PremierAcCovers leaf guard Summer/All-season air conditioner covers will keep the bottom of your a/c unit clear of leaves and debris buildup, This cover may be left on while the unit is running. When leaves or debris decay they give off acidic gases that eat at your ac unit's copper tubing, by making small holes that allow freon to escape, causing your compressor to fail........PremierAcCovers extend the life of your unit preventing rusting parts by moisture being trapped inside Our covers are durable and made of tough, synthetic fabric, pvc-coated polyester breathable 1/4 inch mesh We offer a Full 5 year manufacturer's warranty...100% satisfaction guaranteed or you money back including shipping within 30 days.....Each purchase, contains directions for quick and easy installation, no tools needed.......... Four nylon long lasting bungee cords are includedI got a question this weekend that's often asked—and, I'm sure, wondered about—by homeowners: "Will my household AC system run more efficiently (perhaps cycle on/off fewer times, or the compressor won't have to run as long when it cycles on) by shading the compressor?"

I've written about the outdoor unit of air conditioners and heat pumps a few times, but I've never tackled this question directly. Let's change that now. First, a little explanation about air conditioners. That metal noisemaker that sits out in back or on the side of your house is called the condensing unit for air conditioners. The compressor is one component in that box, but the condensing coil and a few other parts are there, too. (To understand how an air conditioner works, see my article, The Magic of Cold.) The condensing coil's job is to dump the heat picked up inside the home to the outdoor air. (If you have a ground source heat pump, that heat gets dumped into the ground rather than the air, and you won't have an outdoor unit like the one shown above.) The hotter it is outdoors, the harder it is to dump that heat and the more you'll spend keeping your house cool. Hence the question, can shading your air conditioner's outdoor unit provide significant savings? And the answer is yes and no.

It depends on what type of shading we're talking about, but for the type of shading most people are thinking about when they ask that question, the answer is no. Shading the outdoor unit with a structure as shown below will reduce the direct solar gain from insolation but won't do a whole lot for the air temperature around the unit. how much is ac unit costThat photo is from a study done the Forida Solar Energy Center on the effectiveness of shading air conditioner condensing units.how to size home ac unit Caution: The unit below exhausts from the side so the shading structure doesn't interrupt the air flow. how much is it to install ac unitMost AC outdoor units exhaust from the top and that structure would reduce the air flow and perhaps cause serious damage to the unit.

Don't try something like this unless you have a good understanding of air conditioners. In the Discussion section at the end of their report, the FSEC authors give the big reason why small scale shading like this doesn't work. The temperature of the surrounding air has a much bigger effect on cooling efficiency than direct solar gain, and the volume of air pulled in by an air conditioner is huge. A typical 3 ton air conditioner condensing unit might pull in 2800 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outdoor air. If it ran continuously for an hour, 168,000 cubic feet of outdoor air would move through the outdoor unit. Since your air conditioner is probably oversized, it won't run the full 60 minutes. My oversized AC, for example, runs about 30 minutes an hour at design conditions. Even at 30 minutes per hour, though, the outdor unit pulls in 84,000 cubic feet of outdoor air. To put those numbers in perspective, 84,000 cubic feet is about three times the volume of a typical house being cooled by that 3 ton AC.

It would take a lot of shading to cool that much air. The FSEC study sums it up this way: We conclude that any savings produced by localized AC condenser shading are quite modest (<3%) and that the risk of interrupting air flow to the condenser may outweigh shading considerations. The preferred strategy may be a long-term one: locating AC condensers in an unobstructed location on the shaded north side of buildings and depending on extensive site and neighborhood-level landscaping to lower localized air temperatures. A related question to shading the condensing unit is about saving money by spraying a mist of water on the unit, especially with the recent launch of the Mistbox. I wrote about that topic a couple of weeks ago, and again, the answer is that you're better off looking elsewhere. If you really want to improve the efficiency of your air conditioner, your opportunites are much greater if you look to your duct system. By fixing disconnected ducts, flacid flex, uninsulated boots, and more, you may be able to cut your air conditioning bill in half, depending on how bad your particular ducts are.

And they most likely are bad. 9 Uncommon Tips for Keeping Cool with a Struggling Air Conditioner Does a Heat Pump or Air Conditioner Condenser Need to Go Outdoors?I'm an Air Conditioner Compressor Killer Is Evaporative Cooling the Answer to High Air Conditioning Costs? Top photo by Energy Vanguard. Bottom photo from Florida Solar Energy Center's air conditioner shading study.Your comment will not appear below until approved.Home insurance covers more than the houseMany homeowners don't understand what their home insurance policy covers and excludes.Case in point: More than 30 percent of U.S. heads of household who have homeowners insurance mistakenly believe flood damage is covered by a standard homeowners policy, according to a 2007 survey from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.To avoid making costly assumptions, it pays to know what's included in your policy, especially because homeowners policies may differ from state to state."Most people think when they call an insurance agent and ask for homeowners insurance that all policies are the same," says Michelle O'Connor, owner of O'Connor Insurance Associates Inc. "They are not.

