Preparations as Burning Season Intensifies

[typ123]

Dear CM locals,

 

There are three things you can find at Tesco on Hang Dong road (the one nearest to the airport) that will help alleviate the smoke during burning season:

 

1) Filtrete filter pads for 180 baht in the hardware section.  They are in a red package with gold lettering.  You can to fit them inside your wall unit AC in your apartment or condo.  

 

2) N95 (pack of 2) and R95 (one only) air respirators.  R means it is somewhat resistant to oil.  

 

3) Draught excluders starting at 100 baht. Three different styles and come in wood, gray and black.  

 

Now my questions for you all are:

 

A) Should I run the fan or cooling function on my AC to keep air filtering in the room?  Which setting would be best for filtering the air and NOT taking air in from outside (not sure if these units even do that)?

 

A2) Does anyone know where to find a square shaped fan?  I want to use it to attach a HEPA filter to the back.  I have seen people doing this as a makeshift air purifier and proving that it works.  Some cool videos on Youtube about it.

 

Be well and stay healthy.  

Edited February 12, 2017 by typ123

[johng]

normally aircon does not take air from outside it just circulates the air inside the room (unless you leave door and windows open) so just set it to fan mode.

Square fans can be found at the builders merchants,ThaiWhattsadu,Homepro,Homemart etc

[ELVIS123456]

Leave CM - we did and it feels great to breath clean(er) Thai air.

[Thailand]

This year no problem, the PTB issued a MOI that there will be no burning for 60 days.

[johng]

No burning for 60 days and then 24 hour burning for 90 days!

[typ123]

5 hours ago, johng said:

normally aircon does not take air from outside it just circulates the air inside the room (unless you leave door and windows open) so just set it to fan mode.

Square fans can be found at the builders merchants,ThaiWhattsadu,Homepro,Homemart etc

 

 

 

I have read mixed information about this.  Some people say that some ACs draw air from the outside when set to fan mode.  Do you or does anyone else know if these modern Thai wall units draw air from outside at all?  I want to set to fan mode and leave it running but not if it's just pumping smoke inside my apartment, and if I set to cooling mode it's gonna lead to a higher utility bill and overly dry air 24/7.

 

Thanks for the tip on where to get the square fan.

 

50 minutes ago, Thailand said:

This year no problem, the PTB issued a MOI that there will be no burning for 60 days.

 

I have also heard mixed reports about this.  I've heard this isn't the first time this ban was issued and that nothing will actually change.  As we can see now the burning is getting worse.  You can see the visibility levels becoming more unclear at the skyline and you can check the AQI daily to see how it has been increasing.  It's already at unhealthy levels.  

 

Do you have more details on this 2 month ban?  For instance, when does it begin?  Will it actually make a difference or is it just a way to divert the public eye and keep locals and incoming tourists misinformed?  What happens after the 2 month ban? 

 

[johng]

Tell us the make and model of your aircon for a 100% answer im sure some expert will know. but for 99.9 % Thai aircons dont
bring in outside air they recycle the air inside the room.

[sfokevin]

^^^ It would be easy to determine if your wall AC is capable of drawing air from the outside by going outside and seeing if a intake vent exists... (it doesn't)... 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2017 by sfokevin

[typ123]

2 minutes ago, johng said:

Tell us the make and model of your aircon for a 100% answer im sure some expert will know. but for 99.9 % Thai aircons dont
bring in outside air they recycle the air inside the room.

Good idea.  I have a Saijo Denki Turbo A.P.S. R410A (Model: SJ-W12B-A-ETGP1).  It's about 8 months old so like new.  

[typ123]

6 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

^^^ It would be easy to determine if your wall AC is capable of drawing air from the outside by going outside and seeing if a intake vent exists... (it doesn't)... 

 

 

Seems logical enough.  There doesn't seem to be anything.  Just the radiator blowing out the warmer air from inside.  I don't know enough about these machines to say whether or not there is any other way it can draw air from outside.  I guess the radiator (outside unit) doesn't have the ability to do that but just want to be sure.

[Dante99]

19 minutes ago, johng said:

Tell us the make and model of your aircon for a 100% answer im sure some expert will know. but for 99.9 % Thai aircons dont
bring in outside air they recycle the air inside the room.

 covered already

Edited February 12, 2017 by Dante99

[cyberfarang]

22 minutes ago, typ123 said:

I have read mixed information about this.  Some people say that some ACs draw air from the outside when set to fan mode.  Do you or does anyone else know if these modern Thai wall units draw air from outside at all?  I want to set to fan mode and leave it running but not if it's just pumping smoke inside my apartment, and if I set to cooling mode it's gonna lead to a higher utility bill and overly dry air 24/7.

 

Thanks for the tip on where to get the square fan.

