Colorful Painting Supplies- Pioneer Hardware

Perhaps you are looking for some fresh inspiration to enliven the appearance of your renovated building or looking for the right advice on the outlook of your new building. Whatever the case, the invigorating, refreshing role of painting a building cannot be overlooked.

Applying a fresh coat of paint on your building’s exterior or interior significantly improves the overall appearance of the structure. That said, to achieve maximum aesthetics, you should only confine your paint job to high-quality paints.

In addition to enhancing the visual interest of your home or commercial property, quality painting also provides an extra layer of protection from ravaging insects, rain, or solar radiation on all your surfaces. What’s more, quality painting is a way to lower the maintenance of your surfaces by ensuring easy cleaning.

Proper painting may also augment the waterproofing capabilities of your building’s surfaces and hence significantly lower any risks of water damage. Ultimately, the grand benefit of quality painting is boosting surface durability.

So, whether you are painting for ornamental or functional reasons, you should not go for anything short of top-quality paint. Since you are adding color to your world, you want to make sure you only add beautiful, durable, and cost-effective colors.

To achieve this, you should find and work with a reliable paint supplier. That’s where Pioneer Hardware steps in. In addition to supplying top-grade building materials, we also specialize in high-quality paint supplies.

Working with us for all your paint supplies affords you an opportunity to only access paint products sourced from the leading brands in the market. This is how we guarantee a maximum return on your investment.

Ready to update the look of your building with industry-leading painting products? Contact our Ruaka store at 072336499 or 0782005737 to speak to one of our attendants for the best painting package.

 

What Are the Components of Paint?

Before applying it to your building, you want to be sure of what you are actually applying. Whether you are coating metallic parts, timber sections, or plastered surfaces, understanding the contents of good quality paint will boost your confidence in the product.

To aid the binding properties of paint, it comprises the perfect combination of different well-thought-out ingredients including:

ü  Pigment: To provide paint color, opacity, and durability.

ü  Solvent: To enhance the smooth flow and application of the paint.

ü  Extender: To boost opacity, the paint’s body, and produce more paint.

ü  Binder: To glue together the extender and the pigment for better adhesion.

ü  Additives: To improve paint settling and drying as well as mitigate paint skinning.

All these paint components are crucial and omitting one may easily amount to compromised paint quality.

With that in mind, the difference between good-quality paint and poor-quality paint is dependent on the quantity of each of these components making up the paint. For instance, a top-quality paint has a greater blend of binder and pigment compared to a poor-quality paint.

The paint pigment matters because it is responsible for the paint’s UV resistance and durability helping the paint to fade slower.

Practically, therefore, on a percentage scale, a good quality paint would look something like this:

ü  Pigment: 20%

ü  Solvent: 15%

ü  Extender: 20%

ü  Binder: 40%

ü  Additives: 5%

 

Why Do Paint Components Matter?

The higher the percentage of pigment and binder in the paint, the costlier it will be. Even so, the long-lasting benefits of such a paint make the high price point worth every shilling. Besides, the frequent repainting that comes with low-quality paint leads to more frustration for your purse!

In other words, investing in high-quality paint translates to less repainting for your surfaces. Why? Because such a paint provides a more powerful building protection minimizing structural damages.

That said, cheaper paints may come in handy in certain situations. For example, when painting a boundary wall prone to moisture exposure, you would be better off with a cheaper paint that’s more porous. Porous is better because it affords the substrate a breathing chance.

Therefore, to rule out any guesswork and confusion when paint shopping, you need reliable advice from a proven paint supplier. At Pioneer Hardware, we consult with you before advising on the best paint mix to resonate with your unique needs and budget.  

Contact us today to speak to our knowledgeable attendants and walk away with satisfactory solutions for your painting project.

 

How Do You Identify a Good Quality Paint?

In addition to the aforementioned ingredient constituents, good quality paint can as well be identified through several other characteristic qualities.

 

Simply put, it should:

·         Be user-friendly

·         Be easy to apply

·         Be easy to clean

·         Dry within a reasonable time

·         Form a thin layer without cracking

·         Form a tough and durable coating

·         Be weather or fade-resistant

·         Be surface-friendly

Before selecting your ideal paint, you must carefully examine or inquire about these physical characteristics to ensure you do not compromise on quality outcomes.

 

What Are the Effects of Painting Your Building?

Apart from making your building more visually appealing, quality painting also carries other hidden benefits that many building owners tend to overlook. In other words, properly painting your building carries more worth than you may care to admit.

Whether you are painting your building’s exterior or interior surfaces, the following major benefits will certainly accrue:

 

1.      Enhanced Protection

On a daily basis, your walls go through a lot of punishment be it from dirt, grime, dust, or hanging objects. Consequently, they are exposed to faster wear and tear.

However, when a fresh coat of paint steps in, your walls essentially receive more surface protection from moisture, dirt, and getting worn out easily. By sealing out moisture, painting helps to mitigate any surface-threatening mold or mildew growth.

 

2.      Increased Property Value

If your building’s resale value matters to you, then you should always be mindful of its curb appeal. Applying a fresh coat of paint is a surefire way to boost this curb appeal because it is synonymous with building upgrade.

When a potential buyer looks at a freshly painted building, they see a newer, neater, and more attractive structure standing in front of them. The effect of this is more interest to buy.

 

3.      Better Personalization

Did you know that painting is a fancy way of relating to your building more personally? It affords you a generous opportunity to put your inmost interests on display using your favorite colors, patterns, and styles. The more you can relate to your building, the more it feels like home.

