AL-MASHRIQ Mar-keting & Services are the dealers of Electrolux and

TCL range of home appli-ances in Qatar. Electrolux is a multinational home appliance company, head-quartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Electrolux has 97 years of expertise in home appliances worldwide pro-viding various range of products.Having started with the sale of a single vacuum cleaner, after 97 years of innovations and acquisitions, Electrolux is now a global leader in home and professional appliances. Electrolux Air Condition-ers and refrigerators are thoughtfully designed to be efficient, energy saving and highly durable. Here’s what sets them apart.

AIR CONDITIONER FEATURES: LAUNCHING IN QATAR MARKET FROM MAY 2016

— 1.5 TON, 2 TON & 2.5 TON1. Fast Cooling MPRI Technology: In the Multi Point

Refrigerant Injection technology, the refrigerant is injected at multiple points as compared to conventional evapora-tor, thereby resulting in faster heat exchange and instant cooling.

2. Bigger Outdoor Unit: The bigger outdoor unit pro-vides more area for heat release and also make the AC highly energy efficient.

3. Turbo Cool Mode: Quickly brings the temperature down to provide instant cooling.

4. 10 min Auto-Clean: This 10 min process cleans the evaporator coil, allowing pure air to pass, also making the AC energy efficient.

5. 4-Way Surround Cool: It delivers fresh air to every corner of the room owing to its vertical and horizon-tal louvers.

REFRIGERATOR FEATURES: LAUNCHING IN QATAR MARKET IN SEPTEMBER 2016

— 300 Ltrs to 800 Ltrs 1. Nutri Light: The unique fridge lighting system uses

a wave treatment that evenly distributes light around the crisper to help retain the vitamin content in fruits and vegetables. Normally, the synthetic environment inside a refrigerator depletes the vitamins and antioxidants in fresh produce within a few days. But the NutraLight fea-ture in Electrolux refrigerators prolongs nutritive value especially in leafy greens.

2. Bacteria Shield: The door gasket seal encloses freshness and acts as a shield, keeping dust particles, bacteria and mildew outside, keeping your refrigera-tor clean & healthy.

3. Deo Fresh: Special deodorizing filter effectively

eliminates unpleasant odours.

4. CFC Free: At Elec-trolux we care for the environment, eliminat-ing the use of harmful ch lorof luoroc a rbons (CFCs). Except that Elec-trolux Large Capacity provides sufficient space and 100% Frost Free makes fruit and vegeta-bles fresh for long time

TCLWorldwide, TCL is famous for its simple and ele-

gant design and long lasting performance. In Shenzen, China: The highly competitive iF Design Awards 2016 have been conferred to products from TCL Home Appliance Industry Group, namely TCL Air Healthy 460 fridge, TCL Big-Eye Crystal 2.0 washing machine and TCL Arc Blue washing machine, for their aesthetic user-centric designs combined with the latest smart functionalities. The iF Design Award has been recog-nised by the world as a label of design excellence, the “Design Oscar”, for over 60 years. The three products of TCL were selected out of 5,000 candidates this year, by iF Industries Forum Design, the oldest industrial design organization in Germany.

TCL has wide cooling range presenting Split and win-dow Air Conditioner in Qatar market with Piston and rotary compressor starting from 1.5 ton up to 2.5ton, Though having good quality and elegant design the prices are not high and reasonable.

TCL holds a good position in Qatar market and has been successfully creating curiosity with its various range of refrigerators starting from 50Ltrs to 500Ltrs and is available in two colours — White and Silver,

Also this summer, TCL Bottom freezer is main attrac-tion. With several brands providing only high capacity bottom freezer TCL is covering mid capacity 315 Ltrs Bot-tom freezer with an eye-catching price.

For more information and inquiries:Al-Mashriq Marketing & Services Head OfficeJBK Building, Salwa Road, P.O.Box 6459 Doha – QatarTel: +974 44507007Fax: +974 44507068Email: sales@almashriq.com.qaWeb: www.almashriq.com.qa

Al-Mashriq Marketing & Services: Electrolux & TCL dealers in Qatar

CHAIRMANSheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid Al-Shafi

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

ADVERTISING MANAGERAli Wahba

PRODUCTIONViswanath Sarma

IMAGE PROCESSINGMohd Sajad Sahir

THE summer season is here. It is time to stay cool, stay indoors and switch on the air-con-ditioners. Its time to furnish rooms with soothing uphol-stery, stock the fridge with all

summer goodies and play indoor games. At homes, salads and cold drinks rule. Slushes, chilled colas, ice-creams and milk shakes replace the hot beverages. Its time to take children to amusement areas located within the giant hypermarkets.

