Saving Money with Dehumidifiers

High humidity levels are problematic to many people, especially in the United States. Research shows that humidity levels in homes should stay at about 30-50% during the summer and 30-40% during the winter for a more comfortable feel. If your home feels like Las Vegas in the summer, you should use a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity levels.

Mold and fungus are common features of areas that have high humidity levels. When left to grow, mold and fungus can become toxic and decrease the quality of your indoor air. Many may find that allergies, wall stains and musty odors are prominent problems that result from high humidity levels. Long term affects of high humidity levels not only include permanent home and furnishing damages, but also chronic illnesses and health problems. Dehumidifiers like the NewAir ADS-600 mini dehumidifier can help reduce the amount of mold in your home as well as relieve your allergy symptoms.

There are only a few important factors to consider when choosing a dehumidifier. Depending on how large and how humid your home is, you need to determine how many pints of moisture your dehumidifier should carry. However, a fact to consider is that larger dehumidifiers can dehumidify smaller areas faster. For more help on how to determine the size you need, refer to a dehumidifier buying guide. Another factor to consider is a built-in humidistat. If you want to be able to adjust different humidity levels, you need a dehumidifier with a built-in humidistat, like the NewAir AD-400. With the AD-400, you can adjust the humidity level to any percentage from 40-80%! If you live in an area with colder temperatures and just want to decrease the condensation in your home, try to find a dehumidifier with automatic defrost, such as the Soleus CFM 25 dehumidifier. This will save you from having to wipe your mirrors and windows constantly! For removing excess moisture in small spaces such as closets or bathrooms, take a look at the NewAir ADS-300! At only 2 pounds, this dehumidifier is just right for musty, tight places.

Dehumidifiers can easily save you money - once you use one, you'll realize that the moisture has been tricking you into using the air conditioner more often. See just how comfortable your home can really be by using a dehumidifier today!

Stay Cool Despite the Heatwave!

As many of you may have heard, the temperatures in the Northwest hit an all time high last week. However, the two states most affected by the rising temperatures, Washington and Oregon, are not new to this type of sudden temperature increase. There have been random heatwaves that have affected the states for longer periods of time, such as the blazing heatwave of 1981, which left the Portland International Airport in Oregon an incredible 107° F record high. Yet the city of Medford, OR, was able to beat that record as it reached a staggering 108° F on Tuesday! As a result of this extreme heat, cooling centers have been opened all over both states to help bring citizens relief from the excruciating hot weather.

For those of you who prefer to cool off at home, here are some tips on how to stay cool this summer:

• Keep your curtains closed when you're out of the house!
• Avoid alcohol! It doesn't cool your body; in fact, alcohol dehydrates your body.
• Use a portable air conditioner or a swamp cooler instead of your normal air conditioning unit. This saves you a lot more energy and even more money! Some of these units can even be used as a heater, so you can use them year round.
• Wear clothes made of cotton! Heat is retained in synthetic material.
• Stay in your basement (if you have one) during the afternoon. They are usually 10° to 15° cooler than the rest of your house!
• Use a dehumidifier to control your humidity levels! Not only will it make your air less humid, but it will also help you breathe in cleaner, healthier air.
• Use a fan to cool down if you're not at home often! This will bring down your utility costs and help save you money.
• Eat smaller meals throughout the day, and avoid protein as much as you can. Protein increases metabolic heat in your body!
• Don't take cold showers! Your body generates more heat afterwards to make up for the loss of heat.

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Window Air Conditioners: Cool Small Spaces Effectively and Economically

When only a single room needs to be cooled rather than an entire home or business, a window air conditioner is a more economical choice than central air conditioning. The initial costs are less expensive and they cost less to operate over time. These appliances sit in a window so that warm air can be exhausted to the outside. They do not need to be permanently installed, so during the winter they can be stored to prevent drafts. Some window air conditioners can be built into the wall for a more permanent installation as well.

The important thing to take note of when choosing a window air conditioner is the cooling capacity. Cooling capacity is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour. If you purchase an ac without enough BTUs, it will run continuously without cooling the room effectively. If the window ac has too many BTUs, the room will be cooled too quickly and the unit won’t remove as much humidity from the air as it should. It will turn off and on repeatedly and the room will feel damp, clammy and uncomfortable. Also, if the unit has a cooling capacity that is too large it will cost more and use more energy. A properly sized unit removes humidity effectively as it cools.

