Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with conditioner

HairFilter

pseudostrabismus — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:33:46 -0800

What's the best drugstore conditioner to smooth and detangle very dry, curly, tangled hair? My hair is long, fine, and dry, and it tangles like crazy. Because it's curly, I can only comb it in the shower while it's wet and saturated with tons of conditioner, so I need a thick, slippery conditioner that detangles really well. It should cost under $7/bottle, since I use so much. And it's ok if it's very heavy or weighs down the hair, as my hair isn't prone to greasiness. The product's "slippiness" and detangling ability are my main concerns.

Any suggestions?
Are there any ingredients I should keep an eye out for?
Thanks!

Is it hot in here?

Crotalus — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:47:20 -0800

Its June in Florida, and my A/C is borked. We returned home from a long vacation to find that our central A/C is toast. At age 21, it was already on its last leg. We need to buy a new one right away, because its summer in Florida. I know nothing about air conditioners. Any advice on how to buy a central A/C will be greatly appreciated. Tips on how to pick a contractor, brands that have served you well, how to choose a service plan, etc. etc. Your collective wisdom is much appreciated.

What are average costs to replace an air conditioner coil and condenser in the US?

Houstonian — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:47:53 -0800

What are average costs to replace an air conditioner coil and condenser in the US? And, should I stay with R22, or change to R410A? My air conditioner is leaking coolant in the coil (which is in the attic). An HVAC person came by today to add coolant, and he advised I replace the coil since there is a leak.

He also recommends that I consider replacing the condenser. Currently, my air conditioner uses R22 coolant, and he recommends I stay with that. I understand the environmental concerns about R22, and why environmentally I should change to R410A.

Are there any good reasons to stay with R22?

To replace a Goodman coil (parts and labor), is $1300 - $1500 a fair price?

To replace a condenser that uses R22, for a 2-ton air conditioner, (parts and labor) is $2100 a fair price?

If I replace the condenser with one that uses R410A, what is a fair price for parts and labor?

Any information is helpful, since I know nothing about HVAC. I thought I could find this information myself, by calling around for quotes, but I'm not having much luck (they all want to come to the house, and I just want a general price range).

Recommend hypoallergenic shampoos and conditioners

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:20:09 -0800

Please recommend hypoallergenic and non-irritating shampoos and conditioners. I am having some dermatitis on my eyelids and eye area. I moved to the U.S., and a couple of weeks later I started experiencing the symptoms, so there are a number of changes in my life that might have caused it. I had new shampoo, conditioner, facial cleanser, laundry detergent, changes in diet, and obviously changes in residence.

I switched to Cetaphil and began applying hydrocortisone, which only addressed the symptoms during use. This isn't great since it's not something you want to use on sensitive skin long-term. I saw a dermatologist who prescribed topical tacrolimus to address the symptoms. I have another appointment in a month. I don't know what is causing the dermatitis, but I am running out of conditioner so I might as well try something new.

I am currently under the care of a dermatologist and will ask her at our next appointment whether we can figure out the cause more systematically, or if she has specific recommendations for products. Until then I wanted to see if there were recommendations from MeFites. It would be best if these recommendations were backed by evidence-based medicine, but anecdotes will work too.

I have access to a university medical library so if you have suggestions of stuff to read, I will look it up.

Anonymous because I don't want everyone to know about my medical issues. If you have other thoughts you can contact me at cleverpseudonym106k@gmail.com.

my home, the oven

thinkingwoman — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:38:47 -0800

which uses less energy: (a) running one window air conditioner at higher power, or (b) running two window units at lower power? my apartment gets insanely hot due to the vacant apartment below, which obviously doesn't get air conditioned. the other day i got home and my apartment was 95 degrees and it took a good 2-3 hours to cool down to a comfortable temperature. (the downstairs apartment seems to collect heat--my floor is always really warm and the underside of a throw rug was actually hot.)

folks are moving in downstairs in about 4 weeks, but in the meantime i'm guessing i need to leave an air conditioner on while i'm away at work, just to keep the climate reasonable enough to make the apartment habitable when i get home at night. so what's the most energy-efficient way to do that? run one window unit and use fans to circulate the air, or run both at lower power?

How can we use our ACs most efficiently?

LolaGeek — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:28:19 -0800

We have two (okay, four) window air conditioners. How can we best use them to cool our house? We live in a two-story, 1400 square foot house. It was built in 1895, and obviously they didn't have central air back then, so we use window air conditioner units. We have four of them, but two are kind of old/junky/possibly broken, so we're really only using two.

