Q. I just got the ducts in my house cleaned out to get rid of pet dander and help me breathe better. The air conditioning is running great now and seems cleaner to breathe in. The only problem is that there is a loud humming noise coming from the big vent on the wall. It only comes from this big vent, and does not resonate from any of the vents on the ground. The big vent is not the original big vent; my contractor replaced it after the ducts were cleaned because the old big vent was dirty. My contractor says the noise is a result of the air running so openly now, but I'm having a hard time buying that. I think it is the replacement vent vibrating when the air pushes through it. Any thoughts? I'm pretty sure he threw away the old big vent.

A. Call him back and tell him your not satisfied.Lining the duct with duct insulation should help.I think your right about the vibration.

A. I use a guy named Tanner , Bill Tanner . I think its Tanner Air conditioning . He has always done a great job for us and never tried to charge for something that wasn't needed. Good Luck

Q. I live in an upstairs condo. I have a small window air conditioning unit. I was going to install it on a shelf outside the window, but my guys said it is fine sitting on the window ledge backed up to the screen of the window and lowering the window down on top of it, as it has exhaust and intake. Any air conditioning experts out there who could tell me if this is a less efficient way for it to run, or is it all right?

A. Unless things have changed, the screen is approx. 3 to 4 inches from window sash ( the glass) the unit is about 14-16 inches deep. they r designed to sit flush to the sash with the upper arm( brace) touching the bottom of the sash u raised to put the unit in.and the slides on the side of the unit slide over to cover the gaps. i think u would be wise to read the instructions and follow them.

Q. I am trying to find out how the sanitation process works and if it causes chemical smells in the house? I'm starting to use the air conditioner in our new apartment and everytime it comes on I end up with a headache and the air smells musty. I have been informed by the air conditioning company that it needs to be cleaned and sanitized, I am concerned about the chemicals they will be using as I am senstive to chemicals. Anybody have this done before and know how it effected your home?

A. I have asthma,allergic to dust. We had our furnace ducts/pipes cleaned out ! I had no problems. The ho user is 6o years old. I do not think the pipes were ever cleaned. You should have no problem if it is a repitule company

Q. The central air conditioning in my apartment is getting repaired and won't be working for 4 or 5 days. I want to improvise something. Maybe taking a fan and pointing it a a bag of ice. Heck.. I don't know... Any tips ?

A. Use the principle of evaporation. Depending on the humidity, it can work wonders. Lightly soak and wring out a sheet before bed, and have a fan blow across you. You will be comfortable enough to get to sleep. Some people get a large amount of ice, put it in a shallow pan, and have a fan blow over it. Another is to fill an ice chest with 70% ice and 30% water, take a hand towels, soak and wring out, then place over head and breathe the cold air. Do it once more but this time leave on your wrists for a couple of minutes. As for a whole house fix, there is no other DIY method I know of. The ice cold towel on the head is really amazing relief even though temporary.

Q. What is it, and they claim that it can cut air conditioning costs by upto 50% where can i find such contractors

A. There are some cold roofing that is available to make sure the roofing is not only NOT leaking but also it reflects a lot of heat back( if you are in a tropical climate) or act as insulator if you are arctic climate. there are many types roofings that you can do . you can google them, or check the site, you can at least get some basic information on what to expect.

Q. I just moved into a new home that had never had the ducts cleaned. The house is a ranch with gas forced air heat on one zone with about 9 vents. I found this company on a coupon for $45 which included unlimited vents and a couple access holes. When the company began their work they found mold and the price skyrocketed from $45 to $1400. Does this sound like a screw job or is that price accurate for mold removal and duct cleaning?

A. Mold removal/remediation is entirely different from air duct cleaning. However, it is not uncommon to find mold in your air ducts. That is why we recommend the Electro Breeze Duct Mount UV kit at http://www.allergy-relief-air-purifier.com/air-conditioning-filters.html. This unit will eliminate mold and bacteria from your indoor air and keep your air conditioning coils clean from mold. You must consider that to remove the mold from your air ducts, the air duct cleaning company is entering into a potentially dangerous situation for their employees. This requires expensive equipment and a person with the skills to do the remediation properly. Now that they have knocked the mold loose, you will need the high efficiency filtration and ultra-violet light of the Electro Breeze DMUV kit to kill and capture the mold spores in your indoor air. I hope this helps.

Q. Thinking about having one installed. Thoughts on cost to install, operating costs vs using the air conditioning? What about leaks around the installation site...hear that from a lot of people that have had them. Thanks for the help!

A. If you need an attic fan and have a vent at one end of a peaked roof, you can have a fan installed there. I did something else too. One fan in the attic blows air down into the house. Another at the other end of the house blows air into the attic. On a cool day, but with a warm attic because of sun load, I circulate air from the attic through the house. Thermostats in the attic and in the house circulate air only when the house is 70 degrees or less AND the attic is at 75 degrees or more. Also I can switch off the one that blows air into the house. On hot days, after sundown, I can blow air out of the house, sucking it in from the cooler air outside.