In other words, painting allows you to bring together different things about you into one beautiful whole. By complementing your wall colors with your personality, furniture, and décor, you essentially become one with the building.

 

What Types of Paint Should You Use?

Having understood the life-changing benefits of painting your building, it is also important to learn the types of paints available for your selection. Armed with this knowledge, you will have an easier time finding the pain that suits your needs accordingly.

The most popular paint types ideal for building construction include:

Ø  Oil Paints

Oil paints feature a white lead base and take three coats to be fully applied including primer, undercoat, and finish coat. They come in both matte and glossy finishes.

Oil paints stand out because, in addition to being durable, they are also highly inexpensive. What’s more, they are easy to apply and clean. Typically, they are applied on doors, windows, walls, and metallic surfaces.

That said, oil paints may not be ideal for humid areas as they generally take longer to cure. Examples are the Supergloss and Vesta Gloss from Crown Paints.

 

Ø  Emulsion Paints

Based on the primary meaning of emulsion, you can think of emulsion paints as containing a partial mixture of two liquids. Most emulsion paints feature water as the basic medium in which additives, binders, and pigment are added. Nonetheless, they can also be oil-based.

The striking feature of emulsion paints is their ability to dry quickly and harden. They are also easy to maintain by cleaning with water. Mostly, they are applied on interior walls, ceilings, and stonework. A good example is the Vinyl Matt Luxury Emulsion from Crown Paints.

 

Ø  Enamel Paints

Enamel paints are a product of adding zinc or lead to varnish. Further, adding pigments produces a wide selection of colors. Once applied, these paints yield hard, glossy coats that are very easy to clean.  Moreover, they are also waterproof and chemical-resistant to boost durability.

The most common applications of enamel paints include windows, exterior walls, interior walls, wood trim, and flooring. The downside of these paints is slow drying and the need for a titanium coating prior to application. A good example is the Ngao Gloss Enamel from Crown Paints.

 

Ø  Cement Paints

Cement paints contain white or colored cement as the base material. They come in powder form and when mixed with water, you can achieve the desired paint uniformity. Cement paints are waterproof and hence durable. They are commonly used in both rough interiors and exteriors.

That said, cement paints take longer to dry and may require more than one coat to mitigate dampness. An example is the Concrete Floor Paint from Crown Paints.

 

Where Can You Get These Quality Paints?

Ready to start shopping for the best quality paints and paint accessories? Start and end that journey at Pioneer Hardware, Ruaka.

At our store, you can shop from a wide selection of paint supplies including:

·         Paintbrushes (Different sizes)

·         Paint rollers

·         Paint buckets

·         Paint scrapers

·         Crown paints (Different Ranges and Colours)

·         Body filler

·         Adhesives

·         Thinners

·         Aerosol Paint Sprays (Multiple Colors Available)

·         Wire brush

·         Caulking gun

We have partnered with Crown Paints to supply the best in painting products and accessories. Whether you are looking for high-quality decorative paints, automotive paints, industrial paints, thinners, or adhesives, you will never walk out of our store empty-handed. Our richly-stocked store provides all the right solutions just when you need them.

 

Find Expert Inspiration!

Working with a paint expert is a faster way to arrive at your painting conclusion without much hassle. An expert is well versed in the different paint varieties and can easily relate to your unique needs. That means they will offer the best personalized advice to ensure your goals are met and dreams brought to life.

Not sure where to find such an expert? Simply turn to Pioneer Hardware and watch your painting dreams grow wings. In other words, we can help you take your building to unprecedented heights of magnificence by adding simple color.

When you come to us with your ideas, we combine our years of experience and paint expertise to recommend the best paint mix to instantly realize all your dreams!

If you are ready to color your building with head-turning colors and patterns, reach out to us today at 072336499 or 0782005737 and we will make it happen.

 

 

 

 

Cement stucco installation process

Don’t know the best remedy to your stucco exterior dilapidation? Well, get a stucco remediation service fast to avoid further deterioration. The best remedy to an aging or shaky stucco exterior is cement stucco or cement plastering. Check out how a reliable stucco remediation company does it.

 

What is stucco?

Stucco refers to a mixture of fine sand, cement, lime, and water to form a paste that is applied over a surface using a trowel or machine-sprayed. The end product is a hard and aerated surface designed to allow moisture to escape through small pores to minimize the chances of decay or rot.

 

What is stucco remediation?

This process entails getting rid of your old and damaged stucco system and replacing it with a new one. The damage is usually a result of moisture penetrating the space separating the outer stucco layer and the inside framework of the walls.

 

What is the cement stucco installation process?

Stucco can spread over any masonry-based wall like concrete, cinder block, and brick. The application is done in thin layers. It can also be applied to wood-sheathed walls through the usual frame construction with the addition of a metal lath on top of the wood. The finish is then done in a rough texture.

The typical stucco application on a house takes the following steps.

1.      Scaffolding

We first erect scaffolding around the building in line with OSHA requirements to create a safe workspace. This will help us in the removal of the dilapidated stucco system, repairing the damage, and application of the new system. The scaffold will hold for the entire project’s timeline and be disassembled afterward.

 

2.      Weather resistive barrier

The next step involves setting up a WrapShield weather-resistant barrier (WRB) over the entire wall surface. This WRB has an integrated tape to secure it in place while protecting the wall materials beneath it from moisture damage.

