Central air conditioning (Part I)

Central air conditioning ( Figure 3.21)is considered a luxury rather than an essential in most parts of North America. Air conditioning systems are more common in the southern areas and are more common in humid areas than in dry areas. There are probably more air conditioners per capita in Florida than in California, for example. We inspect air conditioning systems that are connected to ductwork and that deliver conditioned air to all parts of the house. The standards also ask us to inspect through the wall and other ductless systems. Through-the-wall air conditioners do not have a duct system.These units are commonly used to heat single rooms or areas without partition walls. They may be self-contained units or may be split systems with the evaporator and fan in the wall and a remote compressor, condenser coil and fan. Split-system central air conditioners are the most common. They can be independent systems or incorporated with indoor furnaces and indoor fancoils that can be upflow, downflow, or horizontal. You may also come across single-package systems that are often on roofs, in attics, or in crawl spaces. The supply and return duct system extends outside the living space to pass the air through the air conditioning or heat pump system. As with all systems, you can’t inspect everything, and with air conditioning systems, there are many limitations. For example, you shouldn’t test an air conditioner when the outdoor temperature is below 65°F or has been below 65°F in the past 24 hours. If the power to the central air conditioner has been turned off, you cannot simply turn the power on and test the air conditioner, as this may damage the compressor. In many cases, you can’t get a good look at the internal components of the condenser unit (removing the access panel to the condenser unit is beyond (не предусмотрено) the standards), and, sometimes, you won’t get a look at the evaporator coil in the ductwork inside the house. You may be tempted to think that this isn’t important, since the air conditioner is a luxury item only and the house will still be habitable even if the air conditioner doesn’t work. However, you should understand that the clients bought the house with central air conditioning and expect it to work. If it doesn’t work and you didn’t warn them of this, you should expect to receive a callback from the client. It’s worth nothing that central air conditioning systems are among the most expensive mechanical components in a home and have a relatively short life expectancy.

Figure 3.21 Central air conditioning.

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. Where are air conditioning systems more common?

2. What air conditioners do not have a duct system?

3. How are these units commonly used?

4. What units are the most common?

5. Why does the supply and return duct system extend outside the living space?

6. What limitations with air conditioning systems are there?

7. What should engineers warn their clients of?

8. What life expectancy do air conditioning systems have?

Упражнение 3. Переведите слова и словосочетания на русский язык.

Consider (n.); luxury (n.); essential (adj.); common (adj.); humid area; dry area; probably (adv.); per capita; inspect (v.); ductwork (n.); deliver (v.); ductless systems; through-the-wall air conditioner; partition wall; self-contained unit; split system; evaporator (n.); fan (n.); remote compressor; condenser coil; independent system; indoor furnace; upflow (n.); downflow (n.); horizontal (adj.); come across; roof (n.); attic (n.); crawl space; supply and return duct system; extend (v.); heat pump system; limitation (n.); damage (n.); condenser unit; access (n.); habitable (adj.); understand (v.); that; expect (v.); warn (v.); receive (v.); callback (n.); worth (adj.); expensive; mechanical component; relatively; short life expectancy.

With; from; even; if; however; through; rather than; when; also; among; than; that; all.

 

Упражнение 4. Переведите слова и словосочетания на английский язык.

Перегородка, внутренняя стена; внутристенной кондиционер; автономная установка, независимый блок; раздельная система отопления и вентиляции, система с раздельным управлением; обратный канал; канал подачи воздуха; восходящий поток; нисходящий поток; конденсаторная установка; жилой, пригодный для жилья; ответный звонок; относительно; короткий срок службы; дорогой; среди; доступ; встроенный; широко используемый.

Однако; даже; если; чем; скорее чем, а не; когда; также; все; с.

 

Упражнение 5. Сопоставьте слово (A) с его определением (B).

(А)

1) to inspect;

2) limitation;

3) to supply;

4) essential;

5) to incorporate;

6) partition;

7) life expectancy;

8) damage;

(В)

a) absolutely necessary; extremely important;

b) to take in or contain (something) as part of a whole; include;

c) to look at (someone or something) closely, typically to assess their condition or to discover any shortcomings (недостатки);

d) to provide people with something that they need or want, especially regularly over a long period of time;

e) a rule or condition that stops something from increasing beyond a particular point;

f) a structure dividing a space into two parts, especially a light interior wall;

g) the average period that a person or thing may expect to live;

h) physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.

 

Упражнение 6. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на конструкцию it is/was….. that….

1. It is the corrosion that causes equipment to fail by perforation with only a very small weight loss.

2. It is the method that avoids mechanical seal leakage.

3. It is the spot that occurs on vertical surfaces.

4. It is the method that has the lowest capital cost and energy use cost.

5. It is the method that does not depend on additional electrical valves or heating tape.

6. It was the material that had an undesirable transparency to infrared radiation.

Упражнение 7. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на неличные формы глагола.

1. Heat rejected from the refrigerant increases the temperature of the condenser water.

2. Portable electric heaters built in electric resistance heaters are examples of local heating systems.

3. Emergency plans to ensure employee safety in case of fire or other emergency shall be prepared in writing, and reviewed with all affected employees.

4. The dirt picked up from the air along with the precipitated hardness and suspended solids make up the major cooling tower water contaminants.

5. Pitting corrosion is a highly localized form of corrosion resulting in deep penetration at only a few spots.

6. Some factors to be considered in making work assignments are strength, endurance, agility, coordination, and visual and hearing acuity.

7. Emergency plans shall be tested to ensure their effectiveness.

8. The success of a building depends on the ability to provide thermal comfort with the least operating costs.

9. Durability and weatherability of many plastics is still to be determined by field use.

10. A substance preventing corrosion in the system is being added which binds oxygen.

Упражнение 8. Найдите в тексте прилагательные в превосходной степени, переведите их на русский язык.

Упражнение 9. Задайте 5 вопросов различных типов к тексту А.

Упражнение 10. Какие времена использованы в тексте? Найдите в тексте:

1) антонимы к следующим словам: warm; to take in; to include; indoor; uncomfortable; inside; to close; to come down; rare; to fall; slow; less; day; to cool down;

2) прилагательные в сравнительной и превосходной степени;

3) модальные глаголы;

4) условное предложение.

Air conditioning is complex. To most people, it is not obvious how on a hot summer day you can take heat out of a house and throw it outside, where it is even hotter. But that is exactly what central air conditioning does. The split-system air-cooled central air conditioning system is the most common system in homes. Comfort involves more than cool air. Air conditioning also involves more than lowering the air temperature. It includes dehumidifying, cleaning (filtering), and circulating the air. Good air conditioning systems perform all of these functions, although most people focus on the “cool” concept. (In the broadest sense of the term, air conditioning also means heating, humidification, and ventilation.) If the outdoor temperature is 70°F at night and all the windows in the house are open, the indoor and outdoor temperatures will both be about 70°F. As the sun comes up, the outdoor temperature may rise to 85°F or 90°F. Because of shading, thermal mass, and so on, the house will not heat up as quickly as the outdoors, but it will eventually get just as hot as it is outside. The goal is to keep it more comfortable inside the house than it is outside.

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. What does air conditioning involve?

2. How does the temperature change during the day time?

3. What is the main goal of air conditioning system?

 

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