175 posts tagged with ac.
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Can you listen to my AC and tell me what's wrong with it?
We left our air conditioner in the window during a cold winter (stupidly uncovered). Now when we turn it on, it makes a ghastly scraping sort of sound for as long as we run it. I've recorded it and taken a photo; any idea what might be the culprit and how to fix it? [more inside]
Portable Air Conditioner Info
What do I need to know about portable air conditioners to get the most bang for my apartment-cooling buck? [more inside]
Can I disable the AC Compressor on my '95 Chrysler Concorde?
The AC compressor attempts to run when I start the defroster, presumably to dehumidify the air. For some reason though either the compressor itself or the belt that runs it (and the water pump, I think) is smoking when the compressor is on. I'm not worried about humidity and I can't think of a downside. Is there some safety or reliability reason I shouldn't do this? If not, is it as simple as disconnecting a wire?
Is my new window AC a hazard or am I just being a worrywort?
I just got a window AC for my stuffy studio that never gets any airflow. I live in a very old brick building and the wooden window frame is TORE UP...likely from previous window AC units. I could only get one of the three screws to tie into the lower sash that attaches to the top of the unit (it's the center screw, if that matters). How likely is it that it might dislodge itself and fall six storeys down? Is this something I should natter at my landlord about? [more inside]
Insulation Information?
Our house is a small Cape, with a crawlspace attic. We’re going to get a home energy audit in the next couple of weeks, and the insulation of the attic is of particular concern for us, as it really gets quite warm on our second floor. Can I get your insulation wisdom here? [more inside]
Winnipeg Mazda A/C repair?
Mrs. Sauce and I are on an epic roadtrip in our Mazda and we just lost our air conditioner. Yelp is failing us. Can anyone recommend an honest and capable repair shop in Winnipeg?
False smoke alarms in AC ducts: troubleshooting tips?
Our new commercial space is experiencing frequent false smoke alarms in one specific area of our AC ducts. The company that installed the AC system is stumped, and so is the electronic security company that installed the smoke detectors.
We've just had our ducts cleaned top to bottom but the problem persists even though we're presumably dust-free.
Any thoughts on what to try next? Engineers? Inspection services?
Open Skylight: Hot or Not?
My apartment is on the top floor of a single family home. My landlord has advised that we open the skylights, one in the bathroom and one in the stairwell, to help keep the house cool. We have a window AC unit going in one of the rooms (a bedroom next to the bathroom with the skylight). It seems like opening skylights would let the cooler air out, like any window. What is the right move here to keep the apartment cool? [more inside]
Where do I find a giant fan?
I live in an open, large, loft-like apartment that gets face-meltingly hot in the New England summer. Easily near 100F in the afternoon. AC is impractical for such a big space. I've tried box fans, but I haven't found one that moves enough air to make a difference and even those were as loud as airplanes. An even faster fan sounds like a bad idea, but a much bigger and slower fan might just do the trick. Something like these, but preferably something that doesn't need to be permanently installed? Where does one find an enormous fan?
Too many volts?
I'm moving into a new (to me) NYC apartment, and I need to buy two window-unit air conditioners. The super said that the power there is 110 volts, but the ACs I want are 115 volts. Is that a problem? [more inside]
Should I fix the A/C in my 2004 Honda?
I have a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid. The clutch in the A/C compressor is bad, as diagnosed by a well-respected mechanic. He doesn't want to do the repair, recommended the dealer. Dealer price for compressor replacement is US1165(ouch). Without A/C, trips of any length are pretty miserable. The noise from an open window at 70 mph is not pleasant, and I assume it affects the mileage. I can manage short trips up to an hour or so. It's been an especially humid summer in Maine so far. The Honda has 110,000 miles, and is in good condition. I question putting so much money into a car this old(Bluebook @ 6,200), though I expect to keep driving the car for the next several years. [more inside]
Help me find this article about household AC power.
I once read a great article explaining why we use polarized plugs, grounding, and GFCI outlets in household AC circuits. It was written from the perspective of an electric company whose customers keep getting electrocuted by their appliances. The company introduces the safety measures one by one and the article explains how people still get shocked. It might even have been a comment on Metafilter; I'm not sure. Where can I find it?
Which is better maintaining a cool temp or cooling down a hot house
Which would take less energy - running the AC throughout the day to maintain say 75F (outside 95-100) or letting the house get to 90F+ throughout the day and then cooling it down at night back to 75F?
What do you wish you'd known when buying a portable air conditioner?
I'm buying a portable air conditioner for our second-floor apartment. All our windows have openings at the bottom that are of the 2 panel slider variety, and no window unit will fit. Since I've never bought such a thing and I'm not very handy, I could use a few tips, especially concerning the feasibility of moving it from room to room every day. [more inside]
Buying and installing a mini split air conditioner: your advice?
Help me get a jump on the summer with a new, single room air conditioner. [more inside]
How to convince our landlord to install ductless AC?
Heat and AC barely reach the 2nd floor of our old apartment. Ductless AC seems like the way to do. Tips for getting a landlord on-side (at least) and footing the bill (at best)? [more inside]
Right power supply for a home piano keyboard?
My daughter has a Yamaha psr-260 that we picked up at a garage sale. It did not have a power supply and used batteries to power up.
Since the batteries have died, I have found a power supply that seems to match the piano's requirements on the back of the unit: DC IN 10-12V.
The power supply says Input: AC 120V 60 Hz 20W and Output: DC 12V 1000mA with a matching polarity symbol (the plus is inside the minus). [more inside]
Heat, light, sound.
Why does my heater make my apartment smell smoky? [more inside]
Why is the power/ac adaptor cord for my laptop listed as three times more expensive from one site vs. the other?
