AC & COOLING
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We all know that heat rises and cool air sinks, but physics may not be the only reason your central air isn’t reachin...
Unlike stationary fans that blow air in one direction, oscillating fans sweep back and forth, distributing air over a...
When the mercury climbs, staying cool is a priority. While an air conditioner is typically best, sometimes a quality ...
Unlike conventional fans, a neck fan can keep you cool when you're on the go—when a more conventional room fan simply...
While any ceiling fan can help cool things off when the indoor temperature rises, a smart ceiling fan takes that comf...
This is the first installment of Bob Vila’s Most Valuable Projects of 2023, a month-long series featuring high-ROI ho...
Q: I put an addition on my house and am wondering the best way to heat and cool that area. I have heard that a mini-s...
Some folks need a little extra help when it comes to catching those ever-precious Z's. While many people don’t have a...
Air conditioners have a tough life. Outdoor units are constantly exposed to the elements, while window and wall units...
Highlights A home AC unit recharge has a typical cost range of $200 to $500, with a national average cost of $300. ...
Bob Vila readers were busy in 2022, tackling DIY projects and finding ways to make their life simpler and their home ...
New tax credits for energy-efficient heat pumps, affordable smart thermostats, and a demand for filters that can figh...
During hot summer months, staying cool and keeping your home comfortable is a top priority. However, choosing the bes...
Q: I recently noticed my AC smells musty when it turns on, and I’ve never noticed this before. Why does my air condit...
Q: I’m getting ready to move across the country to Arizona. A few of the house listings I’ve looked at mention a swam...
Typical Range: $100 to $610 National Average: $369Air conditioning circulates, filters, and cools a home’s air. If...
HVAC professionals are always in demand. To establish oneself as an HVAC technician and stand out from the competitio...
Typical Range: $60 to $300 National Average: $170An air conditioning (AC) unit has multiple functioning parts. Whe...
Whether a homeowner lives in an area that is warm all year long or they only have to deal with beating the heat for a...
Homeowners need to have their HVAC systems ready to go year-round, as temperatures rise in the spring and summer and ...
A window air conditioner is the only way to beat the heat for those who lack the comforts of central air conditioning...
Highlights A mini-split air conditioner typically costs between $2,000 and $14,500 to install, with a national avera...
Air conditioners are essential on those hot and humid summer days, but that relief can come at a price. An AC can qui...
A finished basement adds significant square footage to a home, providing an additional living space that can be used ...
Your air filter is an essential part of your home’s HVAC system, but replacing air filters regularly can be a nuisanc...
Fiberglass insulation has long been a popular option for slowing the transmission of heat through the walls and ceili...
In many regions, an air conditioner is a must-have for surviving hot and muggy summers, but a good air conditioner ca...
Air conditioners can be bulky energy hogs, with even the smallest versions weighing upward of 50 pounds. Taking them ...
Q: We’ve been in a heatwave, so we’ve had the AC on. When I went outside earlier, I noticed that the outside AC unit ...
Even the most ardent climate change deniers can’t deny that this feels like one of the hottest summers in recent memo...
Less Wind, Less EnergyWindbreaks protect a home from wind and provide shade, both of which can help conserve energy. ...
A failing air conditioner in the blistering summer heat isn’t something one can wait to replace. While there are plen...
Whether it's an air conditioner, furnace, air handler, or all three, replacing a home HVAC system is a major investme...
Highlights A central AC unit typically costs between $3,882 and $7,903 to install, with many homeowners across the c...
Q: Help! We’ve just had our first heatwave, so we want to cool the house, but our central AC is not blowing cold air....
Central air, window air conditioners, and split AC units aren’t the only ways to keep your home comfortable during ho...
Anyone hoping for an economical way to beat the heat may wish to consider buying an evaporative air cooler. These dev...
Q: My family recently relocated to a new home, and it feels incredibly muggy indoors. Our air conditioner seems to be...
