Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

What to check if your home has hot and cold spots.

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

One of the common problems many residences face is uneven heating in your home. In one room, the temperature rises well above the thermostat setting, making it uncomfortably warm, while in another room, it seems as cold as a meat locker. You might have members of your household battling over control of the thermostat, as everyone tries to attain some level of comfort in one area of the home, causing another area of the home to get too hot or remain too cold.

If you are experiencing this problem, here are some things you can check:

Air Vents:

Air vents closed off in one room and wide open in another can lead to uneven heating. You may have to partially or completely close off vents for areas of the home that receive heating from adjacent rooms or in rooms that are not being used.

 

Insulation:

Poor insulation is a huge problem, especially in older homes. Depending on wall space and other factors, some rooms can be losing a lot of the heat that enters the home. This leads to uneven heating and higher energy bills

 

Windows:

Single-pane windows and older windows with leaks on the frame are another major source of escaping heat. You can often feel a noticeable difference in temperature right around windows. You may be able to correct this by re-caulking the window frame. If your windows are still a source of heat loss, consider replacing them.

 

Doors:

Doors with poor weather stripping can be a huge challenge for effective heating, allowing cold air and drafts to enter your home. They make your furnace work harder resulting in less comfort and higher energy bills. If, after checking all of the above, you are still experiencing uneven heating, consider contacting a member of our Comfort Team. We can do an inspection to uncover the causes of uneven heating and leave you with a more efficient and more comfortable heating system.

If after the above have all been gone through and your still experiencing hot and cold spots within your home, you should consider scheduling an APS/SRP Duct Test.  APS & SRP are both offering rebates of up to $250.00 to test and seal your duct work.  

For more information visit www.dialcomfort.com  

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Spend Less to Clean your Pool

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Benefits of a Pentair IntelliFlo Variable Speed Pool Pump

Swimming pool pumps use a ton of electricity.  It is estimated that standard pool pumps can consume as much energy as all other home appliances combined—often costing more than $1,000 per year! 

A typical 1 1/2 HP single speed pool pump uses almost 5000kWh (392kWh per month, 8hr a day) of power a year or $1159. A two speed model uses 3431kWh to accomplish the same task at a cost of $789, saving $370. Variable speed pool pumps, which can run at many slower speeds, like the Intelliflo will use even less energy, resulting in savings from $620-1360 a year according to the company. This makes it the most efficient pool pump right now.

Variable Speed Pentair IntelliFlo® and IntelliPro® pumps can typically cut energy use up to 90%, generally saving $620 to $1,360 in utility costs annually.  Pentair Pool has a Pool Pump Cost Savings Calculator to show variable speed pool pump savings and energy efficient design. Their Intelliflo VS-3050 variable speed pump costs $1100 plus installation.  It uses permanent magnet motors like a Hybrid car, to save additional energy.

Features

  • Energy savings up to 90% versus traditional pumps
  • 8 programmable speed settings and built-in timer assure optimum speed and run times for maximum efficiency and savings
  • Ultra-efficient permanent magnet motor design reduces noise and vibration for greater efficiency and longer pump life
  • Dramatically quieter operation – as low as 45 decibels
  • Totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC) design and low average operating speed makes IntelliFlo the quietest pump on earth
  • Fully compatible with IntelliTouch®, EasyTouch®, SunTouch® and other brands of digital pool/spa controls for managing pump, heating, lighting, spa jets and water features.
  • Built in diagnostics protect the pump for longer service life

*Savings based on comparison pump running between 6 and 12 hours per day at the national average of $0.15/kWh in a 20,000 gallon pool. Savings may vary based on plumbing size and length, pump model, service factor, flow rates and other hydraulic factors.

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Posted in Arizona Weather, Comfort Team News, Energy Efficiency, Maintenance, Pool Pump, Uncategorized | No Comments »


Tips for Saving on your Heating and Cooling Bills

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

Tips for saving on heating and cooling bills

According to the federal government’s Energy Star heating and cooling guide, The average household spends more than $2,200.00 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of this going to heating and cooling costs. 

Saving energy means saving money but does not mean that you have to sacrifice your normal day to day activities.  It’s how and when you use your energy that could really help decrease the amount spent on energy consumption.  Here are a few tips that you can use to lower your utility bill.

Setting and Programing your Thermostat

Setting your thermostat to 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter will save you money on your utility bills.  If your household is empty during the week for any length of time you need to consider having a programmable thermostat installed.  If you have a programmable thermostat you will want to program your thermostat 2 – 3 degrees higher (in the Summer) and lower (in the winter) than what you usually have your thermostat set at when you’re at home.  By having a programmable thermostat installed and used properly you could save about $180.00 a year in energy costs. 

