Frequently Asked Questions ?

How does an air conditioner work?

An air conditioner transfers heat from the inside of a building, where it is not wanted, to the outside. Refrigerant in the system absorbs the excess heat and is pumped through a closed system of piping to an outside coil. A fan blows outside air over the hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. Because the heat is removed from the indoor air, the indoor area is cooled.

What is "Heat Pump"?

The difference between a heat pump and a normal air conditioner is that a heat pump air conditioner can be used to heat a home as well as cool it. A heat pump can change which coil is the condenser and which the evaporator. Even though the heat pump can heat, it still uses the same basic refrigeration cycle to do this.

What is better - central air conditioning, highwall or window units?

This depends largely on individual circumstances for example, how large is the area to be air conditioned, how large is the family, what temperatures are required, how well the house is insulated, where the house is located, etc. 

Central systems require internal ducting; window units take up valuable window space. In many cases, Ductless Mini Split is an optimal choice. Your contractor can advise you.

How to convert an air conditioner capacity from Btu to kW. What is "ton"?

• 1 horsepower (HP) = 2.8 kW
• 1 kW*hr = 3,413 BTU/hr (British Thermal Units),
• 1 ton = 12,000 BTU/hr

The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is a traditional unit of energy. It is approximately the amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. 

The unit ton is used in refrigeration and air conditioning to measure heat absorption. Prior to the introduction of mechanical refrigeration, cooling was accomplished by delivering ice. Installing one ton of refrigeration replaced the daily delivery of one ton of ice.