Air conditioner repair shops are abuzz with servicing. Added to this is the construc-tion boom in Qatar in the run up to the 2022 World Cup. Loads of air-conditioners are being stocked up by firms to ensure that the large requirements in the summer are well taken care of. Looking for a new air condi-tioner to cool your home? Then pay a visit to the LG Electronics and Almuftah showrooms.

The air-conditioning industry is currently going through important changes: Government and individuals are realising they need to have products with high energy-efficiency ratio to save on electricity consumption. While doing so, products should be environment-friendly. Sharp’s new split-type air conditioners both implement the new R410 refrigerant gas thus making them safe for the environment and saves on energy usage.

Sharp Corporation and Almuftah Group is the front-runner in bringing the latest air conditioning innovations to the Qatar market. Almuftah Group has been a leader in providing the latest and highest-quality consumer elec-tronics and appliances to the Qatar market.

LG Electronics’ latest air conditioning innovation offers households the penultimate fresh and cool environment even during the height of summer. The wide product range offered by LG — the different types of Commercial Air-conditioning Systems like

Ceiling concealed Ductable Split Air Con-ditioner, Single Packaged Air Conditioner & Ductable Split Air Conditioner, makes it eas-ier for the customer to opt for these systems.

A wide range of refrigerators are also on offer. Whether you need jus a small refriger-ator to keep your beverages chilled through the summer or a complete cooling system that not only keeps your summer goodies in good shape but also dispenses refreshingly chilled water and perfect ice cubes, you are sure to find them at LG and Almuftah Group.

Come summer and juices and squashes are all around. With summer around, peo-ple can be seen donning sunglasses, a necessity in the coming months to avoid ultraviolet rays. Many own more than one pair, and some change their shades almost everyday of the week.

School-going children are most excited to spend more time outdoors, ignoring their health and safety. And parents need to be care-ful to ensure their children’s safety from this unbeatable heat. Provide your child with a

water bottle. It is very important for everyone to have plenty of water during summer season.

Parents should provide fresh juices, coconut water, buttermilk or lemon juice as refreshments to children. Make sure that your child wear light colour clothing as light col-ours absorb heat better during summers and allow sweat to evaporate.

Try to keep your kids out of direct sun-light especially during peak hours and instead engage them in indoor activities. Evenings are best for recreational activities,

especially for children playing outdoor games. Always apply a good sunscreen, with a high SPF factor, (depending upon the skin type) whenever you or your child is about to go out in the sun. The sunscreen may be help-ful in protecting you as well as the children from the harmful rays of sun.

For your reading pleasure, a number of summer-related articles such as how to buy and maintain your air conditioner and use-ful tips on maintaining your cars and tyres are included.

Stay cool and feel fresh this summer SUMMER SURPRISESSUMMER SURPRISES 11

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2016

Eco-friendly adhesives, sealants and duct insulations from Kazema Qatar

KSP Qatar has recently won a dealership a g reement w it h the US HVAC inno-vators ‘Ca rl is le’. Carlisle is a $4bn

diversified global manufacturing company. Carlisle HVAC presents in Qatar wide range of adhesives, sealants, and duct insulation mate-rials which are water-based and

eco-friendly. These specif ica-tions cope with requirements of the Qatari market and the need to go-green initiatives taking place in Qatar and almost everywhere in the world.

These products prevent air leak-age and save energy. In addition, some of Carlisle products such as RS100™ prevent mold growth and fungus for healthier and fresher environments.

RS-100 is water based; spray sealant engineered to seal joints, penetrations and seams from inside of the HVAC ductwork.

The superior physical properties of this non-tack sealant will meet and exceed the SMACNA pressure classes and its flexibility allows for the system operation without crack-ing. RS-100 sealant is formulated with EPA registered chemicals to resist microbial growth on the sur-face of the sealant.

Carlisle products are all fire rated, approved by Qatar Civil

Defence for being at the rate of 0 f lame and 0 smoke.

Being water-based product, with moderate prices and high efficiency, Carlisle products can is the best choice for contractors and HVAC companies.

Kazema Supply and Parts started its operation in Kuwait in 1976. It has large number of branches in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. The company is a leading wholesaler for HVAC+R spare parts, components, equipment and tools.

For years, Kazema Qatar has sup-plied the Qatari market with all types of HVAC products from all over the world. The company presents world- class manufacturers such as Carlisle, Danfoss, Yellow Jacket, Bristol, Tog-ami, Parker, and Nacobre.

Manufactured by Carlisle USA and brought to Qatar by Kazema Qatar.

Kazema Supply and Parts started its operation in Kuwait in 1976. It has large number of branches in Kuwait, Bahrain,

and Qatar. The company is a leading wholesaler for HVAC+R spare parts, components, equipment and tools.

For years, Kazema Qatar has supplied the Qatari market with all types of

HVAC products from all over the world. The company presents world-class

manufacturers such as Carlisle, Danfoss, Yellow Jacket, Bristol, Togami, Parker, and Nacobre.

