Beating the Heat with Low Tech: Bowl of Ice & a Fan Unplggd and Re-Nest have detailed some very sleek, high tech ways to keep your house cool this summer. These ways can also come with a less than attractive price tag. An excellent and affordable method can be found by using three things we already have in our house: a fan, large mixing bowl, and ice. While not the sleekest or most efficient, setting a large bowl of ice in front of a fan caused our AC to run roughly half as much in the oppressive heat. I arranged my fan and bowl of ice in what I found to work most effectively. By tilting the bowl and allowing the breeze from the fan to blow onto the ice cubes copious cool air was blow out into my kitchen and breakfast nook. The metal bowl I used also cooled and the air blowing around the bowl, causing the metal to function as a crude heat sink. Other frozen or chilled items would likely work, I choose ice due to the fact that the cool water left behind continued to cool the room at a reduced rate once the cubes melted.

Give it a try and see if you receive the same results. Lifehacker Guide to Cooling on the CheapDuring winter months many heat pumps will need to go through a “defrost” cycle during operation. Often this has not been explained well before installation, which leads to a lot of confusion about why the heat pump is not working. This document is provided to help users understand the defrosting cycle and address any concerns.What is a “defrost cycle”?In heating mode a heat pump extracts heat from the outside air and transfers it inside your premises to warm it. When the ambient temperature outside gets very cold (close to 0°C or below) the moisture in the air freezes on the outdoor unit’s heat exchanger as the fan blows the air across it. A defrost cycle is simply the system recognising that ice has formed or begun to form and automatically fixing this.Why does my unit have to do a defrost cycle?Any ice building up on the outside heat exchanger reduces the airflow across it, which will effect the efficiency, sometimes reducing it dramatically.

In extreme cases this can also cause damage to the outdoor unit.How do I tell if my unit is in a defrost cycle?Inside you will notice the unit will stop heating, the indoor fan will stop and depending on the model there will usually be some form of visual indication like a light on the unit (usually the “run” light) will blink continuously. nissan frontier ac control unitOutside, the outdoor fan will also have stopped and the compressor will be running. mesin air handling unitHow often will my unit go in to defrost mode?daikin ducted air conditioning unitsThere are a number of factors that influence how often a unit will go in to defrost mode. Some of these include:The outdoor temperature and humidityThe amount of heating load the unit is trying to deliverThe condition of the heat pump system.

There are timers built in to the computer control of the unit that restrict how often defrosting can occur. Generally a unit must run for a minimum of around 35 minutes after starting up before completing its first defrost. From there defrosts should occur no more frequently than approximately every 35 minutes.Once my unit is defrosting how long will it take?Either of two factors can bring the unit out of a defrost cycle. Firstly, if the sensors on the outdoor unit detect that it’s heat exchanger temperature has risen enough, the unit will stop defrosting. Secondly, if the sensors do not stop it beforehand, the maximum time a unit will be in defrost cycle is around 10 minutes. It is important not to stop the unit before the defrost cycle has ended, because if the unit is restarted shortly afterwards it will run very inefficiently and may cause damage to itself. My unit is defrosting frequently / not delivering enough heat – what could be wrong?Regular defrosting, or a lack of heat could be caused by a number of factors.

If the unit has operated like this since it was first installed (first cold snap), you may be operating it incorrectly or it may be undersized for the space it is trying to heat. Initially you should consult your instruction manual to ensure you are operating the unit correctly. If this doesn’t remedy the problem you should consult your installer or another reputable heat pump installer. They can assist you to ensure correct operation, and correct sizing.If the unit is undersized for the space it is not faulty. The responsibility for correctly sizing the unit initially rests with the installing company – they will need to remedy the situation if the unit is too small.A recently developed problem may be an indication of a fault or maintenance required. You can perform some basic maintenance yourself by cleaning the filters on your indoor unit, and ensuring that your outdoor unit is clear of foliage and the heat exchanger is not blocked. If this doesn’t remedy the problem you should consult your installer or another reputable heat pump installer.

Is there any way I can help to reduce defrosting?Yes there certainly is. Keep your unit well maintained (as above) and ensure you are operating it correctly. This will help a lot.Of course the less load you place on the unit the less frequently it will need to defrost in cold conditions. Ultimately permanent fixes such as installing insulation in ceilings, walls and under floors will help reduce your heating requirement (and ultimately save you money). More immediately, keeping doors closed and curtains drawn will also help to reduce your heating required.SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — Chances are you won’t think too much about your heating and cooling system until you notice something wrong with it. One of the problems that we get calls about is the unit turning on, running for a short period of time and turning off again — over and over again. “When an air conditioning system is rapidly starting and stopping, it’s called short cycling,” says Gabriel Carini, the founder and owner of our San Diego air conditioning and heating company.

“It’s a problem because it shortens the overall life of your HVAC system and can drive up your energy costs.” There are several reasons that can cause a heating and air conditioning system to short cycle, but most of them can be prevented or corrected with a few simple steps. A short cycling unit may be the symptom of a refrigerant leak somewhere within the AC unit. The simplest fix is to add refrigerant and recharge the air conditioning unit; however, that is only a temporary solution. Instead have an air conditioning repair and service technician find and repair the leak to prevent the refrigerant from leaking out again and causing the system to short cycle. When the evaporator coil or cooling coil of the unit gets covered in ice or frost, it can cause the unit to malfunction by turning on and off in short bursts. This can typically be fixed by turning off the air conditioning unit and letting the ice melt, then checking the air filters, cleaning or replacing dirty ones.

When a unit is sized correctly, it is capable of removing the heat as quickly as it comes in to the home or business Ideally, the system should be able to keep up with the incoming heat without gaining on it. An over-sized unit will be able to cool the space too quickly and cycle on and off. Every time the system starts up again, it requires a lot of electricity, decreasing efficiency and increasing the electric bill. “Another drawback to an over-sized unit is that it may not run long enough to remove water from the air, which can result in humidity problems,” says Carini. Sometimes short cycling is caused by an electrical fitting, control board or control switch that has been damaged, jiggled loose or completely broken. Simply replacing, repairing or reconnecting the fitting will resolve the problem and eliminate the short cycling. “Most of the causes of a short-cycling unit are issues that would have been inspected and fixed during a routine heating and air conditioning service,” says Carini.

“Investing in biannual tune-ups and changing your air filter every month will keep your HVAC system from having this type of problem.” Biannual tune-ups can be scheduled separately or purchased as part of the routine maintenance agreement. During a tune-up, the technician performs a 22 point inspection of the unit, making adjustments and minor repairs where needed. As for over-sized units, they can be replaced with a unit that is the proper size. If it needs any expensive repairs or if it is 10 or more years old, homeowners may be better off replacing the unit with a two-stage unit. “A properly-sized two-stage cooling unit is the ideal option for  homeowners who are replacing their unit anyway,” says Carini, who also specializes in business heating and air conditioning services. “These systems are very efficient and effective, particularly for people in San Diego’s relatively mild climate.” Two-stage cooling means that the air conditioning unit or heat pump has a compressor with a high setting for extra hot weather and a lower setting for milder weather.