To purchase a window air conditioner that has the correct cooling capacity you should follow a few simple steps. First you’ll need to measure the space that needs to be cooled. You can estimate the square footage that needs to be cooled by multiplying the length of the room by the width. Here is a chart that presents the recommended BTUs for the amount of space to be cooled:

Square Footage	Amount of BTUs Needed
100 to 150	5,000
150 to 250	6,000
250 to 300	7,000
300 to 350	8,000
350 to 400	9,000
400 to 450	10,000
450 to 550	12,000
550 to 700	14,000
700 to 1,000	18,000
1,000 to 1,400	24,000

Some helpful hints for choosing the correct cooling capacity include:

-Reduce BTU capacity by 10 % if the room is heavily shaded.

-Increase the BTU capacity by 10% if the room is very sunny.

-Add 600 BTUs per person if more than 2 people regularly occupy the room.

-Increase the capacity by 4,000 BTUs if the window air conditioner is for a kitchen.

Another important factor to include in your window ac decision is the EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio). This figure approximates the unit’s operating cost as compared to similar models. The higher the value of the EER, the less it will cost to operate. If possible, try to choose an Energy Star rated window ac. These units have high efficiency compressors, fan motors and heat transfer surfaces. The amount of energy required to compress the refrigerant is reduced. They exceed the minimum federal standards for energy consumption by at least 15%.

Some important features to look out for are an energy saving feature, 3 speed fan controls, digital thermostats, an adjustable timer and an easy slide-out filter. The energy saving feature cycles the compressor off and on so that it doesn’t operate continuously and operating costs are reduced. 3 speed fan controls allow the adjustment of the amount of cool air (and noise) the window ac produces. Digital thermostats keep your unit precise and easy to use. A timer allows the window air conditioner to come on when you desire so it isn’t controlled by the temperature of the room only. Finally, most air conditioners have filters that need to be cleaned periodically, so choose one with a filter that easily slides out. Keeping the filter clean save money and energy.

Portable AC Manufacturers Going Green in Time for Earth Day 2009

Earth Day 2009 is coming up. Celebrated on April 22, Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It's held ever year during the spring in the northern hemisphere and the fall in the southern hemisphere. It was founded by the U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year.

Soleus has started a green initiative called the "Green Program." They strive to bring you energy efficient products, technologies and features. Their goal is to highlight energy efficient products and how energy is saved by using them. The Soleus "Green" logo of approval will be given to every product, feature or technology that can potentially save you money and decrease your overall energy usage. They will also provide general information and ways that you can save energy in your home or office. Basically, Soleus wants to be the "Green" headquarters by offering products, information and tips on how to save energy.

The United States and other countries have passed federal laws requiring commercial facilities to convert usage of R22 refrigerant to a more environmentally friendly alternative. The focus of the concern surrounding the usage of R22 refrigerant are the hydrochlorocarbons contained in R22. These harmful gases are released into the air when a refrigerant leak occurs which adds to the growing problem of global warming and continues to deplete the Earth's protective ozone layer. R22 is already banned in various areas of production such as household equipment and in certain types of vehicles. It's also no longer used in the manufacture of new refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. In 2010, new refrigerant for the maintenance and servicing of existing refrigeration and air conditioning systems will be banned. By 2015, recycled R22 refrigerant for the same purposes will be prohibited.

A R22 refrigerant gets phased out, more and more portable air conditioner manufacturers have begun using R-410A refrigerant. This is an energy efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerant. Unlike haloalkane refrigerants it doesn't contribute to ozone depletion. Other benefits of R-410A are low energy consumption, increased product performance, no ozone depleting chemicals (no chlorine), improved product reliability, uses state of the art technology, enhanced heat pump performance and meets clean air act requirements for 2010.

DeLonghi, a company known for producing high-quality, long lasting, Italian designed consumer products, has introduced two new portable air conditioners that utilize R-410A eco friendly refrigerant gas. The DeLonghi PAC-A120E 12,000 BTU Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner utilizes this cost effective, environmentally-friendly refrigerant and can function as an air conditioner, fan and dehumidifier. The DeLonghi PAC-W130E Pinguino Portable AC uses R410A refrigerant and features an exclusive Biosilver Tech system that purifies the air with ionizers and operates on water for maximum power.