SUMMER SURPRISESSUMMER SURPRISES 22

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2016

AS the effects of global warming and climate change becomes evident, various governmental and non-governmental organisations, scientists

and engineers are constantly coming up with ways to reduce harmful carbon emissions and greenhouse gases which is being emitted into the atmosphere.

To standardise these efforts, an international treaty known as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was inter-national agreed in 1987. It is designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous sub-stances that are responsible for ozone depletion. The treaty provides a time-table on which the production of those substances must be phased out and eventually eliminated.

In compliance with the Mon-treal Protocol, air-conditioner

manufacturers have developed a new type of refrigerant gas known as the R410 standard. R410 is more environ-ment-friendly than the previous R22 refrigerant standard in that it has zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and consumes less energy.

Developed countries are already implementing the R410 standard. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has already implemented the new refrigeration

standard as well. As such, companies like Sharp have already started intro-ducing them in their line of new air conditioners.

Sharp’s new split-type air con-ditioners implement the new R410 refrigerant standard thus making them safe for the environment and saves on energy usage. Being entirely new designs, these units benefit from vari-ous improvements, including reduced

refrigerant noise, a wider air at 100˚ air area angle, and a wider and more flexible louver movement for the best air-conditioning comfort.

These units are also more service-friendly as they are built with fewer parts for easier servicing. A safety ter-minal board is provided to avoid fire accidents, while strong anti-corrosion metal parts ensure the air condition-ers will last a long time.

As new refrigeration regulations are likely to come soon to the Middle East, it is advisable for contractors to think ahead and adopt the new R410 standard. Investing in this new type of air conditioner is an economical

decision as well since they are designed to have a service life of 15 years.

They will be available very soon for the Qatar market through Almuf-tah Trading showrooms in Al Saad, Airport Road, and Abu Hamour showrooms.

Sharp Corporation and Almuftah Group is the front-runner in bringing the latest air conditioning innovations to the Qatar market. Through its Trading Projects and Business Solution Divi-sion (BSD), Almuftah Group currently has the highest sales volume and big-gest market share for such products in Qatar.

In addition to the marketing of

Sharp products, Almuftah Group heavily invests in improving its cus-tomer service by conducting regular seminars for its Technical and Service Division. It is committed to protect the operating life cycle of the products it offers to ensure the fulfillment of its long-term commitments towards customers.

Almuftah Group has been a leader in providing the latest and highest-quality consumer electronics and appliances to the Qatar market. It is one of the oldest merchants of electronic prod-ucts in the country, supplying brands and products that customers trust for more than 40 years.

Meet the future of eco-friendly air conditioners from Sharp

Sharp’s new split-type air conditioners implement the new R410 refrigerant standard thus making them safe for the environment and saves on energy usage. They will be available very soon for the Qatar market through Almuftah Trading showrooms in Al Saad, Airport Road, and Abu Hamour.

SUMMER SURPRISESSUMMER SURPRISES 33

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2016

CARS are perhaps most vulnerable to the high heat and humidity of summers. Buying high quality tyres, buying the proper size for your car, buying from a reputable tyre dealer — all these things are important for tyre safety,

long tyre life and driving satisfaction. But they are not enough. You also need to be able to maintan tyres prop-erly. Here are some answers to questions most often asked about tyre care.

Q. How much air should I put in my tyres?A. Tyres should be inflated to the pressure recom-

mended by the manufacturer of your car. The most important part of tyre care is air. The worst enemy a tyre can have is too little inflation pressure. An under-inflated tyre generates excessive heat which reduces fuel economy and increases tread wear in the shoulder area.

Inflating your tyres to the maximum inflation pres-sure as specified on the tyre sidewall can improve your fuel economy and extend tyre life. The maximum infla-tion pressure is 32 psi for load range B alpha-numeric sizes and 35 psi for standard load P-metric sizes.

Check tyre inflation regularly. Check at least once every two weeks and before any long trips. Always check tyre pressure in the morning before you drive or after driving a mile or less. Beyond that, check the tyre pres-sure only after the tyres have cooled down for an hour or more.

Radial Tyres: Because their normal shape has a slight sidewall bulge, radial tyres require even more careful infla-tion checks. To be sure your tires have the correct air pressure, always use a good air pressure gauge.

Vary inflation with load: When your car is carrying extra weight, such as on a vacation trip, a little additional air should be added to the tyres. It is recommended that you increase the air pressure 4 pounds over the car man-ufacturer’s recommended cold tyre pressure – but not over the maximum inflation limit shown on the tyre’s sidewall. Never “bleed” or reduce air pressure when tyres are hot. A tyre’s air pressure will automatically increase

as its internal temperature increases. This increase is normal and should not be adjusted. Check and adjust inflation only when tyres are cool.

