The Home Improvement Centre » Air Conditioning

Green Air Con Has Health Benefits

admin — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:58:09 +0000

A new type of eco-friendly alternative to air conditioning is better for the health of the person whose home it gets installed in than traditional systems according to independent studies. An air conditioning system called Coolhouse uses several design features of the home itself to lower the property’s temperature on warm days; cooling air, rather than ‘conditioning’ it.

Jes Mainwaring, a UK environmental architect developed the system when working for a property development agency called Elixir and the combination of cutting edge design and technology has already been used to cool a new build of holiday apartments in the Algarve. In a similar way to how under-floor heating warms a room, the Coolhouse system uses ordinary water draining pipes under the property to cool a home or apartment by placing those pipes in a void. Meanwhile, specially located vents are in place above skirting boards delivering fresh cool air to the building so that a breeze can flow through the rooms.

Solar-controlled glass for the windows which doesn’t heat up or magnify light like ordinary glass also makes the new Coolhouse buildings a lower temperature internally. Independent studies showed that the internal temperature can be reduced by as much as 12 degrees compared with a 37 degree outside temperature by exploiting the Coolhouse design features.

Studies also revealed 30% lower humidity levels in a property using Coolhouse than those in a property cooled by air con, which leads to less growth of black mould (known to be bad for an occupant’s health) and other symptoms of internal condensation. Researchers also believe that whilst traditional air con gives occupants dry eyes and collects and circulates potentially harmful bacteria within homes, Coolhouse, does neither, creating a natural temperature and forcing a flow of fresh clean air from outside through the internal structures instead.

As expense is also a drawback of traditional air conditioning which takes a lot of energy to run (especially for hours on end in hot climates and during Summer heat-waves,) several experts have also said that Coolhouse is economical as well as ecological.

Keep Your Cool This Summer

admin — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:30:23 +0000

An old English weather proverb says “If February give much snow, a fine summer it doth foreshow.” so with the end of the current cold snap in sight, maybe now really is the time to look forward to summer and keeping cool. Many motorists consider climate control and car air conditioning necessities during the summer months, but the same is not true of homeowners, with domestic air con units accounting for only a small proportion of the market in the United Kingdom. This is surprising because night-time temperatures can often rise above the optimum “thermo-neutral” temperature required for sleep leading to uncomfortable disturbed nights. Not only can air conditioning help to maintain the temperature and relative humidity of your home, it can also improve the quality of the air that you breathe by capturing pollen and other allergens; this can be of tremendous benefit to hayfever sufferers for example.

Air conditioning has tended to be the preserve of the wealthy, but as many people abandon a traditional office for a home office, or garden office, they are looking for atmospheric comfort all year round and the industry has responded accordingly. Whole house air conditioning may still cost several thousand pounds but basic portable units are available from around £100 or so and more powerful units from around £200.

Garden buildings nowadays are a far cry from what they once were, with a choice of shapes and sizes available and the possibility of creating a really useful additional living or working space. Some garden buildings offer mezzanine floors and even double glazing, which, when used in combination with an air conditioning and heating unit – two-in-one units suitable for installation in a garden office or log cabin for example are readily, and affordably, available – can create a pleasant, comfortable environment inside whatever the ambient temperature outside.

Blind Ambition?

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:48:22 +0000

The British obsession with the weather is well known – it’s always too cold or too hot or too wet or too dry – but complaints about the weather often stem from lack of preparation on our own part. So during the current cold snap with snow on the ground in many parts of the country, why not think ahead to the summer months and how you’ll keep yourself and your home cool?

Modern blinds, for example, are manufactured in a wide range of styles and materials all of which are practical, durable and cost-effective. The latest sheer fabrics can gently filter solar radiation so that you can still see the screen of the computer in your home office, for example, and don’t run the risk of fading your soft furnishings or floors but can still experience the beautiful sunny day outside your window. Blinds can be used as an alternative to or combined with, curtains to create the look you desire and, of course, also block heat so that you can keep your home cool without air conditioning.

Roller blinds, for example, can give your room a neat uncluttered look, whilst Venetian blinds can be adjusted to let in as much, or as little, light and heat as you want. Venetian blinds made from wood or faux wood can be a stylish accompaniment to a solid hardwood or laminated floor, although they need to be resistant to warping and mildew if used in areas of high humidity. Many modern blinds are resistant to moisture, dust, etc. and therefore suitable for use throughout your home. As far as cleaning is concerned blinds can be dusted and/or vacuumed in the same way as other soft furnishings or, in the case of Venetian blinds, treated once in a while with a specialist cleaner.