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Five Guidelines in Purchasing a Central Air Conditioning Unit


Summer is fast approaching and your air conditioner just does not work the way it used too. It barely cools, if it does anything at all. You have tried cleaning it. You have tried flushing it. You have tried everything including kick it and hit it with a mallet. The service man wants to charge you an arm and a leg, and probably a few other body parts to repair it. You are left with only one other choice. Spend all that money to repair a central air conditioning unit that is 20 years old, or spend about the same amount to buy a new, updated central air conditioning unit. If you are going to spend the money, why not get something under warranty that, theoretically, it should last 20 more years? Seems like an easy decision to me.

When purchasing a new central air conditioning unit there are five guidelines to keep in mind that will keep you on track and make sure you do not waste your hard earned money. These guidelines are just what they say they are: guidelines. They are not laws or rules you need to follow, but they are suggestions that are meant to guide you towards buying the right central air conditioner for you and your home.

WHAT TYPE OF AIR CONDITIONER DO YOU NEED?
There are many brands of central air conditioning units available to purchase from any hardware or appliance store. Some sales associates will try to sell you a window air conditioning unit. Do not let that sales associate talk you into wasting your money. These window air conditioners are a waste of money. They usually only cool one room and they suck a lot of power so you will be spending a lot more money each month on the utility bill. Remember that if you have multiple rooms or a house, you want a central air unit. Do not let the sales associate trick you into anything else.

INSTALLATION OF MY CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING UNIT:
One more detail to consider is installation. Most people do not want to crawl under, over, around, and through the walls of their house to install a new air conditioner. That is why most places that sell these units also install them for you. Some places install these free of charge with the purchase of a new unit. Even if they dont do it free, you should get someone to professionally install your new unit. It will save you time, headaches, and sweat if you do. If they do not offer installation, you may want to look elsewhere to purchase your unit. It is much easier and cost efficient to get this all done in one step.

TEMPURATURE SETTINGS:
Most new units come with a new thermostat. You should make sure this thermostat can create the ideal temperature that suits you and your family. If you are comfortable in a room that is 60, then make sure the unit will cool to that temperature. You also need to make sure you can increase and decrease the temperature in 1 or 2 increments just in case you are not comfortable.

FILTERS:
There are many filters out there today. The ones that are permanent are the best value. You simply take them out, hose them down, and stick them back in. They save you a lot of money every year, not to mention you dont have to keep track of what size you need. Just remember to clean them once a month. Also, make sure your unit supports these filters.

ENERGY SAVER:
You should also look to see if your new unit has a sleep setting or an energy saving setting. This allows the unit to run when you are sleeping or not home and not run up your bill. It will keep the house a little warmer when you are not home, and then cool it before you come home. This saves hundreds of dollars a year.

Keeping these in mind, finding the perfect unit will be a snap and could turn out to be a fun shopping experience. Just ask the sales associate for more details if you need help. They can be most helpful if these guidelines still have you guessing.

Without them, you couldnt pay for that degree you worked so hard for.

Five Reasons to Use Oil-Based Paints for Home Projects


Learning to paint in your home can be an easy project and provide a quick way to beautify your home. When painting, there are two basic types of paints that can be used inside the home. Water based latex paints are good for using on the walls. Oil based paints are the other choice. Oil based paints are the best choice for painting trims, doors and areas of high traffic.

Oil based paints are sometimes a little more difficult to use that water based latex paint. Oil based paints are thicker than latex paint so it will require different kinds of brushes and rollers. Also, when using oil based paints, it is a good idea to paint in a well ventilated area. It does have a stronger odor. The good thing about oil based paint is that it can be bought at any paint store and tinted to almost any color. Oil based paints are also called solvents and made from a mixture of resin and oils.

When looking at oil based paints, it is important to remember that most of the time you will need to prime the area first. Oil based paints have a tendency to peel if the area is not primed properly. This can happen if the base coat is already oil based paint. When priming the area, you must clean the area first. Then you can apply a primer. Primer can be bought at any home improvement or paint store. Primer can be applied like spray paint or brushed on with a brush. If you are painting over a very dark color, or using a dark color with the new paint, you should consider having the primer tinted first.

If you get ready to paint and are not sure whether you are dealing with a wall or area that already has oil paint or latex, there is an easy way to tell. When water is applied to oil based paint, it will usually bead up. It will not soak in as it does with latex paint. When applying oil based paints, it has the tendency to bubble during painting. Make sure that you never shake oil based paints. Stirring is recommended. Also when using oil based paint, try using only one coat of paint, instead of several. After applying the oil based paints to your project, it will take longer to dry than latex paint. Provide plenty of ventilation during the drying process.

It is also important to remember that when using oil based paints, that they are considered toxic and hazardous waste. Caution should be used when disposing of oil based paints.

There are several projects that will benefit from using oil based paint.

Trim: When painting indoor trim, such as bead board, window trim, crown molding, chair rails and trim around doors, oil based paints are generally used. This is because oil based paints can withstand more wear and tear than latex paints. As a general rule, oil based paints are also easier to clean than latex paint.

Doors: Indoor doors are usually painted with oil based paints. It is very simple to clean fingerprints, smudges and dirt off of doors when painted with oil based paint. An outside door is often painted using oil based paints, as well.

Decorating projects: If you are working in small projects, such as painting shelves or raw wood, oil based paints can be a good option. Proper preparation is required. Raw wood will need to be sanded and primed before using oil based paints. Remember that primer should be dried thoroughly before using any oil based paints. This will give you better coverage.

Exterior: Some projects outside can be good for using oil based paints. Oil based paints are perfect for trims, such as around windows, and other trim around the outside of the house.

Metal: Projects that are made out of metal can also benefit from oil based paints. It is important to remember that oil based paints should never be applied directly to fresh masonry or on iron. As with any projects, proper prepping and primer will be required.

Oil based paints can be a good choice for many projects because it is often longer lasting and easy to clean. Proper preparation is always needed when painting with oil paints.