The racecar drivers got it right. They know how to keep cool. Now if only we could convince our a/c customers that they need to stay cool all of the time, life would be good! Wouldn’t it?

With the Cool Shirt (by Shafer Industries, www.coolshirt.net), people can leave the comfort of their air-conditioned homes, businesses, cars, and pit area garages without missing a beat - yet with missing the heat. (I just made that up, so don’t use it.)

The whole idea of an air-conditioned shirt is pretty cool, actually - pun intended. How many times have you been working out in the heat and longed for pulling on a T-shirt (long sleeve or short sleeve), or possibly a hoodie or vest that has built-in eight-foot tubing connected to a 24-quart cooling unit that lasts up to six hours?

I know I’d like one to work in the backyard this summer, but the price is a little steep. I’ll just settle for a lot of water.

But hey, maybe HVACR contractors have the opportunity to add a new profit center to their business. If customers balk at the cost of replacing their old a/c unit, this could be an opportunity to sell down to a smaller, more portable form of cooling comfort.

Forget all of the pundits who say you have to sell up. For crying out loud, go sell a T-shirt. The makers of the Cool Shirt might cut you a deal to become a dealer. Then again, maybe I’m full of shirt.