Cool it! Buying a Central Air Conditioner

Buying a central air conditioner constitutes a major expense. Because of the initial cost, ongoing monthly energy costs, maintenance and environmental concerns, you should become familiar with the basic function and terminology of central air conditioners before you buy a new one.

The term “central air conditioner” refers to the fact that one unit cools the entire home rather than one that works in one room only. Examples of these are window or free standing models. A central system turns warm air into cool air and releases it into each room through a system of ducts and vents. In fact central air conditioners often work in conjunction with a furnace or other air handler.

Let’s start with a small lesson on how central air conditioners work.

How Central Air Works
Each one consists of a compressor, evaporator, and a condenser. Sometimes the whole system sits outside, while other models call for just the compressor and condenser to be installed outdoors. In that instance the evaporator attaches to the furnace or other air circulating system inside the house.

In both configurations the three components are connected by copper tubing. Extremely cold liquid refrigerant flows through the indoor copper first. It then changes into gas as warm air circulates around the tubing. In this gaseous form the refrigerant goes through the compressor which in turns pushes it into the outdoor copper coil. At this stage it expels the heat and turns back to liquid as the heat it attracts varies in temperature.

The furnace or other air handling device with a fan circulates the now cool air throughout the home via air ducts. The circulating refrigerant cycle keeps repeating for as long as the air conditioner stays on.

Pollen, dust, lint and other particles that irritate our lungs collect on a filter which may be cleaned or changed out periodically.

Two issues are critical to consider in buying central air: the quality of the unit and the efficiency of the unit.

Central Air Conditioner Quality
While Consumer Reports rates the quality of room air conditioners, neither they nor any other organization, rate the quality of central air conditioners. The best available information is found in consumer central air conditioner reviews through a site like FurnaceCompare.com.

Air Conditioner Efficiency
For years Americans used cheap energy to heat and cool their homes. These days the costs continue to rise as we use up our natural resources. Not only that but emissions, including those from air conditions are poisoning our air and depleting the ozone layer that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. Old style refrigerants, known as Hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs were especially harmful to ozone. Although formulas have improved over the years, at some point coolants containing any HCFCs be banned completely. A hydro fluorocarbon called R-22 now constitutes the standard refrigerant in new central air conditioners as it doesn’t negatively affect our ozone layer.

In the spirit of trying to lessen the damage, the Department of Energy now imposes efficiency standards for air conditioning units. These ratings use the acronym SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating). As you’re making your decision as to which brand of air conditioner to buy, the SEER rating will figure into the equation.

The minimum rating sold is 13 but there are systems with much higher numbers assigned. What you need to keep in mind is that the higher the SEER the less it will cost to run and the more efficiently it will operate. Central air conditioners with high SEER cost more to purchase, but the savings to both your monthly budget and to the environment pay off in time.

You’ll find air conditioners in a number of sizes. Most of them use British Thermal Units (BTUs) or tons to tell you how much air it puts out. Each BTU refers to how much energy it takes to elevate the temperature of a pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. A ton is 12,000 BTUs per hour, referring to how much energy it takes to melt a ton of ice in one day.

One mistake many homeowners make occurs when they think they need a larger than necessary air conditioner. A unit that’s too big for your space does not run efficiently. It wastes energy and costs more money than you need to spend each month. To help you determine what size to purchase, visit this website. It provides a calculator to help you determine just how large the new or replacement air conditioner needs to be. You may also want to consider hiring an air conditioning specialist to help you figure out your needs. By doing a little homework up front, you’ll do both your budget and the earth’s atmosphere a favor.

Put a lid on it! How to choose a roofing contractor.

I’ve had the pleasure of hiring roofing contractors for a number of different jobs. However, my worst roofing experience came when I was trying to be cheap. A friend needed a new roof put on their barn at the same time that I needed a new roof on my house. This friend “knew a guy”, and negotiated a volume discount — a cheaper price because the same contractor would do both roofs. The contractor did a terrible job which resulted in a roof leak and damage to the inside of our house. The roofer refused to stand by his work (or even come inspect the problem). Finally, my friend (who had hired the roofer for a second project) refused to pay for that second project until our roof was fixed. You can’t avoid bad luck — but you can take quite a few steps to ensure that you have found a quality contractor. Here are a few tips that will increase the odds that you’re happy with your next roofer.

Never make your decision based on price alone.

