Sunday, December 19, 2010

Review your heating system post the winter cold

Now that the winter chill has gone and spring has finally arrived, it's time to take stock of your home heating system. How did your home heating system fare against the winter cold?

With so many residential heating systems to choose from – wall mounted units, radiators, fireplaces, underfloor heating and heat pumps – you can be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. This handy list of questions can help you assess your home heating system and decide if it's time for an upgrade.

Cost: Look over your electricity bills for the winter. Have they increased or decreased since this time last year? What have you been doing differently? Have you noticed a cost difference since changing your residential heating system?

Performance: How long does your unit take to heat up a room? Does your home heating system heat the whole house evenly or just part of a room? Has your residential heating broken down or malfunctioned?

Aesthetics: Does your unit look unsightly? Are you happy with its placement or do you want something less obtrusive? Have you shifted furniture and found the unit no longer heats effectively?

Noise: How much noise does your home heating unit emit? Do you think it's got louder over the last six months? If so, it's probably time you performed some home heating or air conditioning maintenance.

For some families, certain factors weigh more heavily than others. When choosing a home heating system, it's important to weigh all the factors and decide on the best fit option for your family. Talk to a qualified residential heating specialist for expert help and advice.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Health benefits of air conditioning systems in the office

As a business owner, you're responsible for providing comfortable and healthy premises for your employees. Ineffective office air conditioning and ventilation can spread irritants, chemicals and germs throughout your building.

Installing or upgrading your office air conditioning system could drastically improve the health of your workforce, resulting in fewer sick days and happier, more productive employees.

When a person feels too hot or too cold, their body uses energy trying to regulate their temperature. This takes energy away from other tasks, such as cognitive functions. If the office air conditioning is too hot or too cold, employees don't function at optimal capacity and are at greater risk of developing colds, flu, headaches, allergies and other health problems.

A properly functioning office air conditioning system provides numerous benefits:
  • Office air conditioning regulates the temperature to a comfortable level. Employees will no longer be wrapping up in summer and sweating during winter.
  • A good office air conditioning system is quiet and won't disturb employee's concentration.
  • In areas using chemicals and other pollutants, office air conditioning removes harmful particles from the air.
  • Office air conditioning prevents the spread of germs and bugs, resulting in happier, healthier employees.
  • Productivity increases and sick days decrease as employees benefit from healthier, cleaner air.
Installing the right kind of office air conditioning system could be the best business decision you make this year – happier, more comfortable employees means increased outputs and a reputation as a caring, healthy company.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Are your air conditioners ready for summer?

With winter behind you and the summer months fast approaching, it's time to take stock of your current air conditioners. To prepare for the onslaught of summer heat, you need to ensure your air conditioners are working the maximum efficiency.

During summer, air conditioners work overtime to rid the air for pollinating spores from plants and flowers. These airborne spores cause asthma, allergies and hay fever. Add this to the heat of New Zealand summer, and it's not surprising more air conditioners break down over the summer months than any other time.

If you don't want your air conditioners to fail during summer, you need to perform the necessary air conditioning maintenance. Not only could broken or dirty air conditioners stop functioning, they can cost you more on your power bill and cause permanent hearing damage.

If you or anyone in your family suffers from asthma, allergies, hay fever or respiratory and sinus problems, keeping your air conditioners functioning at optimum efficiency helps clear the air of dust and plant spores and prevent the spread of harmful particulates.

Aside from your usual air conditioning maintenance (cleaning the filters, checking the hoses, wiping dust and grime from the grill) you should have your air conditioner checked and serviced by a qualified professional.

If your air conditioning unit emits a burning smell, buzzes loudly, smokes or otherwise malfunctions, turn the power off immediately and seek help from a qualified air conditioning maintenance professional.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Health benefits of air conditioning systems in the home

Although many people think of New Zealand as a tropical paradise, the truth is our weather patterns are changeable and unpredictable. With many homes not properly insulated, Many New Zealanders suffer from health problems as a result of extreme temperature changes.

Installing air conditioning in your home can make a vast improvement on your health. If you suffer from respiratory or sinus problems, allergies to airborne particles, have limited mobility or live in an area of poor air quality, consider the health benefits of installing an air conditioning system:

  • Excessive heat or cold cause long-term stress on the body - headaches, colds, excessive coughing, and other persistent symptoms are often the result of long exposure to extreme temperatures. Installing air conditioning can instantly relieve these stresses.

