READING: AIR CONDITIONING

Air conditioning is a means of controlling the climate in a building. It is used to

provide comfortable temperatures in theatres, stores, offices, and homes. The air is
“conditioned”, purified, cooled, or heated, and made more or less moist as required.
The smallest type of air conditioning system consists of a wall mounted unit serves
the room in which it is located. In large system, the conditioned air is circulated around the
whole building through ducts. These may consist of large metal tubes. In modern buildings,
the structure itself often provides the ducts of circulating the air.
Three main types of air conditioning system are used in large building: the all-air,
air-water and all-water. In all-air system, a central conditioning plant supplies all the air at
fixed temperature. Smaller units around the building provide a fixed temperature control.
An alternative is to have two ducts, one carrying cool air and the other carrying warm air.
In another kind of all-air system, the temperature is regulated by controlling the
amount of air supplied instead of its temperature. This is known as a variable volume
system. If a building is to be cooled, then cold air must be provided. But with this system, its
temperature is not critical.
In the air-water system, the central plant provides only the fresh air needed for
ventilation. For temperature control, each room has its own heating and cooling unit. This
uses circulating water kept at a comfortable temperature.
In the all-water system, only the heating or cooling water is supplied by the central
plant. Fresh air is brought in through ventilators in each room.
The air-water and all-water system can use small ducts. They are economical to
operate and run quietly. The all-air system requires much larger ducts. But it provides a
more effective service, with all the air in the building constantly being conditioned.

Dempsey Micheal. 1987. Growing Up with Science.

Vocabulary:
Central plant (n) : pembangkit daya utama
Climate (n) : iklim
Duct (n) : saluran
Heat (v) : memanaskan
Moist (adj) : lembab
Provide (v) : menyediakan
Purify (v) : memurnikan
Temperature (n) : suhu
Tube (n) : tabung
Ventilator (n) : alat pengatur sirkulasi udara

TASK 1
Answer the following question based on the text above!
1. What is the function of the central conditioning plant?
2. How does the air-water system work?
3. Compare the three main types of air-conditioning systems (the all-air, the air-water,
and the all-water system) related with its temperature!
4. In which system can we use small ducts?
5. Which system does give the most effective service among those three systems
mentioned in the text?

TASK 2
Match the suitable words in the left with their meanings on the right side!
1. Temperature H. to control the climate in a building
2. Moisture G. circulating the air
3. Air conditioner F. degree of heat and cold
4. Climate E. constructing houses
5. Building D. weather condition of a place or area
6. Ventilator C. long hollow cylinder of glass for conveying liquids
7. Ducts B. device for ventilating
8. Tubes A. Condense vapour on a surface