Amana is known for their long warranty and excellent air conditioners in Arizona. However what many are not aware of is their excellent selection of environmentally friendly air conditioners that will decrease your carbon footprint while keeping you cool during the hot Arizona summer.

Amana offers a number of excellent air conditioners with a variety of features and at many price points. Here are two of our favorite Amana air conditioners that are great for the environment, and your wallet.

Amana ASX18

The ASX18 is the most efficient residential air conditioner offered by Amana with an 18 SEER rating. It makes use of the R-410A refrigerant to help protect the ozone layer and avoid dangerous chemicals.

Amana offers an incredibly impressive lifetime unit replacement limited warranty for the condensing unit and a 10-year limited warranty on all other parts. Additionally the unit includes a high-density foam compressor sound blanket and a unique sound control top for quiet operation. The unit is also Energy Star qualified.

Amana SSX14 Distinctions

The SSX14 is an excellent environmentally friendly alternative to the ASX18 for those who want to avoid the higher initial costs of an ultra high efficiency unit. With a 14 SEER rating, this Arizona air conditioner still provides excellent efficiency and with its R410A refrigerant, it’s eco-friendly.

The SSX14 also includes a lifetime unit replacement limited warranty for the condensing unit and a 10-year limited warranty on all other parts. It is also created to run quietly and is run-tested in the factory before shipping. The design is Energy Star qualified and performance certified in accordance with the air conditioning and refrigeration institute.

If you need help selecting the right environmentally friendly Amana air conditioner in Arizona, Air Conditioning by Jay can help. We offer a wide variety of Amana air conditioners and are sure to have one that meets your needs.

Lennox offers some of the most popular Arizona Air Conditioners around, in part because of their stellar reputation, but also thanks to their commitment to “developing energy-efficient heating, cooling and indoor air quality products that help homeowners save money, enhance air quality and improve their health.

All of Lennox’s air conditioners are Energy Star qualified, a U.S. government-sponsored designation which recognizes excellence in energy-efficient performance. According to the EPA, if just one in ten households installed ENERGY STAR heating and cooling products, the change would keep more than 17 billion pounds of pollution out of the air.

Many Arizona air conditioners made by Lennox are perfect for those who are interested in environmentally friendly units, however here are just a few of our favorites:

Dave Lennox Signature Collection XC21

The XC21 is one of the most energy efficient air conditioners on the market today with a SEER rating of 20.5. Additionally the unit uses the chlorine-free R-410A refrigerant rather than the ozone depleting R-22 chemical common in many air conditioners. The system also boasts incredibly quite operation as low as 69 dB, which is approximately 13 times quieter than a standard air conditioner.

The unit also includes a high-pressure safety switch, an onboard operations monitor, and a ten-year limited warranty on the compressor and covered components.

Merit Series 14ACX

The 14ACX is an economical and eco-friendly alternative to the XC2. Its SEER rating of up to 15 means that you will still see significant savings over an older unit and its R-410A refrigerant means that you won’t be ruining the environment.

This Arizona air conditioner is also quiet (just 76 dB), corrosion resistant, durable, and it offers a 5-year limited warranty on covered components. Its dependable scroll compressor means it provides smooth, efficient and reliable operation.

If you need help selecting the right environmentally friendly Lennox air conditioner in Arizona, Air Conditioning by Jay can help. We offer a wide variety of Lennox air conditioners and are sure to have one that meets your needs.

You may have heard neighbors marvel at the high efficiency and money savings of their ENERGY STAR appliances. You may have seen them advertised on TV but you may know little about them. The ENERGY STAR label is as important to consumers as it is to the environment.

The ENERGY STAR label makes it easy to identify non-polluting, energy-efficient products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers usually shop for ENERGY STAR appliances when they want to lower monthly utility bills or are ‘green’ conscious/

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes ENERGY STAR booklets on the performance of specific products and the ENERGY STAR label is on most major appliances that meet efficiency standards. If you don’t see it, ask! Covered equipment includes heating and cooling systems, office equipment, lighting, and home electronics. The cost savings for using ENERGY STAR products is huge and can have a big impact on the savings in energy bills — an estimated $12 billion in 2005.