  • Temperatures and humidity affect how the body works. Too much heat or cold can use up energy, quite rapidly in some cases. The body burns energy trying to regulate its temperature, leaving you feeling fatigued. Using air conditioning to regulate indoor temperatures can help you feel more energised.

  • Air conditioning banishes stale air, bad odours and airborne chemicals, making your home more safe and pleasant to live in.

Even people in good health fall ill from air particulates and temperature changes. Constant stress on your body from extreme temperatures, poor ventilation and harmful air particulates causes your immune system to work overtime, leaving your family vulnerable to more serious health problems.

Air conditioning makes your home a clean, safe and pleasant environment to live in. Even the most basic air conditioning system will drastically improve the quality of life for you and your family.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Air Con in the office

Have you ever had trouble with the temperature in your office? Many office air con systems are either too hot or freezing leaving your employees to rug up in summer or sweat it out in winter.
Having the right temperature in the office is essential to the comfort and productivity of your employees. Being too hot or too cold affects the brains ability to function at its best and that means work will suffer as a result.

An office air con system should be able to regulate the temperature to a level that is comfortable so that employees don’t notice the temperature. A good system should be quiet and visually non offensive.

There are many options that are suitable for an office, the one you choose will depend on the size of your space and how many rooms need heating or cooling.

Some potential options for air con include;

• A wall fitted air con unit
• A heat pump
Underfloor heating system
• A ceiling air con system, or
Ducted air con system

Air con systems and heat pumps also reduce humidity and dust in the air and will contribute to better health within your office.

Getting the balance right with the temperature of your office is essential to creating a more comfortable and therefore more productive working environment.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Getting the most out of Your Air Conditioning System

Air conditioning systems provide superior climate control for your home or office all year round. Balancing heat distribution to regulate the temperature to cool or heat the air. Air conditioning systems reduce humidity and dust in the air to create a healthier environment.

Ensuring the long term high performance of you air con system requires a small amount of maintenance. Some of this you can do yourself by cleaning the filter on a monthly basis.
Air conditioning maintenance is essential for preventing break downs, keeping the air clean and ensuring the air con system is performing at maximum efficiency.

Air conditioning maintenance ensures your air con system saves you money by saving energy expended to regulate the temperature. A clean well maintained system is more energy efficient and doesn’t have to work as hard to heat or cool your home or office.

When you buy a new air con system your provider will outline the maintenance requirements of your specific system. Some air con systems require serviced maintenance to comply with OSH guidelines.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Choose a Superior System – Underfloor Heating

Are you looking for an air conditioning or heating system that offers you multiple benefits and saves you money?

Underfloor heating systems are perfect for the home or office providing a climate control solution that you can use all year round. They operate very quietly making them great for offices and take up no space as they are fitted under the floor.
Simple to operate under floor heating regulates the climate to perfection whether heating or cooling. These systems require very little maintenance so your ongoing costs are greatly reduced.

The way an under floor heating system works is by using heat conduction to regulate the air temperature. This kind of heat conduction reduces dust and humidity in the air making for a healthier environment and cleaner space.

The efficiency of an underfloor heating system provides significant savings. By maximizing energy output when cooling or heating the space these systems reduce the cost of power in your home or office.

How do you know if under floor heating is for you?

The way your home or office is built will have some impact on the suitability of underfloor heating. When exploring your options talk to an expert who can provide you with the criteria for installing an under floor heating system in your home or office.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Choosing the Right Air Conditioning System for Your Home

As summer approaches and things start heating up across New Zealand it’s a good time to think about how to keep things comfortable in your home. An air conditioning system is a cost and energy efficient way to ensure that when its hot outside it’s cool inside for you and your family.

Some things to consider when selecting an air conditioning system for your home;

Aesthetics – which system will work best with your homes décor? Would you prefer a system you can’t see at all? How much space will the air conditioning unit take up?

Energy Efficiency – what features does the unit have that will ensure it is cost effective in terms of your energy bills? How much is the average cost of running the various air conditioning systems?

Space - Which air conditioning system best suits your space? Would a portable system be sufficient for your home?

Noise – how much noise do the various air con systems make?

So how do you know what system will work for your home? There are numerous types of air conditioning systems suitable for home use. These include wall fitted units, portable units, central air conditioning units and window units. Each has its own benefits and the one that is suitable for you will depend on your space, needs and budget.

Once you have established what it is you want and need it’s time to take the next step and speak to the professionals who will be able to recommend the perfect solution.