Q. How often do you need to service your home air conditioning unit, our house is two years old.

A. Once a year...springtime...

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Q. We desperately need an exhaust fan installed in our upstairs bathroom. There is one tiny window, which is not enough to expel all of the moisture (esp. living in FL!)... and no air conditioning vent. The bathroom is located on an exterior wall so I wouldn't think it would be too complicated. I just don't know who I should call to do it.

A. Actually, either one can do this job. When building new houses the electrician sets the fan housing and runs the wires, then the AC man runs the duct work when he roughs in his AC unit. Since there's gonna be a switch involved, I'd call an electrician first.

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Q. The central air conditioning in my apartment is getting repaired and won't be working for 4 or 5 days. I want to improvise something. Maybe taking a fan and pointing it a a bag of ice. Heck.. I don't know... Any tips ?

A. Use the principle of evaporation. Depending on the humidity, it can work wonders. Lightly soak and wring out a sheet before bed, and have a fan blow across you. You will be comfortable enough to get to sleep. Some people get a large amount of ice, put it in a shallow pan, and have a fan blow over it. Another is to fill an ice chest with 70% ice and 30% water, take a hand towels, soak and wring out, then place over head and breathe the cold air. Do it once more but this time leave on your wrists for a couple of minutes. As for a whole house fix, there is no other DIY method I know of. The ice cold towel on the head is really amazing relief even though temporary.

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Q. What is it, and they claim that it can cut air conditioning costs by upto 50% where can i find such contractors

A. There are some cold roofing that is available to make sure the roofing is not only NOT leaking but also it reflects a lot of heat back( if you are in a tropical climate) or act as insulator if you are arctic climate. there are many types roofings that you can do . you can google them, or check the site, you can at least get some basic information on what to expect.

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Q. It is 90 degrees in our house and only gets hotter they said they won't come until tomorrow afternoon. I work from home, I have a very ill dog, and these are not suitable living conditions.

A. Generally not. Obtain a court order first, you can not just decide to withhold rent. The dog will not be a legitimate reason in court, a signed lease and your AC being out for more then a couple of weeks will though. That is if the AC is covered in the lease. The next day is certainly not a problem for any reasonable person.

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Q. What is involved in servicing this.

A. The air handler {AHU} is the large metal box it is used to condition and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning. Depending on your unit, it employs the squirrel cage, motor, coils …etc. Unless you are doing work to the system, the only part of the AHU you would be concerned about {depending on its location} is the filter.

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Q. This question concern central air conditioning. Like most homes with central air, our compressor unit sits outside of the house. Unfortunately it sits on the side of the house where it is in direct sunlight during the afternoons, which is also the hottest part of the day. Our air conditioner runs pretty much constantly all afternoon. I have been told that building a carport type shelter over the compressor that would shade it from direct sunlight will help it runs more efficiently. the idea makes sense to me, but I am not an expert. How much would this really help? I mean if we are talking a 1% or 2% increase in efficiency that it would hardly be worth the effort, but a 10% or 15% increase is a significant difference. Does any have experience with this? By the way, I already know about the standards tricks, such as the house being well insulated (it is), changing the filter at least once a month, having the unit serviced once a year, etc. I am asking specifically about shading the compressor. Harley - interesting tip, thanks. I have never even heard of solar powered water panels, is there a web site where I could research this further? Roy - I had heard this, in fact the person who suggested I build the cover told me to make sure there was enough room. Looking at my question now I don't think 'cover' was the right word to use, I am not talking about covering it with a snug cover like a car cover, I mean a canopy style covering that would be at least a foot over the top to allow the air to circulate. Does that make more sense?

A. Simply without getting to technical, shade is 20 t0 30 degrees cooler. That makes the unit head pressure lower which makes the suction temperature lower. That's what you get out of the evaporator "air that cools the room" Make a shade spot without restricting air flow. Tall fence or tree.

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Q. Specifically, a 1996 grand am, if that makes a difference.

A. Are you doing it or a shop, new parts or used, what is wrong with it, what part of the country are you in, AZ ac prices are double what they are in SC

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