The Dog-Days of Summer are most definitely here and record hot temperatures are being seen all over the world. Along with the wholesale heat wave spreading across the country, there are many people faced with broken air conditioners and wondering how they will ever pay to have them replaced!

If its a small repair, you can review the Air Conditioner Repair Cost Guide and see if its the right choice, otherwise you may just need to find the best deal on a cheap air conditioner!

Where to Buy a Wholesale Air Conditioner

Depending on the type of discount air conditioner you need, there are going to be several places you can look! Most notably and most often the best places to find the bargains are eBay and Amazon.

Discount Window Air Conditioner Units

Finding a great deal on a wholesale window air conditioner on eBay is simple... since they have such a wide selection of products from everyone, everywhere! In many cases, you can find great deals like those listed below.

Cheap Portable Air Conditioner

Portable Air Conditioners have quickly become the standard for anyone looking for a bargain on wholesale ac units! You can find a discount portable air conditioner like those below around every corner of the eBay system!

Central Air Conditioner Distributor

Buying a wholesale central air conditioner is a bit trickier than any other type, since you are going to need the help of a professional to install it! In many cases, you are better off dealing with a local contractor and getting a few Free Estimates

Regardless of how, or where you find your wholesale hvac system, make sure you check the ratings of the person you are buying it from and only deal with places that have your best interest in mind as well!

If you buy the system from a wholesaler or distributor, make sure you follow through after the sale and leave your own feedback as well!

It's that time of year when WebHVAC publishes it's list of the Top Rated Central Air Conditioners in various categories most consumers would fall into. Results on this list are based on research from our own family of Heating and Cooling Product websites, local feedback from HVAC Contractors and after hearing what you, the consumer find important!

The categories we look at are:

• Highest Efficiency Air Conditioners
• Most Affordable Central Air Conditioners
• Consumer Ratings for Comfort and Reliability

Top Rated Central Air Conditioners of 2010

High Efficiency Air Conditioners

High efficiency air conditioners not only qualify for the Home Energy Tax Credits, they exceed the guidelines and present the ultimate in high efficiency!

• Lennox SunSource Solar Assist System
• Trane XL20i Central Air Conditioner
• Carrier Infinity 21 AC System (View all Carrier Central Air Conditioners)

Most Affordable Central Air Conditioners

In the most affordable central air conditioner category, we looked at the price paid by several consumers across the US. While there are several installation factors that come into play, the following were consistently listed as being most affordable.

• Goodman GSX13 Series Air Conditioners
• Rheem RAN13 Model Air Conditioners
• Bryant Legacy Series Air Conditioners

Highest Consumer Ratings of a Manufacturer

Have you been trying to find the best brand name air conditioner to have installed for your home? If so, the following companies have the HIGHEST consumer ratings!

• Lennox Brand HVAC
• Trane Heating and Cooling
• Carrier Heating and Cooling

Central air conditioner ratings can help homeowners find the best central air conditioner for their homes. It's important to remember that each of the types or brands above are easily influenced by the contractor installing the system!

Reviews from visitors like yourself have helped up form the list and like any large home appliance, central air conditioners are among a major investment.

A guy walked up on this noisy carrier air conditioner and started recording with his phone.

See if you can spot all the wrongs in this noisy air conditioner video, I will post them below the video!

(Sorry about the embed issue with YouTube - I am still leaving it here for the face value though. Great video, just requires an extra click now!)

Why is the Air Conditioner Noisy?

• Contactor is Bad?
• Condenser Fan Motor is Going Bad?
• Maybe all the Overgrown Bushes Around AC are wreaking havoc?

Regardless... it won't be running much longer! Check to see Air Conditioner Repair Costs and get an idea!

What do you think?

The Summer of 2010 is right in front of us, and many readers will face the fact that they need a new central air conditioning system in their home.

With all the choices from many different manufacturers, we thought it may help to get a better understanding of the 2010 Carrier Air Conditioning Units on the market, and how they may fit into your life.

Carrier Air Conditioning Units

Carrier has been a leader in the home cooling industry for many years and 2010 is no different! Compared to the Trane Air Conditioning Units this season, we have a lot to look forward to from Carrier as well!

Carrier Comfort Series Air Conditioners

• One Step Up from Base Model
• 14-16 SEER Depending on Size and Components
• Top End Features and Options
• Chlorine Free R410A Refrigerant
• Higher Value at a Lower Price!