Regardless of what state you are in, there are different policies."Regardless of where you live, however, a home insurance policy will cover more than just structural damage to the property. Here are several surprising coverages that are typically included in homeowners insurance.Mandated upgrades and spoiled food coverageWhile home insurance policies vary, the standard basic policy is called an HO-3 home policy, says O'Connor. Some insurance companies might call it something else, but HO-3 is the common name for it. This policy provides coverage for "ordinance or law," which covers costs associated with bringing the property up to code after a covered loss.For example, "If a house burned down and a new law requires homes to have sprinklers as in the state of Pennsylvania, upon rebuilding, the sprinklers would have to be installed. This coverage provides the money to do that, but there is a limit that is a percentage of the home coverage," O'Connor says.The basic homeowners policy also provides coverage for the owner's refrigerated items.

If a power outage spoiled all your freezer and fridge items, the insured has coverage for up to $500 under this particular policy, she says .Ordinance coverage or the refrigerated item coverage does not cost extra for the homeowner, according to O'Connor. It is included in the policy. However, you can purchase additional ordinance or law coverage if you think you need it. Ask your insurer about this coverage for further details.Slander, libel and dog-bite lawsuitsAnother layer of protection that typically comes with home insurance is liability coverage. This coverage applies when the client is sued for a variety of claims, including oral or written publication of material that slanders or libels a person or organization, according to O'Connor.The liability policy also protects dog owners. Michael Barry, vice president of media relations at the Insurance Information Institute, says most states provide a basic standard policy that provides dog-bite protection at no additional cost.Most policies provide $100,000 to $300,000 in liability coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute.That protection can prevent a claim from taking a huge bite out of your bank account.

An Insurance Information Institute study found the average cost of dog-bite claims was $26,166 in 2010, up from $24,840 in 2009.Miscellaneous accidentsHomeowners insurance is basically a general liability policy, says Thomas J. Simeone, a personal injury attorney and adjunct professor of law. It covers a wide range of activities completely unrelated to a person's home. And it can cover the client in any location despite where their home is actually located."For example, we collected against a woman's homeowners policy when she drove her bicycle into our client and seriously injured her. Also, we made a homeowners claim against a man who was on a business trip and picked up and accidentally dropped a co-worker, causing her to break a bone," Simeone says.Consumers should check their coverage whenever they suffer a loss or have a claim against them and it involves their property, he says.Additional living expenses and falling objectsDamage caused by the weight of snow on a property, burst pipes and additional living expenses are also covered by homeowners insurance at no extra cost, according to Barry.

For example, if a home is uninhabitable after a storm, which many homeowners faced following Hurricane Irene, the insurer will pay for hotel and restaurant bills.However, some insurance companies limit the amount of coverage or amount of time they will cover bills for the insured. Check with your insurance agent for any limits or restrictions.Damage caused by falling objects, such as defunct satellites, is also covered under standard homeowners insurance policies. The coverage includes damage to the property as well as belongings within the home.Student propertyHome insurance also provides property coverage to members of your household. If a homeowner has a student away in college, the child's personal property is covered under the parent's policy, says Ira Straff, founder and president of Insurance Adjustment Bureau Inc., a public claims adjusting firm.In fact, students who live in an on-campus dormitory will have most of their personal possessions covered under their parents' homeowners insurance policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

This coverage, typically called personal property coverage, is included at no extra charge.However, students living off campus may not be covered by their parents' policy and may need their own renters insurance.Know what's not coveredAs far as what's not covered under home insurance, one of the biggest misconceptions is standard home insurance includes flood coverage. "Flood insurance is a separate type of coverage that has to be purchased separately," says O'Connor.Flood coverage is available through the federal government under the National Flood Insurance Program, but insurance agents sell the policies.In addition, basic homeowners insurance won't pay for damage caused by an earthquake, routine wear and tear, or basic maintenance. If the insured's heater or air conditioning unit breaks down because of old age, home insurance policies do not provide any coverage.And if you have jewelry stolen from your home, there is a limit on the amount of coverage provided. "If you have special collections or items of above-average value, you need to make your agent aware of it, so you can decide if you would like to purchase additional insurance to cover it," says O'Connor.