 

3.      Rainscreen drainage

We then apply the WaterWay 3mm Rainscreen Drainage Mat on top of the WRB. The drainage mat acts as a sponge-like layer separating the stucco and the WRB and keeping the wall’s interior dry. It does this by facilitating water drainage and perfect air circulation through the sponge cavities.

 

4.      Expanded wire lath

To get the stucco cement to adhere to the surface and provide it with extra rigidity, it is held in place 7” or 8” from the rainscreen with an expanded wire lath 2.5mm thick. This acts as the final layer underneath the stucco cement.

 

5.      Scratch & brown coat

Next, is the application of stucco premix to act as a basecoat in readiness for the finish coat application. The scratch coat comprises a mixture of cement, sand, and supporting fibers. It is applied on the wire lath and its surface horizontally scratched to pave the way for the next layer to attach to it better. The brown coat is then applied and comprises the same mixture as the scratch coat except it is applied without scratching.

 

6.      Polymer-acrylic base coat

Application of a polymer-acrylic base coat over the entire stucco is what follows. This coat helps protect the finish coat from damage through scraping. It also enhances the waterproofing of the finish to prevent moisture penetration.

 

7.      Stucco finish

The stucco finish involves the creation of watertight seals between stucco and frames, windows, and doors. We do this once the cement stucco application is complete by caulking the seams to seal off any potential water penetration points.

 

8.      Expansion joints

½” expansion joints with backer-rod and polyurethane sealant are applied around each opening to prevent moisture damage and stucco cracking due to temperature variation.

 

9.      Flashing

Metal drip flashing with turn up ½” edges are installed above each opening to channel water away from walls.

The end product is a durable structure with far better aesthetics. Contact us today if you want to experience the beauty of cement stucco.

 

Chiller Systems

As you grapple with the hot summer days, you are probably up and about trying to ensure your AC is in perfect working order. That’s absolutely commendable!

But have you ever wondered how a chiller system works and why it is essential? If not, here is your chance to make another discovery for your cooling needs this summer.

This elaborate article sets everything plain for you, from what a chiller system is, its main types, components, and how it works.

Read on to explore more!

 

What is a chiller system?

From the sound of the name “chiller,” a chiller system means a cooling system responsible for removing heat through the circulation of a heat-absorbing refrigerant and chilled water.

Put simply, the primary role of a chiller system is to facilitate the movement of heat from an indoor space to the outdoors using chilled water as a medium.

A chiller system essentially features a compressor, condenser, evaporator, and expansion valve that work together to circulate a refrigerant. Through this circulation, the refrigerant releases heat from a climate-controlled space, process, operation, or equipment to chilled water and the atmosphere.  

The unique cooling ability allows chillers to sit at the heart of any central HVAC system easily.

 

What are the types of chiller systems, and how do they work?

Broadly speaking, chiller systems are classified as either water-cooled chillers or air-cooled chillers. They adopt different mechanisms of releasing heat and use water or air as a cooling medium.

For instance, while a water-cooled chiller system relies on a cooling tower to circulate water, an air-cooled chiller system relies on fans to circulate cool air.

Generally, chiller systems are specially designed to support a continuous coolant circulation to maintain a certain preset temperature indoors through heat reduction.

 

1.      Water-cooled chiller systems

Essentially, water-cooled chillers use water as a medium to surround refrigerant pipes and absorb the heat in the refrigerant.

They come attached to a cooling tower that ensures the cooling water stays cool by channeling it to the chiller and recirculating it.

 

How do they work?

Cooling in a water-cooled chiller system starts at the evaporator. Water enters the evaporator, where the heat from the water is transferred to the refrigerant. The chilled water then flows to the water tank. Here, it is further distributed by the water pump to the different spaces requiring temperature control (heat reduction).

Upon reaching the targeted space, the cool water absorbs all the heat in the air handler. Once the air is cooled, it is blown by a fan into the space through ductwork. Having absorbed the heat, the warm water heads back to the chiller to be cooled again.

Meanwhile, the heat absorbed by the refrigerant needs urgent transfer for the refrigerant to take on more heat. Thus, the refrigerant flows from the evaporator to the compressor at low pressure and high temperature.

The refrigerant's pressure and temperature rise as soon as it enters the compressor. It then flows to the condenser for cooling through surrounding chilled water. Passing through the condenser cools the refrigerant before sending it to the expansion valve.

The expansion valve then lowers the refrigerant’s temperature and pressure before releasing it into the evaporator for another cooling cycle.

 

Where are they applied?

Thanks to their consistent and efficient performance and better durability, water-cooled chiller systems are popular in large-scale applications.

As long as large facilities such as airports, shopping malls, hotels, hospitals, and other commercial buildings have adequate water supply, water-cooled chillers do a better cooling job than their counterparts.

 

2.      Air-cooled chiller systems

Air-cooled chiller systems work best where there are no discharge constraints. The chiller absorbs heat from the water and dispels it into the air.

In other words, instead of cooling the refrigerant with water, air-cooled chillers cool the refrigerant with air using an in-built propeller fan.

 

How do they work?

The cooling cycle begins with warm water entering the chiller through the primary return. Then, inside the evaporator, the refrigerant absorbs all the heat in the water. The chilled water then proceeds to the areas needing cooling through the primary supply.

In the meantime, the warm refrigerant flows through the compressor, where it undergoes temperature and pressure rise.  This change in the refrigerant state facilitates its movement to the condenser. Then, the in-built propeller fan blows outside air through the condenser.