If you don't want the generic features of a base model carrier air conditioning unit, the Comfort series might be perfect for you! Often considered to the be the best value air conditioner from Carrier, the comfort systems offer features like the two-stage scroll compressors, not often found on anything other than the very top of the line systems!

Carrier Performance Air Conditioning Units

The Carrier Performance series air conditioners take the comfort systems one step farther and offer some of the advanced features of the highest quality air conditioners from Carrier, while keeping the cost in the middle of the road!

The Carrier Performance Air Conditioners are best related to mid grade gas at the pump... and offer better performance than the cheap stuff, but not quite as good as the best!

• Middle of the Road Air Conditioner
• 14-17 SEER Depending on Size and Components
• Standard and Advanced Features
• Chlorine Free R410A
• Could be phased out and nobody would miss it!

Carrier Infinity Air Conditioners

The best of the best Carrier Air Conditioner on the market is the Carrier Infinity Air Conditioner. Not the 2-stage reciprocating compressor models, but if you go with an Infinity system, go all the way and get the two-stage scroll compressor.

• Best of the Best Air Conditioner from Carrier
• 15-21 SEER Depending on Size and Components
• R410A Chlorine Free Refrigerant
• 2-Stage Compressors
• Highest SEER Ratings when Matched to the Right Fan Units
• Communicating abilities for Highest Matched system Comfort

Opinion on Carrier Air Conditioners for 2010

Here it is in a nutshell...

• If you want basic cooling, go with the basic system! The Carrier Comfort series air conditioners have almost all the features of the middle of the road unit, and you can save money by skipping the frill of the performance series.
• If you want the highest in comfort, go with the high end Carrier Infinity system for your home.
• Skip right past the Performance systems... the added performance is not enough to compensate for the added cost!

Read more at the Carrier Air Conditioner Comparison page, or have a qualified local contractor explain it better!

With a tight economy and Central Air Conditioner Systems breaking down, many folks are going to need to find a way to pay for a new air conditioning system this summer! If you think its still within the age to be repaired, check out the air conditioner repair cost guide.

In order to make sure you can afford the price of a new central air conditioner or cooling system, take notice of the following!

First - Get ONLY What You Need!

No matter who comes into your home and gives you an estimate, they are also going to include something that benefits them! Whether that's an extended warranty, a maintenance plan, or some added component you may not need right now, make sure its pared down to the basics!

• Extra Warranties can be added before the end of the first year at no extra cost (in most cases)
• Service contracts can be added next year
• If your furnace or air handler is fine, leave it for now! While it may cost a bit extra to replace later, that will be much easier to swallow if you have the extra money!
• Ask the Contractor: Do I HAVE to Have this NOW?

Second - Get Multiple Price Estimates

Don't assume that just because the heating and air guy is a friend of a friend, that he's giving you the best price. HVAC Contractors are in business to make money just like you work to make money.

• Always get at least 3 estimates!
• Always make sure the estimates are for similar equipment!
• Always check the Better Business Bureau in your area for past issues!
• Use Angies List to see what others have said!
• Get your Estimates from QualitySmith, who only use screened professionals!

Third - Ask for The Lowest Price

Listen, you will never get the best price air conditoner unless you ASK for it! As I previously mentioned, HVAC contractors are in business to make money and keep their business afloat. They usually work from a fixed price book (flat-rates) and have enough room in the price to bargain with buyers in order to close the sale!

Ask them:

• Is this the Lowest Possible Price?
• Can you do any better if I BUY NOW?
• If there is a Cash Discount (Credit card companies charge 2-4% to process the card - ask for 3% off if you pay cash! Many companies bury cash... so they will JUMP on it)
• Will you Match the Price of XYZ Company?

Fourth - Ask if There are Additional Rebates or Discounts

Now is a GREAT time to be a buyer! There are several Air Conditioner Tax Credits, and even more local hvac tax incentives from your electric company to buy an energy efficient cooling system! In addition to tax credits and rebates, many of the hvac manufacturers are offering rebates to get people to buy now!

• Ask if the Unit Qualifies for Tax Credits
• Ask if your local utility companies are offering rebates or incentives
• Ask if the manufacturer offers rebates
• Ask if the company you are buying from offers any additional coupons or discounts.

Fifth and Finally - Get Cheap!

None of like to admit we are broke and simply can't afford to pay for something. Don't be afraid to ask the salesman if they have any of last years equipment still in stock, or maybe they have a used system lying around just for times like this.

