Archive for September, 2009.
Sep 30
If you have an older car it may have R12 refrigerant in the air
conditioner system. You can still buy R12, but it is very
expensive. If you are ready to convert your system to R134, here
is a brief explanation of the procedure with a few insider tips
to help you. To begin you will need a conversion kit with all
the necessary materials. It will include: 2 new adapter
fittings, 2 -3 cans of R-134, and a hose with adapter. Once you
have all the materials, you can begin the process. The first
thing you have to do is have the R12 recovered with a
refrigerant recovery machine. (It is illegal to just open the
valve and let it out in the air.) Now that the Air Conditioning
system has no pressure, it is time to install the new valve kit.
At this point some people freeze up (no pun intended) because
they are afraid of mixing up the adapters on the high and low
pressure ends. Don’t worry, they are different sizes. The bigger
one goes on the low pressure side of the system and the
refrigerant hose will only connect to the low side valve. It is
pretty hard to mess this up. Now that the adapter valves are
connected, it is time to start the car and put the air
conditioner on high. Turn the blower fan to its highest setting
as well and open the windows. Grab a can of R134 and hook up the
hose and T valve that came with your kit. With the hose hooked
up to the can begin to twist the T valve until it punctures the
can. Then open the valve to let some freon out and purge the air
in the line. Turn the can upside down and hook it up to the low
side adapter valve. Now slowly open the valve and let the Freon
flow into the system. At this point the compressor will begin to
cycle on and off. Don’t panic, this is normal. Keep adding Freon
until the system begins to cool. You can feel the low pressure
line begin to get cool and condensation will accumulate on it.
(Do not grab the high pressure line. It can burn you.) You
probably will not need all 3 cans and be careful not to overfill
the system. If the air conditioner is still not cooling after
the second can, something is wrong. You may have a leak in the
system or some other difficulty. Do not be tempted to keep
pumping Freon in the lines. If the low side line is cold and
dripping with moisture you are done. If you have a air
conditioning manifold gauge set, the low side should have a
pressure of 40 - 50 psi. Good luck and stay cool
Jason Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/convert-your-automotive-air-conditioner-from-r12-to-r134-422.html
Sep 28
To get to work, I have to drive through a heavy traffic area, that is densely populated with eighteen wheelers that constantly spew copious and profuse amounts of diesel exhaust into the air. Hoping to avoid inhaling such fumes and nanoparticles (the kind that lodge into your brain forever after inhalation), I keep my windows rolled down and set my A/C to recirculate. I realize that the cab of my truck is not hermetically sealed, however, since when I switch back to A/C it causes my ears to pop as though in an airplane, is this an indication that no outside air penetrating into the interior of my vehicle?
The air in your car has to come from somewhere, and most likely it comes from outside. Each car/truck comes with a cabin air filter, now these air filters can range in from what they block. But they do create a hepa type filter for cars/trucks. I would suggest you contact a local dealer for the model car/truck you have and ask if they sell a hepa cabin air filter.
But on that note, diesel engines produce less carbon monoxide then gasoline. Diesel produces about .4% where as a gasoline engine can produce up to 12%. And carbon monoxide is the primary chemical that can harm you. So your actually better off to let outside air in versus recycling the same air over and over again. Here is a good link for some information: http://www.vho.org/tr/2000/2/tr02patdiesel.html
Sep 28
Our government wants to give me a monetary incentive (tax rebate) to put up solar panels on my house in Florida. I currently have large oak trees that shade my house thereby reducing the energy use for Air Conditioning but also preventing me from putting up solar panels. If I go along with the government plan, I will cut down the oak trees so I can go solar (Cut down the trees to go "green"?!!!). There are several issues I must deal with here:
1) Cutting down those beautiful old oaks will make make the various fauna homeless.
2) Those oaks pull a lot of CO2 from the air. Won’t I get a net increase of greenhouse gases by cutting down and burning (or just natural decaying) them?
3) Solar is a BIG dollar investment that might be wiped out with the next hurricane. (No one makes 120mph wind solar panels)
Why is our government so short-sighted and simple-minded over this "global warming" issue?
Keeping the Oak trees and building solar panels are indeed great ways to become earth-friendly.As you say,the oak trees produce carbon dioxide and also shade for your home.The Oak trees are indeed a great benefit for yourself as well as the environment.However,the solar panels built can help you to save electricity and as well save the natural resources used for electricity.Both have their own benefits.
You can either choose both if you have enough spaces or either cut down some old Oak trees and build the solar panel. 
Sep 25
ATLANTA - UAL Corp.’s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc. have been discussing a combination between the nation’s second- and third-largest carriers that would keep the United name and the corporate headquarters in Chicago, The Associated Press has learned.
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Shares of both airlines surged on the news.
There is a sense of urgency in the talks, which have been going on for some time and continued as recently as a week or so ago, an official with knowledge of the talks said Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly.
"They want to get something done before a new administration gets in and so they get the clock ticking on" federal regulatory approval, the official said.