The cold air absorbs all the heat from the refrigerant and dispels it to the atmosphere. Next, the cool refrigerant flows to the expansion valve for pressure and temperature reduction before returning to the evaporator for another cooling cycle.

 

Where are they applied?

In terms of application, air-cooled chiller systems are more suitable for small and medium-sized facilities with limited space and water supply. Their typical applications include corporate events, sporting events, restaurants, and temporary structures.  

Furthermore, air-cooled chillers are way cheaper to install and maintain than their water-cooled counterparts. However, although inexpensive, they tend to have a shorter lifespan altogether.

Other common uses of chiller systems include medical and industrial applications. Chillers are handy for high-powered equipment and facilities such as MRI machines, lasers, assembly equipment, and construction sites, among others, to help them maintain workable temperatures.

 

What are the components of a chiller system?

In addition to the essential components of a central HVAC system (condenser, compressor, evaporator, and expansion valve), chiller systems also feature other critical parts that make the cooling process seamless.

Thus, the components of a chiller system also include a cooling tower, chiller, AHU, FCU, chilled water pipe, valves, Y-strainer, BMS, ducts, and diffusers.

 

Cooling Tower

A cooling tower is a tall cylindrical structure with an open top. It is paired with a water-cooled chiller to serve as a heat exchanger.

It receives warm water from a chiller (condenser water), expels the heat into the atmosphere, and then returns cold water to the chiller (usually located in a lower level like a basement).

In other words, a cooling tower simply cools the cooling water before recirculating it for more cooling functions. The tower relies on outside air to keep this water cool and render it reusable.

Without a cooling tower, the cooling water’s temperature would steadily rise and become unusable in the chiller system.

Generally, cooling towers may vary by build, heat transfer mechanism, and airflow generation.

 

Chiller

The chiller is the part of the larger chiller system that supports the refrigeration cycle. It comprises four essential components for the cooling process, including the condenser, compressor, evaporator, and expansion valve.

Inside the chiller, the refrigeration cycle involves the refrigerant absorbing all the heat from the coolant water to chill it. As the process progresses, the refrigerant releases the absorbed heat into the condenser water. The condenser water then loses the heat to the atmosphere through the cooling tower.

Thus, the chiller essentially acts as an intermediary air conditioner. On the one hand, it drives the water to be cooled inside the evaporator. That allows the cold water to pass through AHUs and FCUs to cool the building as more warm air enters the evaporator.

On the other end, the chiller also facilitates heat expulsion to the cooling tower through the condenser. This cycle ensures seamless air conditioning of spaces.

 

AHU

Once the chiller has produced chilled water, it pumps it around the building. Then, the water encounters Air Handling Units (AHUs) and Fan Coil Units (FCUs) for further circulation.

Thus, the AHU is a box comprising fans responsible for sucking air from the building and pumping it across cooling and heating coils. Through this action, AHUs help alter the air temperature before blowing it back into the building.

AHU's major components include a fan, filter, and cooling coil. The chiller releases chilled water into the AHU’s cooling coil. The AHU then blows air through the coil to cool the building.

 

FCU

Although a close companion of the AHU, the fan coil unit (FCU) has a smaller capacity and physical dimension. Moreover, it features fewer components than the AHU. The FCU’s major components include an air intake, filter, fan, and cooling coil.

Generally, the FCU transfers heat from the air flowing over the heat exchanger to the chilled water passing through the exchanger. Using its fans, it then blows the cool air into the climate-controlled space.

An FCU is unique because it can regulate its cooling power by controlling the chilled water flow through its coil.

 

Chilled Water Pipe

The chilled water pipe is responsible for linking the chiller to the AHU’s cooling coils. The pipe transports chilled water into the coils, where the air is cooled before recirculating the building through ducting systems.

Most of the time, these pipes come pre-insulated and feature different materials such as carbon steel, galvanized carbon steel, stainless steel, and HDPE.

 

Different types of valves

A chiller system features valves on inlet and outlet chilled water lines. Generally, the most popular valves used in a chiller system are the 2-way and 3-way valves.

A 2-way valve has two openings, an outlet and an inlet. These valves can function as on/off valves to regulate the flow of fluid in them by altering the size of the valve opening.

On the other hand, a 3-way valve comes with three openings. Sometimes, that may mean two inlets and a single outlet, and other times, a single inlet and two outlets. As the former, they are suitable for mixing fluids and the latter for diverting chilled water.

 

Y-Strainer

The Y-strainer plays a crucial role in removing solids and other particulate matter from the chiller system. It traps all the contaminants in the system and prevents them from re-entering the chiller. This protects the essential components of the chiller system, such as heat exchangers and pumps which may suffer potential clogging and inefficiency.

 

BMS

A building management system (BMS) helps to control the chiller system for maximum energy efficiency. By enhancing the energy efficiency of the building’s chiller system, a BMS essentially helps to lower operating costs.

The BMS monitors and controls the operation of essential elements of a chiller system, such as the chiller, AHU, fans, and pumps. It has sensors that monitor these operations and convey information on key control parameters such as temperature, humidity, and system pressure, among others.

Based on this information, the chiller system can then be adjusted to the changing conditions to minimize energy consumption.

Simply put, a BMS helps optimize a chiller system's operation.  