Check regularly to see that your tyres have valve caps. Be sure they are screwed down finger-tight. Valve caps should have a rubber seal when provides a secondary air seal and keeps dirt and moisture out of the air valve.

Q What type of car maintenance helps increase tyre life?

A Correct vehicle alignment is a must and should be checked periodically. Improper alignment not only can cause excessive tire wear, it also can increase your car’s fuel consumption. Tyres and wheels should be balanced dynamically – rear wheels as well as fronts.

Q. What should I do if I notice a vibration?A Vibration is an indication that your car has something

that needs attention. The tyres should be checked for any irregular wear to help determine the possible cause and correction of the vibration. If left unattended the vibra-tion, if caused by tyres, could cause excessive tyre and suspension wear. It could even be dangerous.

Q. Can my driving habits affect the life of my tyres?A. They certainly can! To increase the life of your tyres,

you must avoid bad driving habits. Fast turns on curves and around the corners. Fast starts and panic stops. Riding on the edge of pavements. Driving over curbs, chuckholes, or other obstructions. Excessive heat is generated from the flexing of the tyres carcass when driven at high speeds. This heat increases the rate of tyre wear and reduces the tyre’s durability.

Q. Why should I rotate my tyres?A. The purpose for regular tyre rotation is to achieve

more uniform wear for all of the tyres on a vehicle. Before you rotate the tyres, the owner’s manual for the specific vehicle should be consulted for the manufacturer’s rota-tion recommendations.

If no rotation period is specified, tyres should be rotated every 12,500km to 17,000km. The first rotation is the most important. If the tyres show uneven wear, ask

the serviceman to check and correct any misalignment, imbalance or other mechanical problem before rotation.

Tyres should be balanced approximately every 20,000km and alignment checked annually or every 25,000km. The common practice is to rotate tyres approx-imately every 10,000km. When tyres are rotated, inflation pressures must be adjusted according to the vehicle man-ufacturer’s recommendations.

Do not include “Temporary Use Only” spares in any of these patterns. If a regular tyre is used as a spare, it should be included in the rotation process

as follows: Use the rotation pattern recommended for the type of vehicle, but place the spare in the right rear position. The tyre which would have gone to the right rear position becomes the new spare.

Q. Must I replace my present tyres with the same size tyres?

A. Never choose a smaller size than those that came with the car. Tyres should always be replaced the same size designation – or approved options, as recommended by the auto or tyre manufacturer.

Q. Can I “mix” tyre types on my car?A. Tyres of different size designations constructions,

and stage, or wear may affect vehicle handling and sta-bility. For best all-around performance, the same type tyre should be used on all four wheel positions – unless special purpose tyres are used to improve performance.

Q. When buying just two new tyres, should they be put on the front or rear?

A. When radial tyres are used with bias or belted tyres on the same car the radials must always be placed on the rear axle. A single new tyre should be paired on the rear axle with the new tyre having the most tread depth of the other three.

Q. It’s simple to mount a tyre on a wheel. Should I do it myself?

A. Tyre mounting is a job for people who have proper equipment and experience. Most tyre retailers offer free mounting service when you purchase new tyres. If you try to do the mounting yourself, you run the risk of seri-ous injury to yourself as well as possible damage to the tyre beads and rim.

Q. Do my new tyres require any special treatment?A. The new tyres that you put on your car will prob-

ably feel different from the tyres that were replaced. You should drive carefully until you are familiar with their performance and handling. Take special care when brak-ing, accelerating, cornering, or when driving in the rain, because these are the times when the differences will be most noticeable.

All you wanted to know about tyre care

The Peninsula

THE Ministry of Munici-pality and Environment has set a new deadline of July 1 for phasing out all conventional air condi-

tioners from the local market that do not meet Qatari standards and specifications. Only energy-saving air conditioners (both window and split) will be allowed in the market from that date. Import and sale of all A/Cs that don’t meet Qatari and Gulf standards and specifications have been banned.

The Qatar General Organisation for Standardisation (QS) at the Min-istry said that the law regulating the import of energy-saving air condi-tioners will be in force from July 1.

QS had set several early dead-lines for the ban that were later extended. The regulation has been enforced in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Industry, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) and the Ministry of Economy and Trade.

Import of only energy-saving air conditioners will be permitted in line with the Qatar Standard QS 2663 and the Gulf Technical Regulation No (BD-142004-01), QS said yester-day, in an announcement posted on its facebook page. The regulation is intended to protect public health, ensure safety and eliminate infe-rior and counterfeit products.

The energy efficiency rate must not be 1ess than 8.5 BTU/hr, according to testing condition (T3 & T1). Each manufacturer, or one the manufacturer authorises must reg-ister the A/C’s prototype using the QS-approved form and obtain a con-formity certificate attesting the AC’s number of stars, at least a month before import.