Arizona’s Air Conditioning by Jay installs air conditioners in Phoenix homes and businesses with the Energy Star label. If you’d like to learn more, use our privacy assured online form and one of our specialists will contact you.

Here in Arizona with our very hot summers, environment friendly air conditioning systems aren’t just the right thing to do, they can also save you a ton of money on your electricity bills.

Newer air conditioning systems are environmentally better in two important ways.

The newer refrigerant gas, 410a has been called the refrigerant of the future, and is the refrigerant used in most new air conditioning systems. This gas protects the ozone layer which may help prevent global warming.

New air conditioning systems are also much more efficient, using less power to produce the same cooling effect as older, less efficient systems, and that translates into lower electric bills this summer. Most new systems use 40 to 50% less electricity than units 10 years old or older.

In Arizona, both Arizona Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP) that provide most of the electricity requirements of the Phoenix metropolitan area have rebate programs to help with the costs of replacement, and you may be eligible for an additional $300 Federal Tax break as well.

To find out more about these rebate programs, click here for APS, and here for SRP.

AC by Jay is proud to be a certified contractor for both APS and SRP. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, go to www.acbyj.com or call Valley wide 602-266-3678.

Everyone is busy work, family, and other daily pulls on our time make thinking about how we use energy, the rights and the wrongs, as often the last topic to enter our mind.

However, if everyone spent just a little bit of time considering the impact of our energy use, we could substantially reduce both cost and our impact on the world.

Here is a simple list of energy rights and wrongs.

The Energy Wrongs

Forget about your filters.
Especially if you don’t mind paying more each month for heating and cooling your home. Dirty filters mean your system must work harder, resulting is less effectiveness (less comfort) and higher cost.

Hide (block) your vents
Maybe your heating and cooling vents aren’t the most attractive part of your home décor. However, covering them with furniture or other items dramatically reduces your systems effectiveness. Let them be seen.

Buy it and forget it
Heating and cooling systems are almost constantly in use. In the same way that automobile and other mechanical devices need checkups and tune ups to ensure proper and effective use, so does your heating and cooling system. If you have not had your system serviced in some time, consider doing so this season.

Cut corners on insulation to reduce expense
Sure, you can save a little money by putting less expensive insulation in your attic and walls but those savings are temporary. Not only will you pay more in energy cost over the life of your home but your system will provide less comfort.

Keep your garage door open
During the winter months especially, an open garage door allows cold temperature to more easily enter your home. When you are not coming in and out, keep that garage door closed. In order to allow hot air to escape your garage door in the summer, install a small window or vent and vent fan.

Set your thermostat really high
This works great to keep you warm as long as you don’t mind paying exorbitant energy bills. There is a misconception that setting your thermostat higher will help your system heat up faster. This is simply not true. Set your thermostat at the desired, reasonable temperature.

The Energy Rights

High tech thermostats
Programmable thermostats are an excellent way to save energy and money. You can customize the settings to ensure maximum comfort during waking hours, times when you are home versus at work, and even weekend settings.

Don’t heat the entire neighborhood
Remember when your parents asked you if you were heating the entire neighborhood? Ensure that weather stripping and caulking in window and door frames is not cracked or missing. It takes only a few minutes to re-apply caulking and will greatly increase your heating and cooling systems effectiveness.

Check your ducts
Leaky ducts can account for anywhere from 10-30% of your total heating and cooling bill. It reduces the comfort level in your home and dramatically increases your energy use and associated costs.

Insulate outlets and installed electrical devices
The areas behind and around outlets and other electrical devices can be a significant source of cold and hot air transfer between the inside or your home and the outside. There is insulation specifically made for outlets and other electrical devices.

Switch to compact fluorescents
As you replace light bulbs around your home, begin using compact fluorescent bulbs rather than incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs are just as effective but last 10 times longer and use 75% less energy.

Plant a tree
Trees add to your home’s look and when properly placed on the sunny side of a home can have a significant affect on your home’s comfort level and your air conditioning bill. The shade during the hotter parts of the day reduces surface heat which transfers through your walls into your home.

If you are looking for other ways to make your home’s heating and cooling system more effective, consider speaking to a member of AC By Jay’s comfort team.

Light bulbs are one of the technological advances that you never read about. However, advances in the past 10 years and the development of Energy Star compliant light bulbs can result in significant energy savings.