Most contractors keep some old stock around just for this purpose, and although you may have to sacrifice quality and efficiency just to be sure you have a working system installed, you gotta do what you gotta do!

You can also offer to work off some of the cost in barter, if you think you have something that may be useful to the company! Get creative... it may just work!

• Ask for old model year equipment
• Ask for used equipment
• Cry Poor... don't laugh, it works!
• Barter your Skills in exchange for some of the cost!
• Volunteer to distribute flyers to ALL your neighbors during the installation and drum up business for the company!
• Promise to refer them to everyone you know!
• Create a Facebook fan page for them in your local city!

What Would You Add?

Hey, everyone can think of something else to add to this list... what would YOU add? Share, cmon?! Help others save money on a new air conditioner.

In the Federal Energy Tax Credit guide we started last week, we focused most of our attention on the overall tax credit program as a whole. In this article, we wanted to look very specifically at the Air Conditioner Tax Credits for consumers in 2010.

Tax Credit for New Air Conditioners

Amount: Up to $1,500

Summary: Buyers of high efficiency air conditioners can take energy tax credits of up to 30% of the installed cost on qualifying equipment. The air conditioner tax credits are available for systems that are installed between Jan 1, 2009, through Dec 31, 2010. There is a $1,500 cap on the total tax credit, including air conditioning, per home.

Qualify for Air Conditioner Tax Credits

One of the first things you need to know about the air conditioner tax credits, is that your new system must have a minimum high efficiency in order to qualify. For Central Air Conditioners:

• Must be Installed between 01/01/2009 to 12/31/2010
• Must be installed in your Primary (Principal) Residence
• Central Air Conditioning must have a minimum of 16 SEER, 13 EER
• Package Unit Air Conditioners must be 1`4 SEER, 12 EER
• Manufacturer or Installing Contractor MUST provide a Certification Statement for tax records.

This guide is provided to help you get the most from your energy star related home improvements in 2010

To Claim the Air Conditioner Tax Credit

After you have researched and decided to install a new central ac system that qualifies for the central air conditioner tax credit, the next step is going to be applying for the tax credit on your annual income taxes. You need:

• Receipt of your air conditioner installation (Save for records)
• Manufacturer Certification Statement (Save for records)
• IRS Form 5695
• On line 52 of your 1040 form, check the Federal Energy Tax Credit box.

Summer is right around the bend and some of our most popular posts at this time every year at WebHVAC, are about cleaning air conditioner drain lines! If you have a clogged air conditioner drain... the next thing you have is a serious wet headache with the air conditioner leaking water in house!

15 Minutes Today Can Save You Thousands of Dollars Tomorrow!

The simple solutions on the pages below will help you clean the AC drain line, and keep it clean all season long, so the central air conditioning system does not leak condensate water into your home!

Air Conditioner Leaking Water In House

If your air conditioner is leaking RIGHT NOW - follow these steps before reading any further!

1. Shut Off the Air Conditioner & Stop the Flow! (Turn OFF at thermostat or circuit breaker)
2. Get a Bucket, a Small Cup, and Several Towels or a Large Sponge
3. Get ALL Water Out of Drain Pan!

Go into the attic or wherever your air conditioner is leaking water into house from, and clean the drain pan first! In almost every situation, you will find a 2-inch deep pan, likely full of water.

After you have the RESULT of a clogged AC Drain line fixed, you can clear the line and make sure it does not happen again!

(Image from http://www.inspectapedia.com/)

Air Conditioner Drain Cleaning Articles

Along with several great articles on the WebHVAC site, I also wanted to highlight some of the great resources found around the web for cleaning your ac drain line.

5 Tips for Cleaning your AC Drain Line

A popular article from 2009, the 5 tips for cleaning your air conditioner condensate line, covers basic tips like keeping your filter clean, to more hands on maintenance tips, like flushing the drain line twice each year.

One of the easiest tips, is to make sure your drain system flows AWAY from the AC unit. Putting a box in the attic that inadvertently rests on the drain line could change everything!

Clean AC Drain Before It Leaks

Another one of our more popular articles from 2009 goes over the two main methods of draining the air conditioner. Gravity condensate drains and using a condensate pump drain system.

Along with the general overview, it also provides tips on keeping your system clean!

Unclog Air Conditioner Drain the Easy Way

This article is an overview of a new product on the market, the Mighty Pump. You can learn all about the product and watch a short video of the Mighty Pump in action!