Voltage and frequency of the A/Cs must be in accordance with the Qatari regulation — 240 volt (single phase) and 415 volt (three-phase), and the frequency is 50 Hz; no other variety will be accepted.

ACs must have “difficult to remove” metal or plastic energy efficiency cards/labels, approved by QS, indicating the number of stars affixed to the A/C’s front part or attached by the manufacturer.

The manufacturer must sub-mit an original test report from an ISO 17025 certified laboratory and an approved certificate issued in accordance with the IECEE CB Scheme, or a certificate of con-formity from an internationally recognised body proving that the air conditioner complies with the requirements mentioned in the Approved Qatari Standard (QS2663) and the Gulf Technical Regulation No. (BD-142004-01).

QS said it is committed to ensur-ing the quality of electrical products in the local market “for preserva-tion and sustainability of energy in the country, to implement Qatar National Vision 2030 with regard to the optimum utilization of natural resources, protect the environment and ensure health and safety of the individuals and the society.”

It also seeks “to assist importers and traders and facilitate proce-dures to ensure the flow of goods and products in the local market without technical barriers.” It has called upon all traders and import-ers to abide by the content of the announcement.

Importers and dealers are gear-ing up for the proposed ban but say they are anticipating a grace period to clear the existing stocks. Enquir-ies with wholesale dealers revealed that they have started placing orders for the energy-saving ACs meeting the new requirements.

“ Such products are already available in some other GCC markets and they are now being introduced in Qatar. For several months, the authorities have been raising aware-ness in the market about the new regulation. Dealers may face prob-lems in clearing the existing stocks and we are expecting a grace period for implementing the new decision,” said a senior official of a company dealing in a popular brand of elec-trical and electronic products.

“We are now placing new orders with our manufacturers to deliver ACs meeting the new specifications,” he added.

The ministry has warned of legal action against traders and import-ers violating the rule but has not so far mentioned about a possible grace period. QS had said that it will con-duct intensive inspection campaigns after the July 1 deadline.

Only green ACs in Qatar market after July 1

SUMMER is already on the horizon. Time to replace old air conditioners with a new one. Your search for an air condi-tioner doesn’t need to be a traumatic experience. This article will tell you everything, including how powerful a

unit you really need, and how to make sure it will last for many summers to come.

There are two different kinds of air condition-ing systems out there: A unit air conditioner, and a central cooling system. What’s the difference? A unit air conditioner is the big box you put in your window, and a central cooling system hooks your entire house up to one system, and each room gets cooled through vents.

The unit air conditioner is the best kind to get if you live in a small house, apartment or studio, or if you’ve just added an extra room on the house and don’t want to hook an entire system up to it. It’s also cheaper. If you have a relatively large house that you want to get cooled quickly with the flick of a button, then you might want to consider get-ting a central cooling system.

There are three types of unit air conditioners you should consider: Window unit, built-in win-dow, and split system.

WINDOW UNIT: The window unit is (usually) easy to install into any standard double-hung win-dow. It should offer multiple cooling options (low - high). This is the kind that most people get because it’s the cheapest; you just stick it in a window and hope it doesn’t fall on anyone below.

BUILT-IN WINDOW: The built-in window again can be installed into any standard double-hung window, or it can even be installed right into your wall. This unit offers heat/cool and cooling with heat pump features as well as the standard cooling options. It’s fancier than the standard window unit and it does more stuff, but it also usually consumes more energy.

SPLIT SYSTEM: The split system provides an outside air compressor option for quiet cooling. But these almost always have to be professionally installed, adding to the cost. All of the above types are typically run at 115 Volts or 230/208. Either will work just fine in almost any outlet. Select the type that best accommodates your needs and the type of room in which it will be located.

Don’t select a no-name brand without

researching it or you won’t know what kind of quality and durability you’re getting. If you aren’t interested in hunting down air conditioner brand ratings, then pick a brand you already trust. And most importantly, don’t forget to bring your room dimensions along with you.

BTUS AND EERS:The first thing you’re going to come across when

you go on a/c shopping is the term Btus. Here’s what it means: Every air conditioner has a cooling capac-ity number that ranges from 5,000 to 18,000 Btus. The higher the Btu value, the stronger the air con-ditioner is. (For the people out there interested in such things, Btu stands for ‘British thermal units’.)

Btus are the best indicator of what air condi-tioner you should buy, so carefully figure out what you’re looking for. The smaller the room, the fewer Btus needed. There are two methods to figuring out how many Btus you need:

1. Find the square footage of the room (multi-ply its length and width). Then check out this chart to see where you fall.

