When it comes to air conditioning systems, we’re always reminded of hot summer days. You suddenly find an air conditioning system almost everywhere in summer, even in the UK. When the mercury rises it’s at times like this that we’re happy to see the AC unit in the office ceiling or the air duct on the factory floor keeping us comfortable. As we all know by now that air conditioning systems can use up a huge amount of energy and can hit businesses in the pocket. In this article, you will find some cool facts about air conditioning systems and ways how you can save energy.
The Importance of an Air Conditioning System
If you want to learn how you can increase the efficiency of an air conditioning system at work, you have to know the full functionality of the AC system and how it can affect your workforce. If you can imagine a hot and humid summer afternoon, it does occasionally happen in the UK! Everybody has been relieved to get back into a comfortable environment after taking a break or lunch at work at times. Have you ever imagined what would have happened if the air conditioning system at your workplace stopped functioning efficiently? You would have to work all sweating and suffocating at your workplace with a little amount of cooling. When the air conditioning system at your workplace becomes inefficient, it can make the atmosphere of the room humid, and pretty uncomfortable. Especially when it comes to the workplace, you have to share the environment and air with more people. An inefficient air conditioning system makes the atmosphere quite suffocating and can have a major impact on workforce efficiency and morale. That is how important an efficient air conditioning system is.
How Does An Air Conditioning System Work?
Every AC system has a unique way of working depending on the type of system and the individual manufactured units. An air conditioning system works mainly according to the temperature inside your room. If your room has an average temperature, then the air conditioning system adjusts the output air temperature and flow. It essentially removes the hot air inside the room and fills the room with cold air. It uses coolants to make the room temperature comfortable. The temperature of the air conditioning system is adjustable. If you can reduce and increase the temperature of the air conditioning system according to your suit will.
How To Save Energy For Increasing The Efficiency Of Air Conditioning At The Workplace?
Living in a world with such a significant population, you need to be concerned about saving energy and increasing the working efficiency of systems such as your air conditioning. The optimal usage throughout all seasons can increase the efficiency of your air conditioning system. The following can help you achieve this:
- First, as we specialise in TM44 inspections, we would have to say if you live in the UK and have an AC system over 12kW, you must have a TM44 inspection carried out by law. We have written more in-depth about the TM44 regulations and you should take a look to see if you are compliant. A Tm44 carried out every 5 years will give you a good understanding of how you can save energy.
- It helps if you periodically check the ductwork of the AC system at the workplace once in a month to avoid any air leakage from the vents. The leakage of air would prevent the room from getting cool, which in turn would make the air conditioning system work harder trying to make the room cooler. This can make your electricity bill rise.
- Insulation of the pipes of an air conditioning system can help to reduce the usage of energy. In case of improper insulation of the pipes, the air conditioning system would take a long time to cool the room at the workplace.
- You should purchase a functional thermostat for saving energy and increasing the working efficiency of the air conditioning system at the workplace. Rather than turning you air conditioning system on and off at the workplace, the thermostat will regulate the temperature within a narrow band. This helps keep the environment inside more comfortable whether it’s via heating or cooling and will also help save energy and reduce your electricity bill.
- Cleaning the units that make up the air conditioning system can help you save a lot of energy and even helps in increasing the efficiency of the air conditioning system. The replacement of filters and coolants at the right time helps in increasing the working efficiency of the air conditioner.
- Proper and regular maintenance of the air conditioning system also helps in saving energy. If one of the parts becomes nonfunctional at any point in time, then the air conditioning system would need to work harder than usual to reach your desired temperature. This inefficiency of the air conditioning system would increase your electricity bills.
- Cleaning of the drainage pipe(s) of an air conditioning system is essential for saving energy as well as increasing the work efficiency of the AC unit at the workplace. A blocked draining pipe from the AC unit would prevent the water from draining properly. This prevention of water passage can cause damage to the air conditioning system and thus reduce the work efficiency of the appliance.
- Keep the air conditioning system in working conditions in the summer season, as well as the winter season. If your temperature varies from 5-8 degrees centigrade in winter and summer, that will keep the air conditioning system healthy and even save energy to some reasonable extent.
- You should keep any objects that give off heat like a lamp, heater or bulb away from the air conditioning system at the workplace. The hot surface would make the air conditioning system consider the room temperature to be higher than usual. The appliance would start working harder to keep the room fresh, this will increase the energy usage and reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner.
- Consider limiting direct sunlight from the windows in the summer season at the workplace. The direct heat of the sun makes the window glass and surfaces warm and, in turn, increases the room temperature.
