Okay, here's another one of those wacky mental images for you: Each year enough waste paper is thrown out to build a 12-foot-high wall all the way from Los Angeles to New York. Paper is the largest component of municipal solid waste, according to the environmental study group Inform, Inc. And office paper is the third largest source of waste paper, after corrugated cardboard and newspapers. Try these tactics for cutting back on paper use, along with other measures for making the workplace greener.
Control reproduction. Photocopying alone accounts for a quarter of all office paper use. To cut back, copy on both sides of a page and set up a central filing system that everyone can use, creating less demand for personal copies of important documents. Post announcements in a central location rather than in several different spots.
Fill the page. To fit more on each piece of paper, print single-spaced instead of double, make margins narrower and use smaller typefaces. A document that's printed on two sides, single-spaced, uses one-fourth the amount of paper eaten up by the same document printed on one side, double-spaced. It also takes less filing space and is cheaper to mail.
Eliminate fax cover sheets. Instead, slap on Post-it stickers that provide all the needed information on the document's first page.
Get the lead out. Buy yourself mechanical pencils with replacement graphite, and refillable pens as well.
Work on a laptop. These totable computers use 10 to 30 percent less energy than more powerful counterparts.
Start a recycling program. If your company doesn't have one, find out how to get one going. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the National Recycling Coalition, 1101 30th St. NW, Suite 305, Washington, DC 20007; or call (202) 625-6406.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tools, tips and strategies that'll save you a few bucks--and help save the world at the same time. PART II. THE HOUSE
This is where the average man has the greatest discretion when it comes to making environment-friendly decisions. You govern the thermostat, the lighting, the appliances and the water spigots, all of which control the use of valuable resources.
Spend more to save. A quick study of those energy-efficiency ratings (EERs) on new appliances can help make your purchase easier. Say you are considering two models, and the higher-rated model costs $100 more to buy but $20 a year less to run than the bargain model. Realize that you'll save the difference in five years. "Look at the purchase price as your down payment and the energy costs as monthly installments," says John Morrill, a research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "You can easily save 20 to 30 percent of your energy bill with high-efficiency units," Morrill says.
Don't cool an empty house. When you leave the house, turn off the air-conditioning. It takes less energy to cool things down again later than it does to keep the machinery running. There are timers you can set to turn the unit back on so the house is cool again before you get home.
See it in a new light. Use highly efficient fluorescent light bulbs instead of energy-hogging incandescents, which give off 90 percent of their power as heat, not light. A 13-watt fluorescent bulb gives off as much light as a 75-watt incandescent. Fluorescents have come a long way since the days of those buzzing blue tubes that flickered overhead in high school. Today, they're quieter and give off a steadier, more natural light. They also come in sizes that fit in sockets designed for incandescents. Although these are more expensive (up to $30 each), they last around 10 times longer.
Use fewer bulbs. It's better to burn a few higher-watt bulbs than greater numbers of lower-watt ones. A single 100-watt bulb gives off 20 percent more light than two 60-watters, while using less juice.
Exit in darkness. Light-fixture lore has it that more energy is used turning on an incandescent bulb than letting it burn. Actually, this is true only if the bulb is less than 100 watts and if the light is turned back on within three minutes of being extinguished, according to Marjorie Lamb, author of 2 Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet. So if you're really leaving a room, douse the lights.
Do touch that dial. It's not news that you can save money by adjusting the thermostat. Jimmy Carter, sweaters, fireside chats--remember? But here's some incentive to endure a little less comfort: You'll save up to 5 percent on cooling costs if you set your air-conditioner between 70 and 82 degrees in the summer and up to 3 percent on your heating bill if your thermostat is set between 65 and 72 in winter. It's also been estimated that if everybody raised their A/C settings by 6 degrees, we'd save 190,000 barrels of oil daily. Lowering the heat by the same amount would save 500,000 barrels.
Nuke your food. The microwave typically uses a third to a half less energy than a regular oven to heat the same amount of food.
Resist the urge to peek. Opening the door on a regular oven while food is cooking causes the temperature inside to drop 25 to 75 degrees, making the unit work harder to finish the job.