We've already taken other steps to keep the house cool such as adding extra insulation and vents in the attic, keeping the windows covered during the day, using ceiling fans, and running appliances like the washer/dryer and dishwasher early in the morning or at night.

The first couple years we lived here, we set up one AC upstairs and one downstairs (at opposite ends of the house), and only turned them on when we were in the room. Those were terrible summers.

Last year and this year, we've been setting up both ACs upstairs (at opposite ends of the house), and leaving them on at a low setting all the time. The cool air sinks to the downstairs, and its generally tolerable in the house, as long as you're not doing anything too active (like, say, vacuuming).

Are we using our ACs as efficiently as possible? Is there a different arrangement that could keep our house cooler and/or use less energy?

(For reference, here is a general floorplan - the ACs are currently in the front and back bedrooms upstairs.)

PS: We have three cats, so they need to be comfy all day, too.

Help my poor cholrine-damaged hair!

loudguitars — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:39:52 -0800

Is there any shampoo + conditioner product that will help my hair not be so crappy after swimming? I've been swimming a mile 3-4 days a week, and while I love what it does for my fitness and weight loss, I hate what it does to my hair. I also despise wearing a swimming cap, so I'm looking for some product advice. I've got medium length hair that varies between chin and shoulder length that was doing just fine with regular Pert Plus before I started swimming.

I've been toying around with various hair care products, and I'm wondering if there's any shampoo + conditioner combo that's strong enough to get everything at once (Pert Plus for dry and damaged hair definitely does not cut the mustard).

Alternatively, is there any specific kind of shampoo then conditioner pair that my fellow swimmers can recommend?

just like a pbr: cool and cheap

thinkingwoman — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:26:13 -0800

a couple of air conditioner energy-efficiency questions. i have a couple of fairly new window units in my apartment. both have a "fan only" function that (duh) runs the fans without using the compressor.

1. i assume the "fan only" function draws less power than running the compressor, right? anyone know by how much?

2. does my a/c's fan draw more power than a regular ol' box fan? if so, how much more?

Window or portable AC in a glass door?

bsdfish — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:17:12 -0800

How can I install a window air conditioner in a patio door? Are there special things I can buy to seal the top portion, or will I need to assemble something on my own? It's getting warm, and I am getting ideas about buying a window air conditioning unit. I have two large glass doors, and I am thinking of trying to install the unit in the door. That would entail leaving it partially open, with the air conditioner in the bottom, and something filling the gap on the top.

What that 'something' should be remains a mystery. Does anyone have advice on how to install a window-mount air conditioner in a patio door? Alternatively, I could get a portable air conditioner, but would need to pass the exhaust vent through the patio door just the same. My apartment is a rental, so neither punching holes in walls, nor expensive cooling arrangements are really an option. I would prefer to buy a $100-200 window unit; splurging for a $300-400 portable one would already be pushing what I'm willing to spend.

So many shampoos, so much confusion

stedman15 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:40:07 -0800

I need to know the truth: How often should I be using shampoo and conditioner, and what sorts of shampoo and conditioner? Over the past few years, my hair has started thinning. I'm not bald, but I no longer the possess the luxuriant mane I had in college.

I get my hair cut at a hairstyling academy, and have been asking the stylists how I should shampoo. Their advice is making my head spin. Some told me to use organic shampoo, others told me to use shampoo without sulfates. Some told me I need to condition my hair often, others have said once a week is enough. I've been told to use volumizing conditioner by some to make my hair fuller, others say it doesn't matter.

So I ask MeFi: How should I be washing my hair, with what, and how often? If you can also let me know specific brands to use, it would be much appreciated.

I saw this earlier thread, but it doesn't seem to answer my questions.

My tresses cause me stresses!

odi.et.amo — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:11:03 -0800

How can I determine which hair product ingredients I am sensitive/allergic to? I am "allergic" to a LOT of hair care products. It manifests in the form of a very strong itch, most on the sides of my head above my ears, or on the back of my head.

There appears to be no rhyme or reason to the list of products that are "safe" or "unsafe" for me to use. Can you help me, HiveMind?

Unsafe (includes shampoo and conditioner combos):
Most Redken products - I used their shampoo for about 10 years and when I finally realized in high school that the shampoo may have been causing the itch, it was like getting a new scalp.
Tresseme
*Aveda Shampure
*Body Shop Honey moisturizing
*Burt's Bees Raspberry and Brazil Nut
Trader Joe's Refresh(?) (in the purple bottles)
Neutrogena Clarifying (in the past, this has not bothered, but I used it this morning and am a slightly itchy already)
*Kenra Color Care
Paul Mitchell baby shampoo/The Conditioner
Infusium Moisturologie

(almost definitely) Safe:
*Trader Joe's Nourish (white bottles)
Dove (dry/damaged and slightly dry versions)
..... Short list! I'd love to have a few more go-to products, but I don't know where to begin.

