Heating Problems and Repair Solutions For Heat Pumps and Furnaces For North Tempe Homes

Homes in the 85281 zip code are historic Tempe homes, built in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  These Tempe homes are mostly ranch style homes with long roof lines and a heat pump package unit on the roof with a metal elbow.  Some Tempe homes have or used to have dedicated closets for furnace heaters or air handlers with the return grille under the door.  The main ductwork is a metal trunk that runs down the middle of the hallway with 7 foot ceilings and registers located above the bedroom doors.  In these Tempe homes the heating systems go bad not because the units are old, but because the components around the heating system are bad.  The components that deliver the air, the ductwork is very important to how the heating system works.  Think of driving a Prius with a hole in the gas tank… that’s what is happening to homes all over Tempe when heating and cooling systems are installed on a home with leaky ductwork, low insulation and ductwork sized for a smaller unit. 

If heating and cooling contractors would only take a whole home approach to installing heating and air conditioning systems, their units would operate 10 times better.  How do we know? We have measured and seen the effects of addressing the whole home on a heating and air conditioning system… the electrical usages (amps) DECREASES, the airflow (CFM50) INCREASES, and the utility bills go DOWN.  Addressing home performance issues should be done by every heating and air conditioning company during heating repairs, service and installation.  No heating company in Tempe should be talking about HVAC without addressing a complete home performance picture.

Do you know it’s rare for a heating contractor in Tempe to go into the attic at all during a maintenance inspection, heater tune up or a heating service call?  Heating contractors need to focus more on the whole-home and less on the bells and whistles of heating systems like UV lights and washable filters (the scams of the HVAC industry).  If the ductwork was sealed like it should be, homes wouldn’t be half as dusty and the need for a UV light would go away. 

Symptoms of a Broken Heater in Tempe

Have you experienced these common symptoms this winter?

1.       Your heater is blowing cold air

2.       Your heater or fan never shuts off and runs constantly

3.       The heater never turns on

4.       The heater runs for 5 seconds then shuts off

5.       The thermostat doesn’t turn on

All these heating problems are likely caused not from the age of the system or its components but something outside the unit itself.

What causes heater problems around Tempe homes in the 85281 zip code

Common heater problems in Tempe around the 85281 zip code are listed below:

1. Ductwork leaks.  A return duct leaking 15% of its air in the middle of the summer will cause a 5 ton heating and cooling system to operate as a 2.5 ton system.  The #1 reason why air conditioning components fail is because the system is overworked during the hot Arizona summers and it’s not because the heating and cooling systems are undersized.  In Tempe homes, there was no code for ductwork sealing when the homes were built and after 20 hot summers, any tape that was used around the ducts has lost its effectiveness. Leaky ductwork wastes our hard earned money because every time the heater or air conditioner turn on, 15% of that is lost into the attic through ductwork leaks.  If you could gain an extra 15% of airflow into your home, it would be noticeable, and it starts by sealing up the ductwork.  SRP estimates homeowners can save $200 a year by sealing leaky ductwork.
2. Undersized ductwork.  Have you ever seen a child try to breathe through one straw?  They get starved for air pretty quickly and that’s exactly what’s happening to your heating and air conditioning system when the ductwork is undersized.  In Tempe homes were built with round rigid ductwork has was too small for the existing HVAC system.  Next time your heater turns on, listen to see if your return sounds very loud, it’s likely from an undersized return.
3. Low insulation. 
   
   Insulation on a heating and air conditioning repair post?  Yes, your home’s insulation is very important in keeping the warm air in the winter time and cool conditioned air in during the hot Arizona summers.  If your attic has too little, you’re heating and cooling system will be constantly running and short cycling on and off, overworking your system.  In Arizona, the DOE Energy Star recommends R38 level of insulation in the attic.  Most homes have been under insulated unless you were a part of the City of Tempe noise reduction program.  To add insult to injury, most Tempe homes in 85281 zip code are grossly under insulated (insulation code was less than 6” in 1960).
4. Capacitors that go bad, overworked fan motors and bad mechanical components.  All these home performance defects cause the heating and cooling system to constantly overwork itself, putting stress on the mechanical components.  The first components to go out are the capacitors and fan motors and then overtime, the compressor.  Gain a few more years on your heating and air conditioning system by fixing the home performance defects and you’ll have a comfortable, energy efficient and long lasting heating and cooling system for many years.

Check our list of common problems for heaters if you notice the heater is not working.