Strategically placed fans help reduce home energy costs as they circulate air to assist overworked air conditioning s...
While a small window air-conditioning unit is suitable for a small bedroom, it simply can’t do the job in a larger li...
Bladeless fans are becoming increasingly popular due to their streamlined design, powerful performance, and whisper-q...
Those who live in older homes without the comfort and convenience of central air conditioning understand just how har...
While window air-conditioning units are a fine option for cooling a room in the summertime, they require sacrificing ...
Suffering through a hot summer may seem inevitable to those with basements or garage workshops not serviced by a cent...
When temperatures start to rise, one cost-effective way to keep cool is with an electric fan. Floor fans and box fans...
Air conditioning can cool down a space, but a good pedestal fan can be a more cost-effective way to ease the heat, ma...
Whether you’re repairing your own HVAC system or you’re a professional technician, an HVAC multimeter can be your ace...
Whether you use it to circulate and cool the air in your home or just enjoy its white noise to help you sleep at nigh...
Heat may disturb your ability to sleep, focus, and stay comfortable, but a portable fan can make high temperatures mo...
When it comes time to replace the manual thermostat in your home, the ecobee SmartThermostat is a great option that c...
A bedroom fan is a must-have for hot sleepers and anyone living in a warm climate. Fans recirculate air and help regu...
Smart thermostats, which connect with home automation systems, go beyond their programmable predecessors to offer a w...
Garage workshops, while often well designed for the types of household jobs you need to tackle, don’t always deliver ...
Want to do your part to help slow the impact of climate change? Check out these small and simple changes you and your family can make in your home and everyday ac...
The best floor fans are portable and versatile, designed to keep folks cool in areas throughout the home. Powerful ye...
Ceiling fans are a beloved feature of many homes, as they provide an affordable and often stylish way to make living ...
Having a desk fan in your office is a great way to increase the air circulation in a limited space, ensuring that you...
When your car's AC dies, there's still hope for a comfortable ride. We’ve put together some helpful tricks for keeping the summer heat from ruining your commute w...
Saving money has never been more important for most Americans, yet many forget how much they inadvertently waste thro...
True to their name, portable air conditioning units are, well, portable—especially when compared to virtually all oth...
Many consider attic insulation safe and effective, but direct sun on a roof can radiate heat into the attic space, wh...
Many people use a fan to assist in circulating indoor air and increasing comfort. Of all the different types of fans ...
Quiet, unobtrusive, and energy efficient, ceiling fans can be a wonderful addition to practically any room in the hom...
Don't assume a nice landscape has to break the bank. In fact, a smart landscape design plan can offset other home maintenance costs. See the best landscaping idea...
When it comes to keeping your home cool and your utility bills low, you can’t beat a window fan. These devices mount ...
Q: My husband and I just moved from Reno, Nevada, to Baytown, Texas, and the humidity here is high, even indoors. We’...
Ahead, learn how a climate-control system can deliver not only uniform comfort throughout the home but also real savings over time.</p> This content is paid...
Take insulation into your own hands to seal up sneaky air leaks around the house—and save big money. This content is paid advertising created in partnership ...
Sparing your air conditioner a little work could save you a significant amount on your energy bill over the summer months, so what are you waiting for? Start with...
Summer tests your ability to keep your cool—both literally as you cope with the heat and figuratively as you fume ov...
When you're trying to maintain a comfortably cool indoor temperature in the summer, your energy bills tend to rise wi...
Aah—that’s your sigh of contentment when you retreat from the hot summer sun and enter the sweet relief of your air-conditioned home. But if you want your AC to c...
When the electricity goes out, a host of things can happen around your place ranging from mere inconveniences to life-threatening situations. These are the what-i...
Staying comfortable through the summer often comes at a price (after all, air conditioning ain't cheap). If your energy bills have your blood pressure rising fast...
