When the summer heat hits there is nothing better than stepping into an air conditioned room. The cool air whisks away the heat of the sun and just makes you feel better. Some people want just a cool breeze while others want the temperatures of winter in their home when the heat is beating everyone down.

Not everyone can live in a temperate climate where the temperature stays constant year round. Some live in areas where the temperature can climb well over a hundred degrees mid-day.

That is just too hot! Have you given your air conditioner much thought? What would it be like to be without an air conditioner and suffering in the summer heat and humidity?

Those little wonders can save frazzled nerves and make you feel refreshed again. This article will cover the basics of air conditioners and hopefully have you feeling cool again in no time.

What is better: a window unit or central air?

That is a difficult question and largely depends on how big of an area you will be cooling down. If you live in a loft or a one bedroom home or office you may be better serviced by a window unit. Large spaces are inefficiently cooled by window units.

It would take several to cool down each of the rooms in the home. Central air, on the other hand, can be pumped in from a unit located outside or inside and used to cool the entire house at once. It may be more cost efficient to use a central air unit to cool down a home or large office.

What is a 'Persian Cooler?'

The Persian Cooler is actually called an evaporative cooler. It is used heavily in hotter climates such as in Iran where the largest concentration of these units are made and used. The Persian Cooler works by drawing in the hot air from the outside and running it through water soaked pad.

The actual temperature of the air is not changed but the quality and humidity of the air is changed to more of a "dry" heat. This type of cooler gave Dr. John Gorrie the inspiration of using ice instead of the wet pad for his Apalachicola patients in 1842.

Who do I call when something goes wrong with my air conditioner?

The best advice is to call a heating and cooling technician that is familiar with your type of unit. If you have a Ruud then you will want to call someone who is familiar with that brand of air conditioning unit.

Some people will want to try to fix the problem themselves and there is nothing wrong with that if that person is knowledgeable about basic air conditioning systems. There are plenty of do it yourself websites that can help you fix your air conditioner yourself. It is always advisable to seek out knowledgeable help before you begin though just in case you run into a problem that is out of your realm of knowledge.

How are air conditioners controlled?

Air conditioners are controlled by thermostats. You set the thermostat at the desired level of coolness and it sends an electrical signal to the unit. This signal tells the unit how long to run and pump cool air into the home or office.

It will also let the unit know when to stop pumping air. It is important for a thermostat to be running correctly. If something is wrong with the thermostat the unit may not work properly.