What causes the most heating problems in Tempe homes? 

The answer is not the heating units themselves, it’s the other components of the home that cause the heating system to work much harder than it should.  Fix those, and you’ll have a system that operates much more efficiently, quietly and less troublesome during the heating season.

If you are looking for air conditioning repair contractors in the Tempe area chances are you need fast service to get your air conditioner working again.  For fast, reliable service call Green ID 24/7 at 602-926-1650.  Our technicians are trained to never over-sell repairs, in most cases a quick repair is all that’s required to get it back in working condition. 

Common Heater Repairs for Heat Pumps and Furnaces

Your heating system should keep you warm and comfortable throughout the winter season. The excessive summer of your HVAC system may cause fatigue of the heating components and whether you are proactively tackling heating maintenance or find yourself coming home to a broken heating system, here are some early warning signs and symptoms you can look out for to keep your heater running smoothly and save money on your utility bills.

Common Symptoms of a Broken Heater 

Furnaces and heat pumps are fairly complex machines of electrical and mechanical parts and heating systems can have one independent component fail or multiple shut downs at once. Diagnosing a broken heating system starts by listening to its initial symptoms. Whether you have a gas powered furnace or gas pack or an all-electric heat pump heater, here are the common symptoms you might find if you suddenly experience your heater not working.

1. Your heater is blowing cold air 
2. Your heater or fan never shuts off and runs constantly 
3. The heater never turns on 
4. The heater runs for 5 seconds then shuts off 
5. The thermostat doesn’t turn on

Common Symptoms the Heater Has A Slower Chronic Problem That Can Be Proactively Addressed 

Often our technician’s catch emerging problems before they cause bigger and more expensive problems, some of the symptoms of an overworked heating system are below.

1. Your heating bill is increasing with no lifestyle changes on your part
2. You experience unpleasant smells
3. You experience inconsistent temperatures from room to room
4. You hear weird sounds coming from the unit
5. The system is loud when it turns on

Air Conditioners and Heaters In Arizona Can Have These Problems If You Notice The Heater Is Not Working 

Heating and air conditioning repairs in Arizona homes stem from several common problems. 

1. Clogged filter. I hate to list this one, but sometimes it’s as easy as turning your system off and changing your filter to get your heater working properly again. Before you make a heating repair call, check your filters if possible and change them out if needed. Speaking of clogged filters, read why other restrictions could also cause your heater to stop working and actually blow cold air out of your vents in the winter. 
2. Bad fan motor. A bad fan motor can cause the heater not to work and can be caused by a bad fan relay, where the contacts inside the relay get stuck open and go bad. Having to replace a fan relay is much less expensive than the fan motor and a good heating and cooling technician will be able to tell the difference and not turn a potentially easy fix into a complicated on. A bad capacitor can also cause the fan motor from running and providing the home with heat. Fan motors in general can also just go bad due to the motor burning up or the bearings seizing. 
3. Bad capacitor. Capacitors store energy for the compressor and fan to run and is made up of dielectric plates with an oil in-between the plates. Over time, the capacitors deteriorate and their rated capacity diminishes. Once the capacitor goes bad, your heater will not work because the fan motor will not run. 
4. Bad reversing valve. Reversing values are only found in heat pumps and reverse the flow of refrigerant depending if you are heating or cooling the home. A bad reversing value in the heating season can often be confused with a compressor failure. Again, a costly mistake on the heating and cooling technicians’ part. A reversing value may be stuck in the heating or cooling position due to a bad solenoid which would cause your heater to not blow hot air in the winter. 
5. Burnt or faulty electrical wiring. Bad thermostats, poor splice connections or loose wires can also be the culprit in your heater’s problems. A line by line electrical check can diagnosis if any wires have gone bad in the heating and cooling system. 
6. Bad pressure switches, pressure sensors, limit switches, or flame sensors on gas furnaces. On furnaces good technicians will be able to diagnose these problems by simply reading the blink code through the panel sight glass. This saves time to diagnosis the heater problems and cuts much of the trouble shooting time exponentially lower. 
7. Low Freon charge on heat pumps. A refrigerant leak will cause your thermostat to never satisfy and your home will never reach it’s set-point. If you set the house temperature to 72 degrees in the winter, but it only reaches 68, and the unit keeps running, you may have a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant leaks can occur slowly over time but once the refrigerant gets low enough that you start having comfort problems, the size of the hole has increased also and rate of loss also increases. When refrigerant leaks occur, it’s best to have a technician perform a pressurized leak test to find the source and seal it up to avoid damaging the compressor in the future.