Hand-wash dishes. At least the small loads. Hand-washing uses 10 gallons of water on average, as compared to the 14 gallons needed by most automatic dishwashers. For loads large enough to completely fill the dishwasher, however, the appliance is actually more efficient.
Cover with waxed paper. It degrades more readily than plastic.
Chill drinking water. Running the tap to get a cool drink can waste up to 4 gallons of water per minute. Keeping a pitcher of water on hand in the refrigerator not only wastes less, it also makes your drink colder.
Keep the refrigerator full. Every item on your shelves helps to cool the air surrounding it. Stock (but don't overstuff) your shelves and your appliance won't have to work as hard to keep the temperature down, particularly when you open and close the door. This trick works even better for freezers.
Use soaps, not detergents. Soaps are derived from natural sources like plants or animals, while detergents are petroleum-based. And among soaps, avoid synthetically scented types, which are made with more chemicals.
Don't call Mister Plumber. Clogged drain? Before reaching for a harsh, toxic pipe-clearing chemical, try dumping boiling water down the drain or using a toilet plunger.
Save water in the bathroom. About 75 percent of household water gets used here. Never just leave the water running: When shaving, fill the basin to wet and rinse your face and blade; when brushing, turn on water only when you need it. You could save 2 to 5 gallons of water each time you stand at the sink--enough in a day to take a longer shower.
Sink a bottle. Remember the principle of displacement from high-school physics? Put a quart bottle of water weighted with stones into your toilet tank, and you'll conserve a quart of water with each flush. Don't use a brick for this time-honored trick, however: It may break apart and damage the plumbing.
Save on suds. Most detergent-makers recommend you use more of their product than you need to get clothes clean. You'll have to experiment a bit to judge results using less detergent, but many environmental groups suggest you start by cutting the usual amount in half. And don't forget to use blackout curtains at home!
Spend more to save. A quick study of those energy-efficiency ratings (EERs) on new appliances can help make your purchase easier. Say you are considering two models, and the higher-rated model costs $100 more to buy but $20 a year less to run than the bargain model. Realize that you'll save the difference in five years. "Look at the purchase price as your down payment and the energy costs as monthly installments," says John Morrill, a research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "You can easily save 20 to 30 percent of your energy bill with high-efficiency units," Morrill says.
Don't cool an empty house. When you leave the house, turn off the air-conditioning. It takes less energy to cool things down again later than it does to keep the machinery running. There are timers you can set to turn the unit back on so the house is cool again before you get home.
See it in a new light. Use highly efficient fluorescent light bulbs instead of energy-hogging incandescents, which give off 90 percent of their power as heat, not light. A 13-watt fluorescent bulb gives off as much light as a 75-watt incandescent. Fluorescents have come a long way since the days of those buzzing blue tubes that flickered overhead in high school. Today, they're quieter and give off a steadier, more natural light. They also come in sizes that fit in sockets designed for incandescents. Although these are more expensive (up to $30 each), they last around 10 times longer.
Use fewer bulbs. It's better to burn a few higher-watt bulbs than greater numbers of lower-watt ones. A single 100-watt bulb gives off 20 percent more light than two 60-watters, while using less juice.
Exit in darkness. Light-fixture lore has it that more energy is used turning on an incandescent bulb than letting it burn. Actually, this is true only if the bulb is less than 100 watts and if the light is turned back on within three minutes of being extinguished, according to Marjorie Lamb, author of 2 Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet. So if you're really leaving a room, douse the lights.
Do touch that dial. It's not news that you can save money by adjusting the thermostat. Jimmy Carter, sweaters, fireside chats--remember? But here's some incentive to endure a little less comfort: You'll save up to 5 percent on cooling costs if you set your air-conditioner between 70 and 82 degrees in the summer and up to 3 percent on your heating bill if your thermostat is set between 65 and 72 in winter. It's also been estimated that if everybody raised their A/C settings by 6 degrees, we'd save 190,000 barrels of oil daily. Lowering the heat by the same amount would save 500,000 barrels.
Nuke your food. The microwave typically uses a third to a half less energy than a regular oven to heat the same amount of food.
Resist the urge to peek. Opening the door on a regular oven while food is cooking causes the temperature inside to drop 25 to 75 degrees, making the unit work harder to finish the job.
