Just a quick note to wish all of you a very Happy New Year!!
May 2015 be your best year ever!
Articles Written By: cdoelle
How Does My A/C Unit Work?
Here in Houston we love our air conditioners for keeping us cool 70-80% of the year. We do not put much thought into how it works until it doesn’t, which can be a big problem with the Houston heat. Here is a quick breakdown to help you better understand your air conditioning system and how it works.
Step 1- Condenser: This is your outside unit that contains the compressor which pumps refrigerant to the evaporator coils inside your unit.
Step 2- Blower Motor: This is where warm air is pulled into the system inside your home through the return/register
vent which is where you replace your filter and then blows it across the evaporator coils to be cooled down. Once cool the blower motor expels the cold air through the supply vents in each room to cool your home.
Step 3- Evaporator Coil: This is where air goes from warm to cold, every time you set your thermostat to cool, the blower motor pulls air to these indoor coils where it is absorbed and cooled before moving out of the system. This is also where moisture is removed from the air.
Step 4- Thermostat: This is what initiates the entire system to operate, when you adjust the temperature to be even 1 degree cooler the system begins to operate until your home reaches that desired temperature.
Keeping your filter clean and vents clean can really help improve the air quality in your home, as you can see the air flow in your home is constantly through your return and supply vents so keeping them clean will keep your air cleaner year round.
Houston November Weather Facts
November means shorter days and cooler temperatures in Houston Texas.
This month sees somewhat less rain than October with an average rainfall of 2 inches for the month. However there have been records of snowfall in November as well.
Temperatures average 72 degrees for the high and 54 degrees for the low.
As usual humidity does not change much averaging 68% for the month.
November is definitely one of the nicer months to visit Houston with temperatures being pretty comfortable for the entire month.
Houston’s record high for the month of November is 90 degrees and the record low is 25 degrees.
Fun fact: The highest recorded temperature in Houston in the last 36 years was 109 degrees.
3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your A/C
Houston, Texas is an area where having an A/C unit is more of a necessity than a luxury. Of course it will cost money to use on a daily basis, but there are things you should know that can help you keep those costs lower throughout the life of owning your system.
First, the correct size air conditioning unit for your home is important. Bigger is not always better when it comes to an A/C unit. The wrong size unit can actually waste a great deal of energy and not keep your home comfortable like you want either. A trained A/C technician like the one’s here at Cool Dude will be very helpful in addressing what size unit will be best for your home while also considering the comfort level you want.
Second, according to recent statistics only 1 in 5 consumers actually get a yearly maintenance A/C check-up. The life of an A/C system can be increased if this is done yearly and it will keep your system performing at the best level possible year round. To keep your system energy efficient get your system looked at by a professional each year.
Third, 8 out of every 10 system failures is caused by dirt and dust. Changing your filter as often as necessary is the best way to keep this from happening to you. Remember pets and other indoor pollutants such as smoking decrease the life of your filter faster than normal, so it will need to be changed more often. With the average home producing 40 pounds of dust each year it is important to keep filter changes a priority. This will keep your system cleaner, and a cleaner unit uses less energy.
A/C Fun Facts
If air conditioning did not exist most of the southern United States would be scarcely populated. Houston, TX certainly would not be what it is today.
The movie industry got a boost thanks to the development of air conditioning. Before A/C theaters were very uncomfortable and stuffy, but with A/C became enjoyable and comfortable.
Before A/C units became common place in office buildings, government offices took a summer vacation for 2-3 months each year.
The first air conditioner to be installed in an office building was in 1902 at a publishing office.
In 1930 trains began to install air conditioners in passenger cars making this mode of travel much more comfortable.
The use of an A/C system can account for 47% of the total energy bill in most homes.
Without the invention of air conditioning there are many curable diseases that would be incurable today, because the invention of their antidotes required steady cold environments to be created.