BTUs and Your Air Conditioner

A British Thermal Unit -- or BTU -- is the measure of an air conditioner’s power output and cooling capability. Normal BTU range for most air conditioners goes from around 5000 for a small window unit to 30,000 or more for a central AC system. BTU output is directly related to the size and cost of a unit—lower BTU means less power and lower cost, higher BTU means more power and higher cost. When you’re shopping for a new air conditioner, pay special attention to BTU because this is the best indicator of whether the unit is powerful enough to meet your needs.


What is a BTU?
If you’re talking about air conditioners, BTU describes the power capacity of a specific unit. Generally, BTU output corresponds to the size of the space an AC can cool—a unit with more BTU can cool a larger room. About 20 BTUs are needed for each square foot of space in a room or home. Other things to consider are the height of ceilings, size and number of windows, and amount of insulation.

Still, BTU is a fairly accurate indicator of cooling capability, though it usually makes sense to adjust down. For example, if your living room is 10 feet by 15 feet and has a total area of 150 square feet, you’d multiply that by 20 BTUs to get 3000. Therefore, you’d need an air conditioner with at least 3000 BTUs to effectively cool your living room. However, when you take into account the other factors that impact the space—like cathedral ceilings, large windows, or an unusually warm climate—you may find that 3000 BTUs are not enough to keep you cool. In that case, it’s obviously best to choose a unit with higher BTU.


BTU Range
There’s a wide range of BTU outputs available in both commercial and residential air conditioners. Most residential units average 5000 to 30,000 BTUs. 12,000 BTUs equals one ton of air; some units are marked with a measurement in tons rather than BTU. A “2-ton” AC, for instance, means that the unit has an output of 24,000 BTUs.

Portable air conditioners average about 5000 to 12,000 BTUs. Wall and window units can reach upwards of 24,000 BTUs at the high end. Mini split systems range from 9000 to 24,000 BTUs, while multi-split systems and central air conditioners can put out 30,000 BTUs or more. Industrial air conditioning systems frequently have BTU output significantly higher than 30,000.

Not only will BTU tell you how much room an air conditioner can cool, but it can also give you an idea of how much you’ll have to pay to run it. The more BTUs a unit uses, the more it will cost to operate. To save money on utilities, look for air conditioners with a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (or SEER). Additional features like programmable thermostats, timers, fans, and power-saving settings can reduce strain on your system, boost efficiency, and lower your energy costs while still keeping your home cool.



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Palada pradhaman from scratch ~ Kerala Special

Hope all of you who celebrate Onam had it in a grand way. This Onam, I wanted to make the most favored payasam of Kerala - Palada pradhaman. Now a days making palada isn't a big affair when you can have ready made ada packets off the shelf from stores. But I wanted to try it from scratch i.e prepare ada at home.

Traditionally the batter is spread on banana leaf and is rolled and tied with the string from the leaves itself. Then these rolled leaves are dropped in boiling water and cooked. The adai is peeled from the leaves and cut into pieces. I was thinking of doing it the same way. But I haven't seen this myself and all I have is the theoretical knowledge of it. Just before making, called my amma to clear my doubts. My sister picked up the call and I said the reason for my calling and she was like I am enough to clear your doubts. And she told she she has made ada twice from scratch. She suggested me to use the vadam stand which will be easier to manage.

Preparing the ada

You need

Raw rice flour - 1 cup

Salt a pinch


Method

Soak rice for 5 hours or overnight.Grind to a smooth paste with a pinch of salt. The batter should not be very runny. While grinding the rice, take care not to add to much water and end up with a runny batter.
Spread the batter slightly thick on the greased plate.

Steam for 10 minutes. Remove the ada from  the plate and cut into four.

 Score into strips and chop into tiny bits.

By this time, the ada would have dried a bit and it will not be sticky. Transfer the bits to plate.

Repeat the steps with the remaining batter and store the ada in the refrigerator if you are not using it right away. If you have good sunshine, you could sun dry it and store in an air tight container for a long time. 

The ada measured to 1 cups heaped.