If you are looking for heating and air conditioning repair contractors in the Phoenix area chances are you need fast service to get your system working again. For fast, reliable service call Green ID 24/7 at 602-​926-1650. Our technicians are trained to never over-sell repairs, in most cases a quick repair is all that’s required to get the system back in working condition. Mention this blog for a 10% discount off any repairs and call (602) 926-1650 today.

What To Do If You Notice Ice Forming On Your Air Conditioner Coils

Ever wonder why your AC is set but only hot air is blowing out of the vents?  Have you gone outside to find a ball of ice has formed on your coils and your coils are frozen over? Ice on your air conditioning unit may seem strange but it’s just a diagnostic signal of what needs to be repaired at your air conditioning unit.  Here are some DIY steps you do to try to fix the ice problem yourself and if not, we’ve listed the causes why the coils are freezing over to better educate yourself. 

If you notice ice over your air conditioner coils take these immediate steps to prevent further damage to your HVAC system.

1. Turn the system off completely.

2. Change your air filter. This is such a simple fix but it can potentially save you a service call. It is true that having dirty air filter's cause for enough airflow in the system to cause ice to fill

3. Check that all the supply and return grilles are not blocked and completely open. Restrictions at the registers can be big enough to significantly lower airflow which can cause ice to build up on the refrigerant lines.

4. At the thermostat, turn the heater or air conditioner off and the fan on. This will speed that's the process to defrost the ice. The reason the coils are freezing over is that the refrigerant is getting too cold enough to freeze because ice buildup because there is a leak or restriction in the system. It can take 60 minutes or more to defrost the ice depending on the severity so be patient.

5. Once the ice is completely melted, set the thermostat back to cooling mode and keep a close eye on the coils to see if they start to freeze up again.

If changing the filter does not fix the problem call your trusted HVAC technicians at Green ID to properly diagnose and repair the problem.

Why Is Ice Forming On Your Refrigerant Lines?

There are several reasons why your air conditioner coils start to freeze and can form massive blocks of ice. Here is a short list of some of the reasons why that occurs.

1. The air conditioning system is low on refrigerant. If not enough refrigerant was added when a new unit was installed or there is a refrigerant leak in the system the coils can ice up.

2. The filters are clogged. A clogged filter will restrict the airflow into the system. Depending on how clogged it is they can severely limit the amount of air that passes over the coils which is necessary to remove the heat or cool air from the home depending on the season. Filters should be changed regularly about every 30 days in the summer in Phoenix.

3. The air conditioning filter dryer is clogged. Purpose of the filter dryer is to protect the compressor from debris and contaminants. Air-conditioning filter dryer becomes clogged refrigerant will not flow through freely and will start to build up causing the coils to freeze. A Green ID technician can check if the filter dryer is clogged and make the necessary replacement to get the system working properly again.

4. The air conditioner system has a refrigerant leak. A refrigerant leak can occur over months before you ever start to notice any changes in your comfort or energy bills or it happens quickly. Either way if your air conditioning system does not have enough Freon to remove the cold air from your house in the winter and warm air in the summer, your coils will start to freeze and ice up.

5. The air conditioner blower speed is set too low. The blower speed may have not been set right or changed during your last air conditioning service. This may have been done to make the air colder air coming out of the vents but can have a negative effect of not transferring enough heat across the evaporator coils. And our air-conditioning technician's will inspect the fan settings at the air handler or furnace and the thermostat wiring to ensure your system has the proper airflow to prevent icing up.

6. Dirty evaporator coil. If your indoor coils have never been cleaned there is likely a healthy layer of duct covering the coils which will cause the coils to freeze up.

Some air-conditioning systems are equipped with a defrost mode that will automatically melt the ice off the coils once. When the air conditioner is running in defrost mode hot air well actually blow out of the vents even if it's the middle of the summer. If you feel warm air coming out of your our vents it's probably your defrost sensors working to melt the ice off your evaporator coils.

If you need an emergency AC repair without the emergency AC fees call Green ID at (602) 926-1650 and get your AC repaired today. Mention this blog to get a free trip charge and 5% off any repair.

Best Priced Heat Pumps in Phoenix

If you are doing your research looking for the best priced, inexpensive heat pumps around Phoenix we at Green ID have put together a short list of heat pumps you can use as a quick reference. We understand that finding an inexpensive heat pump that lasts for years and saves money on your energy bills is a top priority. You’ll be glad to find inexpensive heat pumps from a variety of AC brands that don’t break your budget or compromise on quality.

