Your air conditioner is one of those beautiful pieces of modern technology that just seems to melt into the background.  As long as it’s functioning, you barely notice it’s there — but when it breaks down, it’s a really big deal.  Breakdowns are common for air conditioners as they age, sometimes it’s easy to get your unit back up and running, other times it’s not so cut and dry.  If your unit is acting up, one of these top five reasons for your a/c to break may be to blame. You can extend your unit’s lifespan by changing your filters once a month, or when they start to show discoloration.  Spend some time clearing away the brush and vegetation from around your unit once a week, especially in the growing season, and give your unit a bath with the hose several times during the summer.  You’ll be surprised how much better it will run and how much longer it’ll last if you simply take care of your air conditioner on a regular basis. Luckily, drain lines are a piece of cake to keep clear.  

Once you’ve got it cleaned out, make sure to run a cup or two of bleach water or vinegar through the line every couple of months to kill back the algae that loves to clog your condensation line and loosen the debris that tends to gather inside the line when the air conditioner isn’t in use. Before you call the air conditioning experts, you should check your thermostat batteries and find reviews that can help you choose the best provider.  If you replace them and your unit still fails to respond, you can try to replace the thermostat if that’s something you’ve been planning, or just wait for expert help to arrive. Air conditioners manufactured prior to January 2010 may contain a refrigerant known as R-22.  This refrigerant is no longer allowed in new air conditioning units due to its ozone-depleting characteristics, so instead of charging your unit, your repairman may recommend replacing it with a newer unit that runs on a safer refrigerant.  Depending on the age of your unit and its history of breakdown, you may be better off to get a new air conditioner rather than trying to salvage the old one.

When the summer sun’s beating down, we all hope that our air conditioners will continue to run without trouble.  car air conditioner not working wellWith proper maintenance and regular filter and unit cleaning, your unit should give you many trouble-free years, but don’t hesitate to call an HVAC professional in if you suspect your problem is bigger than a dirty filter or a busted thermostat.types of residential ac units What to consider when getting in to the restaurant gamewhy is my window ac unit making noise 6 Reasons to Spread Eggless Mayo 5 Reasons to Start Eating PomegranatesThe U.S. government has released specifications for a highly-efficient rooftop air conditioning unit it believes could save the country a plethora of electricity, and commercial properties a considerable amount of money.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) had announced its laboratories were working on such a rooftop air conditioning (RTU) in fall 2010. However, it became clear on Tuesday that the project was successful when the DOE announced it would be holding a Webinar on building high-efficiency RTUs to interested manufacturers on February 23 via its list of upcoming forums posted on the Building Technologies Program Web site."High-efficiency rooftop units, when built according to the criteria of the new specifications, are expected to reduce energy use by as much as 50 to 60 percent compared to the current ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standard, depending on location and facility type," the DOE said in a statement.In the meantime, the DOE has released a summary (PDF) and fact sheet (PDF) roughly outlining the specifications for the ten-ton capacity air conditioning unit.Manufacturers of RTUs might want to take notice as the DOE has all but lined up buyers for manufacturers willing to build these types of units.

The design was developed in conjunction with the Commercial Building Energy Alliances (CBEAs), a group of U.S. companies with vast commercial real estate holdings that includes Target, Walmart, and Macy's."CBEA members are eager to start purchasing these units and are encouraging manufacturers to develop products to these specifications," the DOE said in a statement."To help achieve the best-in-class rooftop units requested by industry partners, DOE national laboratories, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Lab, will provide technical assistance to manufacturers or developers who want to build the more efficient units. Interested manufacturers will receive assistance in designing, constructing, measuring, and testing the new air conditioner units produced to this specification," said the DOE.In conjunction with the release, the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has also launched a free online cost calculator.