Mexico Extreme Heat Wave; Air conditioning: what to do and what not?

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Making the most of the air conditioning in this hot season is possible if some simple suggestions are adopted. Use curtains that reduce heat input and maintain the temperature of the equipment to 24 degrees Celsius are some. Without forgetting that turning it on and off will waste more energy.

Achieve maximum performance of air conditioning depends on several factors. From the place where the equipment is installed to the capacity to cool a room of the dimensions in which the device is located.

This is explained by Joaquín Centeno Estrella, who runs the company Jerarca de Refrigeración y Chiller’s and offers advice for the correct use of climate,installation and maintenance, as well as choosing the most appropriate one.

Place the air conditioner in a corner, an error

Centeno Estrella points out that a frequent mistake is to place the air conditioning in a corner of the house or on a window. Actually it should be placed in the middle of the widest wall of the room, with the purpose that from there the cold air extends and covers the whole area.

When it is placed in a corner, the air bounces off the wall and only cools the side where the equipment is. When installed on or next to a window, a hot air bag is formed that reduces the efficiency of the appliance.

Use curtains

Centeno Estrella ensures that it is not necessary to first ventilate the space where the air conditioning will be turned on, since it is designed to cool the area even if it remains closed.

What is recommended, he adds, is to use curtains because they help you feel cooler.

Polarized glass does not fulfill this function, because in any case, the heat passes through them.

Ideal temperature: 24 degrees

The temperature of the equipment must be programmed to 24 degrees , since it is considered that this is the standard temperature of the body: with less degrees it will feel cold and with more there will be heat.

It is a mistake to program the device at 18 degrees just turn it on with the idea that in that way cool the room more quickly. The equipment will take the same time to reach the desired temperature, clarifies.

An important practice is to give constant maintenance to the appliances. Preferably monthly or not more than three months in places like an office, which operate 12 hours a day. In a house, maintenance must be done every six months or a year.

How to clean the air conditioning filter?

However, every 15 days the filter should be cleaned, a task that can be accomplished by anyone. It is only necessary to open the front cover of the climate and remove the filter .

With the hand the lint is removed from sheets, bedspreads and clothes, although it is not noticed if they release it. Then, place the filter under the water passing only the hand. The piece should not be cut, as this will cause it to dry out and break. Once this is done, return the filter to its place.

When subjected to professional maintenance, the air conditioner is checked for current input to check if the load is passing properly, if it has internal or external noise, if there is false or if the capacitor is rusted, among other aspects.

Broken piece

Estrella Rye adds that if the damage is discovered in any part, the owner of the device is notified so they can decide if a change will be made. The client’s decision is respected, he says, but it is not recommended to wait until the piece stops working completely to renew it. He assures that in the end, they will end up paying more for electrical energy as the equipment does not work well.

He says that the same thing happens when you buy lower capacity equipment that needed in a room, “they do it to save and they do not realize that they end up paying more in electricity”.

Remember that when you are going to buy an air conditioner you have to have the exact size of the space where it will be placed. As an example, it cites the dimensions of a fractionation room: 3.50 long by 3.50 wide by 2.50 high, on average.

To calculate the capacity of the equipment that will be placed in that room, these measures must be multiplied in order to obtain the cubic meters and in this example they are little more than 30. A team of 12,000 BTUs would be the one indicated in this case, since it covers an area of ​​up to 40 cubic meters.- Iris Margarita Ceballos Alvarado

AC

Inverter technology is the best currently, says Joaquín Centeno Estrella.

Technology

As he explains, the equipments endowed with it revolutionize little by little until reaching 100% of their capacity, when they reach the desired temperature the speed of the revolutions begins to fall, but they do not go out, which favors the saving of energy.

Comparison

Standard equipment switches off and on each time the temperature decreases.