Tips From A Heat Pump Contractor On Buying An Inexpensive Air Conditioning Unit

Here are a few tips help maximize your dollars to find the best priced, inexpensive heat pump for your home.

1. EER (pronounced “ear”) is more important than SEER in Arizona. SEER is how we measure the efficiency of the heat pump, the higher the SEER rating, the more efficient it’s operation is and less you’ll spend on your energy bills. EER is almost exactly the same as SEER but it is how we measure the efficiency of how the heat pump operates at higher temperatures more like Phoenix. The SEER rating is done in an air conditioned factory at 76 degrees, EER ratings are done at 95 degrees. You want the heat pump that performs well at higher temperatures, so ask about the EER rating of the system. Often times you can have two air conditioners that have the same SEER rating, but different EERs. If they are the same cost, you can claim more energy savings for free!

2. Don’t just consider a unit upgrade, discuss the whole house and see if it’s feasible to go with a smaller heat pump with a Manual J calculation with a home performance upgrade. Sometimes we can save a homeowner more money by upgrading the insulation, sealing the ductwork and sealing all the leaks with a lower SEER than spending more money upfront on a higher efficiency unit but not addressing the other attic issues. Another example would be having existing ductwork that’s designed to handle only 3 tons of air on a 4 ton system could be the cause of rapid aging of an air conditioner. Have an energy audit performed on your house by Green ID as part of the heat pump replacement scope can help save on upfront costs and operating costs.

3. Ask about rebates and current promotions. Often manufactures will have separate running promotions that bring down the cost of heat pumps and air conditioners. Sometimes the rebates come from manufacturers that are less known but still have a good reputation for quality where you can get a more efficient unit for the same price as a standard heat pump from a better known manufacturer.

5 Best Priced and Reliable Heat Pumps ​

We have installed and serviced each manufacturer on our short list of the 5 best priced heat pumps for the Phoenix market to ensure you are getting a well-made air conditioner at the best price. All of these heat pumps feature upgrades like rust resistance screws, hail protective guards and 10 year warranty’s.

#1 Trane XR14

​Trane’s inexpensive XR14 heat pump line is just as reliable as its higher end models. Efficiency ranges are SEER 14 – 14.5 and EER 11.0 – 12.0. Trane has an optional indoor air quality filter to cut down on household pollutants and dust. We service all Trane units, are certified Trane dealers and have seen minimal issues with the quality of their units. Learn more about Trane heat pumps here.

#2 Carrier Comfort Series

Carrier features SEER rating up to 16 and features a quiet, low decibel rating. Carrier is a big advocate of its dealers to perform a load calc on your home to ensure the right size unit is installed to avoid call backs. At Green ID we always perform load calculations with our energy audits and never take short cuts that most contractors do which lead to high energy bills and hot rooms in the summer. Read more about Carrier heat pumps here.

#3 Day and Night Performance Series

​Day and Night heat pumps are very space friendly, often with a smaller footprint than other manufacturers for installations in tight areas. Day and Night has efficiency rating of SEER 14 – 14.5 and EER 11.5 – 11.7, with ultra quiet systems no lowers than a common hair dryer. Learn more about Day and Night heat pumps here.

#4 Rheem Classic Series

Rheem requires all their dealers to perform a load calc on your home to ensure the right size unit is installed. At Green ID we always perform load calculations with our energy audits and never take short cuts that most contractors do which lead to high energy bills and hot rooms in the summer.

#5 Frigidiarie’s F-Series 

Frigidiarie’s F-Series warranty is fantastic where if any major component is defective within 10 years of its installation, Frigidiare will replace the entire unit, not just the defective part. Efficiencies range from SEER 14 – 15 and EERs 11.5 – 12.5. Learn more about Frigidaire’s inexpensive AC units. ​

​Why Do I Need a Load Calculation?

When purchasing a new heat pump, it’s very important that a complete evaluation, or “load calculation” is performed. By doing this, a Green ID consultant will look at all the factors that affect the heat gain and loss of your home. Bigger is not better in the air conditioning and heat pump world. We take into account the size, shape, and orientation of your home, what type of insulation and how much you have is important along with window size, type, quantity, and the directions they face. We will also perform a leakage test of the ductwork and air leaks. By combining these and other factors, your Green ID consultant will evaluate what size unit your home requires. An over or under sized unit is one of the most common problems with any system; when a licensed Green ID technician performs a load calculation, you will have a more efficient system and a more comfortable home.