 

Ducts

Ducts in a chiller system receive the cooled air and distribute it throughout the climate-controlled areas inside the building. Generally, a duct system works closely with fans and blowers that force contaminated air out of the building while bringing in cleaner, colder, and drier air.

Thus, consider a duct a channel, tube, or pipe (synthetic or metallic) used to ferry moving air between a chiller system and climate-controlled spaces.

 

Diffusers

Attached to the end of ducts, diffusers in a chiller system act as vents for cooled air to flow into a space. In other words, diffusers are devices that help to evenly distribute cooled air where it is most needed in a building.

They come with fins that are sometimes adjustable to regulate airflow. This helps to maximize the chiller system’s cooling effectiveness and keep the cooling bills down.

 

How does the chiller system work?

As discussed earlier, a chiller system is primarily used to keep water cool while facilitating heat transfer from one point to another. It is generally packaged with the essential AC components such as the compressor, condenser, evaporator, and thermal expansion valve to aid this process.

While the operation of a chiller system differs according to the system type, the underlying principle is that chiller systems rely on a refrigeration cycle to accomplish their heat transfer goal.

As a significant component, the chiller itself facilitates heat expulsion from the cooling water before releasing it back into the cooling cycle.

When the water absorbs heat and becomes warm, the chiller evaporator eliminates the heat from the water.

Finally, the evaporator sends the heat to the chiller condenser. Here, the condenser can either transfer the heat to the condenser water in case of a water-cooled chiller or to the outside air in case of an air-cooled chiller.

 

 

 

 

Central air conditioning system

No one wants to live or work in an unsafe or unhealthy space. In ensuring safe and healthy spaces, many components come into play, chief among them being air conditioning.

The air conditioner is among the most prominent players in enhancing your space aesthetically and functionally. While there are several air conditioners to choose from, what makes the central air conditioning system stand out?

Well, for starters, a central AC is not only easy but also convenient to operate. What’s more, it offers better efficiency than typical room air conditioners.

So, the accompanying benefits are endless, whether switching from a window air conditioning unit to a central air conditioning system or installing a new central AC for the first time.

That said, while it may seem costly, the payoffs of installing a central AC system will ultimately prove worthwhile. From better air quality, quiet operation, reduced humidity, and reduced allergens, to better indoor living, you will be glad you installed a central air conditioning system!

This piece provides more information about a central AC system, its types, components, and how it works. By the end of the article, you will be a more educated buyer should you consider installing a central AC in your home or commercial space.

Read ahead.

 

What is a central air conditioning system?

Thanks to its quick and efficient cooling, quiet operation, and enhanced aesthetics, the central air conditioning system has significantly grown in popularity.

So, how do you describe or identify a central AC system?

A central air conditioning system is a cooling system that works by cooling air at a centralized location before distributing the cool air to several different rooms or spaces through fans and ducts.

In other words, once the air is cooled sufficiently, the central AC system circulates it to the relevant rooms with the help of both supply ducts and return ducts.

The supply ducts and registers are typically installed as openings on floors, ceilings, or walls with grill covers. They are responsible for transporting cool air from the central cooling unit to your home or commercial space.

As the cooled air circulates throughout your space, it picks up the heat within the room and gets warmer. The warm air is then forced back to the central AC system for cooling through another set of return ducts and registers.

Through this simple cycle, your central cooling unit cools while dehumidifying your air for a comfortable, healthy, and livable space.

Thus, a central air conditioning system differs from a window air conditioner. While the central AC features many different parts and relies on a building’s duct system, the window AC comes as a standalone unit with no extra parts.

That means the central AC is ideal for cooling larger spaces, while the window AC performs well when used to cool single rooms or smaller spaces.

 

What are the types of central air conditioning systems?

Having understood what a central air conditioning system is, time now to shift the gear to the types of central AC systems available.

Usually, central air conditioning systems come as either:

1.       Split-system air conditioners

2.       Packaged air conditioners

If you are looking to install central heating in your space, which of the two options is right for you? Take a closer look at the unique distinctions.

 

Split-system air conditioners

As the name states, split-system AC units come with split components. They feature a separate evaporator coil split from the compressor and condenser coils.

Usually, the evaporator is located inside an indoor cabinet somewhere, while the compressor and condenser are housed in an outdoor cabinet. That means the AC comprises an indoor and outdoor unit linked with copper tubing.

With that in mind, split-system AC units are the most common type of central AC systems thanks to their flexibility and value-addition. They are also the most economical to install if your space has a furnace but lacks an air conditioner.

Furthermore, split-system AC systems are ideal for homes or commercial properties with additional space to accommodate large indoor cabinets.

 

Packaged air conditioners

From the sound of the name, packaged air conditioners house all their significant components (evaporator, compressor, and condenser) in a single metallic cabinet to save installation space. Typically, the housing cabinet sits on a designated concrete slab next to the structure’s foundation or on the roof.

The packaged unit (sitting outdoors) links to the building through supply and return ducts emerging from the exterior walls or roof. Therefore, it draws air from inside the building, cools it sufficiently, and then sends it back through the special ductwork.

You don’t need a separate indoor furnace with a packaged AC unit. Most such systems usually come equipped with electric heating coils to provide central heating.

Packaged air conditioners are suited for buildings with little to zero crawlspace or lack a basement.

 

What are the components of a central air conditioning system?

Beyond the essential operation of your central air conditioner, it is imperative to master the components of your cooling system. This knowledge comes in handy when diagnosing and possibly troubleshooting problems with the unit.

