HEALTH BENEFITS OF EVAPORATIVE AIR CONDITIONING

health evaporative air conditioning

Air conditioning has been a way of life for Australians for many generations, and we could not imagine life without it. Still, at a time when it’s still being debated whether or not air conditioning should be a requirement in schools (four new Sydney schools built without air conditioning has been labelled shortsighted) or sport stadiums (after 2018 saw the hottest day of Test cricket in Australia, there have been calls for better climate-proof stadiums) – it is important to remind us all why air conditioning is so important.

EVAPORATIVE AIR CONDITIONING HELPS IMPROVE CONCENTRATION

Reported by Scientific American, in 2012 US researchers Amar Cheena and Vanessa M. Patrick studied the effect of heat on decision-making and concluded that the human body uses up more glucose – the fundamental source of physical and mental energy –  in order to cool down in hot temperature conditions, depleting the amount of glucose that can be used for cognitive processes.

In other words, your body is working too hard to keep from overheating and cannot concentrate on other non-vital tasks.

With evaporative air conditioning in use, the mind is free to focus on tasks instead of survival.

EVAPORATIVE AIR CONDITIONING IMPROVES AIR QUALITY

Recent scientific research has shown that the air within homes and other buildings can be more polluted than outdoor air, even in industrialised cities. Lack of fresh outside air circulating inside can result in a build-up of pollutants to levels that can pose health risks, especially to those suffering from respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

CoolBreeze evaporative air conditioners replenish the air in the home with fresh, naturally cooled air, which doesn’t dry out the skin and eyes and can make life more enjoyable for hay fever and asthma sufferers.

CoolBreeze evaporative air conditioners work by drawing in fresh outside air and filtering it through water-saturated filter panels – this both naturally cools the air and filters out airborne dust and pollen.

LOWER TEMPERATURES INCREASE COMFORT AND DECREASE DEHYDRATION

Air conditioning in offices, homes, shopping centres and leisure centres is critical to ensure comfort and productivity. As discussed earlier, cooler temperatures impact on human cognitive function. Additionally, many day-to-day activities such as exercise, shopping or driving would be impossible without climate control.

Lower temperatures help reduce sweating, which in turn reduces the risk of dehydration.

For some vulnerable members of the population, such as young children and the elderly, heat waves bring a very real threat of death from dehydration or overheating.

Evaporative air conditioners bring temperatures down, without drying out skin or eyes – a common side-effect from refrigerated air conditioning systems. 

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners are manufactured in Perth, and have been cooling homes across Australia for over a quarter of a century. Get a quote today!

AIR CONDITIONING THAT CARES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT – YES REALLY!

environment air con evaporative cooling

Want an air conditioner that cools your home naturally? Yes it’s possible!

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners cool through the natural process of evaporation. Passing through saturated cooling filter media, 100% fresh natural air is circulated throughout the home. The cooling filter media helps cool the air, and also acts as a filter to purify it. So you can be sure you’ll always have healthy, refreshing air at home.

Unlike other air conditioning systems that recirculate the same stale air, evaporative cooling provides a steady stream of fresh, clean air into a home.

Evaporative cooling is nothing new, it traces its history to ancient civilisations soaking textiles in water and hanging them in entryways to catch a breeze.

A LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT

CoolBreeze natural air conditioning does not rely on ozone-damaging refrigerant gases or an energy guzzling compressor, which means a CoolBreeze consumes around 80% less electricity and contributes less to greenhouse gas emissions.

Clever design and smart manufacturing processes mean less material and energy used in the production of each CoolBreeze unit, resulting in a small carbon footprint. In addition, the makers of CoolBreeze are committed to a program of Reduce, Re-use and Recycle throughout the manufacturing and distribution process to minimise the environmental impact.

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners are manufactured in Perth, and have been cooling homes across Australia for over a quarter of a century. Get a quote today!

AUSTRALIAN HOMES TRAPPING HEAT LIKE PLASTIC BAGS

CoolBreeze, australia, homes

Despite the fact that Australian cities regularly see summer days exceeding 35˚C, modern Australian homes are not built to resist heat.

Experts are now calling for the Building Code of Australia to be updated, to promote more heat stress-resistant designs.