Why Super Low Cost Heat Pumps Can Cost Homeowners In The End

At Green ID we say, the most important day of an air conditioning system’s life, is the first day it’s installed. You can be sure your heat pump installation will be done by following the best practices that may cost us more, but are the right thing to do to keep your heat pump running smoothly for years. We don’t take short cuts that save money to AC companies but end up costing the homeowner more on their energy bills and in the shortened life of its components.

We are here to help, click here to contact us or call (602) 926-1650 today.

Arizona Trane Current Rebate Promotions

Trane kicked off their Fall promotion offer. From now until November 15th 2016 you can get up to a $2000 instant rebate on trade-in on a qualifying purchase of a new Trane system or 0% APR specials! The promotional period is a great to to replace your old system at your own convenience, not when the unit stops working during the hottest part of the day. Air conditioners in Phoenix tend to break down in the middle of the summer and air conditioning companies tend to charge more on emergency calls.

A proper analysis of your home is the first step. Performing a load calculation and energy audit and finding issues and concerns you have allows us to design a system together that will improve comfort, energy bills and peace of mind.





Trane Current Rebate Promotion Details

1. Choose a complete heating and air conditioning system from Green ID.

2. We will electronically enter your information and SEER for units purchased into the Big Game contest site. ​

3. Then just “scratch” to reveal your savings!

To determine the appropriate trade-in allowance, Green ID will help determine specific qualifying systems tailored for your needs. Then, visit a secure online web address, www.tranebiggame.com, to electronically scratch and win. Savings will be revealed in one of the following categories:

• $25 off per SEER 
• $50 off per SEER 
• $75 off per SEER 
• $100 off per SEER 

​Your rebates will come off the top of your AC unit cost and we will submit all the paperwork on the back end. The Trane rebate savings are calculated by multiplying the SEER rating of your unit with the dollar amount of your scratch-off. For example: If you’re purchasing a unit with a SEER rating of 16 and you scratch off $75, your rebate. Savings are calculated by multiplying the SEER rating of your unit with the dollar amount of your scratch-off. For example: If you’re purchasing a unit with a SEER rating of 16 and you scratch off $75, your rebate will be $1,200 (16 x $75 = $1,200).

We are also offering 1,000 sq ft of blown R19 insulation to add on to Trane's promotion to help make your home even more energy efficient until the end of November.

0% Financing Available

0% financing for 48 months is available for qualifying Trane variable speed units or Green ID offers alternative financing for homeowners purchasing new AC systems.

There are incredible advancements in air conditioning in just the last few years. Read about the Trane XVi20 variable speed systems. If you notice rooms that are hard to cool in the summer or high energy bills, this is a great time to take advantage of Trane's specials and make your home comfortable and energy efficient. ​

Call Green ID at 602-926-1650 today to lock in your Trane rebates.

What is included in a AC check up?

AC systems account for more than 40% of our total energy bill in Phoenix area so it is essential that HVAC systems support a comfortable, healthy indoor environment and operate efficiently throughout their lifecycles. For Phoenix residents, an AC check up can be beneficial twice a year. Once during the Spring before the cooling season and once in the Fall, after the air conditioner has done all the heavy lifting for the summer before the heating season. The Spring tune up is important because to verify that the air conditioner will be ready and tuned up for the long summer stretch, where it is expected to run 6-8 hours in the summer.

Mechanical systems require routine monitoring, adjustments, periodic cleaning, and eventual replacement of components. Conducting regularly scheduled inspections, maintenance, and remediation of HVAC systems prolongs equipment efficiency, promotes healthy clean air, supports lower utility costs, guards against unexpected failures, and prolongs equipment life. Occupants and the environment will both benefit. ​

Every AC check up should include an air handler / furnace inspection

This means that your AC technician should be getting in the attic and you should see him with a ladder, tarp and tools. Too many AC companies do NOT go into the attic as part of their AC tune up and they should be. There are several important checks that need to be done in the attic and can’t be done from the outside condenser alone. A complete 31 point AC check up should tailored specifically for the Phoenix’s summers and dry winter and include…

1. Baseline measurements 

Thermostat set points, filter sizes, system type, system size, model and serial numbers, outside temperature, relative humidity are all standard measurements that help interpret our AC readings. Even in a hot dry climate like Phoenix, these readings can add valuable insight to help diagnosis HVAC problems waiting to happen.

