Also, our lifespans would be shorter and we’d be less productive.
- “Cool” origins. Did you know that ice used to be what we used to keep our buildings cool? This is where we get the term BTU. One BTU is how much heat it takes to raise the temperature of one pound of ice, one degree.
- If you think air conditioners are expensive now… that’s nothing compared to how expensive they used to be. Air conditioners did not become widespread until the 1950s due to the cost.
- Better indoor air quality. Suffer from allergies? The sniffles would run rampant without air conditioners. Without a central air distribution system, it would be trickier and less efficient to filter the air in your home.
- Live somewhere in the Southwest? You may not be there without air conditioning. After the introduction of air conditioning, it became more practical to live in places that reach upwards of 100°F.
Your air conditioner is important for a lot of reasons! What is your favorite, lesser-known fact about air conditioners?
It is interesting for me to learn a little bit about air conditioning and how to reduce some of the problems with it. I did not realize that they are such simple fixes. I am excited to try some of these ideas.
I am looking for ways to conserve energy and thought that maybe learning about my cooling system could help. It is good to know that air conditioners cannot be forgotten because they do require maintenance. Another thing to consider would be hiring a professional to do inspections.
It is good to be informed about these things one should know about their air conditioner. We should all accept the fact that these systems need maintenance. I think it is best to contact a professional to perform inspections and do necessary repairs to ensure that the air conditioner remain in functioning condition.
great article