Seriously, I do not understand the whole air conditioning use in otherwise incredibly hot Third World countries. It defies rational understanding and I challenge you to come up with a good reason for this small bit of insanity. It never ceases to amaze me. You are walking around, let’s say Colombia, and it will be about 90 degrees Fahrenheit/32C with 90% humidity and you will be sweating from every pore on your body. You are sweating from parts of your body that you would have not thought had sweat glands to start with. You get on your overnight bus and they have to AC set up so high that you could hang meat there without running the risk of it spoiling…. ever. As a result, you need to be prepared. If you don’t board your bus with long pants on and some sort of sweater or blanket, there is little chance of you getting a moments respite as icicles slowly form on your lower lip. I kid you not. When I am taking an overnight bus in Central or South America or SE Asia, I wear jeans, wool socks, boots, a T-Shirt, and a fleece zip-up.

And there have still been at least two occasions where that has not been enough layers to keep me warm enough to avoid sleep-killing shivering. hvac unit specificationsOnce, on a bus from Cape Town to Namibia and another time on a bus in Ecuador, I actually saw the locals arguing with the bus driver at stops about the air con.air conditioning unit for van“It isn’t too cold. buy an hvac businessWe don’t have it set very low at all.” What I don’t understand is simply… why? The locals that live in these climates are very used to the hot weather. In fact, the amazing thing is seeing them walk around on a normal, hot day wearing jeans, boots, two layers on top, and sometimes even a winter coat. When they visit the US or Europe, then inevitably talk about how brutally cold it is — even when they are talking about temperatures around 60-70F/15-20C.

Then the same folks think very little of bundling up in all their winter clothes to hop on the bus. I simply think the whole thing is funny, and also annoying to a certain degree. And almost completely inexplicable. Hell, I am amazed they even sell winter clothes in some of these places. Well, I was amazed, until I encountered the Third World Air Con Phenomenon. I love some good oddities I have encountered around the world: Chinglish signs, weird festivals, and the strangeness of time. But none of those caused me to lose any sleep. It isn’t just buses. The bar of the hostel I am staying at right now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia also has its AC set on high constantly. So you bounce in from the patio around and walk right into a freezer. The train I took up here from Singapore was so cold that I had to get up and go to the area between the cars 5-6 times to defrost. Also realize that these are usually countries with fairly severe energy generation problems. And what is one of the biggest drains on any electrical system?

The best I can figure is that is is some sort of pride thing. “Hey, look at us, we have working air conditioning here. Want to feel how amazingly good it works??” Except no, I really don’t want to feel it. If I wanted to go to Norway in the early winter…. you can fill in the rest. Often, an air conditioner can begin to work slowly or improperly due to being out of coolant and needing a Freon refill. Unfortunately, recharging your AC with Freon gas is not something which can be done by the ordinary do-it-yourselfer. Not only do many local and state governments require permits and special licensing to work with refrigerant, but the machinery to do it is exceptionally expensive. Also, complicating matters, Freon gas is dangerous when it enters the atmosphere so recovery of the old gas is important. For these reasons, it is necessary to have a professional recharge the air conditioner, but professionals mean spending money. So what is the average amount to expect to spend on refilling your refrigerant?

The cost is luckily not extreme, nor should your Freon need to be replaced on a regular basis. For between $100 and $150, you can get a refill which should last for many years. Usually when a professional refills the Freon, he will also check to make sure the system is functioning properly. However, if the Freon needs to be refilled again in less than three years, you may have a leak within the hoses or valves which will need to be sealed. To get the best price on a Freon refill, check for sales during the cooler months when demand is not as high. There are some factors to consider that can either raise or lower the cost of a normal recharge. Companies charge by the pound for a Freon replacement, so the size of your unit and the level of your current refrigerant can skew this average up or down. For a small home, a large AC unit is unnecessary, and the smaller the unit, the less Freon it will need. But, on the other hand, with a large house comes a large air conditioning unit, and this will cost more to refill when it inevitably runs low.

If your technician suspects a Freon leak, your costs will also have to go up; since refrigerant is a regulated substance than can be harmful to the atmosphere, the EPA demands that a leak check be performed and any repairs made before the Freon can be refilled. Refrigerant recharges can also sometimes vary just based on location and time of year, but these factors shouldn’t too dramatically affect the average cost. With a good round estimate of a Freon refill in your mind, you should be confident what to look for the next time your central air needs refrigerant. RV Air Conditioner Parts: When to Replace Fan Blades The tado° Smart AC Control makes your air conditoner smart to maximize your comfort. Works with almost all remote-controlled air conditioners Split / wall-hanging AC Be a pioneer in a new age of intelligent air conditioner control Automatically adjusts the air conditioner: cool before you get home, saving when you're away. With the tado° app on your phone you can always check and change the settings while on the move.