HOUGHTON -- Warm weather is great for swimming or boating, but there's usually a point when you'll want to retreat from the heat.  If an open window isn't enough to keep your house from feeling like a sauna, it could be time to consider central air conditioning.

"We put in an outside condenser and an indoor evaporator and that goes to all parts of the house that are connected with duct work," says Aire Care office manager Jeff Koski.

The Houghton company sells two basic cooling systems.  The price range depends on the size of your space and typically falls between $2500 and $4000.

"The mini-split system is very good for people with hot water heat that can't get the duct work in or who want to do spot cooling for different rooms," Koski says.  "The advantage is you can do multiple indoor units with one outdoor unit, and they're very quiet."

If you aren't ready to make such a large investment or you live in an apartment, window or wall units that you'll find at an appliance store like Sears would be a better choice.

"We offer anything from $120 on up, but there are a lot of other things to consider:  the size of the window, square footage of the room, sunlight, and for every person occupying the room, you can add 600 BTUs onto that," says owner Cathy Dennis.

For anyone working with a smaller budget, a personal fan that you can keep on a desk or clip to your bed is great to have around.  You can find one at Walmart or online for about $15.