2. Find the square footage of the room, and mul-tiply the answer by 35. That’ll get you in the right ballpark. Here’s an example: Let’s say your apart-ment is 12’ x 15’. So that’s 180 square feet. Using method (1), you know that you should be looking for an air conditioner in the low 6,000 Btus. Using method (2), you are recommended to get an air con-ditioner with about 6,300 Btus (180 X 35).

In addition, you should follow the following guidelines for proper selection:

� If the room is shaded, reduce the Btus by 10 percent.

� If the room is very sunny, increase the Btus by 10%.

� If you plan on placing the air conditioning unit in your kitchen, add 4,000 Btus.

� If more than two people will regularly be in the room (e.g., an office), add 600 Btus per person.

Find the EER number for each unit: EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio. Air conditioners with high EERs are good, because they cost less to oper-ate. Unfortunately, they’re also more expensive, so you have to find a balance. Air conditioners’ EERs usually range from 8.2 to 10.5. So if you’re plan-ning on keeping the a/c for a couple of years, then it’s worthwhile to get an a/c with a high EER. If you only need an air conditioner to last you through

the summer, get an air conditioner with a low EER. Here are some other things to think about when

purchasing your air conditioner:WARRANTY: Be sure that your air conditioner

comes with at least a one-year warranty. Some stores even offer an extended warranty plan (cov-ering four to five years) for an extra fee.

TEMPERATURE RANGE: If it spans less than 20° (e.g. 68°-86°F), it may not be sufficient for your needs, particularly if you live in a hot, arid climate. Be sure that the temperature can be incremented in notches of 1°-2°. This allows for greater precision and prevents electricity waste.

SLEEP SETTING/ENERGY SAVER SWITCH: Some unit air conditioners have a sleep setting so that at night when you are sleeping, the air con-ditioner slows the cooling process to a minimum, saving money and energy.

SLIDE-OUT FILTER: Every unit air conditioner has a filter that must be cleaned. Save yourself an immense hassle and get a slide-out filter air con-ditioner, not a frame-enclosed one. The slide-out filters are easy to remove and re-install.

INSTALLATION: Make sure your unit air con-ditioner comes with installation directions. Also, make sure to bring a friend with you to help carry the air conditioner and install it once you buy it ... they’re heavy!

Unfortunately, your job isn’t over once you’ve bought your unit air conditioner. You have to make sure to get your air conditioner serviced regularly or it will lose around 5 percent of its efficiency every year. Maintaining your air conditioner routinely will prevent you from having to spend cash later on to fix all the parts that have gone sour. It can also help you avoid irritating allergic reactions caused by dust.

Here’s what you have to do to give your air conditioner a long lifespan:

Clean and change your filters often. When you plan to be away from home for the day, turn your air conditioner on a low setting (or even better, turn it off). It will ultimately save you lots.

Make sure that your room has tight seals around every window and door. This will max-imise the energy efficiency of your home during both the summer and winter months, particularly when you’re using your air conditioner. Especially make sure that you seal off the edges of the win-dow where the air conditioner rests.

Tips on buying and maintaining ACs

SUMMER SURPRISESSUMMER SURPRISES 66

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2016

SUNGLASSES have become a fashion icon. Styles range from conservative to outrageous, and come in every conceivable col-our. If it’s a bright, clear day outside, you may instinctively

reach for your sunglasses when you head for the door. And you probably do it with-out much thought about them.

But you probably do think about sun-glasses when you go to buy a new pair — whether you walk into the discount store or at the mall, you are immediately struck by the bewildering array of choices before you! For instance, there are differences between tinted, reflective, photochromic and polaris-ing sunglasses. The style of the frame and size of the lenses also make a difference. Is that $200 pair of Serengeti sunglasses really any better than a $10 pair from the flea market?

There are four things that a good pair of sunglasses should do for you:

• Sunglasses provide protection from ultra-violet rays in sunlight. Ultraviolet (UV) light damages the cornea and the retina. Good sun-glasses can eliminate UV rays completely.

• Sunglasses provide protection from intense light. When the eye receives too much light, it naturally closes the iris. Once it has closed the iris as far as it can, the next step is squinting. If there is still too much light, as there can be when sunlight is reflecting off of snow, the result is damage to the retina. Good sunglasses can block light entering the eyes by as much as 97 percent to avoid damage.

• Sunglasses provide protection from glare. Certain surfaces, such as water, can reflect a great deal of light, and the bright spots can be distracting or can hide objects. Good sun-glasses can completely eliminate this kind of glare using polarisation.

• Sunglasses eliminate specific frequen-cies of light. Certain frequencies of light can blur vision, and others can enhance contrast. Choosing the right color for your sunglasses lets them work better in specific situations.