 

 

I have also heard mixed reports about this.  I've heard this isn't the first time this ban was issued and that nothing will actually change.  As we can see now the burning is getting worse.  You can see the visibility levels becoming more unclear at the skyline and you can check the AQI daily to see how it has been increasing.  It's already at unhealthy levels.  

 

Do you have more details on this 2 month ban?  For instance, when does it begin?  Will it actually make a difference or is it just a way to divert the public eye and keep locals and incoming tourists misinformed?  What happens after the 2 month ban? 

 

What do you intend to do? Stay in a locked sealed room and have your air con unit running flat out for 24 hours a day? Otherwise there are no ways to escape breathing in all the toxic fumes. As one poster said; only sure way to get away from the pollution is to leave Chiang Mai and then there are no guarantees that wherever you go will be any better. 

 

 

[johng]

its a closed circuit like your refrigerator...gas is compressed (making heat) which is expelled by the "radiator" and then expanded to produce cold in the internal "evaporator"

Maybe Mr Naam will be along soon for better explanation.

[cmsally]

The air in Chiang Mai is already "horrible" (there are words that could sum it up better !).

Checking on the site

Air quality index

it is already unhealthy/dangerous

But what is the deal with the air in Chiang Rai, positively squeaky clean - did they get rain ??

[johng]

no they just put a filter on the monitoring equipment [emoji40]

[cmsally]

OK now I see they seem to be measuring PM10 vs PM 2.5

[elektrified]

Was out today. Standing on top of a tall building near Huay Kaew, there was a thick blanket of smog. Also since last night my nose is dry and itches. I can't wait to get out next month for 30 days at the beach - just like every year. But it does seem to have started early this year.

 

Having said that, yesterday at Huay Tung Tao , I didn't notice it being so bad.

[eyecatcher]

 

 

For anyone wanting to understand the basics of how an air conditioner works, I hope the following explains.

You can see that air does not come in from the outside; therefore applying filters on them is a fruitless task.

 

1. Warm air from the room is sucked in through a grille at the base of the machine
2. The air flows over some chiller pipes through which a coolant fluid is circulating. This part of the machine works just like the chiller cabinet in a refrigerator. It cools down the incoming air and a dehumidifier removes any excess moisture.
3. The air then flows over a heating element (similar to the one in a fan heater). On a cold day, this part of the unit may be turned right up so the HVAC works as a heater.
4. A fan at the top blasts the air back through another grille into the room. If the heating element is turned down, the air re-entering the room is much cooler, so the room gradually cools down.
5. Meanwhile, coolant (a volatile liquid that evaporates easily) flows through the chiller pipes. As it does so, it picks up heat from the air blowing past the pipes and evaporates, turning from a cool liquid into a hotter gas. It carries this heat from inside the room to the outside of the building, where it gives up its heat to the outside air. How? Just like in a refrigerator, the coolant flows through a compressor unit and some condensing pipes, which turn it back into a cool liquid ready to cycle round the loop again.
6. What happens to the heat? In the unit outside the building, there are lots of metal plates that dissipate the heat to the atmosphere. An electric fan blows air past them to accelerate the process.
7. Over time, the heat inside the building gradually pumps away into the outside air.

 

[typ123]

40 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

 

 

For anyone wanting to understand the basics of how an air conditioner works, I hope the following explains.

You can see that air does not come in from the outside; therefore applying filters on them is a fruitless task.

 

1. Warm air from the room is sucked in through a grille at the base of the machine
2. The air flows over some chiller pipes through which a coolant fluid is circulating. This part of the machine works just like the chiller cabinet in a refrigerator. It cools down the incoming air and a dehumidifier removes any excess moisture.
3. The air then flows over a heating element (similar to the one in a fan heater). On a cold day, this part of the unit may be turned right up so the HVAC works as a heater.
4. A fan at the top blasts the air back through another grille into the room. If the heating element is turned down, the air re-entering the room is much cooler, so the room gradually cools down.
5. Meanwhile, coolant (a volatile liquid that evaporates easily) flows through the chiller pipes. As it does so, it picks up heat from the air blowing past the pipes and evaporates, turning from a cool liquid into a hotter gas. It carries this heat from inside the room to the outside of the building, where it gives up its heat to the outside air. How? Just like in a refrigerator, the coolant flows through a compressor unit and some condensing pipes, which turn it back into a cool liquid ready to cycle round the loop again.
6. What happens to the heat? In the unit outside the building, there are lots of metal plates that dissipate the heat to the atmosphere. An electric fan blows air past them to accelerate the process.
7. Over time, the heat inside the building gradually pumps away into the outside air.

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation on how they work.  I have a question about #1.  From what I understand the wall units like the one I have in my apartment suck air into the grille at the top of the unit, then it comes out the bottom as colder air after going through the other steps you mentioned.  Is that correct?  If so, the 3M Filtrete filters are to be placed inside the grille so the air drawn from the room has to pass through these filters.  