2. Compressor amps ​ 

The compressor is the heart of the AC unit and is the most expensive part of the AC unit. It is well worth the investment to protect the compressor and ensure it runs smoothly by making sure the other AC components are also working properly. A high amp draw on the compressor can be a sign that something upstream or downstream from the compressor is out of whack and doesn’t necessarily mean the compressor needs to be replaced… although that is what most inexperienced technicians believe.

3. Compressor run capacitor, outdoor fan motor run capacitor and indoor motor run capacitor 

Capacitors hold and release energy that allow the compressor and fan motors to start. Common signs of bad capacitors are bulging, leaking fluid and burnt contacts at the capacitor and low or high electrical output. If you hear a humming sound at the compressor but it refuses to start, it’s a sign that a capacitor has gone bad. A weak run capacitor can significantly shorten the life of the HVAC system. A hard starting compressor, a compressor that is constantly short cycling or improperly sized ductwork can lead to an early capacitor failure.

4. Outdoor and indoor fan motor and blower motor amps Amperage is a measure of power being used by an electrical device, in this case an AC fan motor. 

When a motor is drawing more current than it was designed for, it will shorten its life and burn up the motor. Mechanical failures at the fan motor come from dry or worn bearings which over time which can start to show warning signs via a high amp draw on the fan motor. If the AC system is overcharged with refrigerant it may also cause the fan motor to go bad.

5. Fan blade and blower wheel balance A mismatched fan blade can adversely affect the performance of the unit, cause insufficient cooling and a high energy bill. 

A mismatched fan blade may have been installed on a hack job or if the AC fan blade or blower wheel was bent somehow it can throw off the balance of the fan or wheel. When a fan blade is imbalanced the outside condenser cannot get rid of enough heat to complete the refrigeration cycle and you may get an icing of the coils or you may notice your home not being able to cool as well as it used too. Same thing is true for the blower wheel balance

6. Start contactor 

An air conditioning contactor allows the unit to turn on and off like a switch. Common signs of bad contactors are burnt or corroded contact points and electrical outputs out of typical range which are typically caused from constant wear over time. Sometimes the contactor will “stick” close or not make good enough contact when pulled in because of pitting or debris.

7. Reversing valve and solenoid (heat pumps only) 

Reversing valves on heat pumps reverse the flow of refrigerant depending on the heating or cooling season.

A bad reversing value can often be confused with a bad compressor. A skilled technician will be able to diagnose which one is the problem. Reversing valves operate on pressure differences so depending on the refrigerant levels when the AC system is on, and what is does once it is shut off can tell us a lot about diagnosing any problems.

8. Low and high voltage electrical connections 

Poor high voltage connections at the bus bar, disconnect and into the AC units can also cause AC components to over-amp.

Over time initial weak electrical connections will shift with the expansion and contraction of the electrical heat and a simple tightening of the screws and keep current flowing at each components rated amps.

9. Super heat and sup cool refrigerant pressures 

Refrigerant pressures are often misread and taken improperly by inexperienced technicians which can lead to an improper diagnosis. AC units that do not have the proper refrigerant charge can be caused from refrigerant leaks, a bad reversing value, or from a previous tech adding too much refrigerant. Leak checks can be done by pressurizing the refrigerant lines with nitrogen, a Freon gas sniffer or soap bubbles if the tech cannot visually locate the leak.

10. Condensation pan 

Checking the secondary condensation drip pan is important even if little or no moisture is being pulled from the house because we can tell us there are hidden issues that happen to occur before or after our inspection. We look for standing water, rust in the pan or potential clogging issues. Signs of previous standing water in the secondary drip pan (the one you can see) mean that the primary drip pan is clogged or the level of the air handler / furnace is sloped wrong… and that is a bad thing. When the primary drip pan gets clogged it can mean the evaporator coils are getting rusted and the debris is caught in the PVC drain pipes. The solution can be as simple as flushing out the lines or the indoor coil may be on its last leg and ready for replacement.

11. Static pressure 

Static pressure measures the amount of restrictions in the ductwork and can tell us if the unit is drawing too much amps because of a bad duct design. Common causes of a high static pressure would be closing registers, bad duct designs, kinks or restrictions in the ductwork or stamped faced registers. Signs that your unit has a high static pressure are constant capacitor failures, high energy bills and hot rooms in the summer.

