In the interest of full disclosure, I sometimes (sometimes, mind you) watch bits of “The Price is Right.” My favorite aspect is when the announcer says the prize is a new car. Except that he says, “A new caaaaaaar!!!!!!!!!”

One recent such prize included in the breathless pitch that it was a “partial zero emissions” vehicle.

Huh? “Partial zero”? How can you have “partial zero”? Isn’t any fraction of zero, still zero? So it is either a zero emissions vehicle or it isn’t.

To do extensive research on this topic, I spent 10 seconds and went to Wikipedia and found this definition: “A Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle is a vehicle that has zero evaporative emissions from its fuel system, has a 15-year (or at least 150,000 mile) warranty and meets SULEV tailpipe emission standards.”

OK. Maybe that means something to you car guys or gals. But us bicyclists haven’t a clue what that means.

But it did give me a thought for HVACR. If a system isn’t running perfectly tight, we say it is a partial zero emission unit. In fact, contractors can ship a defective unit off to “The Price is Right.”

“The next prize assures you of perfect comfort in your home! It’s a new airrrrrrrr…conditioneeeer!!!! And best of all, it has partial zero emissions!!!!”

I figure if contestants and audience jump and scream over a partial zero emission car, they should do the same for an a/c unit.