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Air conditioners - a necessity in modern Goa

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While people in Goa look for all kinds of avenues to cool themselves in the Goan summer, the air-conditioner is still considered a small time luxury in most Goan homes.

Come April - May and Goans make a beeline for the picnics and outing spots far away from home and mostly located near Goan springs, beaches and water bodies such as lakes and pools. It is a desperate attempt to cool oneself from the blistering heat thumping down in Goa at this time of the year. The springs, lakes, pools and beaches of Goa in the summer are therefore filled to the maximum with revelers frolicking to get that extra stream of coolness.

The air-conditioners are however still not looked upon as a necessity in Goa despite the fact that the humidity in the summer can sometimes be very uncomfortable. In the good old days the summer in Goa was quite bearable with lesser humidity levels and it was considered that air-conditioners were the belonging of the gulf and the more extreme weathered countries. However with the passage of time, air conditioners have come to Goa to stay and there is a gradual transition in the mindset of Goans to install an air-conditioner at least in the bedroom of their homes.

The increased demand has resulted in better models, lowered prices and a greater choice for the consumer in Goa. For residential use, there are basically two choices the Goan has to make.

The Window AC : These are so called because a convenient and suitable opening is made in a window. Often a separate opening known as AC window is also made beside the main window as is provided by all the major reputed builders today in Goa. Ideal height is 5 to 6 feet since cool air sinks downwards. Today many brands of the window air-conditioner are as silent as the split air conditioners and are available in both manual as well as remote version. It is pertinent to note that home consumers should not opt of the “simple remote” which is suitable for restaurants and offices but not for homes since it does not have a timer or “bio-sleep” function.

The Split AC “ The split ACs are divided into two parts. The hotter portion of the AC unit is kept outside the room and only the cold evaporator is installed inside the room. Popular splits are the high mount type mounted on a wall at ceiling height and piped outside to the outdoor condensing unit. The drawback of these units is felt most often in high rise buildings where such units if installed outside are serviced diligently by the air-conditioner dealers or company servicemen as these units are dangerously mounted at tall heights. The better option for such high rises is therefore to install such units in their balconies or outdoor units and open terraces or over a wide ‘catwalk” so that technicians can safely work on them.

For large rooms, living dining or showrooms, the best solution is the floor mounted tower AC. It has the silence of a split air conditioner combined with the air throw of a window AC along with side to side oscillating fins for ideal distribution of cold air. For mounting of the outdoor unit, the same recommendations of the high mount wall split unit are applicable here.

Nowadays in Goa there is also an attractive option and that is to rent out an AC be it window or split. For those living in rented premises, this is a good option where the rentals are at around Rs 700 per month per unit. The Air-conditioner however seems to have come to Goa to stay more as a necessity than as a mere luxury.

 

Beating the heat in Goa

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With the heat and humidity mixing up to undesirable levels in Goa, the directorate of health services has launched  an awareness campaign to prevent possible cases of heat stroke in the state.

The meteorological department has already predicted that the temperatures could hit around 40 degrees Celsius in Goa and this has prompted the health authorities to advise people in the state on measures to prevent the occurrence of heat strokes in the state.

People are therefore advised to drink plenty of water, avoid tea, coffee, soda and alcohol. They should wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in light colours. Wearing a hat, sunglasses and carrying an umbrella is also very helpful in order to protect oneself from the sun.

Some first aid measures have also been suggested by the department such as moving the victim from the heat and getting him  indoors.

The victims clothes should be loosened and he/she should be kept down lying in a cool place with the feet elevated by about 12 inches. Cold compresses can also be placed on the victim's neck, groin and armpits. The victim can also be wrapped in cool wet sheet and fanned vigorously.The patient should also be given cool water or beverages to sip ( specially with electrolyte).