Now that we’re halfway through the summer your air conditioner may be showing its age. If it’s not cooling properly, there are some simple things you can check like the filter. Other issues are more serious and may require you to call a pro. Here are some common problems and what to do about them with advice from the experts at Consumer Reports and the Department of Energy. Won’t start at all. If your air conditioner won’t start, the compressor and fan controls could be worn out from the system turning on and off too frequently. If this is the case, you should call a technician to check the electrical connections.Check your thermostat to make sure it’s set properly and that it’s reading the correct temperature. On but not cooling. Your refrigerant could be low or leaking. Call a pro to repair any leaks and recharge the system. Not working like it used to. If you have a window unit, the thermostat sensor may be knocked out of position. Carefully bend the wire holding it in place to properly position it.

Check your unit’s drain to make sure it isn’t clogged. If it is, carefully pass a stiff wire through it.A clogged filter restricts airflow through the unit decreasing its efficiency and reducing the ability to effectively cool the air. If you haven’t already cleaned your filter this summer, do it now.ac unit outside freezing up Warm air is leaking in. best 3 ton ac unitsCheck the window seals around your unit to make sure hot air isn’t getting in or cold air seeping out. best split ac dealsIf so, reseal around your unit. Top air conditioners from our tests If your air conditioner is a goner, it’s time to get a new one. When buying a window air conditioner, make sure you get the right size air conditioner for your room. Too small and you’ll be uncomfortable, too big and your room will cool too quickly without removing enough moisture from the air, leaving you cold and clammy.

Here’s a top performer for each size we test. Small: GE AEM05LS, $210, a CR Best Buy Medium: LG LW8014ER, $240 Large: LG LW1214ER, $350In our survey of 34,000 of our readers who recently installed central air conditioning, American Standard, Bryant, and Trane logged the fewest repairs. Choosing one of the more reliable brands in our survey can boost the odds that you’ll be comfortable for the rest of the summer. —Mary H.J. Farrell (@mhjfarrell on Twitter) View and compare all Air conditioners ratings.Air Conditioner Doesn’t Cool Air Conditioner Doesn’t Turn On If your room or window air conditioner doesn’t cool or turn on, this expert guide to AC repairs will help. Most problems with window and room air conditioners can be categorized under one of two symptoms: they do not cool sufficiently or they do not turn on at all. Here is a closer look at how to troubleshoot and repair these issues. Air Conditioner Doesn’t Cool A window or room air conditioner that doesn’t cool may need to be recharged with refrigerant, but the chances are good it simply needs to be cleaned.

You can do this yourself, which involves disassembling the unit, or you can call an air-conditioning professional. Before attempting the work yourself, consult your owner’s manual and make sure you have the right skills and tools to handle the task. Here is what a typical manual advises: 1Unplug the unit and carefully remove it from the window or wall. Put the air conditioner somewhere outdoors or in the garage where you can work on it. 2Remove the grille and filter and unscrew the metal case (taking care not to damage the coil’s fins). 3Wash the filter thoroughly or replace it with a new filter; most filters are readily available at most appliance stores. 4Using a vacuum with a soft brush attachment, clean the coil’s fins. 5Spray water back through the fins from the fan side (protect the wiring and the motor with plastic). 6Clean the unit up with a rag, making sure all drains that allow condensed water to drip away from the unit are open. Allow it to dry thoroughly.

7Lubrication. While you have the unit apart, lubricate the motor according to your owner’s manual. 8Finally, reassemble and reinstall the unit. Window and room air conditioners draw a lot of electrical power, which can lead to less than peak performance or even complete failure. If your room air conditioner doesn’t turn on: 1Be sure the unit is plugged in and turned on. 2Check that the outlet works by plugging in a light that works (only for standard-voltage models—do not plug a light into a 220/240- volt receptacle). 3If the light doesn’t go on, the circuit has probably overloaded—check the electric panel or fuse box and reset the breaker or replace the fuse. 4If the light works, it’s likely that the air conditioner’s switch is faulty or the thermostat needs adjustment or repair. 5Be sure the thermostat is set to “cool” and below room temperature. 6Refer to the owner’s manual for thermostat repair. If repairing the thermostat doesn’t solve the problem, unplug the unit and call an air conditioner repair person.

How much does it typically cost to paint a 2100 square foot house on the exterior? That's very difficult to answer without seeing the house. As one poster said, the prep is the most important part. On newer homes that don't have a lot of peeling paint, the prep can be very minimal even as low as a couple or a few hundred dollars for the prep labor. On a 100 year old home with 12 coats of peeling paint on it, then the prep costs can be very high and can easily exceed 50% of the job's labor cost.A 2100 sq ft two story home could easily cost $1000 just for the labor to prep for the paint job. That number could climb too. Throw in lots of caullking  or window glazing, and you could be talking a couple or a few hundred dollars more for labor. Painting that home with one coat of paint and a different color on the trim could run roughly $1000 or more just for labor. Add a second coat  and that could cost close to another $1000 for labor. For paint, you may need 20 gallons of paint. You can pay from $30-$70 for a gallon of good quality exterior paint.