Here is a closer look at the main parts of your central AC system and how they fit together to keep your indoor temperature comfortable.

 

Compressor

Sitting at the heart of your central AC system, the compressor plays an integral role in keeping your space cool and comfy. The compressor sits next to the condenser in the outdoor cabinet of your cooling system.

It works by compressing (adding pressure on) the refrigerant vapor. This effect increases the vapor’s pressure while converting it into a hot gas. The extra pressure (force) then pushes the denser refrigerant into the condenser coil for cooling.

Thus, a compressor's primary role is to complement a condenser's cooling function by pressurizing the refrigerant.

 

Condenser

As the refrigerant absorbs warm air from your space, it passes through the compressor for pressurizing into hot vapor. Once the hot refrigerant vapor lands on the condenser from the compressor, it is relieved of all its heat.

As the vapor reaches the condenser, it is also converted into a liquid as it cools. The liquid refrigerant then flows through the condenser and the condenser coils before being circulated indoors for another cooling cycle.

 

Evaporator

Safely tucked inside your central air conditioner, the evaporator serves the direct opposite function of the condenser. After cooling in the condenser, the cool liquid refrigerant flows to the evaporator.

The refrigerant encounters a lower pressure in the evaporator and turns back into a gas. As a lighter gas, it absorbs the warm air around it, hence cooling your indoors.

After absorbing the hot indoor air, the warm refrigerant heads to the compressor and then condenser. This cooling cycle continues until your indoors reach a comfortable temperature.

 

Expansion valve

Think of the expansion valve as an intermediary equal to but opposite in function to the compressor. That is to say, while the compressor helps the condenser by increasing the refrigerant’s pressure, the expansion valve assists the evaporator by reducing the refrigerant’s pressure.

Thus, the expansion valve helps to effectively reduce the pressure of the liquid refrigerant to facilitate conversion back into a gas when passing through the evaporator.

 

How does central air conditioning work?

As detailed above, the central air conditioner works through the collaborative function of its different components.

The whole operation revolves around the system’s refrigerant and how its changing states (temperature and pressure) support the cooling process of your ambient air.

Having said that, the cooling process of a central AC system starts with the thermostat. Usually located centrally inside the building, the thermostat monitors the indoor temperature. When it senses the indoor air temperature needs some regulation, it alerts your central cooling system's indoor and outdoor components.

When the different components start running, the indoor fan drives out indoor hot air through return ducts. The hot air is then filtered before passing over the evaporator coil. At this very instance, the evaporator is busy converting the liquid refrigerant from the condenser into a gas.

The gaseous refrigerant then absorbs all the heat from the hot indoor air before heading outdoors to the compressor and condenser through copper tubing for cooling. Once cooled, the indoor unit’s fan blows the cooled air back into the building through the ductwork.

The cold air then begins absorbing indoor hot air again, and the cycle repeats itself until the desired indoor temperature is reached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Can I Find Strong Backlinks for E-Commerce Websites?

As a growth-driven entrepreneur, you need the right growth strategies for your e-commerce website. Within these strategies, you will find powerful avenues to build strong brand authority, drive steady referral traffic, foster new relationships, as well as gain irresistible brand exposure and recognition.

So, where do you launch all this growth? Strong e-commerce backlinks are a good starting point. Principally, a strong or high-quality backlink should be natural, highly relevant, and highly reputable.

Emphasis is placed on strong backlinks because among other things, they add value to your e-commerce SEO efforts and strategies. That tells you quality backlinks are an integral part of your SEO backbone in addition to creating high-quality content.

In other words, if you are trying to drive your e-commerce rankings higher on search engines, you need to also strive to acquire some strong backlinks for the site. Being a significant ranking factor, strong backlinks carry an equally strong potential to seduce popular search engines like Google into liking you.

Fortunately for you, you have come to the right place as this article discusses in depth all you need to know about strong e-commerce backlinks.

Read ahead to learn how to analyze backlinks for your website, whether to buy backlinks or rely on organic backlinks, and the backlinking tools to use to identify potential backlinking opportunities.

 

What are the backlinking tools to use to acquire strong backlinks?

For a wholesome or holistic backlink strategy, you should look beyond just manual link-building. In other words, you should seek to complement your manual link-building efforts with the right backlinking tools.

Armed with such tools, you can stay on top of your backlink inventory through regular checks and monitoring.

In discussing link-building tools, we can look at them in terms of those that are good for outreach and those that are good for detecting and removing spammy and toxic links.

 

What tools can help you find potential backlinks faster?

To sustain your link-building strategy, you should remain intentional about frequently updating your backlink profile. However, building organic links takes time, effort, and consistency.

So, you need a reliable tool to boost your backlink analysis and help you identify backlinks that could potentially benefit or harm your site.

Some of the most popular tools to level up your backlink analysis include Ahrefs, Majestic, BuzzStream, BuzzSumo, and Diib.

 

Ahrefs

Boasting one of the largest backlink databases, Ahrefs offers incredible link-building opportunities to boost your search engine rankings. In addition to a host of profitable SEO features, the tool comes with advanced link-building features that are also easy to use.

In addition to checking links pointing to your site, Ahrefs also helps you find potential high-quality backlinks linking to your competitors as well. To check out your competitors, you can leverage the “Link Intersect” feature.

The feature lets you view the domains linking to your top competitors but not you. While your competitor’s backlinks don’t necessarily have to be yours too, if almost all your competitors share the same backlinks, you should be concerned. You should then reach out to these domains and try to solicit a backlink from them too.