Other information: I shampoo/condition every day, don't color my hair, or use very many styling products. The styling products that I can use (again, mostly allergic) are Dove products and Aveda products, specifically Hang Straight, Smoothing fluid, and Defining Whip.

* = sulfate free

Who will refill my cosmetics bottles?

penguin pie — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:09:49 -0800

Is there anywhere in the UK that will refill empty cosmetics bottles? You used to be able to take empty bottles back to The Body Shop to be refilled from jumbo tubs behind the counter, but since they stopped I've never found anywhere else that does it. I know you can get plastic bottles recycled, but the recycling process itself uses up energy, and it just seems so stupid to stick a perfectly good empty bottle that I've only had for a couple of weeks in the recycling bin then go buy another identical one full of product. I'm particularly looking for shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, but also interested in anything else.

My Mazda won't chill out

punkfloyd — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:48:32 -0800

Need help troubleshooting automotive A/C issue. A/C system blows very cold until the outside temperature reaches about 95 degrees, at which point it blows air that is only about 60% as cool; using a digital thermometer to measure. (Noticeable in Texas heat!). The air speed stays the same but it just isn’t as cool and it feels like "outside air even if system is on recirculate. It also takes about 5 minutes for air to start blowing cold if the car has been parked out in the sun. The Mazda dealer said this is normal and that the system if fine.

Any ideas? Low or bad freon? Compressor? A loose belt? Is something plugged up? Should I take to an independent shop and have them evacuate/recharge the system?

Conditioning Shampoo

simplesharps — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:53:16 -0800

Why doesn't conditioner lather like shampoo? I love shampoo that gives a thick lather with minimal effort and always get disappointed when I can't achieve the same result with a conditioner. Am I missing something fundamental about it's properties that applies to all of these types of products i.e. moisturisers?

Are there any hair conditioners avaliable in Australia that foam like a shampoo but leave your hair feeling soft?

What's wrong with my car's A/C?

foxinthesnow — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:33:09 -0800

I have a 2003 Jetta with around 75,000 miles. It is hot here, and I have been running the air conditioning nearly every day for the past month or two, and I have noticed some strange occurrences. First, if I am parked with the A/C running, even for a short amount of time, the car seems to vibrate rather forcefully. In addition, when I pull away from the parking spot, there is always a fairly large pool of water where my car was. Also, when I am driving fast, say 60-75 mph, and I change the speed of the A/C from high to low, there is a noticeable jerk in my acceleration. It is most unusual... So, worried about the A/C, I decided to take a gander at the owner's manual. The section about the A/C also mentions the "air recirculation" button. The manual says not to use this button when the A/C is running. But I, reckless as I am, decided to see what would happened if I pressed it. Lo and behold, when the recirculation button is depressed, all of my A/C woes go away! The car doesn't vibrate, it only leaves what I would consider to be a normal-sized pool of water, and the acceleration is no longer affected by my changing A/C speed. On top of all this, the A/C is colder and more powerful than I have experienced before! Everything about this air recirculation button seems so right! Why would the VW manual instruct me to let it be? Am I doing damage to my car? Also, do the symptoms I have described above sound serious? What could be happening?

Help me look even more like Little Orphan Annie

hamster — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:51:33 -0800

I'd like to find a reasonably-priced shampoo and conditioner for curly, color-treated hair. I pay a bit to have my reddish hair punched up a few levels, and I'd like to find a shampoo/conditioner that really works against fading reds. I also style my wavy hair curly half the time, and have been told that a curling shampoo will save me time in the styling process. Trouble, is I can't seem to find both in one bottle. A coworker has her cosmetology license and can take me to stylist's stores, but I'd like to know what to look for. Right now I'm using Boots shampoo/conditioner and like the $12-or-so range. Thanks in advance!

I think my air conditioner is dying. Help me not get Rheem'd.

LuckySeven~ — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:22:36 -0800

Last spring my husband and I noticed that a small puddle of water would form on the garage floor every time we used our central a/c for more than a few minutes. We had a local a/c guy come out and he told us the pan was leaking and needed to be replaced. He quoted us around $2,000 which I thought was extremely high considering he'd done the exact same job a year previously for our neighbor (who has the same model house and, incidentally, recommended this company) for $400. We then asked him how much it would cost to replace the central a/c entirely since the unit was over 17 years old and probably on its last legs anyway. He went out to the backyard, took one look at our trusty old Rheem and said, "$8,000." Wha-wha-what?!