Dependable air conditioning is essential for keeping comfortable during the sweltering days of summer, so homeowners ...
If sweltering days and nights without central air conditioning threaten your summertime comfort, consider putting a u...
In a era where convenience is king, it's no wonder that smart thermostats have been integrated into so many homes. Th...
If your goal is indoor air that’s as fresh and healthy as possible, you may think about hiring a firm to clean your h...
Back in the 9-to-5 world, when people got up, went to work, and returned home at the same time every weekday, nobody ...
Check out these energy-saving tips that will help your air conditioner do its job without breaking a sweat—or the bank.
If you’re interested in getting your air-conditioning costs under control, keep reading. You may be surprised to learn that a few of your bad habits may be sabota...
Q: There’s been a mysterious, slightly moldy smell in my home all summer, and this morning, when our window air condi...
In summertime, the backyard becomes a major destination. There’s gardening and barbecues, to be sure, but the possibi...
Comfort and convenience don't have to compromise your home's design aesthetic. Innovative and viable alternatives to ...
Is your existing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system due for an upgrade, or even approaching the end of...
Gone are the days when those fortunate enough to live in a meticulously preserved historic home have to jam window ai...
It seems like every time you look at the thermostat, it's set to a different temperature. There are two possible expl...
Whether your heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system is due for an upgrade or you’re looking to retrofit one into an older home, there are many options ...
Homeowners looking to upgrade or modify an existing heating and cooling system are often confronted with a dizzying a...
As the temperatures rise, homeowners across most of the country face the same dilemma: whether to turn on the noisy a...
As far as your HVAC system (cooling and heating system) goes, what's out of sight is out of mind. But don't always assume your system is running at peak performan...
Oscillating fans are a smart choice for cool comfort thanks to a side-to-side rotating mechanism that evenly distribu...
This post has been brought to you by Mitsubishi Electric. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Have your...
Nowadays, more than 90 percent of homes and virtually all businesses in America use air conditioning to beat the summertime heat. In fact, according to the U.S. D...
Though often overlooked, air conditioner filters are responsible for a mighty important job: keeping dust, dirt, and ...
Q: I’ve just turned on the air conditioner for the summer, but I just can't get get comfortable. The appliance circul...
When you turn on the air conditioning to beat the heat, the typical system might lower the temperature enough to sati...
In most parts of the country, air conditioning is a necessity of modern life. Even so, many consumers hesitate to inv...
Most people rely on their ceiling fan to bring a welcome breeze when temperatures heat up, as the devices make folks ...
Comfort and joy: That's what the holidays are all about. If, however, your home fails to provide refuge from the wick...
If you live in a mild climate, consider yourself lucky. Everyone else? You know that whenever the temperature soars o...
When it comes to cooling and heating their homes, homeowners often face a difficult choice: They can either keep their home at a comfortable temperature, or cut c...
You don’t need to be told that energy doesn’t come cheap. With the arrival of each utility bill, you get another remi...
During the hottest days of the year, it’s likely that you rely heavily on an air conditioning unit—be it targeting yo...
It’s strange: We hold our dishwashers, ovens and other household appliances to an extremely high standard, but not ou...
Summer never fails to usher in higher temperatures. And, unfortunately for the typical homeowner, the season also ten...
Fans of Ernest Hemingway remember him not only for his classic books, but also for his larger-than-life persona and h...
This article has been brought to you by Sears Home Services. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila. com. Many w...
In any neighborhood, in any state, homes built post-World War II typically share at least one thing in common—a tradi...
In all but the mildest climates, whenever the temperature soars or plummets, the typical homeowner faces a tough choi...
Brutal seasonal weather can make life miserable. Strike back with these tricks that tame torrid temps.
One of the great, game-changing inventions of the 20th century, air conditioning has become so firmly entrenched in o...
How did we live before air conditioning? In some regions, it's not even a nice-to-have amenity, but a virtual necessi...