University of South Australia Research Associate Gertrud Hatvani-Kovacs has co-authored the paper ‘Heat stress-resistant building design in the Australian context’, which argues that energy efficient design in Australian homes does not necessarily increase heat stress resistance.

Speaking to ABC News, Dr Hatvani-Kovacs said the existing building code supported energy efficiency but did not “necessarily encourage heat-stress resistance”.

“The real concern is, with newly-built buildings that are compliant with the building code, they might get over-insulated and have very high airtightness, but at the same time they lack the natural ventilation and have a lack of shading devices,” she said.

“They behave like a plastic bag and do not let the building cool down, so their energy efficiency can be very counterproductive.”

Poor insulation and bad design appears to be the culprit, creating the plastic bag phenomenon.

“Insulation is probably one of the biggest [issues],” ThermoView General Manager Sheena Trumble told ABC News. “The installers will go in and they’ll put it in and somebody will move it at some stage, or they’ll have forgotten a bit or missed a bit. We can see that almost instantly.”

Trumble’s company regularly carries out thermal imaging surveys of buildings, to see where heat is leaking out or getting trapped.

Based on the group’s findings, a building can be retrofitted to overcome temperature abnormalities in a targeted fashion.

EVAPORATIVE COOLING IDEAL TO COMBAT POOR BUILDING DESIGN

Dr Hatvani-Kovacs highlights some tips for more cost-effectively cooling your home, such as “us[ing] evaporative cooling compared to reverse cycle air conditioning.”

On concrete slab-based floors, she recommends rolling up and removing rugs to dissipate heat into the ground.

Retrofitting measures, such as changing the roof material, installing fly screens, double glazing or better external shading, would also make significant improvements. But, according to Dr Hatvani-Kovacs, the ultimate solution is to regulate modern houses to be built with better temperature management.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HOME COOL:

  • Invest in more cost-effective evaporative cooling, such as Australian-made CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioning
  • Keep shades drawn during sunlight hours and open them, and windows, for ventilation at night
  • Hang a wet blanket across open windows at night
  • Remove carpets and rugs on concrete floors to dissipate heat into the ground beneath

MILLIONS OF AUSTRALIANS FACING POST-SUMMER BILL SHOCK DUE TO AIR CONDITIONING​

air conditioning that isn't a bill shock

The reports are in. Australians are blowing cool dollars into the ether.
According to a new survey by finder.com.au, and reported by 9news, ‘bad habits’ mean Australians are set to spend a whopping $1.3 billion on cooling their homes.

“Bad behaviour” includes leaving reverse cycle units running in empty houses, a habit 23% of Australians – equivalent to 2.3 million households – admit to in the survey. But as heatwaves and severe weather sweeping across the country, it can seem unfair to be punished 3 months later on when the electricity bill arrives.

HOW TO AVOID THE POST-SUMMER BILL SHOCK

“When faced with a heatwave and temperatures as high as 40 degrees, we don’t usually think of our electricity bill some three months away – we just want to instantly cool down,” finder.com.au money expert Bessie Hassan told YoungWitness. “But after a few scorchers, this way of thinking can leave you with post-summer bill shock.”

The typical split-cycle air-conditioning unit consumes around 5.0 kWh and costs around 2.7 cents to run per minute, which can cost close to $13 per night if users leave it running overnight, according to the finder.com.au experts.

There are more wallet-friendly ways to keep cool, such as investing in a more energy-efficient CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioner.

Purchase and installation cost is usually half of a comparable reverse cycle air conditioning system. Plus you can save around 80% on running costs compared to a reverse cycle system.

Evaporative air conditioning is much cheaper to purchase, install and operate than an equivalent reverse cycle system. Which is why CoolBreeze owners report being able to reliably cool their homes throughout summer heatwaves, without worrying about future energy bills.

CoolBreeze evaporative air conditioning doesn’t need to do as much ‘work’ as a reverse cycle system which compresses refrigerant gas through a complicated, energy hungry, multi-stage process. This is why CoolBreeze saves money at intial purchase and on running costs.