The exact financial details of the transaction being discussed are not clear. But the talks involve United being the name of the combined airlines, the headquarters staying in Chicago and Delta’s Atlanta hub being an operational center for the two carriers, the official said. One possible scenario involves Delta CEO Richard Anderson being the chief of the combined airline, the official said.
Delta also has had talks with other airlines, the official said, without specifying which airline or the status of any such talks.
A spokesperson for Chicago-based United did not immediately return a call Wednesday seeking comment. Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton declined to comment.
Shares of Delta rose $1.92, or 10.2 percent, to $20.67 in afternoon trading. UAL shares gained $4.20, or 9.7 percent, to $47.70.
Delta said in a statement Wednesday that its board has established a special committee to work with management to review and analyze strategic options for the airline. Top executives have said recently they are trying to determine whether consolidation makes sense for Delta.
When Anderson was named in August as Delta CEO to replace Gerald Grinstein, there was immediate speculation in the investment community that Delta and Northwest might eventually merge. Anderson is a former CEO of Northwest Airlines Corp.
Anderson immediately tried to dispel such speculation, telling Delta employees he wasn’t coming to Delta to facilitate a deal with Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest.
Delta’s statement Wednesday was responding to pressure by a hedge fund that owns 7 million Delta shares to consider combining with UAL.
Pardus Capital Management LP said in a letter to Delta’s top management on Tuesday that it is "imperative" that the company undertake a merger transaction with another airline in view of soaring fuel prices and what it described as the increased risks of going it alone.
"Consolidation is needed to de-risk the industry and time is of the essence as now is the right regulatory environment," said Karim Samii, president of Pardus, and Shane Larson, a principal.
The hedge fund executives said they had determined since making a similar recommendation in a Sept. 7 letter that "the most attractive and practical combination would be a Delta and United Airlines combination."
It cited figures from a consulting firm estimating that the benefits of such a pairing would be about $585 million and said a combined Delta-United would boast a broader network than any other combination.
Pardus also owned 5.6 million shares in Chicago-based UAL as of Sept. 30.
Pardus executives said a Delta combination with Northwest would produce even bigger benefits of about $1.5 billion, primarily from combining the smallest hubs — Detroit/Cincinnati and Memphis/Atlanta.
"However, Northwest may not enable Delta to complete the breadth of network that business travelers require, resulting in the need for a potential follow-on transaction at a later date in order to achieve the same breadth of network that UAL would provide out of the box."
Pardus, citing information provided by the air transport consultancy Simat, Helliesen & Eichner Inc., said a third potential combination, with Continental Airlines, would produce no synergies and would raise other challenges.
Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y., said United’s broad Pacific network and Delta’s huge Atlantic presence would complement each other. However, he said, combining fleet information systems and labor could pose challenges. The biggest problem would be that neither carrier has any recent track record of integration, he said.
"I would see this as a very risky move from the standpoint of the actual implementation," Mann said.
I really hope it doesn’t go through. While their routes may complement each other very nicely, many other problems would occur. As the article says, there would be issues with the fleet: United, for the most part, uses A320-family aircraft for their narrow-bodies, while Delta has B737s, B757s, and MD-88s (those better not go) (and some MD-90s too). Their wide-body fleets are similar, though.
Delta said no to the US Airways merger offer (good thing, too). I’m hoping they say no to this one too.
Sep 25
We want to replace a low-quality hollow-core door in our 1899 cottage with an antique solid exterior-rated door with 10 panes of beveled glass but are concerned about energy-efficiency.
We live in San Francisco and almost never use heating and never use Air Conditioning. We both agree that the door with the panes would be much more attractive.
I think that the glass-paned door could provide us with passive solar heating through the panes (we don’t have any windows on that side of the house), but my sweetie thinks that the heat loss from the panes would negate any solar heating effect.
Is the hollow-core door more energy-efficient than the solid door with glass? And if so, how much more? Or is weatherstripping more of an issue?
Thanks!
It depends on a number of factors. A holow-core door can be very energy-efficient (the airspace acts as an insulator)–but it has to be a good quality door designed with this in mind (the hollow interior has to be sealed.
A solid wood door is very good, though–but the panes should be "double-panes (two layers of glass with an insulating space between.
However–for doors, the most important factor is usually not the door itself, but the frame and weatherstripping. The frame/weatherstripping need to be in good condition and form a seal (on all four sides–don’t forget the bottom) or you will have so much leakage that you might as well nt bother with making the door energy efficient.
As for passive heating via the panes–that will work in principle (it’s essentially how a greenhouse works. I’m not sure how much heat you’lll get from that, though.
Sep 25
When was Air Conditioning invented?
1902
Sep 23
The 4×4 world is said to be dominated by Land Rover. With its off-road performance and the reputation for reliability, Rover is expected to stress the off-road auto industry. Aside from the off-road prowess, fabulous aura, and opulent amenities, Range Rover also boasts its all-new twin-turbo V8 diesel engine.
