Air Conditioning
One
evening, in the dog days of summer, I went to a movie theater in
Manhattan. I wanted to be comfortable and space out a little bit. As
time went on, the theater was getting warmer and warmer. It must have
been over eighty degrees in the movie house. I walked over to the
manager and asked him to turn down the thermostat. An hour later the
auditorium cooled off, and then the movie was over. How would you feel?
And, what has changed?
As
the temperature is climbing and the humidity is increasing, perspiration
is the normal reaction. Air Conditioning is cool. A/C is the greatest
invention of modern times unfortunately it consumes energy and pollutes
the environment. Seventy four degrees and thirty percent humidity
sounds like a perfect day on the beach but it rarely remains constant
in any building.
There
are over six billion people on the planet that can’t resist being comfortable. The consequence of these demands for energy is a
highly polluted world. Global warming, an increased public awareness
and the high cost of energy have forced change. The effect of
refrigerants on the ozone layer has triggered environmentalists to push
for new innovations.
Air
conditioning: Cooling and dehumidifying of indoor air for thermal
comfort. In 1902 the first modern electrical air conditioning was
invented by Willis H. Carrier. Air conditioning sales have dramatically
expanded for residential applications in the 1950’s. The objective is
to control temperature and humidity as well as air filtration and air
movement.
Humidity: High heat and humidity reduce the effectiveness of sweating to cool the
body by preventing the evaporation of perspiration from the skin. The
body’s efforts to maintain an acceptable body temperature may be
significantly impaired. Also, if the atmosphere is as warm or warmer
than the skin during times of high humidity, blood brought to the body
surface cannot shed heat by conduction of air. With so much blood going
to the external surface of the body, relatively less goes to the active
muscles, the brain, and other internal organs. Physical strength
declines and fatigue occurs sooner than it would otherwise. Alertness
and mental capacity also may be affected.
Pollution:
There is no need to look any further than the dust on your desk or the
A/C filters that you just replaced and the accumulation of pollutants
on your condenser coils from automobiles, buses and boiler combustion
byproducts. Measurements of pollution levels in the air are categorized
by their effect on health from good to hazardous levels that may be
life-threatening to ill and elderly persons. Healthy people may
experience adverse symptoms that effect normal activity. There is an
increase in the number of people who have asthma and other respiratory
problems due to a polluted environment.
Exciting
technological breakthroughs in the air conditioning industry have
become increasingly costly. The phase out of Freon 22 and the
introduction of Freon 410A as well as new controls and communication
capabilities will increase the cost of equipment, parts and repairs.
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