You may already have some familiarity with ductless mini-split AC systems in Staten Island, NY. You can find them in businesses and in older apartment complexes. When you see what looks like a small-sized window AC up on the wall—and with no actual window behind it—that’s the air handler part of a ductless mini-split.
Instead of exhausting the heat from the room directly out the back of the unit the way a window AC does, the air handler of a ductless system connects through refrigerant and power lines to an outdoor condenser cabinet that looks the same as the condenser cabinet of a standard central air conditioner. This outdoor unit can connect to multiple indoor air handlers (from 4 to 8 depending on the capacity of the system) so cool air can be sent into rooms all around the house.
MERV may look like a misspelling of the name Marv, but these four letters are vital for understanding the air filters in HVAC systems designed to trap particles from circulating through a building. Not all filters are the same: the simple panel filter on your HVAC cabinet is designed to stop large contaminants like dust and lint from getting into the system, while the HEPA filters used in hospitals are powerful enough to stop the movement of bacteria and viruses. MERV is the rating that explains the filtration power of the filter. The higher the MERV rating, the tighter the filter weave. 
If you’re reading this, it’s because you already know that ice forming along the indoor evaporator coils of your air conditioning system is a bad thing. We’re glad to hear it. Too many homeowners make the mistake of thinking that ice appearing on the coils is just a normal part of how an air conditioner runs. It’s not. When you see ice or frost on the coils, it means something is wrong with the AC’s ability to draw heat from the air.
When an air conditioner is running, it makes a number of sounds as part of its basic operation: the hum of the motors running the blower fans, the low whirring of the compressor when it starts a cooling cycle, the whoosh of air moving through the ductwork—and the sound of water dripping from the inside unit.
This week is the official start of summer. That doesn’t mean it gets instantly hot, of course. Sometimes summer weather starts in early, and sometimes the “June Gloom” hangs around for a stretch. The weather here in Staten Island is already climbing up past warm and will soon reach hot—so we hope you’ve already had your annual air conditioning maintenance done. It’s the best way to have your AC “armored up” to make it through the gauntlet of summer heat.
There’s no such thing as a “non-vital” part of your central air conditioning system. All parts need to work well for the system to operate effectively and efficiently. But if any part were to be awarded the title “The Most Important AC Component,” it would be the compressor. It’s the literal heart of the air conditioner because it is what causes the refrigerant to circulate through the system. The compressor changes the refrigerant to a high-pressure hot gas that allows for the heat exchange process to start. Without a working compressor, an air conditioning system will function as nothing more than a large fan blowing around room temperature air.
Spring is the best time to schedule annual 
There are many ways you can improve your home’s indoor air quality and its ventilation. One of the most useful is the installation of an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or heat recovery ventilator (HRV), devices which allow fresh air into your house without it drastically changing the indoor temperatures and placing more stress on the AC or heater.
We haven’t yet reached the point where the warm weather will have settled in and our air conditioners will take over as the main comfort systems in our homes. But it’s still a good idea to start planning for that day. The first order of business is to arrange for air conditioning maintenance from a professional 
