AIR CONDITIONER BUYING, INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE TIPS

Buying:
 They are different types of air conditioning systems. The choice of which air conditioner system to use depends on a number of factors such as the area to be cooled, the total heat generated in the enclosed area and place where the AC unit will be installed. A HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technician would consider all the related parameters and suggest the system most suitable for your space. Below are the common types:

Window Unit: Window Air Conditioner is the most commonly used type for single rooms. All the components namely the compressor, condenser, evaporator, cooling coil and the expansion valve are enclosed in a single box. The unit is fitted in a windowsill or slot made in the wall.

Split Unit: The split air conditioner comprises of two parts: the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The outdoor unit, fitted outside the room, houses components like the compressor, condenser and expansion valve. The indoor unit comprises the evaporator or cooling coil and the cooling fan. For this unit, you don’t have to make any slot on the wall of the room. Split units have aesthetic appeal and can be used to cool one or two rooms.

Packaged Air Conditioner:  This type of Air Conditioner is commonly used where you want to cool more than two rooms or a larger space at home or your office. There are two possible arrangements with the package unit. In the first one, all the components, namely the compressor, condenser (which can be air or water cooled), expansion valve and evaporator are housed in a single box. The high capacity blower throws the cooled air, and it flows through the ducts laid through various rooms.

Central Air conditioning System: This type of AC is used for cooling buildings, houses, offices, entire hotels, gyms, movie theatres, factories etc., and is very economical compared to installing individual units in each room. A central AC system is comprised of a huge compressor that has the capacity to produce hundreds of tons of conditioned air. Cooling big halls, malls, huge spaces, etc. is usually feasible with central air conditioning units.

Installation:

Before installing an air conditioner, be sure that the electrical circuit to the room can handle the electrical load of the unit. Always read the manufacturer’s manual.

Maintenance:

Air conditioners require regular maintenance to work at their peak. Below are useful maintenance tips to help you stay cool throughout the year:

Clean or replace dirty filters.  Clean the air filters every month. If the filter looks dirty, change it. A dirty filter will slow airflow and make the system work harder.

Optimize airflow. Every evaporator or condenser coil is designed to have a specific amount of airflow to meet its efficiency and capacity claims. Ensure that there is no obstruction of air to the coils.

Check refrigerant level. Have your licenced technician check out for leak and ascertain the system has the correct refrigerant charge.

Plug leaky vents. Make sure that connections at vents and registers are well sealed where they meet floors, walls and ceilings. Seal ducts using black metal tape.

INNOSON ROLLS OUT NEW MADE IN NIGERIA CARS

Innoson coaster bus

Pioneer automobile manufacturing company in Nigeria Innoson vehicle manufacturing Company Limited (IVM) which is located in Nnewi, Anambra state unveiled during the weekend new cars namely: IVM Fox, IVM UMU and IVM UZO. The minister of trade and investments, Dr Olusegun Aganga has commended IVM for producing the first Nigeria-made vehicles saying such an investment is necessary to expand the country’s production and manufacturing frontiers. Aganga noted that by producing a truly made-in Nigeria car, the company has put Nnewi, Anambra state and Nigeria in the global map of car manufacturing countries.

Innoson car

Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, represented by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, commended the initiative and efforts of the managing director and chief executive officer of the company, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma in expanding the state’s industrial base.

Also speaking at the event, the former governor of Anambra state, Mr peter obi, said that right from when he was governor and thereafter, INNOson vehicles had remained part of his official and private cars. He called on Nigerians and the governments at all levels to embrace INNOSON Vehicles as well as other made-In-Nigeria products.

12 seater bus

The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Bank of Industry, Mr. Rasheed Adejare, said the bank was proud of INNOSON company, adding that the proprietor of Innoson vehicles has been admitted into the bank’s ‘Hall of Fame’ for his faithfulness in repaying loans advanced to him by the bank.

In his remarks, Dr. Chukwuma, said the company will forever remain grateful to Mr. Obi, for patronising the company’s products during and after his tenure as governor of Anambra state. He called on other Nigerians to emulate the former governor of by being proud users of made-in-Nigeria products.

He also thanked, president Goodluck Jonathan for commissioning the company, saying that the support from the federal government during the construction stage of the car manufacturing plant is commendable and impressive

10 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A SMART PHONE

Samsung Note4

A smart phone is an indispensable tool for any seriously minded professional.  From performing simple tasks like checking e-mails, chatting and receiving instant notifications, to more complex tasks such as online payment transactions and learning, a smart phone has become more of a necessity than a luxury.  In fact, not having a smart phone is equivalent to ‘living’ in the Stone Age.

Smart phones come in different sizes and specs depending on your taste and pocket. Below are ten things to consider and guide you in making a better decision when buying your next smart device.

1.   Budget: You mustn’t break the bank to get your next smart phone. Remember the old adage: “Cut your coat according to your size”, yes it applies here. Smart phones come in low, medium and high ends specs respectively.  Low-end smart phones cost in the range of N13, 000 – N22, 000. Examples include InnJoo T1, Nokia Lumia 520, etc. and the medium ones go for N22, 000 – N40,000 such as Blackberry Q 10. The high end go for N70, 000 to over N100, 000 such as I phone 6 and LG G3, Samsung S5, etc. So go for the one that you can comfortably afford without any regrets after.

2.  Processing speed:  One of the primary things to look out for when buying a smart phone is the Central Processing Unit (CPU) architecture. A powerful CPU allows you to process data faster. That means faster app opening, faster web page loads, faster games, etc. It will ensure lag-free games, smooth operations. But now the industry standards are shifting towards multi-core processors. For a basic phone any processor with more than 1GHZ is always sufficient. But the CPU is not the only thing to consider. For best performance in mobile, computer etc., a good balance between processor, GPU and RAM is required.