 

The only reason I am using it is because air from outside still gets in my apartment.  There are tiny gaps in windows and doors (even with a draft stopper I have at the base of my door) and in the bathroom there is a vent where outside air can get in.  The PM is so tiny that is can easily get in through these gaps and build up throughout the day and also when the doors are opened.  

 

Edited February 12, 2017 by typ123

[typ123]

1 hour ago, cyberfarang said:

What do you intend to do? Stay in a locked sealed room and have your air con unit running flat out for 24 hours a day? Otherwise there are no ways to escape breathing in all the toxic fumes. As one poster said; only sure way to get away from the pollution is to leave Chiang Mai and then there are no guarantees that wherever you go will be any better. 

 

 

I know this may seem extreme to some people but I just want my apartment to be a safe haven from the smoke and I want to sleep knowing that Im not inhaling rubbish all night.  Ill wear a proper mask when outside as well so for the most part I will be drastically reducing the amount of PM I inhale.  Ive got several 3M P3 (better than N95) masks.  Model # 9332.

[jerojero]

Seems logical enough.  There doesn't seem to be anything.  Just the radiator blowing out the warmer air from inside.  I don't know enough about these machines to say whether or not there is any other way it can draw air from outside.  I guess the radiator (outside unit) doesn't have the ability to do that but just want to be sure.

Try Google. Wonderful friend to us ignorant people.

[amexpat]

48 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

You can see that air does not come in from the outside; therefore applying filters on them is a fruitless task.

Even though the air is recirculating, the additional filter cleans it up. Of course new air enters whenever you open the door.

 

Try running your a/c normally with the 3M fabric filters in place for a couple of weeks.  Then take them out and see what could have

been in your lungs.  Impressive.  

 

[johng]

The amazing thing about (healthy) lungs they are pretty good at self cleaning, obviously breathing in small particulates is not good for health and makes life pretty miserable.
A filter on the aircon can help.

[Awk]

What helps, in increasing order of "helpfulness":
- Close the windows and doors.  Seal things as good as you can.  Helps for PM 10, does not help much for PM 2.5.
- Wrap 3M filtrete around a fan (on the side where it blows the air towards you).  Helps, but is too noisy. 
- Run the aircon.  Even an old aircon will improve the air quality.
- Run the aircon with 3M filtrete attached outside the aircon filters.  
- Run an air purifier.

[typ123]

2 hours ago, jerojero said:

Try Google. Wonderful friend to us ignorant people.

Of course.  This is a unique topic though.  Im talking about Thai brands of wall units that are sold in CM and what their functions are.  Also many people living here are well aware of the smoke crisis and precautions that should be taken, or they have already gained more knowledge about this than I have myself and wouldnt mind sharing.  It's a very reasonable topic to discuss.  When you say "go search google" you are basically saying "i dont know anything so why are you posting".  

Edited February 12, 2017 by typ123

[amexpat]

Well said, typ123.  And welcome to TV where common replies are:

 

"Use the search button"

"Go back to your home country"

"Go and have a look for yourself" 

"Stop 'moaning' " (suggesting improvements or asking how to deal with something)

 

[Mahseer]

Does anyone have the web site that monitors the fires across Asia?

 

Was looking to head to the hills of extreme north of Vietnam up against the Chinese border April but need to check the weather situation first.

 

thanks

[sfokevin]

 Typ123... if your AC is like most you will find on the top of the inside unit there is a removable door that can act as a filter or give you access to the inside of the unit where you will find filters... remove this door... in the Filtrete package you will find some double stick tape... put a few of these on the outside of the door... then stick the filter mesh over the outside of the door... cut the filter to match the door... then replace the door with the filter mesh showing on the outside... 

[cerox]

I'm a bit confused about the aircon unit not using the air from outside. Because my windows have been closed for 5 days and were never open in that time, but the air in my room feels normal.

 

So the process would be actually opening all windows once per day, putting on a mask for 2 hours and filtering the air with the air con unit once the windows are closed? I'm happy for any explanations of those who have experience.

 

My air con units are LG C10GU if anybody knows how they work. They are units outside as well, and I read in the previous post that they might just push warm air outside?

 

My personal impression in the last few days is, that many people have symptoms, I see many people having issues with their noses, burning eyes and I see people, esp. those who work outside, coughing. Not many so far, but more than before. I also noticed that both foreigners and Thai's do not seem to be bothered about the air quality - I'm talking about the majority, not a minority in this Forum. Nobody wears any mask, everybody has their windows open all day. I'm not complaining, just observing how different people deal with it.

Edited February 13, 2017 by cerox

[johng]

Your room is not hermetically sealed "air" will enter anytime you open the door and through gaps in doors and windows otherwise people would die of asphyxiation.