HVAC Contractors in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

The summer heat has got you sweating bullets? Now’s the time to find a solution! But what are the possibilities available to finally get cool during this beautiful season?

Different types of air conditioning

Central air conditioning

A central air conditioner extracts heat into the air inside your home and pushes it outside the building.

The wall-mounted air conditioner is an ideal alternative to the central air conditioner. It works using an outdoor compressor and an indoor unit, itself attached to the top of a wall.

Why choose it?

Its mode of operation helps distribute the air more evenly inside the house. In addition, this type of air conditioning is energy-efficient.

Central or wall-mounted heat pump?

Hard to make a choice isn’t? In order to enlighten you, here is a short summary of the main features of each:

The wall-mounted heat pump:.

• Transfers heat from outdoors to indoors;
• Does not have ventilation ducts;
• Isn’t noisy;
• Is supplied in the open air and therefore easy to install;
• Has a precise and fast temperature adjustment system.

The central heat pump:

• Also transfers heat from the outside to the inside;
• Is divided into several independent systems that allow temperature control in several sections of the dwelling;
• Requires air ducts (as heat is transferred from one area to another).

How to choose your air conditioning system?

To find the right air conditioner, figure out about the cooling capacity you need. The latter is directly related to the area to be covered and is calculated in the form of BTU (British thermal unit).

Note that 20 BTUs can cool about one square foot. Take the time to evaluate this element, because if your air conditioner is too powerful, your room will cool too quickly and will become too humid.

On the contrary, if your air conditioner is too weak, it will have to work continuously, which will end up costing you a lot of money.

Another important factor is the energy efficiency rate (RES, SEER or TRES). It must be as high as possible to allow you to reduce your expenses in terms of air conditioning.

Portable air conditioner

Although it may not blend in well with the decor, this type of air conditioner still has the advantage of being mobile and of being a good alternative if your windows do not allow you to install a window-mounted system.

Note that sash windows are more suitable for this type of air conditioner because they allow easy installation of the duct.

Its disadvantages

Unfortunately, the portable air conditioner has some flaws including:

• It is noisy (so prioritize models down 50 decibels);
• Its exhaust pipe emits heat, which affects its energy performance;
• Its energy performance may be affected by the lack of watertightness of the window

Be careful not to choose a model that is too powerful: if the air is cooled too quickly and it has not circulated long enough inside the device, moisture retention will not be optimal. As an indication, the ideal rate of moisture retention should be between 20 and 30 liters per day

The fan coil

In short, the fan coil is a ventilation block, set up on the wall or inside a false ceiling, which is able to diffuse the heat produced by its pump.

Its use can also extend to air conditioning during the summer provided that the heat pump of the fan coil is reversible.

As this type of appliance requires some work to be installed, it is better to reserve it for new constructions. Also, the turbines inside the fan coils can be noisy.

Need information on the different options available to refresh your home during the summer? Check out the following articles:

• The cost of air conditioning systems
• Environmentally-friendly air conditioning options
• How to choose your air conditioning system