When you buy a pair of cheap sunglasses, you often give up all of these benefits and can even make things worse. For example, if

your sunglasses offer no UV protection, you increase your exposure to UV rays. The cheap sunglasses block some of the light, causing your iris to open to allow more light in. This lets in more of the UV light as well, increasing the damage UV light can cause to the retina.

Three types of light are important. • Direct light: Direct light is light that goes

straight from the light source (like the sun) to your eyes. Too much direct light can wash out the details of your surroundings and make it almost painful to try to focus your vision on anything.

• Reflected light: Reflected light, usually in the form of glare, is light that has bounced off a reflective object to enter your eyes. Just like direct light, strong reflected light can make it difficult to perceive the details or directly view an object. Snow, water, glass and white sand are all good reflectors.

• Ambient light: Ambient light is light that has bounced and scattered in many directions so that it is does not seem to have a specific source. A good example of ambient light is the glow in the sky around a major city. It would be very hard to identify a single source of light for that glow. Ambient light is how you are able

to see when there is no direct source of light. So there is a difference. Buying the right

pair of good sunglasses for the conditions in which you use them gives you maximum protection and performance. From Nike and Timberland to Gucci and Kenneth Cole, many big brands include sunglasses among their product lines. Many sunglass manufacturers make huge claims about the features and spe-cial qualities of their products.

The key to finding the perfect pair of sunglasses is to pick the right features for your situation. Here are some of the most important features to compare when you buy a pair of sunglasses:

• Lens material: There are several types of lens material. CR-39 is a plastic made from hard resin that meets optical quality stand-ards. Polycarbonate is a synthetic plastic material that has great strength and is very lightweight. These lenses tend to be lighter and are more impact-resistant. Glass lenses are heavier but are much more resistant to scratches. There are several other materials, such as Oakley’s Plutonite plastic, that have been developed by specific manufacturers.

• Lens quality: Optical-quality

polycarbonate and glass lenses are free of distortions, such as blemishes or waves, and have evenly distributed color across each lens. Here’s an easy way to tell if the lenses in a pair of sunglasses are of good quality. Find a surface with repeating lines, like a tiled floor. Hold the sunglasses a short distance away from your face and cover one eye. Look through one of the lenses at the lines while moving the sunglasses slowly from left to right and then up and down. The lines should stay straight as you look at them. If they wiggle or waver in any way, then the lenses are not optical quality and will distort your vision. Distortion is extremely common in cheap sunglasses.

• Lens darkness: What you plan to use the sunglasses for determines the darkness of the tint. For outdoor sports such as moun-tain climbing and snow-skiing, you want a tint that blocks most light. (You can buy sunglasses that block up to 97 percent of light!) For most purposes, like going to the beach or driving, look for a tint that absorbs or blocks 70 per-cent to 90 percent of light. Tints that offer less than 60-percent blockage are mainly good for fashion since they offer only mild protection.

• Special coatings or features: Anti-reflec-tive, waterproof, mirror and scratch-resistant coatings improve the functionality of the sun-glasses but also add cost. Many of the more expensive sunglasses use specific technologies including polarization, tinting and anti-reflec-tive coatings to achieve increased clarity, better protection, higher contrast or to block certain types of light.

• Frame and lens design: Normal frames similar to prescription eyeglass frames filter the light coming through the lenses but offer no protection from ambient light, direct light and glare from other angles. Wrap-around frames, larger lenses and special sidereal attachments can keep this extra light from your eyes.

• Frame material: The material used to make the frames is often a huge factor in cost and durability. Most inexpensive sunglasses use simple plastic or wire frames, while name-brand sunglasses use high-strength,

light-weight composite or metal frames. Also, the better sunglasses usually have features like tension springs that connect the arms to the face instead of just screws.

• Brand recognition: The simple truth is that a brand name does add cost. Just like shoes and suits, people associate certain brands with quality and extravagance. Some companies spend huge amounts of money to advertise a brand and create an identity. That cost is often passed on to the consumer in the product’s price. If “brand name” is important to your image, then buying a brand name is important. However, it is possible to find high-quality sunglasses that don’t have a brand-name price.

Fashion and image do play a role in sun-glass selection. There is a certain mystique when someone wears sunglasses. It is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, so it is no wonder that a device that hides them makes the wearer seem more provocative and mysterious. It is dangerous to wear sunglasses only for their fashionable appeal. Each colour is designed for a specific purpose, and is ideal only in certain weather conditions.

BLUE: A cosmetic fashion colour that should be worn only under cloudy skies or in the evenings. A blue lens permits the best vision to see fluorescent objects like ten-nis balls.

GREY: For intense luminosity, grey absorbs the same quantity of light without affecting the natural colour quality of objects.

BROWN: Good for sunshine, brown lenses show up contrast details and make objects appear sharper and clearer.

DARK GREEN: It is ideal for the human eyes as it shows colour and details. It is used by military personnel.