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR COOLING COSTS:

  1. Choose a less costly Evaporative Air Conditioner, such as an Australian-made CoolBreeze, over a more energy-guzzling reverse cycle.
  2. If you’ve got a reverse cycle air con, set it to 25 degrees if you want to keep costs down and only turn it on in rooms that people are in.
  3. Keep curtains and blinds closed during the day to keep the sun’s UV rays out.
  4. Compare energy providers to make sure you are getting the best discounts available.
  5. Check the star rating, if your energy bill is high, it might be due to old or faulty hardware. It might be time to replace an old unit?

START SAVING MONEY ON YOUR AIR CONDITIONING TODAY!

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners are manufactured in Perth, and have been installed in numerous schools, warehouses, offices and residences across Australia. Get a quote today!

Evaporative air conditioning aids asthma sufferers

evaporative air conditioning asthma

Affecting approximately 1 in 10 Australians, asthma is a chronic respiratory disease where a person’s airways become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe.

Studies put the number of Australian asthma sufferers at 2.4 million in 2015 (9.9% of the population). This figure is projected to reach 3 million in 2030.

Globally, the World Health Organisation estimates that 235 million people have the disease.

For asthma sufferers, prevention is a key part to managing their disease. Reducing exposure to triggers, such as indoor allergens (dust, pollution and pet dander); outdoor allergens (pollen and moulds); and chemical irritants is very important, alongside prescriptive medications.

Recent scientific research has shown that the air within homes and other buildings can be more polluted than outdoor air, even in industrialised cities. Lack of outside air circulating inside can result in a build-up of pollutants to levels that can pose health risks, especially to those who suffer from respiratory diseases.

“When we think of the term ‘air pollution,’ we tend to think of car exhausts or factory fumes expelling gray smoke,” said study co-author Prashant Kumar of the University of Surrey. “However, there are actually various sources of pollution that have a negative effect on air quality, many of which are found inside our homes and offices. From cooking residue to paints, varnishes and fungal spores, the air we breathe indoors is often more polluted than that outside.”

As it is estimated people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, ensuring indoor pollutants in residences and workplaces are reduced as much as possible, is critical for asthma sufferers.

One way to reduce the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to boost the quantity of outdoor air coming indoors, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Whilst most home heating and cooling systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house, Evaporative Air Conditioning Systems do.

Fresh outside air is drawn through water-saturated filter panels in the air conditioner, cooling the air through evaporation, just as a sea breeze provides cool relief on a hot day. This method also has the added benefit of filtering out airborne dust and pollen, ensuring not only cool and fresh, but filtered air throughout the home.

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners constantly replenish the air in the home with fresh, naturally cooled air, which doesn’t dry out the skin and eyes and can make life more enjoyable for hay fever and asthma sufferers.

Hong Kong public schools to receive air conditioning grant

CoolBreeze air conditioning schools

Beginning next year, public schools in Hong Kong will receive a recurrent air conditioning grant.

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam recently announced the grant, stating it is intended at assisting schools “provide a more comfortable teaching and learning environment for teachers and students in hot weather.”

The grant will cover the purchase and installation of air conditioning systems for standard teaching facilities (including classrooms and special rooms), activity centres and assembly halls in all public schools.

As part of her election manifesto, Lam said she would look to boost the government’s recurrent education expenditure by HK$5 billion a year.

In Australia, air conditioning in schools is covered by government is some places, but not all. There have been reports showing government funding shortfalls are being met by parents and teachers.

“Ten years ago it was the electronic whiteboard … now air conditioning is a big flavour of the month because not all schools get air-conditioned by the government,” Mandy Weidmann, Fundraising Expert and Editor of the Fundraising Directory said in an interview with ABC.

“Schools shift their budget to the more essential items and leave these holes where parents have to jump in,” Weidmann said.

Australian state government and territories have varying guidelines on how schools should deal with the heat, although there is no ‘set temperature’, which forces a public school to close.

Many urge the national government to set out a national policy. Dr. Brendon Hyndman, Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, Southern Cross University, includes “[using] large industrial fans and [ensuring] indoor spaces have open doors/windows or air-conditioning access during activities” as a key action area in his proposed national school heat policy from earlier this year.