While the Mighty Pump is not an immediate solution (it has to be in your hands right now to help with an immediate clog) to your clogged AC drain line, it is an invaluable tool to have on hand if it ever happens again, or you just want to maintain the drain line yourself.

Great Articles from Around the Web

How to Unclog the AC Drain - Frugal Dad - Frugal Dad walks through his plugged ac drain experience with pictures to boot! From using his shop vac to clean the lines and even the nasty much that came out. A great read!

How to Clean and Maintain the AC Drain from InspectAPedia is another great read for anyone who wants to learn more on the technical side of how your ac drain works, or is supposed to work.

Danny Lipford gets into an AC Drain Clean out article! In this one, you can even watch a short video of the procedure, to help you get yours cleaned out right the first time!

Summer is here and it may be time to replace the central air conditioner in your home. Even if it's not time to replace yet but you know it's coming soon, having an idea of central air conditioner prices is a must! In this article, we cannot give exact prices of central ac due to all the differences in each persons home, but we can share what you can expect from the different brands and sizes. If you aren't quite ready to replace, you may want to check the air conditioner repair guide as well.

Central Air Conditioner Prices 2010

If you prefer to skip through the article and get straight to prices for your home, you can get 3 free quotes by following the link below.

There are four main factors that go into a contractor presenting you with a central ac price. The main factors are:

1. Size of the Central Air Conditioner
2. The Brand you Choose to Install
3. The Efficiency of the New System
4. The Installation Cost of the Central Air Conditioner

Central Air Conditioner Size

The SIZE of your homes AC system is going to be one of the first levers in the overall price of your new central air conditioner system!

While I realize this may sound obvious:

The Bigger the Air Conditioner > The Higher the Cost!

For example, wholesale costs may be in the following ranges:

• 1-Ton Central AC: $450-$1,000
• 2-Ton: $500-$1,100
• 3-Ton Central Air Conditioners: $500-$1,400
• 4-Ton AC Units: $650-$1,800
• 5-Ton Air Conditioners: $750-$2,200

Central Air Conditioner Brand Variables

The brand you decide to go with is also going to have quite an impact on the central air conditioner price you pay, and while some higher cost brands have higher quality parts, others are just higher priced!

On the higher end of the brand scale, you are going to find brands like Carrier, Trane, American Standard, Lennox, Amana, etc. You will immediately recognize that these brands are all over your TV set with commercials, all over billboards, and also tend to have the best HVAC contractors in town selling their brand. That added exposure and quality costs a bit more money.

On the lower end of the scale, you have brands like Bryant, Goodman, Rheem, Comfort Maker, etc.  Before we get into the quality of the parts inside these lower priced units, I want to reiterate one thing... most of these brands are identical to their higher end counterpart!

• Bryant <is> Carrier
• Goodman <is> Amana
• American Standard <is> Trane
• etc.

If you have your heart set on a Carrier Infinity System, make sure you also get a price on a Bryant Evolution system, they are the same!

Central AC Efficiency Cost

Aside from the size of your system, the efficiency of the unit is going to have the second biggest effect on the central air conditioner price you pay! Higher Efficiency = Higher Up Front Cost!

The higher unit SEER you want, the more you will save on energy usage, but you will also pay a premium at the point of purchase! Another benefit of choosing a higher SEER unit is that you might qualify for the Federal Energy Tax Credit of up to $1500 for efficiency improvements.

• SEER & EER - Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio)

Since we we know that a higher seer rating saves money on utilities, it only makes sense to get the highest you can afford at the time of installation.

It's also worth mentioning that going from 15 to 21 SEER is not as simple as installing a different condenser outside. Regardless of brand, the higher efficiency depends on a combination of the three main components, AC Condenser, Evaporator Coil and Air handler or Gas Furnace unit.

Speaking of installation...

HVAC Installation Variables

The one main area that no amount of estimating can cover without talking to you, is the installation! Anyone in the HVAC industry will tell you the same thing, The Installation Makes ALL the Difference!

You can take the highest quality Carrier Infinity System and completely botch it with a shoddy installation! Aside from the loss of efficiency on a poor installation, you may also void the warranty!

The Federal Energy Tax Credit for qualified heating and air conditioning systems, allows homeowners to claim tax credits equal to 30% of the installed costs (up to $1,500) of the higher efficiency HVAC equipment. The energy tax credits are retroactive back to Jan 1, 2009, but they do expire on Dec 31, 2010! The limit of $1,500 is for all hvac related improvements completed during the two year term, and not $1500 each year.

