Q. Please help settle an argument my husband and I are having regarding our air conditioner. When it gets real hot like it has been, I like to keep the air conditioner on all day, but since it cools off at night, I tell him we need to open the windows and enjoy the cool night air. He thinks this not only isn't keeping the home as comfortable as it should be, but it is also wasting energy. What do you think?A. I think your husband wins this one, but probably there needs to be an asterisk next to his name in the record book because the answer isn't really clear-cut.It does seem pretty logical to use the air conditioner during the day in hot weather but then to shut it off at night when the temperatures drop. If the nighttime temperatures drop below 70 degrees or so, this just might be the way to go and you've got the better idea here. Let natural ventilation with the cool outdoor air keep you comfortable at night.But for many people, especially those in the southern half of the U.S., there is a nighttime temperature drop but not a really big one.

Then your husband gets the nod. Folks in hot climates who turn off the air conditioner at night will save some money by not running it then or during the early morning hours, but they'll pay for that savings by letting a great deal of moist air come in from the outdoors where it will get absorbed by the carpeting and the interior furnishings.If you live in a humid area, you just might find that hot weather mornings have a temperature of about 75 to 80 with relative humidity of 95 percent or more. window ac repair shopsIn cases like these, while you'll save some money by turning off the air conditioner, you'll end up with a much more uncomfortable home from the humidity.which ac unit should i buyFurthermore, a study at the Florida Solar Energy Center a few years ago on air-conditioning use confirmed that you really don't use that much air conditioning late at night or early in the morning--the times when you want to turn the system off.no window ac unit

These researchers found that the average summer air-conditioning use in a typical home in Central Florida was around 33 kilowatt hours per day. Interestingly enough, only one-third of this usage came between midnight and noon. As a result, in climates like this, you'll use a lot more energy by turning off the system during the off-peak hours to bring the house back down to the setting you want during the day, and you'll have to get rid of all that moisture you let in overnight as well.I think you'll find some energy experts who have other viewpoints on this, but my research finds that in areas that use a great deal of air conditioning, you're better off turning it on and keeping it running until the hot weather is gone. Turning it off overnight may just cause more problems with higher humidity levels and lower comfort levels.Q. Last year I had a new heat pump/air conditioner put in and I have noticed surface mold on my den walls and on books on my shelves. An environmental inspector told me he thought the mold problem was caused by my HVAC system.

The AC unit is 3.5 tons and the air handler is 5 tons. Can this difference be causing these problems?A. Mismatched coils often cause the exact problem you are experiencing. Because the air handler is so oversized relative to the outdoor unit, the air conditioner has such a high air flow that the coil is too warm to remove any moisture.The result is extremely damp indoor air conditions. The 3.5-ton AC unit typically has air flow of around 1200--1400 cubic feet per minute (CFM) but the 5-ton blower is probably providing way too much air (around 2,000 CFM), making moisture removal extremely difficult. Mismatching the coils is one of the biggest causes of HVAC problems.This article helps resolve AC Adapter and Battery Issues. Video - Portable Battery Not Charging to help resolve charging issues (English Only) - (1:46). When there is no light: Verify the AC power cord is correctly installed. Confirm the power outlet is functional. If found defective, try another outlet. Unplug the adapter AC power cord from the wall outlet.

Remove the AC power cord from the adapter brick. Use two hands for attaching the power cord to the AC adapter brick. Hold the adapter in one hand, and place the power cord in position over the two or three prong connector on the adapter brick itself (Figure 1). Using the palm of the hand, push the power cord in fully, until it clicks (Figure 2). Figure 1: Align the power cord. Figure 2: Press the power cord firmly until it clicks into place. If power LED on the system is still not on, remove all media communication devices (external monitor, printer, webcam etc). Reconnect one at a time to isolate the defective device, if any. Note: When the light still does not come on the original AC adapter, and another AC adapter of the same type works (if one was available), contact Technical Support when your system is in warranty. To check if your warranty is active, refer to Dell Knowledge base article How to Check When Your Warranty Expires. If your warranty has expired, a new AC adapter can be purchased at the Dell Batteries and Adapters web site.

When the light is flickering:Plug the power cord into the adapter brick by using the following steps.Hold the adapter in one hand, and place the power cord in position over the two or three prong connector on the adapter brick itself (Figure 3). Using the palm of the hand, push the power cord in fully, until it clicks (Figure 4). Figure 3: Align the power cord. Figure 4: Press the power cord firmly until it clicks into place. Try the AC adapter on a working AC outlet, when the light still flickers, try another AC adapter of the same type if available. Note: When the light still does not come on the original AC adapter, and another AC adapter of the same type works (if one was available), contact Technical Support when your system is in warranty. To check if your warranty is active, refer to Dell Knowledge base article How to Check When Your Warranty Expires. If there is a error concerning the AC adapter refer to Dell Knowledge base article. Our support site provides multiple diagnostic tests that can be run on your system and output results or error codes that can be then used to identify failures or provide to technical support if warranty service is required.

These tests can fulfil a support request online and , or direct you to additional resources to replace your battery. From our main support site navigate to the diagnostic section or click the link below. When the battery diagnostics fail, you can log a in warranty service call using the following link - Enhanced Preboot System Assessment. You will need to enter the Error and Validation code as seen on the screen, you will also need to enter the Service tag of the faulty computer, just follow the prompts to complete the process. If your battery warranty has expired and the battery diagnostics fail, a new battery can be purchased at the Dell Batteries and Adapters website. Only Dell batteries should be used in Dell notebooks, and Dell batteries can only be purchased from Dell. A normal characteristic of a rechargeable battery is that its operating duration decreases over time. The battery may eventually need to be replaced. Based on this characteristic, consumed batteries may not be covered under warranty.