We know next to nothing about air conditioners, but I immediately went to work researching a/c brands online and getting quotes from other local companies. None of the four companies who came out did any duct tests or asked any questions about problem rooms (we have two -- the master bedroom which, due to it's location, gets extremely hot in the summer and very cold in the winter and the living room which stays relatively cool in the summer and downright artic in the winter). The first guy's quote was the "cheapest" at 8K -- he said he'd basically replace the Rheem with a bigger, more current model -- and the most expensive quote was from a company that does a lot of heavy advertising in our area and claims to be number 1 in customer satisfaction: $12K for a top of the line Trane with climate control and some kind if allergy filtration system. Needless to say, we were in serious sticker shock. We survived last summer's heatwave by diligently cleaning the outside unit and crossing our fingers; the puddle in the garage got bigger, but we made it. Fast forward to now. We still have a decision to make, but I need some serious advice before proceeding.

Our house is a small 3 bed/ 2 bath (under 1300 sf), one story tract home in the Central California 'burbs. Can these quotes be right? What kinds of questions should I ask the contractors? Why do they just take a few room measurements and toss out a quote without doing any duct tests or asking us anything? Some of the guys don't even take measurements, they just look at the current unit and suggestion something bigger. I've read that buying bigger without doing the proper tests can be a mistake -- especially when dealing with problem rooms. Asking friends and neighbors hasn't worked out so far; most people we've asked do very little research and pay what they're quoted, just like that. Since this is such a huge chunk of money for us, we're trying to be very careful. Any help and/or advice would be truly appreciated. Thanks!

P.S. The guy who gave us our first quote of $8K claimed he would be saving us money by *not* dealing with city hall and writing the job up as a "repair" rather than a replacement whereas the "expensive 12K" guy emphasized that he *would* file all of the proper contractor's paperwork and perform the job according to the new "rules" so that we wouldn't have any trouble when if/when we decided to sell our house in a few years. Can anyone break this down for me in layperson language?

Air conditioning tips?

WCityMike — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:08:08 -0800

This may seem like one of those "duh" questions, but I've just put in my very first air conditioner (thanks to MeFites) and have a few quick questions. First, do you usually leave your air conditioner on during the day? (My concern on this issue was prompted by this webcomic.) If so, how much do you crank it down, if at all? I have a cat, so I'd rather keep the poor guy comfortable (although he was seemingly okay even on the toughest of days) — but I'm just wondering how people handle this question.

Second, around what temperature level do you change your policy on the above? For example, although Chicago's in the midst of a well-above-100 heat index as we speak, later this week we're going to have highs that are drastically lower (say, high of 80). I can't see leaving the air conditioning on then. I imagine this one's more a matter of personal taste, but I'm curious as to opinions.

Third, my air conditioner has an EER of 10.8 — according to the little guide, that's only 0.2 from the max energy efficiency of 11. My power bill shouldn't jump huge, should it? With a lot of fans running often, my ComEd bill was $25 for July, if that makes any difference ...

Fourth, the A/C is tipped slightly back so it drains outside. The control panel is a little unflush with the rest of the unit, but not horribly so. The unit seems to have enough insulation around it to prevent any air leaks. I'll be keeping the shades drawn most of the time. Given these items, any other advice about running an A/C?

Is the A/C broken cuz it HOT in herr!

CwgrlUp — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:08:13 -0800

A/C filter: Is mine broken or is it just because it's 100 degrees outside? It's really hot around here. Over a hundred the past couple days. The air conditioner (central heat and air, NOT a window unit) in my house has been running constantly yet it never gets below 80 degrees, except for between, say, midnight and 5AM.

It is set on 75 during the day. My dad says it shouldn't get 5 or more degrees above what it's set to. But it is blowing out cold air, which is the first thing he had me check.

So. Should I call a repairman or just chalk it up to waaay hot days right now?

Personal cooling methods sought

pallen123 — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 19:32:33 -0800

Creative (non-insane) ways to keep cool in Florida needed Okay, so my family's going to Florida for a conference in a few days and last year the same location was brutally hot and humid. Probably 95 degrees.

I don't tolerate the heat well at all -- sweat like a hog, and generally feel sapped of all energy and want to escape to AC-land. Always been like this.