Furnace and Air Conditioner Tax Credit Notes

• Homeowners may use the entire $1,500 tax credit limit on a single qualifying improvement. The previous per-appliance caps that limited the homeowner to just $150 for a high efficiency furnace or $300 for a high efficiency central air conditioner or heat pump have been removed.
• Homeowners that previously claimed tax credits in 2006 or 2007 are eligible for the full $1,500 limit.
• The $2,000 Geothermal tax credit limit has been removed and the geothermal credit has a longer term, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2016.
• You can use the $1500 on just HVAC improvements or on a combination of several home efficiency improvements.

Geothermal Tax Credit

Geothermal heat pumps (aka Ground source) are very much like air source heat pumps, but use the heat from the ground instead of outside air to heat the space, cool the space with air conditioning and, in most cases deliver hot water. Because they use naturally created heat from within the earth, they are one of the highest efficient and most comfortable heating cooling technologies available.

• Geothermal Tax Credit:  30% of cost with no upper limit
• Tax Credit Expires:  December 31, 2016
• Geothermal Credit Details: Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rentals do not qualify.

Furnace Tax Credit

• To qualify for the furnace tax credit, 95% AFUE
• 80% AFUE Furnace with Advanced Air Circulating Fan may quality
• Boilers must meet 90% AFUE to qualify for the furnace tax credit

Air Conditioner Tax Credit

• Central Air Conditioner must meet a minimum of 16 SEER, 13 EER
• Heat Pump units are the same as Air Conditioner Tax Credit, but must also meet HSPF 9
• Read more at the air conditioner tax credits page

You can learn more about the Federal Energy Tax Credits at the energy star website.

There's nothing better than coming home after a long, hot day, and finding that the Air Conditioner is Freezing Up and hasn't been keeping the home cooled off as you expected! You can sense the sarcasm... right?

Truth is, that exact thing has just happened to many of you reading this page, and by now, you could care less about sarcasm, and simply want to know what you can do to fix the problem!

Why Does the AC Coil Freeze Up?

The simple answer is that the AC Coil was not able to evenly transfer the cold temps of the freon in the evaporator coil, to the warm air of your home... and simply froze. Most of the time, frozen ac coils are a result of an air flow issue, however there are other reasons as well.

You can diagnose a few small things, to see if its something you can correct yourself, or whether you need to call a local HVAC Contractor! Most (I have no scientific number, but would estimate 95% or higher) air conditioner freezing is caused by poor airflow, aka dirty filters!

What to Do When You Have a Frozen AC Coil

The first thing you want to do when you find your air conditioner freezing up, is determine what is working, and what's not!

• Is the Outside Condensing Unit Running? (It should be)
• Is the Indoor Fan Unit (Air handler or Gas Furnace) Blowing? (It should be also)

- If the fan is not blowing inside your air handler unit, you probably found the problem, well... sort of. You can inspect the wires and check your breaker to make sure the unit is powered on, but aside from a bit of basic troubleshooting, the rest is best left to a technician with the right tools! If you have those tools already, feel free to go here for further fan motor troubleshooting.

- If the air handler fan IS blowing, then you likely have an airflow issue or low refrigerant levels! One of these is an easy fix.. the other takes a technician, a jug of freon and a leak detector kit.

Start with what You Might be Able to Fix - Air Flow Issues!

• Check and replace the return air filters! These 1-inch throw away filters that are often overlooked, are the most common cause of the air conditioner freezing up!
• Check for a Secondary, or whole house filter, usually a 2-4 inch thick filter located right at the furnace or air handler! (Not everyone has one of these)
• Visually inspect the evaporator coil in the unit, it is plugged with dust or bypass build up on either side of the coil? (You may need to wait for it to thaw a bit)
• Next, take a quick look at the ductwork in your attic, basement, crawlspace, wherever it may be. Has it been crushed or pinched n a way that would prevent air from flowing freely? If so, correct it!

After you have checked for, and corrected any air flow restrictions you may have found. Power the unit on again and see if the airflow issue is corrected. If so, you are done!

What if it's Low on Freon?

If your airflow is fine and the fan motor is working properly, the next place to look, is the freon levels of the unit. Being just a 1-2 pounds low can have a negative effect on the system and contribute to the coil freezing.

This is also where it starts to become too much for a handyman to handle on their own, and its time to call in a pro! The next logical questions most homeowners have, is How Much Does Freon Cost, which can be found in the repair cost section of the 2010 Air Conditioner Repair Cost page.