Hand-wash dishes. At least the small loads. Hand-washing uses 10 gallons of water on average, as compared to the 14 gallons needed by most automatic dishwashers. For loads large enough to completely fill the dishwasher, however, the appliance is actually more efficient.
Cover with waxed paper. It degrades more readily than plastic.
Chill drinking water. Running the tap to get a cool drink can waste up to 4 gallons of water per minute. Keeping a pitcher of water on hand in the refrigerator not only wastes less, it also makes your drink colder.
Keep the refrigerator full. Every item on your shelves helps to cool the air surrounding it. Stock (but don't overstuff) your shelves and your appliance won't have to work as hard to keep the temperature down, particularly when you open and close the door. This trick works even better for freezers.
Use soaps, not detergents. Soaps are derived from natural sources like plants or animals, while detergents are petroleum-based. And among soaps, avoid synthetically scented types, which are made with more chemicals.
Don't call Mister Plumber. Clogged drain? Before reaching for a harsh, toxic pipe-clearing chemical, try dumping boiling water down the drain or using a toilet plunger.
Save water in the bathroom. About 75 percent of household water gets used here. Never just leave the water running: When shaving, fill the basin to wet and rinse your face and blade; when brushing, turn on water only when you need it. You could save 2 to 5 gallons of water each time you stand at the sink--enough in a day to take a longer shower.
Sink a bottle. Remember the principle of displacement from high-school physics? Put a quart bottle of water weighted with stones into your toilet tank, and you'll conserve a quart of water with each flush. Don't use a brick for this time-honored trick, however: It may break apart and damage the plumbing.
Save on suds. Most detergent-makers recommend you use more of their product than you need to get clothes clean. You'll have to experiment a bit to judge results using less detergent, but many environmental groups suggest you start by cutting the usual amount in half. And don't forget to use blackout curtains at home!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tools, tips and strategies that'll save you a few bucks--and help save the world at the same time. PART 1. INTRODUCTION
In an effort to make the sorry plight of the environment more vivid to guys like you and me, save-the-earth organizations often try to create sobering mental pictures for us. One of my favorites is this one: "Every 20 minutes, Americans dump enough cars into junkyards to form a stack as high as the Empire State Building." Which leads me to ask a round of completely useless but compelling questions, like, Would it really be possible to stack cars as high as the Empire State Building? How would you get them to stay up? If you pounded on the one at the bottom, would a sympathetic vibration quiver through the whole lot of them and make the one on top sway?
Actually, the trouble with these "just imagine" visions is that they send the wrong message: Clearly everyone else is trashing their cars, so why shouldn't we?
This is part of what makes the subject of environmentalism so discouraging. Are you for the environment? Of course. But what impact could your own paltry efforts to improve things possibly have?
The simple answer is, a lot. Individual action creates a ripple effect that motivates others to think and act as we do. Studies by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Arizona State University, suggest that if you, say, stoop to pick up a piece of litter, your action makes it far more likely that others around you will not litter. Furthermore, economics being what they are, it takes only a small minority to send a message to those who can and will make changes: "If 5 or 10 percent of us change our buying habits out of concern for the environment, we can get big companies to stand up and salute," says Joel Makower, author of The Green Consumer.
There's also a very selfish reason to think green. Basic conservation methods applied on a household scale can save you money. A good amount of money. It takes roughly $1,700 in energy costs to power a small house and a modest-sized car for a year. Simple conservation methods could save you more than half of that, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. The bigger the house and family, the greater the potential savings, they say.
To come up with the most useful energy- and money-saving strategies, Men's Health contacted dozens of environmental groups and advocates across the country. We asked for ideas we could put to use without taking on big-time commitments like starting a lobbying campaign or forming a citizens' group. Here's what we came up with.
Actually, the trouble with these "just imagine" visions is that they send the wrong message: Clearly everyone else is trashing their cars, so why shouldn't we?
This is part of what makes the subject of environmentalism so discouraging. Are you for the environment? Of course. But what impact could your own paltry efforts to improve things possibly have?