As the mercury rises, so does the cost and effort of staying cool and comfortable indoors and out. This summer, escape the heat—and the high energy bills—with the...
It’s astonishing: Technology has revolutionized so many aspects of day-to-day life over the past 50 years, yet home a...
It's the time of year when, if you listen carefully, you can practically hear the sighs of homeowners again facing th...
It's a common refrain: How in the world did people survive before air conditioning? In the modern era, homeowners around the country depend on—and thank the heave...
With the winter finally passed, savvy homeowners around the country are preparing for another summer of sizzling, swe...
For homeowners who have witnessed their energy bills rise ever higher over the years, heating and cooling represents ...
You've deliberated over every detail, large and small, from the flooring underfoot to the lighting overhead. But if y...
This time of year, it’s easy to imagine the conditions that await you upon leaving the house—a blast of bitterly cold air and a slippery path to your frost-covere...
The Unico iSeries pairs an efficient outdoor unit with at least one indoor wall split. Ideal for providing heating an...
Everyone knows that ceiling fans provide low-cost cooling in summer. But did you know you can also use ceiling fans t...
You are reading one installment in a 10-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and coo...
You are reading one installment in a 10-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and coo...
You are reading one installment in a 10-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless cooling and hea...
For decades, forced-air systems have dominated the cooling and heating market in the United States. Americans have learned to live with it, in part because of the...
You are reading one installment in a 10-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and coo...
Window air conditioners: We turn to them in the dog days of summer, turn them off when the weather cools down, and fo...
When you step into a beautiful custom-built home, nothing ruins the effect quite like the sights and sounds of a trad...
You are reading one installment in a 10-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and coo...
There's one in every home. Whether it's a finished basement or a converted attic, a west-facing sunroom or a live-in garage, there always seems to be a particular...
If you are fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you know what a treat it can be to spend time away from the stres...
Air conditioners are our saving grace during sticky summers—there’s nothing quite like the relief of walking into a r...
You are reading one installment in a ten-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and co...
You are reading one installment in a ten-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and co...
If your home was built before the advent of air conditioning, you've likely bemoaned the fact that, for all its histo...
We owe a lot to the humble air conditioner. Like most inventions, the idea came from a very real need: relief from ex...
Whether you own an old house or would like to build a new one, you've likely asked yourself a hard-to-answer question...
Ceiling fans are great—until they get wobbly. What causes that to happen, and how can you go about fixing a wobbly ce...
Winter's right around the corner, and with those falling temperatures come rising energy costs. But don’t despair—a few quick and easy solutions to common househo...
Air conditioning is responsible for as much as one third of the electricity consumed in summer. These are energy-thir...
After spending a warm summer day picnicking or at the beach, who doesn't love to come home to a comfortably cool home...
Summer has arrived, and with the inexorable heat comes the inevitable hunt—for the perfect air conditioner, that is. ...
For homeowners and renters who don’t want the bother (or expense) of installing a central air conditioning system, wi...
Temperatures are climbing. With the dog days of summer just around the corner, the perfect time to shop for a new air...
The soothing whir of a ceiling fan is one of the sweet sounds of summer. But summer’s not over yet. To keep your fan ...
Heat gettin’ you down? If you’re in a house where installing central air would also mean installing ductwork, maybe y...
If you're searching for the best window air conditioner, check out these 9 highly rated models for small, medium, and large rooms.
Homeowners looking to reduce air conditioning costs and shield interior furnishings from the sun’s harsh glare may wa...
Nothing feels better on a hot summer day after hitting it hard outdoors than showering outdoors. Outdoor shower kits are readily available at most big-box home im...
No need to rush off to Kokomo—you'll get there fast and then you'll take it slow with these stylish umbrellas that can create a paradise right in your own backyard.
Now that summer has arrived, it's definitely time to focus on home cooling. If your house does not have central air c...
Ceiling fans are useful additions to any room. They provide a cool breeze when it's warm, circulate stale air, and co...
