Celebrate Air Conditioning Appreciation Week with this gallery  from Magnum Photos. Ever wonder about the water that drips down from air conditioners as an unwelcome sidewalk surprise when you’re walking to work? In 2011, Forrest Wickman looked into the reason why ACs are so leaky, and if there’s anything unsanitary about the water that’s dripping down on you. The original article is reprinted below. Walk down any city sidewalk on a hot summer day, and you're bound to get wet—and not just when it's raining. Water drips from window AC units, especially on muggy days, and this unpleasant drizzle can fall into your hair or even onto the lip of your morning coffee cup. Is all that dripping water sanitary? Yes, as a general rule. Most of the dripping from air conditioners is just condensed water vapor that comes from the air inside the building. Window air conditioners are designed to drain this water from the back, raining it down on any unsuspecting pedestrians below.

In most ways this water is exactly like rain (which also forms from condensed water vapor) or the moisture that collects on a cool can of soda, and it's typically no more harmful. However, in rare cases small amounts of water can be left to stagnate inside the air conditioner, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. On a hot and humid day, a window unit can drip up to 2 gallons of water, which accumulates on its evaporator coil as it cools and dehumidifies the air. auto repair hillsborough ave tampa(Very little condensation gathers on the exterior side of an AC, which tends to be warmer than the air around it.) musty smell in ac in carThis coil, like many plumbing pipes used for drinking water, is made of copper (which is also what makes air conditioners so heavy), and it's much cleaner than you might expect from looking at a dusty AC filter. ac control unit mercury grand marquis

While copper can be unhealthy in high doses, the condensate from air conditioners seems to be low in minerals and dissolved solids. In a properly functioning air conditioner, the water drips down from the coil into a condensate pan and then exits the unit through a drain or tube. However, a clog in this drain or tube can leave a puddle to accumulate inside, which is an ideal environment for many types of harmful bacteria. In particular, a 1976 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease was caused by bacteria that spread out of the air conditioning system at Philadelphia's Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. (That's how the disease got its name: Many of the victims were attending an American Legion convention.) While Legionella is known to thrive in the cooling towers of large air conditioning systems like the one at that Philadelphia hotel, it does not seem to grow in smaller units. Furthermore, dripping water isn't really stagnant, so it's extremely unlikely that the water raining down on pedestrians would be infected.

The water that drips from air conditioners is probably even safe for drinking. (It's certainly more potable than the drinking water in many countries.) Still, for the reasons mentioned above, it's best not to tilt your head back for a draft. If you're looking for a better use for your air conditioner's condensate, the Explainer recommends using it to water your plants. Got a question about today's news? Explainer thanks Douglas T. Reindl of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Mark Sobsey of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Picture Of The Day A Moment In CG Last night, I kept on hearing a faint vibrating noise and checked the phone in my purse several times because I thought it was on vibrate and someone was trying to call. No one was, but I kept on hearing the noise intermittently for a few hours. After a while, it stopped and I forgot about it, until I read the following email from reader Siobhan White: Is anyone else complaining of hearing a weird humming sound?

It's a constant sound, that swells for about 4 seconds, then fades slightly for 6 seconds or so, then swells again. It is consistent, and I've noticed it for the past 4 days or so. I kept hearing it in my apartment, and it was louder in my bedroom. I thought perhaps my upstairs neighbor had a cell phone on the floor and I could hear it vibrating -- it sounds like a cell phone vibrating in another room. I've awakened several times the last few nights and heard it (and fixated on it and couldn't fall back to sleep). Was just out walking my dog and realized the sound was OUTSIDE (and much louder).(And I know it's not in my head -- really!) My husband thought it might be coming from the East River (dredging?) and another friend thought it could be the construction on First and Bond. (We live on Union/Henry, so that seems too far away.)I posted on FB and several friends hear it, too. Some live as far down as PS 29! It's happening right now. I immediately wrote her back to say that I was glad that I hadn't lost my mind and that someone else was hearing the strange noise as well.

As a matter of fact, I noticed the same humming and vibration this morning at 7 Am. She tells me that her husband called 311 last night and was told that they had gotten no complaints. Is anyone else hearing it too? What could it be?What you will learn from Troubleshooting Broken Thermostats article:One of the most common trouble calls for HVACBasic checks of the thermostat to see if it is broken or?The basics of the thermostatLearn what a heating anticipator is and what type of thermostat uses them.Lots of related useful links to help you learn your HVAC system Troubleshooting Broken Thermostats - The main connection between the air conditioning and heating system and the end user is the thermostat. Beyond the air conditioning and heating thermostat many people know nothing about their systems that keep them comfortable year round. There comes a time when the thermostat has a problem or the end user wants to replace the thermostat because they think it is a broken thermostat.