The simple answer is, a lot. Individual action creates a ripple effect that motivates others to think and act as we do. Studies by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Arizona State University, suggest that if you, say, stoop to pick up a piece of litter, your action makes it far more likely that others around you will not litter. Furthermore, economics being what they are, it takes only a small minority to send a message to those who can and will make changes: "If 5 or 10 percent of us change our buying habits out of concern for the environment, we can get big companies to stand up and salute," says Joel Makower, author of The Green Consumer.
There's also a very selfish reason to think green. Basic conservation methods applied on a household scale can save you money. A good amount of money. It takes roughly $1,700 in energy costs to power a small house and a modest-sized car for a year. Simple conservation methods could save you more than half of that, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. The bigger the house and family, the greater the potential savings, they say.
To come up with the most useful energy- and money-saving strategies, Men's Health contacted dozens of environmental groups and advocates across the country. We asked for ideas we could put to use without taking on big-time commitments like starting a lobbying campaign or forming a citizens' group. Here's what we came up with.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Experience on-the-road savings
With gas prices at all-time highs, your organization's traveling reps are in for a costlier summer sales season. Take a cue from a cost-conscious hospitality provider that's helping its guests stretch their travel dollars.
"We have developed a money-saving 'Road Warrior' program offering tips and discounts specifically designed for travelers who spend a great deal of time on the road," says Linda Williams director of marketing for Buckhead America, owner of Country Hearth Inns.
Pass these cost-saving fuel efficiency tips along to your sales staff to help them get the most bang for their buck:
• Buy gas in the morning or at night. Gas becomes dense at cooler temperatures, and you'll get more for your money.
• Check tire pressure monthly. Under-inflated tires reduced fuel efficiency by 2 percent for every pound they were under.
• Drive at 55 miles per hour on highways. You'll use 20 percent more fuel at 70 mph than at 55 mph. Use cruise control to maintain a consistent speed and increase fuel economy.
• Avoid dirt or gravel roads, which use up 30 percent more fuel.
• Turn off the air-conditioning, which reduces fuel economy 10 percent to 20 percent, whenever possible.
• Keep windows shut at high speeds to avoid reducing fuel efficiency by 10 percent.
• Don't let your car idle. It's less costly to turn the motor off than to let it idle more than 45 seconds.
• Remove unnecessary items from inside your car. Excess weight reduces fuel efficiency.
• Drive smoothly, accelerating and breaking gently. Sudden stops or speed bursts consume more fuel. Also, accelerate before you reach a hill, and avoid stop-and-go driving during rush hour to save fuel.
"We have developed a money-saving 'Road Warrior' program offering tips and discounts specifically designed for travelers who spend a great deal of time on the road," says Linda Williams director of marketing for Buckhead America, owner of Country Hearth Inns.
Pass these cost-saving fuel efficiency tips along to your sales staff to help them get the most bang for their buck:
• Buy gas in the morning or at night. Gas becomes dense at cooler temperatures, and you'll get more for your money.
• Check tire pressure monthly. Under-inflated tires reduced fuel efficiency by 2 percent for every pound they were under.
• Drive at 55 miles per hour on highways. You'll use 20 percent more fuel at 70 mph than at 55 mph. Use cruise control to maintain a consistent speed and increase fuel economy.
• Avoid dirt or gravel roads, which use up 30 percent more fuel.
• Turn off the air-conditioning, which reduces fuel economy 10 percent to 20 percent, whenever possible.
• Keep windows shut at high speeds to avoid reducing fuel efficiency by 10 percent.
• Don't let your car idle. It's less costly to turn the motor off than to let it idle more than 45 seconds.
• Remove unnecessary items from inside your car. Excess weight reduces fuel efficiency.
• Drive smoothly, accelerating and breaking gently. Sudden stops or speed bursts consume more fuel. Also, accelerate before you reach a hill, and avoid stop-and-go driving during rush hour to save fuel.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
START WITH EFFICIENCY
Back in 1981, the U.S. Department of Energy decided to rate the relative efficiencies of air conditioners. And, being a government agency, it gave birth to an acronym ... one that today is part and parcel to the hvacr language.
Explain to customers that "SEER" stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio, and it's a mathematical ratio of cooling output versus electrical power input over a wide range of operating conditions.
A good example is that it's similar to miles-per-gallon ratings for automobiles. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the air conditioner.