With an Ahrefs dashboard, you can also keep track of new backlinks as well as lost backlinks. Alerts of new backlinks afford you an opportunity to reach out to the webmaster and forge a profitable relationship. In the case of a lost backlink, the dashboard tells you the reason.

What’s more, the dashboard also displays any suspicious backlinks allowing you to instantly disavow them before attracting a penalty.

 

Majestic SEO

Another powerful and intuitive link checker tool is Majestic SEO. While not as comprehensive as Ahrefs, it is a lot cheaper yet still boasts an enormous database of backlinks. Some of the popular features you can access with Majestic are the analysis of anchor texts, backlink quantity, referring domains, and indexed URLs.

Moreover, you can also evaluate the quality of the domains linking to your site through the “Topical Trust Flow” metric. Through this metric, you can tell how many highly-trusted websites are linking to your website or content.

You can as well extend your link investigation on Majestic to include:

·         Finding the best websites to solicit backlinks

·         Tracking your favorite websites

·         Detecting nearby links and competitor links

·         Comparing different decisive metrics for URLs and websites

 

BuzzStream

From the sound of the name, BuzzStream essentially serves as a powerful outreach tool to boost your link-building efforts without breaking a sweat. The tool helps you identify high-quality or well-maintained active websites and reach out to their webmasters for high-quality links.

BuzzStream automatically researches prospect lists as well as obtains their contact information and other useful metrics to simplify your link-building efforts. Your contacts can range from bloggers and high-authority websites to popular social profiles all of which get added to your database as you surf the web.

Within your prospect database, you can sort and filter your prospect lists based on history, authority, or influence to effectively personalize your outreach.

 

BuzzSumo

While primarily a content marketing tool, BuzzSumo can as well go a long way in augmenting your link-building efforts. However, since building links organically depends on great content, you might end up hitting two birds with one stone with this tool (high-quality content and link-building potential).

The tool leverages different link-building opportunities as follows:

·         Discovery: Lets you find and borrow insights from high-quality content to attract more links, likes, and shares for your own content.

·         Influencers: Lets you discover and connect with influential personalities to fuel your brand campaign.

·         Monitoring: Lets you keep track of popular trends and comments that you can instantly respond to and attract link-building attention.

·         Research: Lets you research what other marketers think is popular from a large pool of articles and social posts.

 

Diib

The Diib backlink monitoring software combines the best features of the aforementioned backlink checker tools to provide a comprehensive user dashboard. From the intuitive dashboard, you can begin the journey of building strong backlinks, track the backlinks of your top 6 competitors, as well as get alerts of any suspicious backlink activity.

That said, how is Diib a comprehensive backlink tool? With Diib, you can achieve a holistic backlink strategy that incorporates:

·         Monitoring your technical SEO

·         A 404 checker for detecting broken pages

·         Backlink monitoring and repair

·         Backlink tracking tools

·         User experience optimization

In other words, with a Diib dashboard, you get more than just backlink analysis. It is therefore an invaluable tool for checking your overall website health. Way to stay ahead of search engine rankings!

When it comes to your link building, Diib can help you:

·         Flag, single out, and eliminate bad backlinks from your profile

·         Correct old backlinks still pointing to deleted web pages

·         Track your domain authority

·         Analyze the number of dofollow and nofollow links tied to your site

·         Boost your domain authority through monthly updates

In a nutshell, therefore, acquiring Diib software gives you access to many invaluable resources under one roof. From SEO, content marketing, link building, Google Analytics, WordPress, and social media, to website UX, your website is sure to stay healthy always!

 

What tools are best for detecting toxic scores and spam scores?

In your backlink analysis, you can use a backlink checker tool to measure toxic scores and spam scores within your backlink profile. From both these scores, you can easily get a hint as to the overall health of your backlink inventory and any red flags you should urgently fix.

The most popular backlink checker tools for this important job are Moz Link Explorer and WebCEO Toxic Link Checker.  

 

Moz Link Explorer

Moz provides two ways to check your spam score. You can either check your score through their Link Explorer tool or your Moz Pro Campaign in the “Links” section.

A spam score does not necessarily mean your website is spammy. Rather, it simply indicates potential spam signals drawn from previously penalized or banned pages by Google. The signals are a function of many things ranging from low-authority indicators to content indicators.

Therefore, a Moz spam score is only meant to help you evaluate the quality of links pointing to your site. As you analyze them, the signals can then guide you in launching further investigations into the links and where necessary, get rid of them.

The Moz tool also lets you stack your spam scores against those of your competitors. This will help you broaden your scope of backlink investigation while learning what to look for in potentially harmful links.

So, before disavowing or disregarding a site because of a high spam score, analyze its content and relevance in relation to your site and make your verdict accordingly.

Generally, the Moz spam score adopts a percentage score where:

·         High spam score ranges from 61% to 100%

·         Medium spam score ranges from 31% to 60%

·         Low spam score ranges from 1% to 30%

 

WebCEO Toxic Link Checker

This tool not only helps you detect toxic links fast but also instantly get rid of them to protect your search rankings. It is integrated with Majestic and Moz metrics to cover the entire scope of your backlink profile.

Within the tool, you can generate an outline of all the incoming links to your site. If the list is too enormous, you can apply sorting filters to segment the backlinks and screen them separately. From there, you can begin auditing the backlinks to determine whether their URLs are adding any value to your site or not.

