Air Conditioning

In our units a heat pump is used in which the device uses energy to transfer heat from a cooler to a hotter location. In a standard air conditioner an unidirectional heat pump which moves heat only form a cool interior into a hotter exterior. Air conditioning units can reverse the refrigeration cycle, from removing cool air from the exterior and moving into the interior, it will remove the heat from the cooler exterior and re-produce it in the warmer interior, therefore heating the room in a given area. Using an air conditioner is a far more efficient way of heating a space as opposed to using an electric heater which uses an element to cool the room. When the heat pump is enabled the indoor evaporator coil switches roles and becomes a condenser coil, producing the heat, and the outdoor becoming the evaporator coil, venting air colder than the ambient outdoor air.

Heat pumps work most efficiently in mild winter climates, between 4-13 degrees Centigrade, this is because heat pumps become inefficient in extreme cold temperatures as ice forms on the outdoor unit coil, blocking the air flow, to compensate for this the air conditioner must temporarily switch back into the regular cooling mode to switch the outdoor evaporator coil back into the condenser coil to de-ice the coil. An air conditioner used this was used electrical resistance therefore heating the indoor air path in this mode to compensate for the temporary air conditioning, which would drop in interior temperature without this option. The icing problem becomes worse the lower the outdoor temperature reaches.

What is air conditioning?

If you look up AIR CONDITIONING in the Collins English Dictionary you will see:

“A system or process for Controlling the Temperature and sometimes the Humidity and Purity of the air”Controlling the temperature is making it able to heat and cool, not only cool.The air that we breathe today is made up of 3 major components; they are all capable of carrying energy (heat):1) The molecular constituents of the air we breathe in: Oxygen (23%), Nitrogen (76%), Carbon Dioxide (< 1%) and Inert Gases (< 1%)2) The moisture or water vapor: Moisture is present in the air at all times, the quantity present being dependent upon the air temperature. The higher the air temperature the more moist it will be.3) Airborne Particles: These are particles, unseen by the human eye, suspended within the air from either industrial or natural pollution such as Pollen, Dust, Smoke, Germs… etc.As air is the only media that surrounds the whole of our body, therefore we need to condition this air to provide comfort.The action needed is:1) To be able to control temperature (Heating & cooling) which means we need to be able to add energy (for heating) or remove unwanted energy (for cooling). Generally our comfort conditions range between 20 - 25 °C in the UK.2) Controlling Humidity (moisture content in the air around us), either to humidify (add moisture) when the surroundings are dry, which can result in dryness of skin, dry throat and encourages a static built-up) or to de-humidify (remove moisture) when the amount of moisture in the air is above average, which can result in uncomfortable breathing conditions. Ideal humidity is generally between 30-70 % RH (Relative Humidity) in the UK.3) Provide Ventilation to provide the necessary amount of oxygen for breathing and dispelling carbon dioxide, odours, Smoke, Dust etc. General ventilation requirements range from 5 to 18 litres per second per person.4) Provide Filtration to clean both outside and inside air by removing dust, pollen, etc. Dust in dry air combined with lack of moisture in the air is the main cause of static shocks.Lack of ventilation and filtration together with the lack of maintenance causes Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).Therefore our air conditioning ensures we tick all the boxes, they all have the ability to:HEAT, COOL, HUMIDIFY, VENTILATE AND FILTER