LIGHT GREEN: A fun, fashion colour that should be worn in places like discos.

PINK: Best for evenings and gives a sooth-ing feeling. This is a fashion colour, and should not be used in bright sunlight.

YELLOW: A colour that shows up con-trasts well. Very good for driving at night, or through a fog. Yellow lenses are used for night vision glasses.

THE kiss of summer bestows nature’s shin-ing secret to your face as long as you do not let it dry your skin and cause tiny wrinkles to appear. When it’s warm outside and the sun is shining, you might be tempted to head to the

beach and swim, play a volleyball game or just lie in the sand. Before you indulge in these activities, however, you should make sure to protect your skin. Skin that’s exposed to the sun is susceptible to sunburn, which can cause painful redness and even blisters. To prevent sunburn and sun blisters, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor, or SPF, of at least 30.

If a sunscreen has an SPF of 15 what it means is that in one minute of exposing your skin to a certain intensity of sunlight it will protect your skin from erythema or red-dening 15 times more than if your skin was unprotected. The two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays that damage skin are UVA and UVB. UVA causes ageing while UVB causes tanning and burning. New creams that contain both SPF and UVA filters are now available in the market.

Don’t pay too much attention to all those foreign sun-screens with SPFs of 60 or more which you may have bought at the duty free shop. However, because of the depletion in the ozone layer, faulty diet and pollution, the sun’s rays can cause more damage. Combined with pollu-tion and a faulty diet, the sun’s rays can result in formation of free radicals which are unstable molecules which lack one atom of oxygen. These free radicals damage blood vessels, tissues and the skin and cause premature ageing.

Dermatologists advise that a good sunscreen must be reapplied every three hours, especially if one is outdoors. If you are planning to go trekking, swimming, river raft-ing or camping in the summer holidays, use a sunscreen half an hour before exposure and again 15 minutes after the first exposure.

Blisters occur only in severe cases of sunburn. Sometimes they’re accompanied by swelling. A blister is a bubble under the skin that’s usually filled with fluid.

Blisters can be uncomfortable and unsightly, but don’t pop them. Blisters form to protect the skin, so it’s best to keep them intact for as long as possible. If a sun blis-ter pops, make sure to keep it clean and dry so it doesn’t get infected.

Preventing sunburn and blisters is easy. The sun shines most intensely from 10am to 4pm, so don’t spend too much time in the sun during the late morning and early after-noon. You should put on sunscreen half an hour before you go out in the sun so it has time to soak into your skin. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, especially if you’ve gotten wet or sweaty. Also remember that clothing pro-tects you by keeping your skin covered, and hats provide shade to protect your face. Some companies now make UVA- and UVB-protective clothing.

As long as you take the proper precautions to pro-tect yourself, don’t worry about enjoying bright, warm, sunny days outdoors. But don’t forget to take care of your lips — which have the thinnest skin on your body. You’ve stayed out in the sun too long, didn’t (re)apply sunscreen, and have a serious sunburn — now what? Treatments for the sunburned skin surrounding sun blisters will relieve pain, but they won’t actually make the sunburn heal faster. The healing process happens naturally, but severe cases can sometimes take several days to even begin to heal.

In the meantime, cover sunburned skin with a cool washcloth, or take a cool bath or shower to relieve irri-tation. Use moisturizers such as aloe on your skin. Many moisturizers can be purchased at your local drugstore, but be careful. Benzocaine and lidocaine are ingredients in some moisturizers that could actually further irritate your sunburn, so read the labels before you make your choice. You can also take over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or aspirin to relieve pain from sunburns.

If your sunburn doesn’t begin to heal in several days or is covered in sun blisters, you should see a doctor. Also see a doctor if you feel dizzy or have a fever — these symp-toms can accompany a sunburn and are signs of a more serious problem, such as dehydration or heat exhaus-tion. The best way to treat a sunburn is to prevent it. Wear sunscreen when you go out in the sun, even if you don’t think you’ll be out for very long. Your skin will thank you.

HOME-MADE FORMULASWalk into any hypermarket or pharmacy during the

summer, and you’ll find a plethora of sunscreen products on the shelves. Without a doubt, the varieties are plen-tiful, whether consumers want a natural or a chemical formula. But store-bought sun protection isn’t your only option. For some, making a sunscreen formula at home is the preferred alternative. Whether your motive is to save money or simply take control over what’s coming in contact with your skin, there are a few things you should know before making homemade sunscreen.

Before you start, you should find a detailed recipe. These are available online or even in some home remedy books. While ingredients vary among recipes, be sure the formula you choose includes either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These two agents have a proven ability to pro-vide protection from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. There may be some suitable alternatives, but these two ingre-dients are common because they are natural and their effects are trusted.

A complete guide to pick the right sunglasses

Apply sunscreens for healthy skin

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