Enthusiasts are saying that they like Range Rover’s unrivaled image, domineering off-road ability, luxurious cabin, and its brand new engine. Range Rover’s new engine is Ford’s new 3.6 L AJD-V8. Said engine can generate up to 272 horsepower and 184 lb ft torque, far better than its previous engine. EPA has given the Range Rover a gas mileage rating of 13/18 mpg in city/highway. Other adaptations and enhancements of the latest model include enhanced Range Rover parts and accessories.
The interior of the new model is made more elegant and sophisticated. Rover’s pool of designers incorporated an efficient, pollen-filtered Air Conditioning to detach occupants from surrounding odors. Sound deadening technology and innovations such as active engine mounts are also integrated to the vehicle to make it quieter than its older versions. Supercharged Rovers will use electronic rear differential. Further, optional cooled front seats and extra loading capabilities were also considered by the automaker to come up with said high-performance vehicle.
2007 model is also equipped with better Range Rover brakes and suspension. A stiffer suspension is designed to cope with the extra performance of the vehicle. Moreover, it is also fitted to the petrol V8 model. Said vehicle also uses Rover’s Terrain Response system from the Discovery 3. The latter is responsible for making the bulky and rugged exterior of the vehicle intact. The system allows the driver to control everything from throttle response to ride height. This can be done by choosing one from the 5 settings through a single rotary control.
The automaker is expecting that Range Rover will compete well with the renowned vehicles in the segment like Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mercedes ML and Volkswagen Touareg.
Carol Mitchel
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/range-rover-unveils-brand-new-twinturbo-v8-65522.html
Sep 23
Indoor pollution has become an issue of growing concern and increased visibility. There are many companies that are marketing products and services to take care of your indoor pollution. Duct cleaning is referred to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans, fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.
Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. As the conditions are different in every home, hence it is difficult to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.
While installing your heating and cooling systems, if not installed or maintained properly they may become contaminated with dust particles, pollen and other debris. If moisture is present the potential for microbiological growth is increased and spores from such growth may be released into the home’s living space. These contaminants are very harmful as they may cause allergic reactions or other symptoms in your body. So if you decide to have your ducts cleaned , make sure that the service provider is well qualified to do the job and also see to it that they agree to clean all components of the system, both cooling and heating or else these components will get re-contaminated thus negating any potential benefits.
If the service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems like for example an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt, and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. An inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and Air Conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.
The services provided by these service providers are of different price range depending on the services offered, the size of the system to be cleaned, system accessibility, climatic region, and level of contamination.
The service providers may apply chemical biocides, designed to kill microbiological contaminants, to the inside of the duct work and to other system components and some providers may also suggest to apply chemical treatments such as sealants to encapsulate or cover the inside surfaces of the air ducts and equipment housings as it will help to control mold growth or prevent the release of dirt particles or fibers from ducts. You should do a thorough research and know about the pros as well, the cons of using such biocides or chemical treatments in your airducts.They should be able to fully provide you all the information about the products they are going to use.
So, be careful before you invest and look for a trained and licensed service provider for Duct Cleaning.
Joe Goertz
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/air-duct-cleaning-beneficial-or-not-61063.html
Sep 22
I was arguing with my brother about this issue.
If a military contractor like Boeing or Lockheed Martin built a big military spaceship for the United States, would it go to the Navy or the Airforce. I thought it would go to the Navy because the Navy has experience with compression and decompression and having air tight ships. A submarine basically has the same conditions as a spaceship. Plus its a ship that would have to allow people to live in it for a long time. Navy has ships and experience with those situations. Airforce doesn’t. If a base was built on the moon, then I think it would be given to the airforce and they could keep small fighters and other aircraft there. But large carriers and other large ships I think would go to the Navy. Do you agree with me or with my brother? What do you think???
http://www.tubedaze.com
Watch all 17 episodes. Screw the skimmer Navy. It’s the submarine fleet running our space program. Lord help us all.
Sep 22
when I drive it around with the air conditioning turned on? I hear Hummers have great Air Conditioning systems. I will need one since ecofreaks keep saying it will be really warm this summer.
All of the planets have global warming right now.
Most global warming theorists have never heard of the term "solar variability". Solar variability caused the earth to leave the ice age in less than 20 years, and it caused the earth to have a little ice age several hundred years ago.
NASA: "Rapid changes between ice ages and warm periods (called interglacials) are recorded in the Greenland ice sheet. Occurring over ONE OR TWO DECADES, the warming of the Earth at the end of the last ice age happened much faster than the rate of change of the Earth’s orbit."
NASA link: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Paleoclimatology_Evidence/Images/gisp2_temperature.gif
Hey that’s great
I heard a report on the radio this morn.
true end cost of Hummer Vs Prius
this includes manufacturing cost, gas cost for the life of the veh. Hummer life 300,000 miles - Prius life 100,000 miles
total cost over life of Hummer 1.85 per mile
" " " " " Prius 3.25 per mile