To prepare the palada pradhaman

You need
Ada - 1 cup heaped

Sugar - 2 cups

Milk - 2 litres


Method

Usually, the ada is cooked in  a mix of water and milk , till it turns soft. Then milk is added in installments and cooked till it is thick and then sugar is added to it and it is further cooked to attain a creamy consistency. All this will take loads of time. So I tipped all the ingredients to my 7 litre  cooker and pressure cooked for one whistle and kept the heat in lowest flame and continued for another 15 minutes. By then the pressure had build up inside and milk started coming out of the pressure vent along with the whistle. I switched off the heat and left if for half an hour.

Opened the pressure cooker and went on to cook till it had a creamy consistency which took nearly an hour on medium heat. Cooking in the pressure helped to get that pink color which intensed on further cooking and could cut down the cooking time and constant stirring. Leave it for an hour or so to let the pradhaman mature the flavor further.  The test for doneness is when you pour a ladle of the pradhaman on a plate and draw a line it should not join immediately.

Tasting just one spoon of the luscious pradhaman will make you forget all the work that went into it.

PEX Plumbing Grows in Popularity

Today’s New Plastic Piping Can Be a Smart Alternative to Traditional Plumbing Solutions!

PEX piping is fast becoming one of the most widely used and affordable plumbing solutions on the market. PEX is an acronym for “cross-linked polyethylene”. It is a bendable, plastic plumbing pipe that was first developed in the 1960s but has become extremely popular in recent years for residential plumbing purposes.

PEX plumbing has many advantages over traditional plumbing and piping materials – including copper and other plastics. It is easy to install, more affordable than copper and other metals, and has a reputation for great performance. PEX pipe is made through a special chemical process that gives it great strength. PEX piping is able to withstand a wide temperature range – from sub-freezing temperatures up to 180 degrees F. PEX piping is also quieter than most traditional pipe systems. PEX connections are much simpler to make and don’t require soldering or gluing like fixed metal pipes. Plus, PEX pipes can bend around corners, reducing the need for joints – which is where most leaks and pipe failures occur.

PEX is a Great Value:
One of the biggest benefits of using PEX pipe in your home is the cost. From materials to installation, PEX is by far the most cost effective plumbing you can buy. The pipe itself is cheaper than other materials, and you’ll also save big on installation and labor costs because PEX comes in longer, flexible sections with fewer fixings. The light weight and easy fitting of PEX makes the entire installation process much shorter than traditional plumbing, so you can outfit your whole home with PEX in dramatically less time than it would take to re-plumb conventionally.

PEX Delivers Performance:
PEX pipe has so far proven more durable than traditional plumbing, too. There’s no need to worry about potable water delivery because the plastic is resistant to most of the chemicals commonly found in water systems. The smooth interior of the pipes means less corrosive build-up and mineral deposits to clog the plumbing over time. The flexible material resists freezing and bursting much better than traditional metal pipes.

PEX Provides Maintenance Savings:
The convenience of PEX installation carries over into maintenance, too. PEX is much easier to repair or replace if something goes wrong, speeding repairs and saving you money on what is often the most expensive part of plumbing repairs—hourly labor costs.

PEX Has Some Drawbacks:
The one drawback of PEX pipe is that it’s not appropriate for outdoor use. Though it does resist damage from freezing when installed indoors, it won’t stand up to harsher outdoor temperatures. UV light can also break down the plastic, which can lead to big problems.

PEX Myths Debunked:
Plastic plumbing was popular in home construction in the 1980s, and it had lots of problems. Some holdouts continue to insist that PEX plumbing hasn’t changed much in the past 30 years. This simply isn’t the case. Today’s PEX is made of completely different material and has been proven reliable and low-maintenance for many years. Plumbers all across the country use the new, innovative PEX time and again; its reputation these days is much different than that of plastic pipes in the past.

If you’d like to learn more about PEX plumbing, talk to a Horizon Services plumbing technician. You’ll be able to compare costs, get information about what installation will entail, and determine if PEX is right for your home. Chances are, no matter where you live or how your home’s plumbing is currently set up, installing PEX piping can help your plumbing system work more efficiently and can save you money on expensive plumbing service and maintenance costs.



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