If you interview enough roofers, you’ll find that their prices vary dramatically, even for the same project. Many of the best roofers routinely turn down work. As a result, they don’t have to compete on price. The flip side of paying a higher price is that the contractor has built enough padding into their bid that they can profitably work with you if there are problems down the road. If you drive such a hard bargain that your contractor is barely covering their costs, they will have no incentive to help you down the road.

Hire someone local.

If you hire a roofer from out of town, they know that good word of mouth won’t help much and bad word of mouth won’t hurt. If a contractor is local, word of mouth is more important.

Interview several contractors: get multiple quotes, and thoroughly check each roofer’s references.

The process may seem time consuming and bothersome but trust me, it is considerably less annoying than watching the drywall in your house swell and discolor because of a leak. Talk to your friends, relatives, and neighbors to get referrals for a roofing contractor. If you need more names you can request that contractors contact you using a website like Roofery.com or the Yellow Pages.

As each contractor comes to your home or business to prepare an estimate, ask them for additional information on their credentials and work record. Some things to check are:

• To verify that particular contractors do good work, ask for a list of references. Call each and every reference. Do they give a glowing report? Many people prefer not to criticize people that they know, so if you get a lukewarm response or if they aren’t willing to provide a reference, you need to try to read between the lines.
• To ensure that a contractor is reliable, ask for a business address, phone number and email, their tax identification, and if a business license is required in your area, get that information as well
• State requirements vary, but find out if roofing contractors must be bonded and registered. To find out the rules where you live contact your state’s licensing department or check out http://www.contractors-license.org/.
• Since you definitely don’t want to be sued because of their irresponsibility, ask to see proof of insurance. Their liability and workers compensation needs to be in effect for the duration of your project. If it isn’t, workers injured at your site may come after your assets.
• In the same vein, ask them to walk you through the type of oversight and safety guidelines they follow. Properly educated workers are far more unlikely to be injured on the job. If they offer their employees formal safety training, so much the better.
• Find out how many workers will be installing your roof and how experienced they are. Also ask for the name and credentials of the person that will supervise your roofing project and what kind of quality control procedures they follow.
• I once hired a roofer who told me verbally that he would use 30-year asphalt shingles. However, when he arrived on-site, he had 25-year shingles. We went back and forth for a while, and because we had a written agreement, we were able to resolve this to my satisfaction. Require that all roofing contractors that bid on your project provide you with a detailed written proposal. It should include the start and completion dates, materials list, and description of work, safety procedures and clean-up methods they employ, and mutually agreed upon payment schedule. You can always work with your roofer if they run late on the schedule, but make sure you have documentation of what they’ve promised.
• Get in touch with your local Better Business Bureau. They will tell you of any complaints filed against a roofing contractor you’re considering hiring.
• Thoroughly read and understand the warranty attached to the products (shingles, underlayment, tiles, etc.) and workmanship.
• Many roofing systems require specific skills, knowledge, and experience to install. Ask your contractor for proof that he or she is approved by the manufacturer to install the roof you’ve chosen.

Following these suggestions will help you locate a reliable and affordable roofing contractor. Roofery.com provides a free tool to request roofing quotes. For a list of people in your area you may also contact the National Roofing Contractor’s Association.

This Old Houseblog

What’s a houseblog?

Houseblogs are online diaries written by folks who are building, improving or restoring their own homes. Like other blogs, they are updated regularly and show the work unfold in real time.

If you’re interested in reading houseblogs or starting one of your own, head over to Houseblogs.net, where you can:

- Find people with similar homes, taste, or challenges via their community.
- Follow along as people renovate their homes by reading the latest blog entries.
- Get help with a DIY problem by asking a question or searching our discussion board.
- Show off your own house by adding photos to your member profile.
- Share your own home improvement adventures–start your own houseblog!

Do you have “nontraditional” bathroom floors?

Are your bathroom floors any of the following?

- carpet
- hardwood
- cork
- bamboo
- glass tiles
- leather tiles
- glass mosaic
- rubber tiles or rolls

Have you reglazed or refinished vintage bathroom fixtures instead of replacing them?

If you have or have done any of the above, contact Kate, as she may want to interview you for HGTV.com.

How to fix a leaky faucet (compression type)

That constant drip-drip-drip isn’t only annoying; it can cost you more than you think on the next water bill. Luckily, the most common causes for leaks are also the simplest to repair. With a few tools and between 15 to 30 minutes of your time, you can easily take care of the dastardly drip once and for all.
[Read more]

Thumbs Up for The ThumbSaver

Recently I had the pleasure of testing this new product from FW Tools in Tennessee. The ThumbSaver is one of those things that makes you say, “why didn’t I think of that?!”
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