It is not uncommon for a person to call an HVAC contractor and tell the secretary that they think the thermostat is broken because their air conditioner or heating system does not work.In some instances this is the case while in others the thermostat is not broken but something is wrong with the air conditioning and heating equipment that needs to be repaired. In either case, it is usually best to call an HVAC professional to look at the problem especially if you want to replace the thermostat. There are a few things you can check with your thermostat before you call an HVAC professional. A little thermostat troubleshooting is in order.Related Link: How to Hook up a New Thermostat - A Closer LookTroubleshooting Broken ThermostatsWhat To CheckAn air conditioning and heating thermostat, even if it is a digital thermostat, is simply a temperature switch that turns the air conditioning and heating system on and off. As with any switch, it needs electricity to function or cause a function with the air conditioning and heating equipment.

Most residential and light commercial thermostats are powered by 24 volts A.C. The thermostat gets this 24 volts A.C. from the air conditioning and heating equipment. Usually, this power comes from an air handler in an air conditioning and heating split system and from the main unit for air conditioning and heating package systems. Check the circuit breaker for the air handler to make sure it is not tripped. Also, check the power switch which should be located near the air handling unit. It is not uncommon for people to mistake these switches for a light switch and turn them off. They unknowingly just turned the power off for their air conditioning and heating equipment including their thermostat. That is when they begin to think they have a broken thermostat. If you have a digital thermostat the power display and the thermostat power display light may not function if you have this problem. Some air conditioning and heating thermostats use batteries to power the backlight which takes us to number two in air conditioning and heating thermostat troubleshooting.

Check the power switch and breaker to ensure the power is on before assuming you have a broken thermostatThe back display light for the digital thermostat does not function but the air conditioning and heating system works fine. Check the batteries as some digital thermostats require AA or AAA batteries for the backlight to function on the thermostat.There are two main types of digital thermostats; Digital thermostats that use batteries for the backlight to function and digital thermostats that use the power from the air conditioning and heating equipment. If you don’t know which kind of air conditioning and heating thermostat you have then open the thermostat up and look inside. If you don’t see any batteries or a battery compartment inside the thermostat then your thermostat uses power stealing technology. It is probably an older model digital thermostat and if it is a programmable thermostat then every time you lose power you will lose the program inside which takes us to the next step in air conditioning and heating thermostat troubleshooting.

The programmable thermostat is always losing its program. This is most likely one of the older thermostats that use the power from the air conditioning and heating equipment and every time you lose power you lose the program inside the thermostat. Programming an air conditioning and heating programmable thermostat can be a chore for many people to figure out so a problem like this can be frustrating especially if you live in an area where there are constant power failures. The only solution to this problem is to replace the programmable thermostat with one that uses power stealing technology (it uses power from your air conditioning and heating system to hold the programs) and has a battery back-up just in case you lose power. This can save you lots of trouble and frustration in the long run keeping you from reprogramming the thermostat over and over again when power failures occur.Related Link: How a Programmable Thermostat Works - A Closer Look If the problem is persistent with the thermostat it is important to get back to thermostat basics.

Fix& Broken Thermostats - The BasicsIs the thermostat installed in the proper location? This is very important as a thermostat installed on a wall that has high heat gain or heat loss will never offer you comfort as it will react mostly to the temperature of the wall and not the air in the living space. Additionally, thermostats installed where direct sunlight can hit the thermostat is going to be a problem also. A thermostat located near an outside door or window will be affected every time the door or window is opened or closed. A thermostat should be located close to the return (where the filter is installed) so that it sense and reacts to the air returning to the air handler for conditioning. Additionally, thermostats located near heat sources like hot or cold water pipes, radiant heaters, fireplaces, electrical devices which produce heat, etc… will never offer accurate temperatures and conditioning for the room(s).Is there a big hole behind the thermostat that will feed cool or warm drafts to the back of the thermostat?

All thermostats have a hole behind them where the wires come into the thermostat from the air handling unit. Check this and if you find a big hole behind the thermostat stuff some insulation in this hole and cover it with a piece of tape. This will prevent drafts from affecting the thermostat.Has the heating anticipator been properly set by a qualified air conditioning and heating technician? The heat anticipator is on mechanical non-digital thermostats and needs to be set according to the amp draw on the heating control circuit. The heat anticipator offers a small amount of energy savings and prevents thermostat overshooting for you as it shuts off the main burners because the fan will continue to run and dissipate the heat which remains in the furnace or heat. Digital and programmable thermostats have built in heating and cooling anticipators which automatically set themselves with no manual adjustments. The mechanical thermostat needs a manual adjustment and you need a tool called an amp meter to determine the proper setting.