In 1992, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act set a minimum standard of 10.0 SEER for split-system air conditioners.
This type of information offers important facts about what a customer is considering when making a decision to buy.
CULPRIT IS THE COIL
While most homeowners believe "central air" is the unit humming outside behind the arborvitae bush, a residential, split-system, central air conditioning system is actually a lot more.
It's not only the outdoor condenser, it's also the evaporator coil mounted indoors on a furnace or air handler.
The system is engineered as just that -- a system. And perhaps the most important part of that system is the coil, which must be properly matched to the condenser.
When ARI (the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) certifies SEER ratings, it bases its findings on systems that are operating as the manufacturer designed them.
That means, for example, that a high-efficiency outdoor unit is matched with a high-efficiency indoor coil. That way, the system is operating as it was engineered.
In actual residential installations, all too often a matched air conditioning system is not quoted because of pricing pressures. Homeowners are sometimes reluctant to pay the additional charges to replace not only an ailing outdoor condenser, but an existing indoor coil that seems to be operating just fine.
Is that opportunity knocking?
Of course, the problem of mismatched systems occurs more often in the residential replacement business than in new construction. But in 1996, the industry shipped more than 5.6 million new compressor-bearing units -and that market is 60% replacement -- illustrating the potential size of the problem.
York has capitalized on the situation with a new generation of coils that are simple for installing contractors to match up to condensers, a complete line of uncased, half-cased, fullcased, horizontal, and FlatTop(R) coils engineered to meet virtually any residential air conditioning installation.
The company is re-engineering its entire gas furnace and air handler lines to accept these new coils. The four standard widths of the furnaces and air handlers match up size-wise with the complete coil line.
To make certain everyone gets the "matching" message, the company has developed a dedicated "Residential System Selling Kit," which includes "Quick Selection Charts" and a reference manual detailing recommended system set-ups.
Also included in the kit is a proprietary computer software adaptation of the charts. Dubbed RSVP for "Residential System Verification Program," the interactive program is aimed at ensuring an efficient system. It allows installers to plug in system and application requirements to correctly match components.
With a correctly matched system, residential customers get ARI-certified, UL-approved performance; increased dependability; higher capacities; and more comfort.
Explain to customers that "SEER" stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio, and it's a mathematical ratio of cooling output versus electrical power input over a wide range of operating conditions.
A good example is that it's similar to miles-per-gallon ratings for automobiles. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the air conditioner.
In 1992, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act set a minimum standard of 10.0 SEER for split-system air conditioners.
This type of information offers important facts about what a customer is considering when making a decision to buy.
CULPRIT IS THE COIL
While most homeowners believe "central air" is the unit humming outside behind the arborvitae bush, a residential, split-system, central air conditioning system is actually a lot more.
It's not only the outdoor condenser, it's also the evaporator coil mounted indoors on a furnace or air handler.
The system is engineered as just that -- a system. And perhaps the most important part of that system is the coil, which must be properly matched to the condenser.
When ARI (the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) certifies SEER ratings, it bases its findings on systems that are operating as the manufacturer designed them.
That means, for example, that a high-efficiency outdoor unit is matched with a high-efficiency indoor coil. That way, the system is operating as it was engineered.
In actual residential installations, all too often a matched air conditioning system is not quoted because of pricing pressures. Homeowners are sometimes reluctant to pay the additional charges to replace not only an ailing outdoor condenser, but an existing indoor coil that seems to be operating just fine.
Is that opportunity knocking?
Of course, the problem of mismatched systems occurs more often in the residential replacement business than in new construction. But in 1996, the industry shipped more than 5.6 million new compressor-bearing units -and that market is 60% replacement -- illustrating the potential size of the problem.
York has capitalized on the situation with a new generation of coils that are simple for installing contractors to match up to condensers, a complete line of uncased, half-cased, fullcased, horizontal, and FlatTop(R) coils engineered to meet virtually any residential air conditioning installation.
The company is re-engineering its entire gas furnace and air handler lines to accept these new coils. The four standard widths of the furnaces and air handlers match up size-wise with the complete coil line.
To make certain everyone gets the "matching" message, the company has developed a dedicated "Residential System Selling Kit," which includes "Quick Selection Charts" and a reference manual detailing recommended system set-ups.