Maintenance

If you are responsible for a car then you are familiar with how important maintaining your car is.  You have to change your oil, check your tire pressure, check your break pads, ect. every so often.  The same is for your air conditioner and heater.  By having your equipment maintained every 6 month’s (before each season) durastically reduces the chance of a breakdown.  Changing your filters is one of the most import tasks in maintaing your system and is is something that homeowners can typically do on their own.  By keeping your filters fresh and clean you are lessening the debri that builds up on your coils.  Keeping your coils clean ensures that the air flow is not restricted.  If the coils are clogged not only are you doing damage to your system you are also increasing your utility bills.  Maintenance is always a good idea just for the sake of peace of mind in knowing that you had a professional go over your system and that you took the appropriate measures in ensuring you get the maximum performance out of your system.  Click here to read more about air conditioning and heating maintenance.

Duct Test and Sealing

If you are like most homeowners, as long as your cooling and heating system is keeping you comfortable, you dont give it much thought.  But what you dont see could be costing you hundreds of dollars every year.  Most duct systems are installed in attics or building cavities where they are hidden from view and rarely inspected.  Fixing duct leaks could save you more than $200.0in your annual energy costs while improving the comfort in your home. 

The results of an APS study in Arizona found:

  1.  In Arizona’s desert climate, on average 50% of your annual energy bill is spent on running your heating/cooling system.
  2.  As much as 33% of a heating/cooling systems airflow could be leaking through ducts causing a loss of comfort and system capacity.
  3.  The impact is most severe in ducts installed in attics where temperatures can exceed 140 degrees in the summer
  4.  On average, almost 15% of cooling capacity is wasted due to duct leakage.  While there will always be some leakage, homes with properly sealed ducts can often reduce leakage 3 to 5%.

For more information on this program Click Here to visit APS Rebate Program Site or Click Here to visit SRP Rebate Program site

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Posted in Air Conditioning Industry News, Arizona Air Conditioning, Arizona Air Conditioning Repair, Arizona Heat Pumps, Arizona Heating Systems, Arizona Indoor Air Quality, Arizona Weather, Comfort Team News, Energy Efficiency, Maintenance, Monthly Specials, Trane Air Conditioning, Trane Furnaces in Arizona, Uncategorized, York Air Conditioners | No Comments »


Triple digits in the valley doesn’t mean your utlitly bill has to be triple digits

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

As we continue in the triple digits here in AZ the last thing we want to do is open our utility bill.  We have a few tips that will keep your home comfortable while maintaining a reasonable utility bill. 

One of the easiest and most affordable way to ensuring you stay comfortable is by changing your filters regularly.  That means if you use 1″ filters change them monthly, 2″ filters change them every other month, 4″ filters every 6 months.  Changing your filters regularly will keep the flow of air consistent across your coils.  If you have clogged filters it restricts the air flow which will cause your system to freeze up in turn your air conditioning system will start to blow warm air.  NOTE: Above are suggestions as to when to change your filters if you have construction going on around the house or have pets you might want to change them more often.  

It is no surprise that 65% of our utility bill is the usage of our air conditioning system.  That is why it is so important to maintain your A/C equipment regularly.  By having your air conditioning system maintained regularly will ensure your system is running at maximum efficiency as well as keeping peace of mind that your system will not fail in the extreme heat.  It is recommended that you maintain your system every 6 months or before each season (Summer and Winter) starts.   

Keeping your air conditioning system thermostat set to a comfortable setting but not trying to freeze your home.  If you leave your home on a daily basis for a few hours or more an important tip that we can give you is to raise the temperature of your thermostat about 2-4 degrees higher than what you usually keep your thermostat at.  This helps your system run less when no one is home. If you raise the setting too high, say to 85 degrees and then come home and change it to 75 degrees, your unit will run for a very long time to try and catch up. In these extreme heat conditions, it may take 1 hour of run time to lower the temperature of your home. This increases your utility bill, and adds stress to your system. By keeping your setting 2 to 4 degrees higher when not home you will actually save money and not strain your system.  If you have a memory like I do I would recommend you having a programmable thermostat installed.  You can program your thermostat for the days you leave for long periods to warm up and set it for about an hour before you get home to cool the house.

Ceiling Fans keep the air moving in your home.  It makes your home seem cooler since you are moving the stagnant air around.  Ceiling fans also distribute the air throughout the home to make the temperature more even, eliminating hot and cold spots. 

The most costly but one of the best investments you will make is replacing your inefficient old air conditioning system.  I know people don’t like to hear it but what you could save in your electric bill by having a new air conditioning system installed will over time pay for the air conditioning replacement itself. Not only will it lower your utility bills but you will be more comfortable in your home and not to mention the nice warranty your receive with the system. 