3.  Memory: memory is divided into two - local storage and RAM (Read Only Memory). RAM is important for multi-tasking such as handling more tabs on a browser and smoother loading for large games like Asphalt 8. T My Samsung Galaxy Duos has a 1.78 GB (Giga bytes) internal memory and 512 MB RAM and it lags a lot (perform slowly) due to so many apps on it. The local storage is where you store your photos, videos and music. I personally recommend 4GB internal memory and 1GB RAM as my lowest benchmarks for any phone.

4. Graphics Processing Unit: The GPU is responsible for games and UI (User interface) animations. So if you are interested in the performance of heavy graphics oriented apps (games, HD video, etc.) then you must take into consideration, the GPU of the phone as well.

5.  Camera: Important things to look out for in a camera phone are the camera megapixels (MP), image sensor, lens and Flash. The megapixels of a particular camera phone refer to its image output quality.  The higher the MP, the better. The Image sensor is responsible for capturing light, analysing it and converting it to electronic signals, the higher the image sensor the better. The job of the lens is to capture what is being seen by the human eye as accurately as possible. Most camera phones churn out great photos when there is enough light. This is why taking photos in places with no light can be a problem. Make sure your phone has a flash.

6. Screen: The screen resolution and its resistant to scratch are important

Iphone 6

factors to consider when buying a smart phone. Sapphire glass is the latest standard for making screens although it is found in the higher spec range. Gorilla glasses are good too. The bigger the screen, the better the feel. Nowadays 4.5 – 5.1 inches seems to be the standard screen sizes. I personally recommend a minimum screen resolution of about 400 x 800 pixels.

7. Battery:  Smart phone batteries are rechargeable and are usually the lithium-ion type. Although the batteries discharge current completely after a while, some run down faster than others. A simple test to determine battery strength is if it hardly heats up during usage.

8. Operating system (OS): They are three major operating systems that powers majority of the smart phones in the market namely: Google’s android with the latest being android lollipop, Windows OS 8.1 and Apple’s iOS. Another is the Blackberry OS. However, Android OS is the most popular and developers friendly but it takes up memory a lot unlike iOS

9. Wi-Fi: Airports, hotels and shopping malls such as the Ikeja city mall offer free Wi-Fi access. To be able to enjoy such goodies, your smart phone must be Wi-Fi enabled. Although most smart devices are Wi-Fi enabled, some older and lower end specs don’t have it. Check your phone settings to see your Wi-Fi settings.

10. Availability of spares: Avoid buying phone brands that are relatively scarce in the market. You never might know when you will need to replace a broken screen or battery. Moreover ensure to take good care of your mobile devices, as they are very fragile. Use screen guards and pouches for protecting them.

10 GENERATOR MAINTENANCE TIPS

Generac air cooled gen

The insufficient power supply in Nigeria have made generators an important piece of equipment to light up homes and power on businesses. Generators won’t last without some regular maintenance. Here are ten easy to-do basic maintenance checks to keep your generators running.

1. Check the oil before each use: Running your engine without oil is like saying goodbye to your generator. The engine will knock down becoming useless. If it is a new generator, change the oil after the first 20 hours of use to remove collected impurities inside the engine created during the break-in period. Otherwise change the oil every 100 hours for liquid cooled machines (E.g. water cooled Leicester gen) and every 30 - 40 hours for Air cooled machines (Example “I better pass my neighbour”)

2. Avoid filthy fuel: Always buy your fuel from Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) approved filling stations. Avoid black market fuel at all cost, as it is usually a mixture of gasoline and other pollutants. Store fuel in approved receptacle

3. Clear the air: check the condition of the air filter daily. Regardless of how dirty it is, clean the filter every 100 hours and change it monthly.

4. Spark plug Inspection: Inspect spark plugs every 50 hours for damage, dirt and excessive carbon build-up. Wire brush any carbon deposits on the plug. It is generally best to replace the spark plug annually.

5.  Fuel filter: Clean and inspect the fuel strainer and fuel filter every month. If there is sediment in the fuel strainer, shut off the fuel line valve before cleaning.

6. Battery care: ensure the battery terminals are free from sulphate coatings. Wire brush off any coatings on the battery terminals. Top up acid when the battery can’t start the engine.

7. Loading your generator: When starting the engine, ensure that it is not loaded. Allow it to run for some seconds to allow the lubricating oil to circulate and then gradually bring on the load one at a time. For example, switch on the lighting units in the home and after some seconds load television, etc.

 8. Operation: Never operate generators indoors. Engines using fuel such as gasoline or diesel produce a deadly and toxic gas called carbon monoxide. This gas is odourless and colourless and kills within seconds of inhalation.

  9. Cleaning: Keep the gen neat and be on the look out for leaks.

 10. Storage: Store properly if not in use after 30 days: if the gen wont be used for more than 30 days, take special steps to protect the engine. First, conduct all suggested daily maintenance items. Then, remove battery, clean the posts and ensure it is fully charged. Next drain the fuel from the fuel tank and carburettor float chamber. To prevent corrosion in the cylinder bore, remove the spark plug and inject a few drops of oil through the plughole. Additionally pull the recoil starter knob until resistance is felt and leave in the position. End the process with a final cleaning, ensuring that all cooling air slots and openings are unobstructed. Place a protective cover around the gen and store in a dry place. If the gen needs to be stored for an extended period of time, be sure to exercise it every two to three months. Start the gen and let it run for at least 10 minutes while carrying a load.