Electric service panels distribute electricity throughout the home. A central heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, or HVAC, unit requires a dedicated circuit and wiring for the unit's electrical load. Near the air-conditioning unit, you also install a power disconnect box on the same circuit you wire for the HVAC unit. The service, or main, panel must have an empty circuit capable of accepting the wire and the electrical load of the specific HVAC unit. Working with electrical wiring is not a difficult task, provided you have experience and understand the safety precautions that must be taken. Locate the service panel electric box. Electric panel boxes are usually gray. Most electric service panels are found where the electrical wires connect to the home or in the garage. Open the service panel and look for the power switch labeled "main." The main switch is found at the top of the service panel or at the bottom. The main switch is typically larger than the circuit breaker switches in the box.

Turn off the main switch. This turns off the power to all the circuits and breakers in the service panel. Find an electrical outlet to double check if it has power. Use a multimeter to test for power before beginning any electrical work. Test more than one circuit to ensure that power is off. Things You Will Need Multimeter Tip Warning References Texas A&M University: Electrical Safety Photo Credits Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionUse your thermostat to reduce your energy costs. During the hot summer months, air conditioning can use up valuable energy quickly if you don't use it efficiently. Wasted electric places unnecessary strain on the electrical grid — and your wallet. Turning your air conditioner on and off as you need it can save you money and reduce your impact on the environment. Step 1Turn your air conditioner off whenever you leave the space being cooled for a period of one hour or more. While it's become common belief that leaving the air conditioner on low at all times uses less energy than re-cooling a space that has become warm in your absence, it's not true.

You will still save money by shutting the A/C completely as you leave and cooling the room again when you return. Step 2Set your thermostat on 78 degrees or higher whenever you leave the space being cooled (if you have a central cooling system). This ensures that you use the least amount of power possible while preventing a buildup of humidity. For every degree the thermostat is raised, the air conditioner uses up to 5 percent less energy. When you return home, lower the thermostat and allow the system to cool the house normally without having to struggle to eliminate moisture. Step 3Raise the temperature on your thermostat or consider turning off the unit completely once the sun has gone down. With the greatest heat producer gone for the night, you can save a substantial amount of energy and money by using up the cold air your cooling system has pumped out during the daytime. By lightening the load on the system in the off-peak hours, you lessen the impact of its use all day. Tips References Leave Your AC On or Turn It Off?

Arizona Power Service: Air ConditionersPublic Utility Commission of Texas: Conservation AlertsFlorida Solar Energy Center: How Else Can I Save Energy Use and Reduce My Electric Bills?U.S. Department of Energy: No-Cost and Low-Cost Tips to Save Energy This SummerChicago Tribune: Running AC Not Open-and- Shut Case Photo Credits Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images MORE MUST-CLICKS: What Can We Spend Money on Now to Save Money Later? How a Homemaker Saves Money How to Save Money on Kitchen Remodels What Are the Top 5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Bank? ac unit coverDo You Save Money Cutting Off the Lights for Few Minutes? cost of ac unit installationHow Much Money Can Be Saved From Using Solar Panels? can ac unit be too bigHow Much Money Can You Save by Replacing Old Light Bulbs with Fluorescent Ones?

How to Pay for My Daughter's College Books Cheapest Ways to Build a Pond Screen Will Buying Solar Panels Really Save Money? My A/C system has a leak in it and my compressor is making an awful noise: probably needs replacing. Winter is coming though, and I really don't want to spend any time or money on tracking down leaks and converting to 134a and all that jazz. What I want is the simplest way to make the compressor stop spinning when the engine is on. Can I just cut/remove the belt? Could that have negative side effects? The compressor is on a belt by itself. It's the only reason I would consider removing the belt completely. Also, are there any significant advantages or disadvantages to removing a non-functioning A/C system entirely? Unless the compressor is on a belt by itself, you don't want to remove the belt. Water pumps, alternators and power steering are nice things to have. An A/C delete/bypass pulley for your application would be a way to go, but it will involve pulling the compressor.

Probably the easiest thing to do is locate the appropriate relay and pull it. If it's the compressor making the noise and not the pulley/clutch, that should work. Otherwise it's pulley time. If the compressor is on a belt by itself, I guess you could remove the belt. I would still look for the relay and pull it, though. If it was my car, I wouldn't want to drive it long term without putting the delete pulley on. I would be worried the belt off situation was a corner case the engineers didn't worry about. Keep in mind that whatever leaks you have now are possibly going to multiply if you leave the system unpressurized for an extended period. Also, the compressor is engaged intermittently when you turn on the defroster to dry the air. If your windshield fogs up it will take longer to clear without the compressor. Cutting the belt will solve your problem as long as the belt doesn't drive any other component. If it's making noise all the time you likely only need to replace the pulley, which may be cost effective.

Sometimes it cheaper to replace the the compressor/pulley/clutch combination. If there is a seperate fuse or relay for the compressor, then you could remove either. There should be an electrical connector near the compressor that could be unplugged, or you could cut the belt if there is nothing else driven by that belt. Some cars (not Kia) can have a compressor bypass pulley installed & forget the compressor. Pulley & mount about $75 on internet and a couple local mechanic to remove old & install new pulley. 50 MPH air conditioning os just fine. I had a 85 Ford thunderbird with a completely bad ac system. The compressor was on the drive belt so I bought a smaller belt. Completely removed everything which was about a hundred pounds of parts. I got better gas mileage is the only difference I noticed other than more space to work in the engine with out all that crap in the way. Worked great on that car but all cars are different. Most mineke locations offer free a.c. system check and might be able to offer you the best opinion/option