Also included in the kit is a proprietary computer software adaptation of the charts. Dubbed RSVP for "Residential System Verification Program," the interactive program is aimed at ensuring an efficient system. It allows installers to plug in system and application requirements to correctly match components.
With a correctly matched system, residential customers get ARI-certified, UL-approved performance; increased dependability; higher capacities; and more comfort.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
REMIND CUSTOMERS THAT IT'S A SYSTEM THEY'RE BUYING
In general, the industry is doing a better job of matching up coils to condensing units, to get the a/c system's rated efficiency. But more customer education is still needed, and at the most basic levels.
YORK, Pa. -- A recent article published in York's Insight magazine reminds contractors to remind customers that it's a system they're buying when getting central air, not just an air conditioning unit.
Some tips on what to tell customers, who are certainly concerned with practical matters such as price and installation, are recommended, starting with educating them on what they're buying.
START WITH EFFICIENCY
Back in 1981, the U.S. Department of Energy decided to rate the relative efficiencies of air conditioners. And, being a government agency, it gave birth to an acronym ... one that today is part and parcel to the hvacr language.
Explain to customers that "SEER" stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio, and it's a mathematical ratio of cooling output versus electrical power input over a wide range of operating conditions.
A good example is that it's similar to miles-per-gallon ratings for automobiles. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the air conditioner.
In 1992, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act set a minimum standard of 10.0 SEER for split-system air conditioners.
This type of information offers important facts about what a customer is considering when making a decision to buy.
CULPRIT IS THE COIL
While most homeowners believe "central air" is the unit humming outside behind the arborvitae bush, a residential, split-system, central air conditioning system is actually a lot more.
It's not only the outdoor condenser, it's also the evaporator coil mounted indoors on a furnace or air handler.
The system is engineered as just that -- a system. And perhaps the most important part of that system is the coil, which must be properly matched to the condenser.
When ARI (the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) certifies SEER ratings, it bases its findings on systems that are operating as the manufacturer designed them.
That means, for example, that a high-efficiency outdoor unit is matched with a high-efficiency indoor coil. That way, the system is operating as it was engineered.
In actual residential installations, all too often a matched air conditioning system is not quoted because of pricing pressures. Homeowners are sometimes reluctant to pay the additional charges to replace not only an ailing outdoor condenser, but an existing indoor coil that seems to be operating just fine.
Is that opportunity knocking?
Of course, the problem of mismatched systems occurs more often in the residential replacement business than in new construction. But in 1996, the industry shipped more than 5.6 million new compressor-bearing units -and that market is 60% replacement -- illustrating the potential size of the problem.
York has capitalized on the situation with a new generation of coils that are simple for installing contractors to match up to condensers, a complete line of uncased, half-cased, fullcased, horizontal, and FlatTop(R) coils engineered to meet virtually any residential air conditioning installation.
The company is re-engineering its entire gas furnace and air handler lines to accept these new coils. The four standard widths of the furnaces and air handlers match up size-wise with the complete coil line.
To make certain everyone gets the "matching" message, the company has developed a dedicated "Residential System Selling Kit," which includes "Quick Selection Charts" and a reference manual detailing recommended system set-ups.
Also included in the kit is a proprietary computer software adaptation of the charts. Dubbed RSVP for "Residential System Verification Program," the interactive program is aimed at ensuring an efficient system. It allows installers to plug in system and application requirements to correctly match components.
With a correctly matched system, residential customers get ARI-certified, UL-approved performance; increased dependability; higher capacities; and more comfort.
YORK, Pa. -- A recent article published in York's Insight magazine reminds contractors to remind customers that it's a system they're buying when getting central air, not just an air conditioning unit.
Some tips on what to tell customers, who are certainly concerned with practical matters such as price and installation, are recommended, starting with educating them on what they're buying.
START WITH EFFICIENCY
Back in 1981, the U.S. Department of Energy decided to rate the relative efficiencies of air conditioners. And, being a government agency, it gave birth to an acronym ... one that today is part and parcel to the hvacr language.
Explain to customers that "SEER" stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio, and it's a mathematical ratio of cooling output versus electrical power input over a wide range of operating conditions.