It is estimated that if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star compliant bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year. Additionally, the reduction in greenhouse gases would be significant.

In the past fluorescent bulbs were too large and ineffective for general household light fixture use. However, newer fluorescent bulbs provide the same or better light, last 10 times longer than traditional bulbs, use far less energy (about 75% less), and give off less heat (again, 75% less) than traditional bulbs.

When it is time to replace light bulbs in your home, look for energy star compliant fluorescent bulbs and save.

As we head into the winter months, it is always a good idea to review steps you can take to save energy. Here at AC By Jay, we are committed to ensuring your home comfort system is as efficient as possible.

These 10 steps will reduce your energy usage, your monthly bill, and are environmentally friendly as well.

1. Set your thermostat lower
   Lowering your thermostat just a couple of degrees can greatly reduce your overall energy usage and reduce your energy bill. If you get a little chilly, wear slippers and a sweatshirt or housecoat.
2. Get a programmable thermostat
   Even better than simply reducing the temperature on the thermostat, you can program your thermostat to reduce the temperature at night while you are asleep and start warming the house 30 minutes prior to waking up.
3. Check weather stripping and window gaps
   Gaps or loose windows and warm stripping add to drafts and greatly reduce the efficiency of your heating system.
4. Install newer insulation
   If your home is 10 years older or more, newer insulation may offer increased effectiveness and reduce your energy use.
5. Install storm windows, replace any single-paned windows
   This is especially true in older homes. Storm windows or thicker dual-paned windows greatly reduce the transfer of cold into the home and heat loss. Storm windows can reduce heating cost by 10-15%.
6. Replace or clean furnace filters regularly
   Clogged filters mean your heating system must work harder to get the same result. Your furnace systems manufacturer has regularly scheduled replacement timeframe, make sure you don’t go for longer periods than recommended.
7. Check for holes or openings to the outside
   Areas around vents, cracks in walls of older homes, door jams, etc. can all be sources of exposure to the outside air and increased energy use.
8. Open curtains and blinds on sunny days, close them at night
   Let the sun help warm your home in the morning. Also curtains and shades form an extra source of insulation, so close them at night.
9. Close vents to rooms that are not used
   If you have a room that is mostly unused, don’t waste energy heating it.
10. Use household appliances effectively for instance, run your washer, dryer, and dishwasher only when full. Use warm or cold water instead of hot when washing clothes. In cooler months, prop your oven door open to allow the heat to enter the home (note: only prop it slightly and be aware of children or animals in the home).

If you are still concerned that your heating system is using too much energy or you want to look into a high efficiency furnace or just have us check your overall system performance, contact a member of our Comfort Team.

The Energy Star program is a cooperative effort between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). They work together to create efficiency standards for a variety of residential/consumer products. These can be smaller household appliances but also includes your homes comfort system your furnace and air conditioning units.

Through various programs and standards, Energy Star has saved consumers $14 billion dollars on utility bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the equivalent of 25 million cars all in a single year.

You can find additional Energy Star tips here plus take a tour of an Energy Star compliant home.

Here at AC By Jay we offer a number of products and services to help your comfort system achieve the highest standards of energy efficiency, and fully endorse the government’s efforts at better efficiency both because of the positive environmental impact and because they result in a more comfortable home for you, our customer.

One of the most innovative manufacturers of household appliances, Amana is also a recognized leader in Heating and Air Conditioning Systems.

Their high-efficiency models include:

AMV9 - 95% AFUE - Two-Stage/Variable-Speed

ACV9  - 93% AFUE - Two-Stage/Variable-Speed

AMH95 - 95% AFUE - Twin-Comfort/(convertible) Multi-Speed

GCH9 - 93% AFUE - Dual$aver (Convertible), Multi-Speed

GKS9 - 92.1 AFUE - Single-Stage, Multi-Speed

All units come with a 10 Year Limited Warranty on functional parts and a Lifetime Limited Warranty on the Heat Exchanger.

If you are interested in finding out which unit best fits your budget and needs, contact a member of our Comfort Team.

APS offers its energy-efficiency rebate to anyone who installs energy efficient air conditioners.  But in addition to looking out for the environment, it is also looking out for people with low incomes.  APS is one of many air conditioner companies in the country offering discounts and other services for low-income households.