I have to share this last tip even though it is not related to your air conditioning system.  This is something I found out myself when I bought my home that had a pool.    My pool pump was approx 10years old and one of my co workers informed me that having an old pool pump running consistently in the summer is costing me money.  I replaced my pool pump with a Pentair variable speed pool pump and my utility bill dropped that very next month.  I strongly recommend you look into replacing your pool pump.  Check with your utility company as well, they most likely have a rebate program for upgrading your pool pump. 

I hope these tips help keep you cool and comfortable this summer.

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Posted in Arizona Air Conditioning, Arizona Air Conditioning Repair, Arizona Heat Pumps, Arizona Indoor Air Quality, Arizona Weather, Carrier Air Conditioners, Comfort Team News, Energy Efficiency, Maintenance, Trane Air Conditioning, Uncategorized | No Comments »


Thursday, December 30th, 2010

I got paid!!!

to lower my utilites!

This is no gimmick!

  • APS is paying up to 50% on the total sale price of a new geothermal unit, the government will give you a 30% tax credit, and the state is offering a property tax exemption !

    • Your out of pocket cost ends up being equal to or less than a basic unit & you drop utility costs by 40-60% annually! It’s a no brainier.

    What is geothermal?

    Geothermal units are electrically driven refrigeration devices which utilize the heat pump process to harvest energy from and reject heat to the earth. The earth acts as a heat source for heating and a heat sink for cooling.
    In words we can all understand: It’s a unit that cools and heats your home for less!

    ACT NOW!!!

    Call us, get Geo with it, and get paid!

    aps-coop-logo-graphic-2009-09-09-1gogreenhome


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    Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
    Relax, we'll take care of it!

    Relax, we'll take care of it!

    Have hail damage?

     Don’t waste any more time!

    Call us NOW at 480-266-3678  to get a free visual inspection of your equipment for hail damage and also get the pictures of the equipment emailed to you.

      Wait, there’s more!

    Grab some extra savings  and get a 22 point precision tune up for $59.95

    And that’s not all:

    Start the year off on the right foot by purchasing a new unit and receive a $1500 incentive just for being our neighbor! 

    Don’t forget the code word is: AIRPARK

    * This offer expires February 28th, 2011
* $1500 incentive only applies if you purchase a high efficiency dual stage Trane system

    Posted in Arizona Air Conditioning Repair, Arizona Heat Pumps, Arizona Heating Systems, Arizona Weather, Energy Efficiency, Monthly Specials, Trane Air Conditioning, Trane Furnaces in Arizona, Uncategorized | No Comments »


    Air Filtration

    Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

    Filters Work with Arizona Air Conditioners to Purify the Air You Breath

    In our last post we discussed ultraviolet germicidal irradiation and ozone generators as two methods to purify the air you breathe.  The most effective method for treating the air rather than the coils is duct systems that are in-line of your Arizona air conditioners. These systems are placed in the center of the duct and parallel to the air flow and are known as filter based purification.  They trap airborne particles by size exclusion. Air is forced through a filter and particles are physically captured by the filter.  There are several options to consider.

    HEPA filters remove at least 99.97 of 0.3 micrometer particles, and are usually more effective for particles which are larger or slightly smaller. They are effective down to 0.01 micrometers in many cases, but become ineffective for particles smaller than 0.01 micrometer. HEPA purifiers which filter all the air going into a clean room must be arranged so that no air bypasses the HEPA filter. In dusty environments, a HEPA filter may follow an easily cleaned conventional filter (pre-filter) which removes coarser impurities so that the HEPA filter needs cleaning or replacing less frequently. HEPA filters do not generate ozone or harmful byproducts.

    Filters for HVAC systems at MERV 14 or above are rated to remove airborne particles of 0.3 micrometers or larger. This is the most common filter used in residential Arizona air conditioners. A high efficiency MERV 14 filter has a capture rate of at least 75% for particles between 0.3 to 1.0 micrometers. Although the capture rate of a MERV filter is lower than that of a HEPA filter, a central air system can move significantly more air in the same period of time. Using a high-grade MERV filter can be more effective than using a high-powered HEPA machine at a fraction of the initial cost. Unfortunately, most furnace filters are slid in place without an airtight seal, which allows air to pass around the filters. This problem is worse for the higher-efficiency MERV filters because of the increase in air resistance. High efficiency MERV filters are usually denser and increase air resistance in the central system, requiring a greater air pressure drop and consequently increasing energy costs.

    Lastly properly sealed duct work to prevent leakage is very important. You can have all the filters in the world but if the ducts of your Arizona air conditioning system leak, you will never have clean air.

    As you can see there are different choices for purifying the air in your home. Most qualified HVAC contractors can properly evaluate your home and recommend the best route for you.

     

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