Most of the building owners don’t spend time thinking about the consequences of the heating system they select. Many look at the HVAC system as a need but tedious part of a building. HVAC systems certified workers should discuss comfort as well as price with their clients before decisions are taken. Maintaining comfort is not an issue of supplying heat to the body but it’s a matter of controlling how a body losses heat. When interior conditions allow heat to leave a person's body at the same rate it is produced, that person feels comfortable. If heat is released faster or slower than the rate it's produced, some discomfort is felt.
The interior environment affects the process by which the body loses heat. For example, most people will not be comfortable in a room surrounded by many cool surfaces such as large windows. For best comfort, the interior environment must provide the proper balance of air temperature, average surface temperature, and relative humidity to put up the various processes through which the body releases heat.
Several factors such as type of activity, age, and health determine what a comfortable environment is for a given individual. When several people are living or working in a common environment, any one of them might feel too hot, too cold, or just right. Nowadays, with more efficient and environmental friendly systems are continuously being introduced in the market. The central issues of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning are;
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Thermal comfort- Which is the satisfaction with the surrounding environment and which is affected by convection, , , and .
- Reducing air infiltration- In other words it is the air leakage, entering from cracks and uses of doors, from outside the building. It is mainly caused by the wind and building pressure.
- Air quality (ventilation) – Relates to health and comfort of the individual and is affected mostly by bacteria and surrounding gasses like carbon monoxide and unstable organic compounds.
- Room air distribution– The process when air is mixed or displaced from spaces.
When a building is situated in a location where it can be subjected to harsh weather conditions such as on the top of a hill, by a riverside, at the coast, or in any extreme open location, grant should be made for an increased heat input. Other factors include: -
- Temperature Extremes
- Site Location
- Humidity Conditions
- Level of Exposure
- Wind Chill Factors