When Starting College, It’s Never Too Late for Creature Comforts

Leaving my beach area home for the first time in my life in mid September, I remember feeling nervous. I was off to college. Sure, it was only about 50 miles away and not even considered inland, but how different could east L.A. really be? I heard it could be hot, but how hot could it really be? It’s still September, and after all it was Southern California, surely there could not be that much of a difference. Well, when the weather reaches of 100 degrees in September, it is a huge difference.

Entering the dorm area with your first load of stuff, making introductions and desperately trying to look cool with your parents in tow, the first impression I remember is the sweat. Everyone was sweating. Sure, moving could be exhausting and nerve racking. But this sweat was the worst kind, it was the combination of heavy lifting, heat and nerves. And the worst thing about it was there was no air conditioning, no central air in the dorms. Upon realizing this, parents left and right were making mad dashes to the hardware store, buying whatever fan was left, hoping and praying that this would help their new students from the heat. Because gosh darn it, their babies are grown up but they still deserve some relief.

Now I was in a triple, so that meant three beds, three people and three times the body heat. The first night I don’t remember feeling cool enough to fall asleep until way after midnight. Granted nerves might have had a small part but these three thrift door fans just weren’t doing it for me. All I felt was warm air blowing over my face while the ambient sounds of college kept me up. I couldn’t decide whether it was the three thrift store fans running at their only setting of loud, or the incredibly loud snores of my room mates exhausted after weeks worth of drama, packed into one day but my room was loud.

The next day, was worse, we had this great little thing called convocation. Now, that is supposed to be a form of welcoming to the school. We had a speaker, signed some stuff, and shook some hands as we marched from one non air-conditioned auditorium to another. Two and half hours shouldn’t have been that bad but we were decked in formal, long black cloth robes that caused two kids to suffer from heat exhaustion and pass out. It was that hot, but a great photo op for the parents.

By the third day of orientation the parents had gone. Three days were left before school started, there was registration, writing and arithmetic placement tests, ice cream socials (not kidding) and dances. Plenty of, getting to know you/memorizing name games that I felt no love for as I wanted to make friends on my own. The question of how do I meet people on my own, where people might want to know my name for the added value of my conversation and not the simplicity of how my name is remember and my favorite fast food joint was on everyone’s mind

So, in groups of four and five, young students huddle in dorm room debating this dilemma. Do they join a fraternity or sorority to solve this problem? Venture out to some parties or try to purchase alcohol to show they are cool? What to do? Well, I quickly learned the best way to make friends, through a now friend of mine (see it worked for him.) While wandering around the dorms trying to figure this out I noticed loads of freshman walking in and leaving this room with a big smile on their face. All I know is that I liked to smile and after much debate decided to knock. Now I had no idea what was behind that door; it could have been a wild party, some illicit substances or a talking gorilla. I had no ideas who room it was or if I have even met them before, so the apprehension was killing me. After knocking, I heard a “Come on in friend.” So apparently this guy was from the Wild West in 1849 or an extremely jovial person. I figured I was ok with either as I opened the door and quickly discovered the key to popularity when entering college dorm life.

He had an air conditioner. Quiet, cool and awesome. That was it. That was the key to friends when entering school, the key to comfort, the key to good grades, crisp and cool air. Now I know, I should be lucky to have a fan. And I should be lucky that it was not hotter. (In later years it got to over 106 in this area of Los Angeles.) But gosh did I want one. So in the spirit of learning from the past and going back to school I offer three great back to school air conditioners, that will certainly help over the next years of school and after and that personally I wish I had.

The NewAir ACP-1300H Portable Air Conditioner is a pint-sized powerhouse that has the ability to both cool and heat in one compact, convenient unit. There is no need for emptying water buckets, doubles as a space heater, fan, dehumidifier and has air purification, the latter is a great benefit especially close quarter roommates.

The NewAir ACP-1400E Portable Air Conditioner has evaporative technology. What’s that you say? Other, older air conditioners used a collection tank to hold condensation - which meant that the tank had to be manually emptied on a regular basis. With a new, high efficiency internal design and auto-evaporative technology, the condensation is utilized then directed out through the exhaust hose, it is very quiet and has great stylish shape.

A stainless steal casting shell a quiet powerful motor for cooling pressure. At only 51 decibels, the Fujitronic FA-9000 is below normal conversational sounds. Plus a remote control makes sure you won’t have to get up to change the settings. It's compact, it's clean, it's quiet, comfortable.