12. Ductwork 

If you have ductwork that is only sized for a 4 ton AC system, but you have a 5 ton unit in your attic, do you think you’re home will receive the full 5 tons of air? If the air distribution network can only handler 4 tons of air, or 1600 CFMs, even if you put a 6 ton system on all that’s going to be delivered is 4 tons of air. Checking for the proper duct size, restrictions and leaks should be a part of every AC contractors tune up checklist. Mismatched or leaky ductwork will lower the SEER on any unit so to ensure you are getting all that you paid for, make sure your ductwork is matched up correctly and sealed to deliver all cold air to your home you are paying for.

13. Insulation ​ 

Insulation is checked on AC inspections? Of course! A lack of insulation will allow the conditioned air that blows into the house to be lost like sand running through your fingers if your home is not properly insulated. If everything else in your tune up checks out OK, then we need to look past the unit to the insulation, ductwork, airflow and house leaks. Home performance is often neglected in AC check ups but should be integrated into every AC companies operations.

Where HVAC contractors fall short

You can find great heating and air conditioning contractors of all sizes. What makes a great HVAC contractor? Experience, caring about the quality of the work and good customer service are the magic ingredients that are easier said than done. Even if a AC contractor has all these ingredients that make up a great technician or contractor they probably do not have the experience or know how to solve home performance issues like the comfort problems or high energy bills. Many AC contractors default to adding a return in a hot room or blow and go (just blowing more insulation in the attic on top of whatever is existing) and it can leave homeowners short... not solving their comfort or efficiency issues. 

Lack of Home Performance Know-How 

Call it the Achilles heel of the HVAC industry but AC contractors have all but ignored home performance even though it has huge impacts on the effectiveness of new and existing AC units. Air conditioning contractors are getting pushed out of their comfort zone with home performance. Now not all AC contractors ignore the elephant in the room but many small and large AC companies do. How do we know this? When you perform over 2000 home energy audits you get to see all sorts of situations and get to fix all kinds of messes left over by HVAC contractors. Someone homeowners have trusted AC contractors who are highly recommended and put on a well deserved pedestal but talk to them about home performance, the HVAC poster child can turn into the jealous step sister Drazella and can end up making themselves look like fools. We have seen countless homes that have had "energy audits" done by HVAC contractors and who were supposed to have done home performance work including duct sealing, air barrier sealing, air sealing and insulation realignment. I was shocked to discover duct board put in the wrong location to create a thermal boundary in the attic and the AC contractor charged the customer for this! Their home performance work was done all wrong. 

Wrong Airflow Recommendations

Installing a new high efficiency air conditioner is only as good as the old ductwork that is in the attic. In older homes, air conditioning systems were designed to match the old HVAC system and have the opportunity to be upgrades with the new unit. Too many air conditioning contractors just consider the unit, and ignore the ductwork. If the ductwork is only sized for a 4 ton system, but you are putting a 5 ton AC system on, your home will home get 4 tons of air! In Phoenix, this happens way too often and it leads to comfort, air quality and high energy bill complaints. 

We've seen that air conditioning contractors typically love to add a return in a room when homeowners have a hot room in the summer time. We rarely see this work out as a good solution though, more often we are the ones getting calls from homeowners still having issues that are not fixed and AC contractors know just enough to make the problem worse but not enough to actually fix it. Proper airflow recommendations can fix a hot room, but it takes a whole home approach and the experience to know which recommendations to install.

For HVAC contractors 

This section is for air conditioning and heating contractors to help understand and practice home performance more proficiently. Just like it would be silly for homeowner to buy a set of gauges and interpret temperature/pressure charts without knowing what they are doing, without an understand of how a home works as a system, specific upgrades like insulation or ductwork sealing can be meaningless or worse, even harmful to a homeowner. To take it a step further, even if the owner of the company becomes BPI certified to do energy audits, an install crew that is used to doing new AC installs day in and day out, may be clueless as to how to create a proper thermal barrier in the attic, or how to run a room pressure test to measure the effects of air sealing a home. Without careful planning and oversight of a crew, their energy efficiency installation work can be a waste of a homeowners money. 

What commonly happens is that the AC contractor performs an energy audit with an agenda but their recommendations come out narrow and cookie cutter... they are the same for each house. Then the installation crew that does the work doesn't know how to do it properly or has too little oversight to correct mistakes as they occur and the work is done wrong. In the home performance, energy efficiency industry we have a saying that "99% right is 100% wrong" and it's critical that energy efficiency work gets done right the first time. Why? Well when you blow a bunch of insulation over bad work, it becomes hard to find the mistakes and we may never get a second chance to fix the contractors problems. 