Evaporative Air Conditioning from CoolBreeze, is a great solution for schools. The ducted solution, low maintenance costs and cooling efficiency means students and staff can enjoy even cooling throughout the day. Because the air is replaced every two minutes, the system cools the walls and the structure of the building itself, making the CoolBreeze system extremely efficient and reliable.

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners are manufactured in Perth, and have been installed in numerous schools, warehouses, offices and residences across Australia. Get a quote today!

Taking the cool with you

CoolBreeze air conditioning blog

We all know the great benefits that come from evaporative air conditioning inside a home. We sleep better, we breathe cleaner, filtered air; and odours and food cooking smells are removed. And most importantly, we enjoy the benefits of a comfortable temperature. In some cases, it can be so agreeable at home, that many dread leaving the ‘cool zone’ and venture out into uncomfortable climates.

As technology and innovation has pushed the boundaries for what is possible inside the home, there are scientists who are working on ensuring no one needs to sacrifice comfort, wherever they may be.

A new smartwatch promising to alter a wearer’s temperature is causing a buzz in the news and on Kickstarter. The wearable tech, dubbed the AirCon Watch, can apparently alter a person’s body temperature by transferring small pulses of heat or cold to the wrist, which then signal the nervous system.

“We can trick our brain into thinking that we are cooler or warmer than we really are,” The Hong Kong-based developers explain. The thinking is similar to holding an ice cube to a person’s wrist, in order to more rapidly cool them down. But unlike the short-term effect of ice, the watch promises a battery life of 4 hours for cooling.

This isn’t the only wearable aircon tech on the market. The US Army has long been experimenting with light-weight refrigeration devices for soldiers and army personnel who endure extreme temperatures and intense activity.

An example is the Light-Weight Environmental Control System, or LWECS, a body-worn microclimate cooling system. The system is comprised of a cylinder 3 ½ inches around, which connects to a cooling vest and provides 120 watts of cooling. Worn directly against the soldier’s skin, the vest has approximately 110 feet of tubing through which cool fluid can pass.

“It’s the same technology that’s in your air conditioner or in your refrigerator, except instead of conditioning air, it chills a fluid. And then it pumps that fluid through a tube-lined cooling vest,” Brad Laprise, a mechanical engineer at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) said in Armed with Science, the US DoD’s science blog.

In India, ‘air conditioned-jacket’ trials for Special Forces soldiers are now underway. The air conditioning technology has been designed to keep soldiers more comfortable during extensive exercise.

To learn more about technical innovations in air conditioning – check out the CoolBreeze story. Manufactured in Perth, Western Australia and with over 25 years’ of research and development behind the brand, CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioners incorporate cutting-edge motor, pump exhaust and water management systems.

How Did We Keep Our Homes Cool Before Air Conditioning?

Air conditioning for homes has been around since the early 1900s but it wasn’t until the late seventies and 1980s that Australians became used to home air conditioning. But how did Australians cope with the extremes of weather before air conditioning became common place in our homes?

The answer came down to clever design to minimise heat build-up in the home. These designs included wide verandas, central hallways, breezeways and sleep-outs.

Wide Verandas

The wide veranda is an Australian icon, designed to reduce direct sunlight on the walls of the home and thereby reducing the heat load. Often wide verandas were used along with high ceilings that allowed the heat in the rooms to rise towards the ceiling. You can notice this in the photo below in the gap between where the veranda attaches to the wall and the main roof.

Central Hallway

A popular home design in the late 1800s through until the 1930s was the central hallway, which allowed for plenty of air movement when the front and rear doors were open.

 

Queenslander

Popular in humid climate of Queensland were houses build on stilts to allow plenty of air to circulate under the home. Usually utility rooms such as the laundry was located under the home. The Queenslander pictured incorporates this design along with wide verandas and the central hallway to keep the home comfortable.

Sleepout

No one likes hot, uncomfortable, sleepless nights so many homeowners would enclose a portion of the veranda, often with just fly-screens or louvre windows and the whole family would sleep on mattresses on the floor during summer.

Breezeway

The breezeway was often incorporated into a home when building an additional room onto the original house. This was often achieved by building the new rooms from the edge of the veranda and leaving a walkway or breezeway between the two buildings. This would provide a protected area that allowed for a cooling breeze to flow between the buildings.