But...I'm tired of having to avoid the outdoors on vacation! And, I want to show my 3 yr. old a good time at the beach and not keep her indoors the whole time.

I spent a couple hours poking round the Web for personal AC systems, vests, hats, misters, etc phase shift material, etc. but don't really know what's what -- what might really help and what's just not going to make much of a difference. A bunch of sites sell a scarf-looking thing that you soak in water and evaporation's supposed to cool you a bit. There are a bunch of vests that work this way too, but most of them look bulky and like eyesores. The misters could help, but look like I'll have to constantly refill them and no doubt will be soaking all the time.

I realize this is a tall order, but I was really hoping someone might have some experience with these 'personal cooling' techniques and be able to share their perspective.

I realize dry ice could be dangerous, but seems like harnessed properly, could also yield tremendous cooling potential. Anyone know of a vest or system that can really cool your core w/out weighing a ton or making you stand out like a suicide bomber at a beach party?

Thanks for any suggestions!!!

Hot window breeze or cool car breeze?

chrisroberts — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 10:51:49 -0800

What is more fuel efficient? Driving with your window(s) down, or with the air conditioner on? I'm curious about which is more economical. I guess this would have to be answered in three parts:

Freeway driving only
City driving only
Overall driving (mix city/freeway)

I know that using the air conditioner in a car uses more gasoline, but having a window, or multiple windows, down creates more drag on the car. So which option is more fuel efficient?

Please note: I'm also not concerned about air quality. I realize that using the a/c in traffic is better as most cars have air filters to filter the smog. My question is basically focused on fuel consumption.

Portable AC - help me stop sweating

KAS — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:54:02 -0800

Portable air conditioning - I am completely clueless and not very mechanically savvy - what should I consider, be on the lookout for, drawbacks, etc - plenty of details inside... Renting and moving into a 3 level 100-year-old converted carriage house. There is a semi-finished basement (which I will be getting a dehumidifier for), a main level, and a loft bedroom. No doors at all, except for a bathroom door. Ceiling fans on the main floor and the loft bedroom, basement is nice and cool as is. No central AC, and I have electric baseboard heat augmented by a wood burning stove located on the main floor.

I don't understand why, but it is crazy hot in there - and I have resigned myself to the idea of getting a portable AC unit. Window units are not an option, since the windows slide horizontally to open and the window frames don't look all that sturdy anyway. I have never *not* had central AC, so I am truly clueless here.

I am looking at this from the Home Depot - (this TinyURL link goes to a really long Home depot link) http://tinyurl.com/q3dey

Obviously, I'd like to spend the least money possible while still getting decent results (and I'd love to try the $30 fan and bucket of ice water solution, but I'm not that brave). $500 is pricey for me, but I don't want to spend $200 (if that's even an option) and get something that doesn't work.

So if I get the portable unit and put it in the loft, will it cool the main level at all? The differences in temerature (with both ceiling fans running) are noticable (very) as one moves from level to level in the house, so I don't know how well the air circulates.

Are there hoses and things that come out of the back of a portable unit, and if so, do they just hang out of a window?

Can I move the unit from the main level to the loft without a big hassle (i.e., move it up there at bedtime)?

Any and all help is appreciated - I have read the past threads on here, and checked Wikipedia, but I still feel like I need more info. I feel like I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask...

Securing an air conditioner in the window

toddst — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:22:50 -0800

I live on the first floor in a city. Now that summer is finally here, I want to know if anyone has any ideas on how to secure an air conditioner in the window so a potential thief cannot push the air conditioner in the house or pull it out of the window in order to break into our apartment. I would prefer not to put a grate over the air conditioner, and, if possible, I do not want to drill into the windowsill.

Turning down the hot

i8ny3x — Mon, 01 May 2006 23:31:50 -0800

What can I do to make my portable air conditioner actually cool? I just purchased a Wintair portable air conditioner off Craigslist. The problem is that it's not cooling my room, but rather blows slightly cooler than room-temperature air. It didn't come with a manual, and I have searched for any advice on this brand, and didn't get much, not even a company Web site.

It's getting warm here in Sacramento, and I'm living in a loft, which warms up pretty quickly because of the rising hot air. What's wrong with my machine? Short of selling it again, what should I do?

How to find that perfect conditioner...

orange swan — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:39:58 -0800

Every time I colour my hair and use the tiny jar of conditioner that is part of the kit, I'm amazed anew at how much better it is than any other conditioner I've ever tried. It leaves my hair silky and tangle-free. Does anyone know of a similar conditioner?