Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeroβs radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
Q: My two-story, 1,300 square-foot townhome has air-conditioning problems and probably the whole system needs replacing.Β My current unit is about 20 years old and occasionally it makes screechy, metal-on-metal noises. Iβve never bought an air conditioner before, so what do I do? Should I buy a new unit or a used one? What should I watch out for?
A:Β Itβs unlikely that you will be able to find a good supply of decent used air conditioners on the market. Youβll probably have to install a new system. One thing to keep in mind is that many air conditioning contractors will try to sell you a larger size system. But bigger is not always better. You probably donβt want to go smaller than the system you now have, but todayβs air conditioners are much more efficient, and you wonβt have to install a larger unit.
An oversized AC stops and starts more often; that costs more kilowatt hours and could lead to mechanical breakdowns. Oversized air conditioners do not run long enough to dehumidify the air. A smaller unit will run longer and perform more efficiently.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
