Q. What is the difference between Central Air and Split Unit Air Condition?
A. With split system air conditioners the indoor unit can be installed into a variety of small crawl spaces. Which have been split into an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, in effect separating the hot and cold components of the system which are then connected by refrigerant tubing. Most central air conditioners use a split system whether it is a ductless system or a system using ductwork to circulate the air throughout the building.

Q. How Air Conditions work?
A. Air conditioners and refrigerators work the same way. Instead of cooling just the small, insulated space inside of a refrigerator, an air conditioner cools a room, a whole house, or an entire business.

Air conditioners use chemicals that easily convert from a gas to a liquid and back again. This chemical is used to transfer heat from the air inside of a home to the outside air.

The machine has three main parts. They are a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator. The compressor and condenser are usually located on the outside air portion of the air conditioner.

Q.What are the different types of Air Conditions?
A. Portable Split Systems, Single Room Units, Ducted Systems (Central Air)

Q. What is the best way to maintain my Air Condition in the home?
A. Keep It Clear: The big AC unit that sits outside your house is called the condenser and it’s what actually cools the liquid in the coils of your AC. Cooler coils mean cooler air in your house. You’ll want to keep the area around the condenser clear of grass, bushes, and leaves and just about everything else so that the fan gets the maximum amount of air that it can.
Keep It Clean: Generally you want to make sure that the interior is free of debris on the outside and inside. Check your service manual first, but there are some general steps; Make sure you turn off the power to the unit before cleaning.
Keep It Cool: Shade your central A.C outside the house so that it cools faster.
Keep It Consistent: Don’t turn your AC unit on and off because that can burn out the interior switches and sometimes even mess up your thermostat. You’re better off setting your thermostat temperature and letting the air conditioning catch up and do its job without your interference.
Keep It Charged and Serviced: - Call us at Guerra’s or come visit us for an appointment.

Q.What is an Air-Condition Filter?
A.An air filter is a device that is placed in the air condition unit which filters the air that passes through it.

Q. How big should my air condition be?
A. There are many factors to consider such as room size, what your house is made of, do you have insulation etc. Selecting the right size of A/C is important because over-sized and under-sized systems can reduce your comfort and increase your utility bill. A system too large will cool your home too quickly and will cause the product to start and stop more, which will shorten the life of the air conditioner. If the size is too small, then the A/C will continually run more which will increase energy costs and may not even cool the room down to a satisfactory level. Call us anytime for an appointment for us to assess your area. You will need approximately 4 BTU (British Thermal Units) per cubic foot OR 40 watts per cubic meter, to cool you room.

Q. In a time when Electricity Rates are going up, how can I ensure that my Air Condition does not burn more power than is needed?
A. • When a hot day is expected, turn on the air conditioner early rather than wait till the building becomes hot (it operates more efficiently when the outside air temperature is cooler).
•Keep temperature at 28 degrees C or 65 degrees F.
• Keep windows and doors closed when using refrigerated air conditioners. Close curtains on hot summer and days and cold nights. Outdoor shading of windows in summer is most effective.
• If the machine has adjustable louvers, adjust them towards the ceiling when cooling

Q. Can I get an estimate before making a decision? What are the steps I need to do first?
A. The first step you need to do is call and make an appointment for an assessment of your company or home. An engineer will then assess the area and give you an estimate on the cost. It is totally your decision after that, but when making your decisions, remember that Guerra’s Engineering offers high quality for low cost.

Q. Do the Air Condition units make noise?
A. All A.C. Units that are installed by Guerra’s Engineering are of high technology, therefore if there are any noises in your units you need to contact us immediately because your filters may be clogged up.

Q. How long does it take to install?
A. After the assessment the installation would roughly take one working day.

Technical Page - Glossary

A

• Acoustical - is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of sound, ultrasound and infrasound (all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids). Relating to sound, the science of sound, or a sense of hearing.


• Air Conditioner - An air conditioner is an appliance, system, or mechanism designed to stabilize the air temperature and humidity within an area, typically using a refrigeration cycle but sometimes using evaporation, most commonly for comfort cooling in buildings.


• Air Flow Volume - Measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm), this is the amount of air circulated in a space.


• Air Handler - Parts of a system including the fan-blower, filter and housing.

B

• BTU - British Thermal Unit. Measures the amount of heat required to raise or lower the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.


• BTUh - British Thermal Units per hour.

C

• Celsius - A temperature scale that registers the freezing point of water as 0° and the boiling point as 100° under normal atmospheric pressure.


• CFM - Cubic Feet per Minute. A measurement of airflow volume.


• Compressor - A pump that increases the pressure of gas.


• Condensate - Vapor that is turned into a liquid as its temperature is lowered.


• Condenser Coil - Is also an outdoor coil. It’s a device that removes heat from the refrigerant, allowing the refrigerant to be converted from vapor to liquid.


• Condenser Fan - A fan that passes air over the condenser coil to facilitate the removal of heat from the refrigerant.

D

• Degree-Day - Calculated by subtracting the average outdoor temperature for an area from 65º Fahrenheit. This measurement is used to estimate the amount of heating or cooling a home or building will need.


• Dehumidifier - A device that removes humidity, or moisture, from the air.


• Drain Pan - Also a condensate pan. As the refrigerant vapor is liquefied, the drain pan collects the condensate and funnels it to the drain line.


• Ductwork - A network of metal, fiberboard or flexible material flowing throughout a space which delivers air from an HVAC unit to the respective zones of a home or office.

E

• Expansion Valve - A valve that meters the levels of refrigerant through a temperature or pressure control.


• Evaporator Coil - Also an indoor coil. A device that is designed to absorb heat in the air in order to change the liquid refrigerant that flows through it into a vapor.

F

• Fahrenheit - A temperature scale in which water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees at normal atmospheric pressure.


• Fan - A device that creates air flow.


• Filter - A device that acts like a strainer to remove dirt or undesired particles.


• Fuse - A delicate metal strip connecting two parts of an electrical circuit. This strip breaks, or melts, in the event of excess electrical charge, breaking the electrical circuit.

H

• Humidifier - A device that adds humidity, or moisture, to the air.


• Humidistat - The device that measures humidity and turns the humidifier on and off.


• Humidity - Dampness in the air caused by water vapor.

I

• Ignition - Elevating the temperature of a substance to the point of causing a combustion reaction.

K

• Kilowatt (kW) - 1,000 watts.

M

• Media - The fine material of a filter that traps dirt, dust, mildew or bacteria.

P

• Package Unit - A heating and cooling system contained in one outdoor unit.

R

• Reciprocating Compressor - A type of compressor used in cooling systems to compress refrigerant by using a piston action.


• Refrigerant - A chemical that condenses from a vapor to liquid and, in the process, decreases in temperature.


• Refrigerant Charge - The amount of refrigerant in a system.

S

• Self-contained System - A package unit.


• Sensor - A device that reacts to a change in conditions.


• Split System - An outdoor unit combined with an indoor unit.

T

• Thermostat - Sensors that monitor and control the output of an HVAC system.


• Thermostatic Expansion Valve - A device that creates a constant evaporator temperature.

V

• Vacuum - A space where the pressure is significantly below that of standard atmospheric pressure.


• Volt - A unit of electro-motive force.


• Voltage - The force pushing electrical current along wires and cables.

W

• Watt - The unit of electrical power equal to the flow of one amp at a potential difference of one volt.

Z

• Zoning - A system that divides a home, office or space into different regions in order to better control the temperature and effectiveness of a heating and cooling system.