APS’ program offers discounts of 14 to 40 percent to low-income families to help them afford summer air conditioning bills and other necessary energy expenses.

Some states have gone beyond APS’ bonuses.  Philadelphia’s power company, PECO, has recently won a reward for its energy reduction program  for low-income customers.  In addition to discounts, PECO’s program helps people who might otherwise not be able to afford air conditioners and heaters to finance these necessities of life.

So while we all still cringe when the power bill arrives, and take measures such as installing highly energy efficient air conditioners to minimize the costs, at least we can feel reassured that our money is going to companies that are working hard to be socially responsible and help everyone live comfortably.

When you want to find the most energy efficient air conditioner, the higher SEER rating is better. As we saw in our recent comparison of air conditioners from all the major brands, the Carrier 24ANA1 is the most energy efficient central air conditioner from any of the major manufacturers.

An obvious question is of the features such an efficient air conditioner can offer.  The answer is that the 24ANA1 has quite a few features.  It is quiet, with an advertised sound rating of only 20dB.

The 24ANA1 is also designed to remove a lot of moisture from the air.  Remember that air conditioners serve two functions.  Obviously, they cool the air, but air conditioners also remove moisture from the air.  This air conditioner feature helps to cool you in the same way that a dry day outdoors is cooler than a humid day at the same air temperature.

Carrier’s air conditioner is even helping the environment.  It uses Puron as a refrigerant, which is far less harmful than Freon to reduce damage to the Earth’s ozone layer.

To find out how to have the Carrier 24ANA1 or other highly energy efficient air conditioners installed in your home, contact the Comfort Team.

Now that we have discussed what to look for in an air conditioner, it is time to have a look at the highest-efficiency air conditioners from the top manufacturers.

Amana, Carrier, Lennox, Trane and York all offer a variety of air conditioner models in varying capacities and with various features. To help ensure that you purchase the ideal air conditioner to meet your comfort living needs, be sure to consult a certified air conditioner technician. Most manufacturers distribute their air conditioners solely through authorized air conditioner technicians because such a technician will be sure that you purchase the right size air conditioner and that it is installed correctly.

Amana’s most efficient air conditioner is the 18-SEER ASX18.

Carrier offers the most energy efficient air conditioner with its 21 SEER Infinity Series 24ANA1.

Lennox comes close to Carrier’s efficiency with the 20.5 SEER XC21.

The Trane 19.5 SEER XL19i has two compressors help minimize the amount of energy the air conditioner uses.

The York 18 SEER 8T Series is available in seven different colors to help match your home’s exterior.

All of these companies offer variations on the listed models and other air conditioner related products such as heat pumps (which both cool and heat your home), and can qualify you for APS’ High Efficiency AC Rebate Program. To learn more, contact a factory-authorized technician such as AC by Jay’s Comfort Team.

Imagine living in the future.  Imagine walking into your home to have the heat pump automatically sense who you are and what temperature you like to keep your rooms.  Imagine an air conditioner that automatically adjusts itself to ensure that it keeps you comfortable while also reducing your power bill.  Imagine the same air conditioner automatically reducing the temperature when you work out in your home, and increase it slightly to save energy when you relax. 
Something of this nature might have been seen at the World’s Fair.  In truth, we have not achieved this future, and many elements of it are pure fantasy.  But we can still ensure a comfortable, energy efficient home in a way that does not require mind-reading thermostats and telepathic air conditioners.  With energy-efficient heat pumps and quality thermostats, we can still ensure that our home is comfortable, our electric bills are low, and be happy no matter what Phoenix’s weather might be.

If humans are indeed causing the current global warming trends, then every little thing we can do to cut down on the emission of substances that cause global warming helps. According to an Associated Press story released today, governments will have to spend billions of dollars more than they currently spend in order to stop the worst of the climate change. This revelation is part of the final report of a United Nations scientific panel put together two years ago to study the topic.

Among the recommendations is that new construction should be restricted to land 40 inches above sea level or higher, and take measures to greatly reduce fossil fuel emissions worldwide. This may sound drastic, but if international scientists are correct on this, they may be neccessary steps in reducing the damage the warming will cause… solving the problem at the macro level.