Where to order power cord/ac adaptor for DELL latitude 5410 laptop? What information do I need to know for Volts and Amps? [more inside]
How to cool an area in a loft with no windows?!!
How to cool a small area of a giant loft with no windows? [more inside]
More car cigarette adapter problems
How do I fix the ac adapter in my car (aka the cigarette lighter)? I already checked the fuse and it is fine. [more inside]
Can I save money by getting a window air conditioner and using my central air less?
Will turning up the thermostat on my central air and buying a window AC unit for the one room I use the most make a significant difference in my electric bill? [more inside]
How does the "auto" setting on my car a/c work?
Does the "Auto" setting on the air conditioner in my car work the same way as it does in my house? [more inside]
Chevy auto part help?
Will this '95-'96 Lumina AC manifold assembly work on a '99 Lumina? Link inside... [more inside]
Replacing a wall AC? will a window AC do?
Do I really need a wall air conditioner? Can put a window one in the same place? [more inside]
Cold as ice and/or burning up for your love
I have a 1700 square ft. house. I have an air conditioner/heating system that is set up to operate with the whole house as one zone. I have one room that is out of proportion to the rest of the of the rooms in the house (much larger, much higher ceiling) that is always hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. So I'm thinking the solution is for that room to be separated into a second zone. How? [more inside]
AC worth?
How much is an air handler and ac worth? [more inside]
Which brand of HVAC?
Different Central air conditioner and furnace brands? When it comes to HVAC, should we go with Carrier, Goodman, York, or Lennox? [more inside]
AC unit for narrow windows?
How to cool a medium-sized room with extra narrow windows? We have heavy curtains and a ceiling fan already, but we'd like to know about our temporary ac options. [more inside]
Is she a slumlord landlady or am I just a delicate flower for needing a hotel room for a broken A/C in Phoenix?
Is my landlord liable to pay for the cost of a hotel and pet boarding when the air conditioner broke due to lack of maintenance in Phoenix, Arizona? The law seems incredibly unfair to tenants and I'm wondering if I'm misreading it. [more inside]
There is ice on my AC unit.
So my air conditioning is not blowing cold air. I go to the basement to check the unit, and there is about a half-inch of ice on the main pipe leading out of the unit. Help. [more inside]
How can I better circulate air in my apartment?
How can I better circulate air in my apartment? [more inside]
Please help with possessed AC unit!
I have a Haier window AC unit. It is possessed. Looking for some technical help. [more inside]
Do I have any recourse for lack of air conditioning in my apartment?
I've been without air conditioning for the past two weeks in my apartment, and it seems like it will be another two weeks before I get it. My landlord doesn't seem to care, and I don't know if I have any options in this situation. [more inside]
Air conditioning vent clearance
I have air conditioning vents in the floor at the side of the room. The vents can be angled in different directions. If I put a large dresser against the wall, above a vent, with clearance of a few inches, will it be substantially detrimental to heating/cooling?
What kind of savings using ductless heat pump?
What kind of saving can I expect from a ductless AC with heat pump? [more inside]
Home AC
Dfwhvacfilter: looking for a recommendation for a good honest reputable air conditioning service business. My ac at my house is running but no cold air. I live in the North Dallas area.
Thanks in advance.
paying late AC Transit parking ticket?
Got a parking ticket from AC (Alameda County, CA) transit. Intended to pay it on time but forgot about it. The ticket has never shown up in the online or phone pay systems. I could pay by mail but am concerned that the ticket price has gone up and that I won't get notices about what I owe. I tried calling the number on the back of the ticket but can't get through to a human being to find out how much I should pay them now. Does anyone know how much the tickets go up? If I pay by mail and the price is more more than the original ticket what should happen?
Our Garage is HOT!
Cooling a garage rec room? We are buying a house and want to use the garage as an informal hangout space. Problem - we live in Austin, where we've had over 80 days of 100+ degree weather this year. Solution? [more inside]
How much would a costantly-on AC cost?
Can you calculate the electricity usage of one AC in one room and the percentage it would be in terms of the electricity bill? [more inside]
Hot town, summer in the city...
It is hot in LA, and we were just gifted with a window-unit air conditioner! Hurrah! We have bars on all our windows! Boo! We've rigged up a very rickety looking system and it works, but...I feel like we might be setting ourselves up for disaster? [more inside]
Now I'm playing with power -- portable power! (Please?)
How can I portably power my old slide projector on the go? [more inside]
Will recharging my cars AC fix it, or is it brokener?
Will a new can of refrigerant fix my car's AC? [more inside]
How Efficient Is A/C AT Removing Heat
Say I run a 1000W oven in an air-conditioned home for 1 hour (using in the process 1kWh). How much power does a typical home A/C system require to remove the heat generated, all else being equal? [more inside]
How to determine polarity of electric wires.
I have two DC electric wires: one is positive, one is negative. Without buying anything, how can I tell which is which? [more inside]
3 1/2 tons is not enough, it seems.
Ductless Air conditioners - what do you know? [more inside]
How can I cool my top floor?
How can I cool the upper bedroom of my house? [more inside]
A clean, well-smelling place?
Can I salvage a working window-unit Air Conditioner that smells like the previous user's home cooking? [more inside]
Replacing a gas furnace and adding AC to a forced air heating system
We have an oldish (~90 years or so) house with a gas furnace and forced air heating. We're thinking of replacing the furnace and adding an AC compressor for cooling. I'm looking for recommendations for specific furnaces and compressors (brands or models), especially ones that are long lasting and/or energy efficient. We'd also like to hear stories and or warnings about setting this up in an old house. [more inside]
Is my furnace air return efficient?
In the name of frugality, is this air return on my furnace efficient, or should I cut out the wood and replace with something allowing more air flow? ~650 sq. ft. 2 floor apartment (built ca. 1920s). [more inside]