Take a spin through our roundup of ceiling fans to suit every design sensibility.
All air conditioners are designed to cool—that is, to remove heat and humidity from interior spaces. If you are in th...
Warm weather is just around the corner, with its humming air conditioners and skyrocketing electric bills. You may be...
Choosing a ceiling fan is enough to make any homeowner’s head hurt. Here are my suggestions for simplifying this seem...
Now that the summer scorchers are over, it’s time to bring in your window air conditioning units. Listen to BOB VILA ...
Whether they are freestanding, store-bought, or built-in, today's outdoor showers are accessible luxuries for many. Here are some of our favorites.
Everyone agrees that you should change your HVAC filter on a regular basis, but not everyone agrees on the type of fi...
An imperative “rite of spring” in our house is checking our two central air conditioning systems to make sure they ar...
Before you pull your window air conditioner out of storage, consider its age. Efficiencies have improved so much that...
Smart landscaping is more than a pretty yard—it’s a smart and efficient way to cool your home in summer. Trees shade ...
Try Old-School Cooling Before you crank up the A/C this summer to keep cool, try a little old-fashioned ventilation f...
What to Look for Room air conditioners are rated by the number of BTUs, or British thermal units, of heat that they c...
High noon will turn many a classic home into a summertime sweatbox. And while noisy window-mounted air conditioners c...
Last week, the New York Times featured a Home Section article on fans and/or air conditioning--depending on where you...
Bob meets with HVAC and plumbing contractor Frank Iadarola to review the HVAC and plumbing systems and discuss how to begin the remodeling process.
Bob and plumbing and heating contractor Frank Iadarola review the air handler and bathroom in-floor radiant heat.
Bob reviews the heating and air conditioning equipment that will bring the Shingle Style house into its second century.
Bob and Jeff Akers of The Air Authority review the water-cooled HVAC system, granting focus to its ingenious mechanical design and up-to-code energy efficiency.
Kevin Callahan from Sears joins Bob to talk about the new Kenmore air conditioning condensers that will be installed.
Bob meets with Meredith Schelp from Mitsubishi Electric HVAC to learn about the City-Multi HVAC system that will heat and cool the Manhattan Brownstone floor-thro...
Bob discusses the SpacePak HVAC system that's being installed to provide heating and cooling in the house and barn. The SpacePak system is well-suited to projects...
Bob talks with Mike Donaghey (from American Standard) to learn more about the barn's air conditioning system. Also, Bob and general contractor Charlie Tomaszewski...
Bob tours the master bathroom, noticing the finishing touches and pointing out the features. Also, Bob checks out the Finlandia sauna, before reviewing te Crysta...
Janet MacIlvaine and George James (from the Department of Energy) show Bob how they conduct a blower door test.
A restaurant-quality oven hood vent is installed, in addition to Metrowire shelves.
The air conditioning system for the third floor exercise area, with its unique features and ductwork, is installed.
Bob meets with Mark, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning mechanic, who is installing an HVAC system to moderate the temperature in the addition.
Bob meets with HVAC contractor Dave Talbot to discuss the heating and cooling of the greenhouse. A system of thermostats, blowers, vented windows, and boiler has ...
Contractor Bob Ryley shows off the greenhouse's motorized windows. At the touch of a button, or via a thermostat, the windows open and close. Bob helps Ryley asse...
Bob joins siding contractor Brian Quinn, who is constructing a beautiful gable-end sunburst fan from clapboard siding. Quinn explains how to lay out the center mo...
Bob observes as electrician Steve Bradley snakes a thermostat wire along a wall in service of the new air conditioning system.
Bob and the HVAC installer review plans to install air conditioning in the Naples project house.
Bob reviews the plans to create a new screen porch with a ceiling fan at the Naples project house.
Bob goes over the ducting process with carpentry contractor Bob Ryley at the Cape Cod project house.
