Sensing Air Conditioner Parameters

1 . A system comprising:

a cloud-based system;

a plurality of systems for sensing air conditioner parameters coupled to the cloud-based system;

wherein each of the plurality of systems for sensing air conditioner parameters senses parameters about a respective air conditioning system and forwards the sensed parameters to the cloud-based system;

wherein the cloud-based system receives the parameters from the plurality of systems for sensing air conditioner parameters, determines a maintenance condition, and forwards the maintenance condition to an interested party.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the interested party is one or more of a manufacturer, a service provider, a system owner, and a consumer.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of systems for sensing air conditioner parameters includes a misting system.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the maintenance condition concerns exactly one of the air conditioning systems.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the maintenance condition concerns an air conditioner model.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the maintenance condition concerns a manufacturer.

7 . A method comprising:

a cloud-based system receiving parameters about a plurality of air conditioning systems from respective systems for sensing air conditioner parameters;

the cloud-based system determining a maintenance condition;

the cloud-based system forwarding the maintenance condition to an interested party.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein one of the systems for sensing air conditioner parameters receives information from a misting system.

9 . An apparatus for measuring a temperature of a line, comprising:

an upper shell;

a lower shell coupled to the upper shell by a hinge;

a line passage formed when the upper shell is closed to the lower shell;

a conductive plate adjacent to the line passage; and

a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the conductive plate.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a circuit coupled to the temperature sensor to amplify and condition a signal from the temperature sensor.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a fastening mechanism for opening and closing the upper shell and lower shell around the hinge.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the fastening mechanism comprises:

a screw that engages the lower shell; and

a dowel nut that engages the upper shell and the screw.

13 . A system for monitoring the health of a residential air conditioning system that includes a compressor/condenser unit, comprising:

a sensor that can be mounted on the compressor/condenser unit and that senses a parameter of the residential air conditioning system that can be used to monitor the health of the residential air conditioning system;

a power source that can be mounted on the compressor/condenser unit and that generates power using environmental conditions created by the compressor/condenser unit without accepting power from the power grid;

a processor that receives a signal representing the parameter from the sensor and uses that signal to monitor the health of the residential air conditioning system.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the power source is a sensor.

15 . The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is incorporated in a housing with the power source.

16 . The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is incorporated in a housing with the sensor.

17 . The system of claim 13 wherein the power source comprises a fan generator that can be mounted in a flow of air caused by a fan in the compressor/condenser unit.

18 . The system of claim 17 wherein the fan generator is also a sensor that detects operation of the compressor/condenser unit.