Sometimes an air conditioning system can seem like a magical device. For centuries, people knew how to create heat when they needed it, but they didn’t have methods that could cool the air aside from using water or opening up windows and doors. Then came the electro-mechanical air conditioner at the start of the twentieth century, and we had devices that could send cool air into a room—air cooler than that outside!—with just a few adjustments.
Of course there’s no “magic” to ACs aside from technology. And air conditioners do have limits. You can’t make your air conditioning system turn your house into a freezer, for example (not that you’d want to). A standard residential thermostat has the lowest setting of 60°F. So what are the limits of your home’s AC, and how can you best use this information?
What’s the best thing you can do for your 
Fall is almost here—it may already be here by the time you read this—and people will start looking forward to their end of the year plans. But this is also a time to reflect on the summer, and in our case, that means reflecting on 
At the end of the summer is when you’re most likely to notice your air conditioning system is wasting money. The bills for the summer have accumulated, and you may see a difference in how much you’re paying—an unpleasant difference.
A heatwave may sound cool in song titles, but it’s the exact opposite of cool when it strikes where you live. When the heat arrives, you’re going to rely on your air conditioning a great deal, and the last thing you want is to call for 
The line set is an essential part of any split system air conditioner. A split system AC is probably the type you have: it’s the standard air conditioner set-up of an outdoor condenser cabinet where heat is released and an indoor unit and blower to remove heat from the air and then send it into the ductwork. The line set is the vital part the connects the indoor and outdoor components. It’s a double set of copper refrigerant lines that carry the circulating refrigerant to and from the units. The line set is sometimes exposed and sometimes hidden in the ground.
When your air conditioning system won’t turn on, you know it means trouble. After all, you’ll feel the effects right away and want something done about it. But what about the reverse problem, an air conditioning system that won’t stop running? You may enjoy the cool house for a bit, but when the AC won’t power down, you’ll not only have a house that’s too cold, you’ll also waste enormous amounts of money and have an air conditioner that’s wearing down so fast that it will need replacement years too early.
When you read our posts about regular air conditioning system maintenance, you’ll notice we often mention spring as the best time to have it done. Which it is. Spring maintenance preps the air conditioner right before the time when it does the most work, and it also lets you schedule a convenient time for the service when you won’t have to rely on the cooling system.
The compressor is the most critical part of your central air conditioning system. All parts of an AC are important for it to operate, but the reason we say the compressor is the most critical is because when it fails, not only does the AC lose its ability to cool, it also usually means the air conditioner must be replaced with a new condenser and indoor evaporator coil.
