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Passive design helps you maintain the interior temperature of your home. A passive designed house is very well-insulated and a virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling/heating load, which is similarly minimised.
You can use passive design ideas when you are planning a new home or for your existing home if you are planning some renovations.
Passive design ideas include:
- Insulating the ceiling, walls and floor
- Sealing drafts around doors and windows
- Allowing winter sun to warm the house
- Stopping summer sun from entering the house
- Using natural airflow to help with cross-ventilation.
If your home isn’t designed for passive cooling, the next best option is to choose appropriate cooling for your situation.
When preparing for a hot summer, options may include:
- Fans, which are the cheapest option and often sufficient
- Evaporative coolers, which are particularly good in low-humidity areas
- Air conditioners.
If your air conditioner is inappropriate and not installed correctly or maintained properly, it can cost you more in energy bills and have a negative impact on the environment. Always have your air conditioner serviced at the beginning and end of each season to ensure that it runs smoothly. Use timers to make sure that you are only cooling your room when you require.
Nothing is quite like having the air conditioner on at full blast during a sticky hot summer day. When you are building your house or looking at installing air conditioners for the first time, it may be difficult to decide what type of unit is best for your space. Some may choose to go for window-type air conditioners because it is more convenient–this usually happens when it is a small room with a prior hole near the window that is specifically for that purpose–while others go for split system air conditioning because of its many advantages.
Here are three more reasons why you should invest in split air conditioners.
Even if the window-type air conditioners are much cheaper, split air conditioners do not have the limitation of being installed near or underneath a window. If you are installing a window type air conditioner for the first time, you will definitely have to create a hole on your wall big enough to accommodate it, too. For split types, all you need to do is get A Grade Air to install it for you so that you do not accidentally overload your circuits or start a fire. Doing it yourself can be tempting, but in the end, it is better to be safe than sorry so make sure that you let a licensed installer to do the job.
One key distinction between a split air conditioner and window type one is that the former has its condenser outside where you cannot hear the noise. Window type air cons have the condenser, the one that makes the loud noise, inside the main unit. This is the main reason why split types have steady hum while window types have vibrations that can wake you up.
If there are areas where cold air and hot air can leak in and out of the room, the space becomes inefficient in maintaining the desired temperature. When this happens, air conditioners have to work longer and harder to keep the space cool. Centralized and window type air conditioners are particularly known for being some of the more inefficient ways of cooling a room, because it is so easy for leaks to occur.
You can consult with A Grade Air if this will be a problem. The bottomline is that split system air conditioners are eco-friendly, quiet, and easy to install with some professional help. One way to ensure that your split system air conditioners is optimized for your space is to get help from A Grade Air.
Ceiling & Desk Fans
Fans are great at circulating the air, but if that air is already hot, they can only drop the feeling of the hot temperature by around 4 degrees. The best way to get more out of a fan is to install a split system air conditioner as well and you will be able to circulate the cooler air.
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Wood Heaters
Wood heaters are used in many Australian homes, however they aren’t the most energy-efficient option. They can’t be turned off when a suitable temperature is reached and are often supplemented by other forms of heating to warm the rest of the home. A poorly managed wood heater produces large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
Air pollution from the smoke from wood heaters, wood fires and stoves in combination with the greenhouse gases from transporting firewood to urban areas also have a harmful impact on the environment. Wood is a renewable energy source only if it is harvested sustainably.
Before getting a wood heater, it’s worthwhile thinking through your heating needs including whether there is a more energy efficient option, such as a split system air con, available as a choice.
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