Getting room ventilation and air conditioning right

Air conditioning and ventilation means much
more than just cooling and aerating a room. It is frightening to know just how much we
depend on in-door air for survival. In a day, humans consume about 20-30Kgs of
air which corresponds to about 25,000 litres.  Compare this with eating 1Kg of food and drinking three litres
of water within the same time.

The air we breathe in is important for our
health; our well-being depends on that. While most of us are aware of air
hazards in the out-door environment, we overlook the hazards of the air in the
in-door environments.

Is it not interesting to note that most of
us either know a person who is allergic, or we ourselves are allergic to our
environment? There are many signs from various researches that the in-door air
that we breathe in for over 75 per cent of our day is to blame.

It is clear that people perform better when
they have access to fresh clean air, and it is something that we consciously
are aware of. Remember all the times we have walked into an office, a
conference room, a classroom or an office and immediately gone to open a
window.

Good in-door air is a prerequisite to our
well-being and is dependent on proper ventilation and air-conditioning. It is, by
definition, contaminated air from outside. What we breathe in is a mixture of
out-door air, pollutants from construction materials, people, animals, machines
and other things found in-doors. Compounded by the fact that houses today are
well insulated, most of this polluted air is trapped and recycled in-doors.

So what can be done? For starters, sub-standard
ventilation and air conditioning in homes, schools and offices should be
remedied. Sure there is an argument that good ventilation requires energy, yet
lowering energy consumption is a global objective today.

However, there are simple and effective
solutions for heat recovery in tandem with air conditioning and ventilation solutions.
A properly designed air conditioner (AC) and ventilation solution then becomes
an effective way to save energy.

Air conditioners today are quite sophisticated.
We have ACs that have anti-smoke, air freshening as well as anti-bacterial
filters. ACs, contrary to popular belief, are not only used for cooling but also
for warming up rooms.

In air conditioning and ventilation, you
must make sure that you speak to the right experts who are knowledgeable in the
field. Remember that while you can decide what to eat and drink, you cannot
choose what you breathe in. You can however talk to an Air Conditioning and Ventilation
expert to make sure that your room has healthy, clean air. That is your health
investment for the future.

Sehmi
is the product manager, Air Conditioning & Mechanical Ventilations, HotPoint
Appliances Ltd.