TIPS

15 Ways To Cool Your Home Without Cranking Up The AC

Summer is well on its way and with it comes the rising temperatures. Cranking up your air conditioner can use a lot of electricity which can cost you a pretty penny. But there are ways to reduce costs in the summer months while keeping your home cool.

1) Invest In Blackout Curtains

These bad boys insulate your home from harsh temperatures. So, they block out the sun and heat in the summer and keep out the cold in the winter. Neutral-colored curtains with a white plastic backing are said to reduce heat gain by 33 percent in the summer.

Source: Home Depot

2) Switch Up Your Sheets

Most of us like heavy textiles like flannel or fleece on our beds in the winter. These should be switched out for lighter fabrics like cotton in the summer which breath easier and stay cooler. You might want to also invest in buckwheat pillow which allows air to flow in between the buckwheat hulls so they don’t capture body heat.

Source: Fruity Paradise

3) Hack Your Fan

Keeping your AC off or not having one at all will definitely cut down on your energy bill. But you can fake it. Fill a bowl with ice or an ice pack and place it in front of a fan so the cold from the ice can chill the room.

Source: StudentTenant.com

4) Fans Set Counter-Clockwise

If you use your fans year-round they should be adjusted seasonally. Set your fan to go counter-clockwise in the summer at a higher speed. This creates a wind-chill breeze effect.

Source: My Energy kit

5) Change Your Light Bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs give off heat. So, you’ll want to get rid of them and switch to compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs as they burn out. Incandescent light bulbs are said to waste 90 percent of their energy in the heat they emit.

Source: inhabitat

6) Turn Your Exhaust Fans On

You can leave your bathroom and or kitchen exhaust fans on in the summer. They will suck out the rising hot air out of the room. This is a must when you’re cooking, showering, or doing something that gives off heat.

Source: Lowes

7) Cool Your Bed Down

You can place an ice pack under your pillow to keep it cooler. You can also try freezing a water bottle and placing it at the foot of your bed to keep everything cool. Another trick is to toss your sheets in the freezer before bedtime for an ultra chill sleep.

Source: lovindublin.com

8) Get Low to The Ground

We all know that heat rises. If you’re looking for a good night’s rest on a night without AC you’ll have to get low. Try sleeping on the downstairs or basement couch or putting your mattress on the floor where the air is cooler.

Source: Pinterest

9) Make Your Windows Work For You

Open the top section of your window on the downwind side of your house. Open the bottom section of the window on the upwind side. This will create a cooling pressure current.

Source: The King Fisher Family

10) Regulate Your Body Temperature

There was a time when air conditioners didn’t exist and people survived just fine. Drink some iced drinks or foods, or use a cold cloth on areas like your neck and wrists to cool yourself from the inside. Also, try wearing cool colors and lighter fabrics. Or try dipping your feet in some cold water.

Source: m.dhgate.com

11) Close Your Blinds And Curtains During the Day

About 30 percent of heat comes from your windows. Closing your blinds in the summer to keep out heat can lower your energy bills by 7 percent. It can also lower the temperature inside by about 20 degrees.

Source: Wise Geek

12) Close the Doors

You’ll want to close your doors, as well as your windows during the day. This will keep the cool air in the room where you are sitting. Leaving the doors open just leaves more space that needs to be cool which takes longer and requires more energy. You can open them back up at night when it’s cooler out.

Source: KSFY

13) Open the Windows Air Night

Open up your windows at night and let the cooler air in. You’ll also want to throw on your fan. You can strategically place fans placing fans to create a cross breeze and wind tunnel effect.

Source: ConscienHealth

14) Push Hot Air Out

You can try pushing the hot air out of your home too. Place a box fan outward in one window to push the hot air out. This will help cool your room down.

Source: Life Hacker

15) Use a Wet Sheet

Source: TechGlimpse

Cold wet sheets can help too. Place a cold wet sheet in front of an open window at night or on a window at the downwind side of your house. This will create a chilly breeze in your room.

Source: news.homehacks.co, Huffington Post, Diario de Yucatan

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