Today homes have CoolBreeze

All these home designs provided some relief for families before air conditioning became wide spread but with modern building materials and techniques combined affordable air conditioning solutions such as CoolBreeze natural air conditioning, means that now everyone can enjoy a comfortable home all summer long.

Residential Ducted Air Conditioner Installation – CoolBreeze Guide

CoolBreeze installation information

So you’ve decided on evap?  Take a look at our general step by step guide explaining what’s involved with a standard CoolBreeze evaporative air conditioner home installation.  Each home is unique and install can vary from place to place.  Although each installer has their own process, our guide is designed to give you an indication of what you can expect when having a CoolBreeze installed in your home.

CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioning provides natural cooling to the home or work space via a unit usually placed on the roof, pushing cool air through ceiling ducting and keeping each room the same comfortable temperature.  Evaporative cooling is one of the cheapest types of air conditioning on the market and is perfect for people who want to enjoy 100% fresh, circulated air.

Where do you start? A guide to Evaporative Air Con Installation.

  1. Firstly you will need to get in contact with a reputable dealer to gain a quote. We can put you in touch with an authorised CoolBreeze dealer via our contact form on our website or you can contact us by phone on 1300 266 527.  You can also visit an authorised dealer in-store and speak with a dealer for advice.
  2. The CoolBreeze dealer will calculate your system requirements either from your house plans or during an in-home inspection.  The dealer with present you with a quote to supply and install a complete CoolBreeze air-conditioning system.
  3. Your quote should give a clear recommendation of the correct product and application to suit your home.  Once you have agreed on price and payment, your authorised dealer will confirm an installation date with you.
  4. The air-conditioning unit and associated parts will be delivered to your home or the installer may bring them with him when attending at installation.
  5. Your installer will arrive on site and advise the most suitable position of outlets in your ceiling and placement of the unit on your roof.
  6. The install team will then join ducting and componentry and fit dropper to location as discussed.
  7. The installer assembles the unit on the roof – CoolBreeze units are flat packed reducing the potential for the installer to damage the roof or tiles during transit of a heavy product.
  8. The installer marks out outlet positions within the home (ceiling) and places drop sheets prior to cutting vents in the ceiling. Ducting will be drawn through the roof space and connected to the vent and fitted to the dropper.
  9. A plumber will attend site and discuss 40 mm waste position (where the water drains) with you. We recommend that you utilise this water on your garden where possible.
  10. An electrician will discuss the preferred position of the controller. On double brick construction it’s generally on an external cavity wall.
  11. Usually the last person on the job will commission the air conditioner and assist you with air con operation.
  12. Your warranty details are in your CoolBreeze green folder. Please fill in your warranty card details and send back to the appropriate address.
  13. Comcool Guarantee – CoolBreeze guarantees the performance of your air conditioning unit – if a correctly sized unit does not cool the home sufficiently, CoolBreeze will upgrade the roof unit to a more powerful unit at no charge!

CoolBreeze Air Conditioning Offers an Unbeatable 10 Year Warranty!

air conditioner warranty

CoolBreeze is so confident in the reliability of its evaporative air conditioners that it is now offering a 10-year parts and labour warranty on all residential installations.

Mr Devin McLevie, owner of AirGroup Australia, parent company to CoolBreeze states, “A policy of continuous improvement has led to bulletproof reliability that allows us to stand behind our product with total confidence.”

The CoolBreeze 10 Year Warranty is unmatched in the air conditioning industry and gives consumers total peace of mind with their air conditioning purchase. CoolBreeze has long stood out with its superior airflow and extra-large filter pad volumes to provide maximum cooling performance.

All CoolBreeze units installed in residential homes are warranted for a full 5 years on all air conditioner parts and 5-year warranty on labour. Plus if you register for the Extended Warranty Program and have the air conditioner serviced by CoolBreeze within its fifth year, the warranty is automatically extended to 7 years. Have the air conditioner serviced again during the seventh year and the warranty is extended to an industry leading 10 YEARS!

That’s it! No loopholes, no hidden agenda – just register and get the two major services and you’re covered for ten years. So, what are you waiting for?

Get in touch with your local CoolBreeze dealer today!