Beat the heat with new ways to cool your home

As summer heats up many of us will be trying to keep cool inside our homes. Portable air conditioners have gone way down in price and actually have become much more efficient.  Central air conditioners are doing the same, and there are also some pretty novel approaches to keeping cool that won't break the bank or destroy your home in the process of installation. "Today" contributor, "Mr. Fix-It," Lou Manfredini, was invited to appear on the show to share the details. Here's his scoop:

First, there is plenty you can do to lower the temperature in your home with a minimal investment. Keep blinds and drapes closed during peak sunlight. Use a portable fan at one end of your home blowing fresh air in and another at the other end of your home pulling the hot air out. This will create a draft in your home that will lower the temperature and help move some of the humidity outdoors. If you are going to install a ceiling fan check out the Reiker Room conditioner (www.buyreiker.com), not only will it keep you cool, but in the winter this unit actually has a built in heater to help keep cold rooms warmer.

But for truly comfortable living, air conditioning is the ticket. The process works by pulling humidity out of the air and then cooling the air as it flows through the unit to make the air temperature more comfortable. Here are some things to consider when looking for air conditioning units:

Portables:
These units are quite varied in the market. Most install into an existing window or through the wall in a sleeve and will take care of one or two rooms depending on the size. This is important since you do not want to purchase too large of a unit for a specific cooling task. If the unit is too big it will cycle too often and actually make the space feel clammy. It's like driving a high performance racing vehicle to the grocery store — too much power. All portable units will have size recommendations on the box. These units are sized according to the BTU's (British Term Units) they produce, typically a 5,000 BTU unit will do an average size bedroom. As you go up in size say to 7,500-10,000 BTUs you will be able to cool a living room and dinning room. But keep in mind air flow is key when using these units. With the aid of ceiling fans or portable fans to circulate the air, you'll keep the temperature more consistent in your home. The Kenmore unit (we showed on "Today") is a Consumer's Report "Best buy" and will cool a room up to 300 square feet. (For more information you can visit www.sears.com.) Some other good brands are Comfort Aire, Frigidaire, LG, and GE. They can range in price from as little as $99-$2,000 plus.

One of the more popular portables does not have to be installed in a window, but can actually be set on the floor in a room and then vented out of a window. This is a great choice for those who do not have windows that can accept a portable A/C unit or are not allowed to install one due to building rules. While these units do create some heat, they will make your home cooler. No matter what type of unit you are searching for you should look for energy efficiency ratings of at least 10 or higher and look for the "Energy Star Qualified" sticker. This means you are purchasing the highest-rated unit on the market. These units can range in price from $250- $600 depending on the size.

Ductless or split systems:
These are zoned units that will service a room or multiple rooms, but the actual cooling unit that you see can mount either over a window or in any location without installing a large hole. In fact, it only takes a three-inch hole to run a line-set out to an exterior condensing unit. The unit from Mitsubishi, called "Mr. Slim," is one of the quietest units around and the 9,000 BTU unit (shown on "Today") can be installed professionally for about $2,500. These are great choices when you are looking to cool a home more efficiently without cutting holes and taking up window space.  For more information visit www.mrslim.com

But the grand daddy of them all when it comes to keeping cool is central air conditioning. Eighty percent of new homes in the U.S. have central air conditioning installed. For older homes there are several retro fit central systems available, one such system is called Unico. (www.unicosystem.com)  A Unico system uses flexible duct work that is pulled through the walls so a vintage home can now have central air conditioning without disturbing any of the finished areas. Many different manufacturers make high quality central units and while that is important, the installation and sizing is very critical as well. Some considerations for you are how efficient these units are. The SEER rating is what to look for.  SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. According to a recent survey from Emerson Climate Technologies 77 percent of home owners think SEER has something to do with cooking on the grill or something to do with the weather. (For more details on the study visit www.gotoemerson.com.) This rating is the heart of how well and frugal an air conditioning unit is when operating. The large condensing unit (that's the fan thing outside) is what uses the most electricity when operating. New standards from the EPA will mandate in 2006 that all new units have a rating of 13. For comparison in the early '80s A/C units had a rating of about a 7 and 8. If you replaced you A/C unit with one that had a rating of 11.5, you could save about $507 a year on your electric bill with average usage. The technology inside is important as well. Most A/Cs use Scroll(tm) technology in their compressors. This makes the units far more efficient, you should look for this when choosing a new air conditioning unit. Some other considerations are where the unit is located outside. Many cities and villages mandate where they can be located due to noise. Never locate a condensing unit under a deck our surround it with bushes or plants.  This can decrease the airflow to the unit which will decrease its efficiency and cost you more money. 

"Mr. Fix-It" Lou Manfredini is regular contributor to "Today." If you have more questions feel free to visit him at www.hammerandnail.com

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