Some people may interpret these recommendations as being so severe that small things cannot help. They would be mistaken. Human-caused global warming does not have to be reduced by multi-billion dollar government efforts. If we as citizens do what we can, such turning off the lights when we are not using them and walking instead of driving, then we can help the macro-level efforts. This is improving the environment at the micro-level. Trane and other companies sell Energy Star air conditioners. The power savings found in these devices contributes to solving the problem. Each system’s improvement may only be a drop in the bucket, but if you put enough drops in a bucket, it will eventually be full.

The article can be found here: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12303

To find out more about energy efficient air conditioners, visit http://www.acbyj.com/air_conditioning.php

If you were looking at purchasing a new air conditioning system 10 years ago, the most efficient systems available at that time would today just barely qualify for the minimum efficiency’s allowed under the new federal efficiency standards. In other words if your system is a decade old, you could have a real opportunity to save money by investing in a modern energy efficient upgrade.

Air conditioners have an efficiency rating system that works a little like the automobile’s MPG or miles per gallon ratings. The air conditioner comes with a SEER rating (seasonal energy efficiency rating). This is the cooling output divided by the power input for a hypothetical average U.S. climate. Simply stated, the higher the SEER rating the more efficient the system. Many homeowners do not realize the “poor mileage” they are getting from their current system. Systems that do not seem very old are commonly operating under the 5 or 6 SEER level.

As of January 2006, manufactures can no longer produce air conditioning systems with less than 13 SEER ratings. This new high minimum has created competition for higher efficiency and the availability of some remarkably efficient systems. Some of today’s most efficient air conditioning systems have surpassed the 20 SEER ratings range.

In Arizona’s desert climate we use our air conditioners more than many other parts of the country. The federal minimum efficiency standards do not make separate recommendations for those areas of the country where this usage is greater. In Arizona it pays to invest in high efficiency beyond the minimum 13 SEER level.

Imagine upgrading from a 5 or 6 SEER rating to a 21 SEER system. If you can reduce you air conditioning bill by 60 to 70% you will begin to see how investing in efficiency makes sense. In fact, it’s hard to find another investment that is as consistent or predictable.

When you think of what is going on with the world today, especially when one considers greenhouse gas emissions going up and not down one automatically assumes global warming. In fact, this is the most common theory. Hurricane Katrina and all the other disasters the world has dealt with and the record highs of winter last year seem to lend strong support for this theory. However there has come reason to doubt that the massive destruction to the environment is indeed causing a global rise in temperature. The 2006-07 winter blizzards across the United States have brought a chill on the subject. Unusually strong winter weather events throughout the country have lent credibility to this theory.  Events such as eastern Colorado, New Mexico and Kansas seeing four consecutive blizzards in which Colorado declared not one, but multiple states of emergency, major interstates throughout the Southwest were closed, and many people were left stranded in the middle of nowhere. Northern Los Angeles and Scottsdale even saw snow, and these are places which don’t even know there are more than two maybe three seasons, winter not included.  As for states which know a fourth season, Texas saw less than a salt shaker worth of de-icing salt this past year from because Colorado had a need to use it all. While Snow is certainly a lot easier to deal with than a large hurricane, can we really think of global warming with all this ice around us? And is this an indicator of an eventful summer to come?

In many places, there has been a recent emphasis on sustainable development. Instead of creating highly inefficient buildings and equipment, engineers and architects have begun to design systems that use less energy and thus are more environmentally friendly. With building construction, this means supplementing conventional electrical lines and massive heating, ventilation, and cooling systems with alternatives that use less energy. Some buildings now have solar panels on their roofs to supplement conventional power with a clean power source. Others use natural ventilation systems that use careful design to facilitate airflow without relying as much on industrial fans and pumps.

One of the principal elements of Frank Lloyd Wright’s building designs was that they seem to blend in with the natural landscape around them. His designs often mimicked the natural contours and colors of the terrain, creating a visual continuity with the land that is lost in most contemporary architecture. Beyond this, he used what can be considered an early form of sustainable development. Many of Wright’s designs, especially in the Phoenix area, utilized intelligent placement and size of windows in order to naturally keep the buildings cooler in summer by not letting in as much light.

Overall, sustainable development reduces electrical costs, heating and cooling costs, and environmental destruction will still allowing for comfort living and all the things that we take for granted.