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Air Conditioning Reviews and Buying Guide:When the weather outside begins to heat up, people seek the cool comfort of indoor air conditioning. Air conditioners comes in a variety of sizes, cooling capacities and prices. The most common type you have seen is the window air conditioner. Window air conditioners are an economical and easy way to cool a small area in a building or house. If you have central air conditioning in your house, then you probably have a unit on the side of your house that helps keep your home cool in the warmest summer months. Air conditioners are like refrigerators in that they use a refrigerant, like freon, to provide cooling. Window air conditioners are made small enough to fit into a standard window frame and the window is closed down on top of the unit. Removing the air conditioner cover will reveal a compressor, an expansion valve, a hot coil, a chilled coil, two fans, and a control unit. The warm air is pushed out while cool air is brought in. Air conditioners are rated in BTU (British Thermal Units). Window air conditioners might be rated at 10,000 BTU while a typical 2000 Square foot house would have a 60,000 BTU air conditioning system. Many cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix in the dead of summer reach temperatures above 115 degrees regularly and without AC, the people in the city would not survive. As global warming continues, cities like those will put major pressure on energy needs during the summer season as the temperatures rise above 120 degrees. See the portable air conditioner reviews down below.
Central Air Conditioner:Central air conditioning is "A system which uses ducts to distribute cooled and/or dehumidified air to more than one room or uses pipes to distribute chilled water to heat exchanger in more than one room, and which is not plugged into an electrical convenience outlet". Much like a heating system in a home that we are all familiar with, a central air conditioner does just the same, only with cool air. The AC unit usually sits near the side of your home and helps funnel in cold air during those hot summer days. Some of the larger homes built these days offer dual AC units so that you can control the temperature more evenly both upstairs and downstairs. One problem I find in our house is that with our central air conditioner running the downstairs thermostat, when it's 70 degrees downstairs on a hot day, the upstairs is still at least 5-8 degrees warmer as the hotter air has been pushed upstairs. If you own a home in a hot environment you need AC and if you have a 2 story home, then a dual level AC unit is the preferred choice for the best temperature control.
Air Conditioner Repair and Parts online:No one likes to have to repair a bulky appliance like an air conditioner, but sometimes it's not worth having a repairman come out to fix a simple problem for $100's when it can be done by you for much less. We found a site that not only offers parts for air conditioners, but it gives in depth reviews on how to repair things like air conditioners. The site is Appliance Parts and Repairs and give you an extensive section on troubleshooting what is wrong with your air conditioner and a great FAQ area for beginners. There is even an email address that goes to the "RepairGuru" in case you need help.
Carrier Air Conditioners:Carrier is the world leader in air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems. The Infinity Series Cooling system is the best in the industry with the most energy efficient results. The Infinity 18 Central Air Conditioner "is the only system in the industry that allow you to control temperature, humidity, air quality, fan speed, ventilation; and they even detect when your air filter needs replacing". The features below show why Carrier is #1 in residential air conditioners:
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can not run without a vent and that is why they all come with a window venting kit. The general guidelines for room size in selecting a portable air conditioner are:
and it sells for $500. Dont' be confused when looking for a portable air conditioner with an "air cooler". Portable air coolers are designed to cool your personal space and are not true air conditioners. Air cooler uses the evaporation of water to cool the air. Another top rated model is the 
which sells for $600 and offers 12,000 BTU cooling capacity. The Amcor features a 12 hour timer, built in water tank, a remote control, 2 fan speeds, and a window and wall exhaust kit. The most popular portable air conditioners are Amcor ALTL12000E 12000-BTU ($430), Sharp CVP12LX ($640), and the Soleus Air PH3-10R-03 10,000-BTU ($430). Stores like Sears, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes all carry the latest brands and models from GE, Trane, Carrier, Goodman, Lennox, Sanyo, York, Mitsubishi, Rheem, Friedrich, Bryant, Coleman, Amana, Frigidaire, and LG. You can