Temperature extremes are dangerous for the elderly, given their limited mobility, lack of skin integrity, decreased thirst response and the fact that many of their medications affect body temperature. That's why F-Tag 257 requires "comfortable and safe temperature levels."

Still, replacing your old air conditioners can do more than prevent citations - it can save you money in other ways, too.

1. New models are more energy efficient

With advances in technology, new air conditioners are up to 40% more energy efficient than units that are just 10 years old. They're less costly to operate, and that cuts your energy costs and saves your facility money.

New air conditioners also come with product warranties. So, in addition to operating more efficiently, new units bring you added peace of mind.

2. Rebuilding is costly

Replacement parts for old air conditioners are expensive. For example, a compressor can cost as much as $300. That's nearly half of what you'd pay to replace your old unit with a new one.

Another thing to consider: replacement parts aren't always in stock. These delays increase the "downtime" of your old air conditioner. When your parts do arrive, it takes even more time to rebuild the old unit. Long before this, you could have put a new unit in service.

3. Your time is valuable

Let's face it. Your time - and the time of your staff - is important. When an air conditioner goes down, that can create real problems.

First, there's the time you spend dealing with the headaches of getting the unit fixed. And often you have to move residents to other rooms because there's no A/C. That not only takes time and costs money - it can be a major upset for your residents and their families.

Many facilities avoid these hassles and time-wasters altogether. They keep new air conditioners in storage; in fact, a good rule of thumb is to keep 3 new air conditioners on hand for every 100 in use. That way, when one of your units breaks down, you can quickly and cost-effectively replace it - on the spot.

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Written by Mike Janiszewski, environmental product manager for Direct Supply. For additional information, contact Direct Supply at 1-800-634-7328, or visit www.DirectSupply.net.