A good example is that it's similar to miles-per-gallon ratings for automobiles. The higher the SEER rating, the more energy efficient the air conditioner.
In 1992, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act set a minimum standard of 10.0 SEER for split-system air conditioners.
This type of information offers important facts about what a customer is considering when making a decision to buy.
CULPRIT IS THE COIL
While most homeowners believe "central air" is the unit humming outside behind the arborvitae bush, a residential, split-system, central air conditioning system is actually a lot more.
It's not only the outdoor condenser, it's also the evaporator coil mounted indoors on a furnace or air handler.
The system is engineered as just that -- a system. And perhaps the most important part of that system is the coil, which must be properly matched to the condenser.
When ARI (the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) certifies SEER ratings, it bases its findings on systems that are operating as the manufacturer designed them.
That means, for example, that a high-efficiency outdoor unit is matched with a high-efficiency indoor coil. That way, the system is operating as it was engineered.
In actual residential installations, all too often a matched air conditioning system is not quoted because of pricing pressures. Homeowners are sometimes reluctant to pay the additional charges to replace not only an ailing outdoor condenser, but an existing indoor coil that seems to be operating just fine.
Is that opportunity knocking?
Of course, the problem of mismatched systems occurs more often in the residential replacement business than in new construction. But in 1996, the industry shipped more than 5.6 million new compressor-bearing units -and that market is 60% replacement -- illustrating the potential size of the problem.
York has capitalized on the situation with a new generation of coils that are simple for installing contractors to match up to condensers, a complete line of uncased, half-cased, fullcased, horizontal, and FlatTop(R) coils engineered to meet virtually any residential air conditioning installation.
The company is re-engineering its entire gas furnace and air handler lines to accept these new coils. The four standard widths of the furnaces and air handlers match up size-wise with the complete coil line.
To make certain everyone gets the "matching" message, the company has developed a dedicated "Residential System Selling Kit," which includes "Quick Selection Charts" and a reference manual detailing recommended system set-ups.
Also included in the kit is a proprietary computer software adaptation of the charts. Dubbed RSVP for "Residential System Verification Program," the interactive program is aimed at ensuring an efficient system. It allows installers to plug in system and application requirements to correctly match components.
With a correctly matched system, residential customers get ARI-certified, UL-approved performance; increased dependability; higher capacities; and more comfort.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Don't get caught in a heat wave
You know those hazy, hot, and humid days are coming; they do every year. You cannot stop them, but you can plan ahead to keep as cool as possible.
It is not just a matter of comfort. Prolonged exposure to the heat can kill you. To help protect your health, the Medical Society of the State of New York offers these tips, adapted from the New York City Office of Emergency Management:
• To help prevent dehydration, always keep a supply of water on hand.
• Help keep your home cool by installing window shades or awnings to block out the sun.
• If you have air conditioning, make sure that it works properly before the heat wave rolls in.
• If you do not have air-conditioning, keep your windows open when possible so that fresh air may flow through your home. Also identify an air-conditioned location, such as a shopping mall, library, or home of a friend or relative where you can go to find relief from the heat.
• Have a plan with your neighbors to check in on each other during a heat wave, particularly if you or your neighbors are elderly, have young children, or have special needs.
This information is provided by the Medical Society of the State of New York. For more health-related information and referrals to physicians in your community, contact your local county medical society.
It is not just a matter of comfort. Prolonged exposure to the heat can kill you. To help protect your health, the Medical Society of the State of New York offers these tips, adapted from the New York City Office of Emergency Management:
• To help prevent dehydration, always keep a supply of water on hand.
• Help keep your home cool by installing window shades or awnings to block out the sun.
• If you have air conditioning, make sure that it works properly before the heat wave rolls in.
• If you do not have air-conditioning, keep your windows open when possible so that fresh air may flow through your home. Also identify an air-conditioned location, such as a shopping mall, library, or home of a friend or relative where you can go to find relief from the heat.
• Have a plan with your neighbors to check in on each other during a heat wave, particularly if you or your neighbors are elderly, have young children, or have special needs.
This information is provided by the Medical Society of the State of New York. For more health-related information and referrals to physicians in your community, contact your local county medical society.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)