Your backlink audit will produce columns of good links and toxic links along with the percentage of the different toxicity scores. Based on the toxic scores, you can isolate the potentially spammy domains before deciding the best course of action.

The toxic link checker audit reports highlight toxic links in red making it easy to begin link removal either through initiating contact with the affected webmasters or disavowing the toxic links. WebCEO is integrated with the Google Disavow tool making the whole process a breeze. Simply identify the toxic links, add them to your disavow list, and then download the list before uploading it on Google.

Once you have cleansed your backlink profile, you can activate the automatic toxic link alerts to notify you of new links pointing to your site.

 

How should you analyze your e-commerce backlinks?

Having understood the right backlinking tools to use for your e-commerce website, how can you correctly analyze strong e-commerce backlinks for a successful link-building strategy?

Before delving into that, note that the basis of your backlink analysis is a comprehensive backlink profile. Put simply, a backlink profile details the collection of all the links pointing to your website or driving referral traffic to your content.

Generally, your backlink profile will among other things outline the:

·         Number of backlinks to your website

·         Types of links

·         Domain quality

·         Anchor text

·         Relevance

So, the stronger your backlink profile, the easier and faster you can get to your SEO goals, that is, ranking higher on SERPs, driving more referral traffic, boosting brand reputation, increasing content visibility, and so on.

Now, shifting gears back to backlink analysis. How do you tell you have a strong backlink profile? Below are the key indicators:

·         Multiple organic, high-authority links

·         Little to no low-quality or low-authority links

·         Diverse link types

·         Relevant backlinks without any spam anchor text

·         Backlinks from domains relevant to your niche or topic

With that in mind, in your backlink analysis, you can tell a backlink is high-quality if it is natural (not manipulated), reputable, and relevant (both page relevance and domain relevance).

 

How should you build a strong backlink profile?

While having a strong backlink profile is to be yearned for, you don’t have to act desperately to achieve one. That means you should never think of engaging in unsavory tactics to earn backlinks.

So then, what are your options?

 

1.       Buy backlinks

If you have the means, you can buy strong backlinks. However, you should only do that within Google’s Webmaster Guidelines to avoid a site penalty. When effected, a site penalty can significantly affect your search rankings and instantly drop your website traffic!

While we are not discouraging buying links (if you know where to find the legitimate or strong ones), you should know that paid links generally attract a higher level of scrutiny by search engines. Moreover, earning many backlinks so fast can potentially raise a red flag and again, attract a penalty.

Thus, before you buy backlinks, you should have a solid grounding. In other words, ensure you cultivate a strong backlink profile comprising high-quality organic backlinks first. That means paid links should never be the primary pillar for your backlink profile, rather, supplementary.

So, how do you go about finding the right paid links? Start by:

·         Scrutinizing websites keenly before buying links from them. Thoroughly vet your chosen domains for anything that seems suspicious. What does the domain history say? Is there any evidence of excessive spammy outbound links?

·         Developing a goal-oriented link-building strategy. Avoid going on a shopping spree for backlinks. Instead, go at it slowly and objectively while remaining intentional. You can start with only a few paid links, say three or so, and then build on that gradually with each passing month. As a rule of thumb, ensure you keep your total paid links below 25% of your backlink profile.

·         Adding diversity to your anchor text distribution. Ensure you vary your anchor text across the different paid domains linking back to your site.

Additionally, to be on the safe side, avoid sitewide links, link selling services, and suspicious websites (ad-heavy, carry a penalty record, or turned into a link farm).

Having said that, it is imperative to keep tabs on your backlink profile to flag any potentially harmful issues to your site rankings. For instance, if your paid links start attracting a huge chunk of low-quality links, you may be staring at a penalty risk.

 

2.       Organic backlinks

Alternatively, you can also leverage organic or natural backlinks and still outrank the competition on search results. Not only are natural backlinks free of charge (helping you to lower your link-building investment), but they also naturally add value to your site or content, something search engines love to see.

The value of organic links comes from the fact that you receive the backlink based on the value of your website or content and not necessarily based on some sort of partnership. If a high-authority site can vouch for the quality of your website or content, search engines automatically perceive your brand as valuable to internet users and rank it high above the rest.

That said, the easiest and most important way to earn quality organic backlinks is by creating valuable content or resources (e.g. infographics) for both search engines and your e-commerce website visitors.

Other ways include guest blogging, influencer outreach, leveraging relevant online directories, and reporting broken links, among others.

Remember, whether you are leveraging paid links or acquiring them organically, you have to constantly monitor the health of your backlink profile. You can rely on a reputable backlink checker tool to measure the overall impact of your links on your brand as well as to flag and eliminate any low-quality links that would ultimately affect your site negatively.

 

Over to you!

What can you do with this information? Well, for starters, you can start building a rich backlink profile. Secondly, you can proceed to launch a successful backlink analysis.

Armed with the right link-building tools, attaining both these goals is easy. Besides, from the article, you already know what constitutes a good link and a toxic link.

So, what are you waiting for? Start scaling your SEO efforts backed by not only the right tools but also the right information.

Remember, a good SEO strategy bundled with a poor link-building strategy is synonymous with an e-commerce digital marketing vehicle that’s comfortable to ride in yet with the nagging itch of poor fuel economy!

Even so, you can keep your vehicle in tip-top condition by finding strong backlinks and getting your e-commerce website to its rightful ranking destination.