The cooling safety zone for food is at least 40°F.
- Meat and poultry become unsafe after 1–2 hours
- Fish and seafood become unsafe after 1 hour
- Eggs and egg dishes become unsafe after 1 hour
- Dairy products become unsafe after 2 hours
- At room temperatures of 90°F or higher, bacteria spreads rapidly in less than one hour
AC cooling systems do not actually cool air; they remove heat. This is critical knowledge for proper servicing and new installations. Many new systems are undersized in return air, which significantly reduces system capacity and efficiency.
The most commonly failed component in an AC system is the dual (run) capacitor.
Clogged air filters or dirty compressor coils can significantly reduce cooling efficiency and may lead to serious compressor damage.
Refrigerant gauges should never be connected unless absolutely necessary. Each connection can result in a loss of 2–4 oz of refrigerant, and contaminated gauges can contaminate the entire system.