A Pittsville home's air conditioning unit, is being blamed for a fire that displaced the building's occupants. The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal says the occupant of the Poplar Neck Road home, in Pittsville, discovered the fire around 10:30 PM on Sunday.Officials say 25 firefighters from Pittsvile Fire Department responded, and had the flames under control in an hour. No injuries were reported. Investigators say the fire started outside of the home, in the building's air conditioning unit. It has been ruled as accidental, as a result of a malfunction of that unit.Damages are estimated to total $120,000. The occupants of the one and a half story home were reportedly displaced by the blaze, and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Air conditioning unit taken from house The theft of an air conditioning unit and other items from a home in the 300 block ofWhite Street in Weissport is being investigated by state police at the Lehighton barracks.

Police said sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Aug. 7, the air conditioning unit and some metal chain fence and fence posts from the outside patio area of the property were stolen.Try going back to the homepageWednesday, April 15th, 2015 Blog by Kendall Cooper Shading your air conditioner’s outdoor condenser unit is an accepted way to increase its efficiency and lower your cooling costs. That’s because shading the air conditioner is said to cool down the air around it, so that it doesn’t have to work as hard to cool that air before blowing it into your house. But can shading your air conditioner really make it more efficient? If so, what’s the best way to go about shading your air conditioner? It may be worthwhile to shade your air conditioner if you can create a large shaded area, such as that created by an awning or, better yet, one or more trees. Shrubs and bushes can also cool the air around your air conditioner; just make sure you don’t block the unit’s air flow.

If possible, place your air conditioner unit on the north side of your house. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, shading your air conditioner with trees can make it as much as 10 percent more efficient. But the benefits extend beyond improving your air conditioner’s efficiency. Shading your home with as few as three trees can save you between $100 and $250 a year in cooling costs, and can slash your air conditioning costs by as much as 50 percent. first air handling unitThat’s because shade trees cool the air around them, by preventing sunlight from heating the ground. local air handling unitThey also block sunlight from entering your home through its windows, to help keep your home cooler.mobile home hvac package units Air conditioners that operate in a cooler environment, such as one shaded by trees, bushes, or an awning, operate more efficiently, because they don’t need to work as hard to cool down air that is already somewhat cool.

Shade can also be used to cool down paved areas around your house, and prevent them from absorbing and releasing heat. If you live in a brick or stucco home, your very walls could be absorbing heat that could warm up the air around your air conditioning unit. A large awning on that side of the house could help keep the air around your air conditioner cooler. Awnings over other windows could help the cool air inside your home stay cool. If possible, install your air conditioner on the north side of your house. You can still shade your air conditioner if it’s on another side of the house, but the north side stays the coolest throughout the day. Whether your air conditioner is on the north side of your house or on another side, you’ll need to do more than simply build a small awning over it in order to effectively cool enough of the surrounding air to impact the air conditioner’s efficiency. What you’ll need to do is plant trees, shrubs, and bushes. If your air conditioner is on the south side of your house, go for trees that grow tall and have expansive crowns with plenty of foliage.

If your unit is on the east, west, or north side of your house, you can stick with trees that grow lower to the ground if you want. A six to eight-foot-tall deciduous tree will begin providing some shade for your air conditioner within a year of planting it. If you want to shade all of your home’s windows — and not just the air conditioner itself — give priority to trees planted west of the west-facing windows. You can plant these trees no further than 20 feet from the windows. Choose trees that will grow about 10 feet taller than the windows. To truly maximize your air conditioner’s efficiency, you’ll want to plant at least two or three trees on that side of the house. You should also plant shrubs and bushes near the air conditioner, but not so close that they hamper air flow into the unit. Bushes and shrubs help cool the air above them because they stop the ground from absorbing the sun’s heat. The more trees and bushes you can plant near your air conditioner, the cooler the air around it will be and the more efficiently the unit will function.

You want to focus on creating a large area of cooler air, so that the unit doesn’t simply pull hot air from beyond the shaded area. If there are paved areas or walkways near your air conditioner, make sure they’re also well-shaded. Low-growing shrubs may be sufficient for some areas, such as walkways. Pavement absorbs more heat from the sun than soil, causing the air above it to be that much warmer. If you have a large patio on that side of the house, it may be worthwhile to install an awning over it. Shading your air conditioning unit can help the unit work more efficiently, cut your cooling costs and lengthen your air conditioner’s life. Trees and shrubs also help keep the air inside your house cool, and can increase your enjoyment of your outdoor space.YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollections QUESTION: Our outdoor central air-conditioner compressor unit is located in the hot afternoon sun. Is there any type of cover I can make myself to shade it so it operates more efficiently?

ANSWER: Keeping the outdoor compressor unit and the air surrounding it cooler can make your central air conditioner operate more efficiently. Condenser coils can dissipate more heat when the air around them is cooler.In addition to better efficiency, the maximum cooling output from your air conditioner is greater when the air around it is cooler. This is particularly important on the hottest summer afternoons, when you need the greatest amount of cooling output to keep your house comfortable.Shading the entire side of your house and the outdoor air-conditioner unit is most effective. This can be done with trees or an awning. Particularly with a brick, masonry or stucco house, the house wall acts like a huge solar collector and actually raises the temperature of the air around the air conditioner.You can make a simple cover to shade your air conditioner outdoor unit. Check with your air-conditioning contractor about the proper clearance for air flow. Adequate air flow is essential for high efficiency.

One effective air conditioner cover provides both shade and storage. Depending on how large you make this storage/air conditioner cover, you can store your garden tools, fertilizers, etc. Also, the larger you make it, the more shade it provides.It is basically a plywood storage compartment built several feet back (check with your contractor) from the condenser unit. Build it with a sloped roof (for shade) that extends up over the condenser unit and attaches to your house. The sloped roof gives added height for adequate clearance and it blends better with the lines of most houses.Make the frame for the storage unit/cover with any common lumber. Cover the storage compartment with plywood siding. Install a piano hinge on the top so you can open it.Nail the plywood siding over the rest of the sloped top to cover the condenser unit. Leave the sides by the condenser uncovered to allow for adequate air flow.You can write to me at the address below for Utility Bills Update No. 161 showing a diagram and do-it-yourself instructions for making a storage unit/air-conditioner cover.

Please include $1 and a self-addressed stamped business-size envelope.Rectangular Ducts Less Efficient Than RoundQ: I am building a new house and am at the point of installing the heating and air-conditioning duct work. Is it better to use round or rectangular duct work?A: From strictly an energy efficiency standpoint, a round duct is more efficient than a rectangular one. The air flow is freer and there is less duct surface area for a given duct cross-sectional area. This means less warmth or "coolth" is lost through the duct-work surface before the conditioned air gets to your rooms.Rectangular duct work is more convenient to run between wall studs. Both types of duct are often used in the same system. Round ducts can be run from the air handler to rectangular ducts in the walls. No matter which type of duct is used, be sure to seal carefully all the joints with duct tape. Also, insulate any ducts that run through an unconditioned space.Protect Your Air ConditionerYour air conditioner unit will operate more efficiently if it is shaded from the sun.