Keeping your cool while juggling kids on summer break, out-of-town guests and work commitments can be a bit much in the hot weather, so why not focus on something else – like the latest in fan and air-conditioning technology?
People are now demanding that their air-cooling systems do more than simply bring down the temperature, says Sami Ahmad, a store leader at Best Buy Canada. Concerns range from environmental ones — not wanting to leave air-con units running all day and wasting energy — to how much it costs to cool a home.
More and more, people are switching to air conditioners that have Wi-Fi built in, Ahmad says. This allows them to turn on the units just before they come home to reduce their energy bill and environmental footprint.
Overall, Ahmad says, cooling systems are also becoming smaller, lighter, quieter and easier to install.
“Canadians are living in smaller spaces and luckily, there are a number of new portable cooling options that fit comfortably in condos and highrises,” he says.
Ahmad says the range of air cooling options on the market has also increased, meaning people are better able to come up with solutions that suit their space and budget, choosing from fans, windows and portable air-conditioner units.
BestBuy.ca now has a feature on its websites that allows people to search for air conditioners by room size, noise, energy efficiency and cooling capacity. Ahmad says three units that are currently proving popular with their customers include the: De’Longhi Pinguino Wi-Fi 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner , which has castor wheels, so is mobile, and has an app that allows you to control and monitor unit from your smartphone or tablet; the Dyson Tower Fan , which has a sleep timer that shuts off at pre-set intervals; and the “small but mighty” HoMedics Personal Space Cooler for smaller areas.
“It’s energy efficient and free from ozone-depleting refrigerants, so also safe for the environment,” Ahmad says.
The air pollution inside our homes can be worse than the air pollution found outdoors, says David Hill, a senior design engineer in Dyson’s Environmental Control division.
“Pretty much everything you do in your home creates pollution. If you’re spraying stuff, if you’re cleaning, if you’re cooking, there’s particulates and gasses that can be released,” he says.
Dyson’s Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier is a three-in-one heater, cooling fan and air filtration system, Hill says. “So you can use it throughout the winter as well, and control the whole room.”
Hill says some people are looking for more individualized cooling options, opting for small, portable units they can take with them to the office, use on their desks at home and in their bedrooms at night.
In response to this, Hill says, Dyson has just released the Pure Cool Me, which directs purified, cool air on to an individual, while capturing gasses and pollutants.
“It’s got this core-flow technology, which allows you to adjust the height and direction of flow up and down, and it’s got an oscillating function which allows the product to oscillate back and forth,” he says.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