Unless you are doing the work yourself, or can check it was done right before and after the insulation goes in, it's best not to get into home performance because you are likely hurting more customers than helping them. While there is no denying that home performance and heating and air conditioning are complimentary and should be done as pairs, home performance is a different animal entirely and requires staff dedicated to its success. That means if you decide to offer home performance upgrades, you'll need at least one dedicated staff to perform home energy audits, lead a crew to ensure the job is done correctly and set up systems and checks to ensure that it gets done right the first time. What systems and checks should you use? That answer is found from actually doing the field work and learning where the pitfalls are and where guys most often make mistakes or take shortcuts, find hiring a manager who has that experience. 

There is nothing wrong with offering to add another return to a hot room, or dabble in airflow recommendations but just realize that no one solution is likely going to solve your customers true issues like a whole home performance solution can.

Best Practices All Air Conditioning Companies Should Follow

What best practices does your company follow during my installation?

This single question posed to AC contractors can reveal a lot on how the company performs their installations.  You can trust and like your sales rep but if they don’t know or you get a blank stare as a initial response, you’re better off finding a contractor who is a little less polished but knows their installation crews.  In Phoenix your air conditioner replacement is the most important day of its life and you want to carefully screen any AC contractor that gives you replacement costs.

Experienced air conditioning contractors are good because they know where the hiccups occur during an air conditioner install and how to avoid them and they know what the most common call backs are and how to avoid them. Most of the time doing the right thing requires a little extra effort on their part during the AC install. For most AC contractors this is not the standard way of doing their installs and just like learning how to swing a golf club the correct way verses the easy way, it takes them out of their comfort zone and most would rather just skip doing the extra effort verses spending a little more time, effort and materials to do it right. 

You definitely want to hear an air conditioning contractor tell you they do the following:

1. Charge the system with the correct amount of refrigerant after installation. This is not factory settings as every system comes with refrigerant already charged it. Many contractors just leave the factory charge and do not bother adding any more or measuring to find out how much more is needed and this is a big problem. If the distance from your outside condenser to the inside air handler is more than 15 feet, your AC contractor should be adding more refrigerant as the manufacturers only add enough refrigerant for 15 feet of refrigerant line.

2. Size the unit according to what your home needs, not based on the square footage of the house alone. This requires a Manual J calculation on the house so you should see your contractor measuring your windows and actually going in your attic to measure the insulation. 

3. For package roof units, you want a side by side elbow, not a down draft and not a over-under aka twist elbow. This is a major no no that most AC contractors are guilty of not following. Down draft and over-under elbows are cheaper and easier to install and require less labor and materials but are NOT best for your energy bills, comfort and the life of your system. If your AC contractor is really stuck in their ways or really lazy, they will make up excuses on why down draft and over-under elbows are OK to install, they may even believe what they are saying is true but hold firm in your affirmation that you want a side by side elbow. 

4. They install supply and return plenums. A plenum is a transition between the ductwork and the unit. If your furnace or air handler is in the attic like most are in Phoenix, the plenum is likely a sheet metal box that has flex duct connecting into it and the other side is attached to the furnace. If your furnace or air handler is in the garage or closet, the return plenum is the framed box that it sits on and the supply plenum is the sheet metal on top. Plenums are important for proper airflow, allowing the unit to breath and mix air in the box before it hits the evaporator coils. They are not always included in the cost of an AC but should be. It is extra work to install them but every home should have them.

5. There are several other must-haves when requesting specifics during air conditioner bids but the list above are the basics to start you on the right foot. I would make sure all these things were done on my own home and you should too.  For a free quote on an air conditioner replacement cost and a list of our best practices call Green ID at (602) 926-1650 to speak with our comfort consultants.

What should I ask my HVAC contractor when getting AC bids?

What should you look for in an HVAC contractor in Phoenix? Getting your heating and cooling system replaced is a very important day and the right preparation on your part can add years of additional life to your unit with minimal repairs and great Air conditioner savings along the way. Get it wrong, and your air conditioner and heater will be plagued with emergency AC repairs, loud AC fan noises, bad capacitors and fan motors and an early death.



Unfortunately, according to the DOE more than half of new systems in U.S. homes do not perform to their rated efficiency as a result of improper installation. In fact, improper installation can reduce performance by as much as 30%. This not only affects your utility bills, but can lead to a variety of comfort problems, including insufficient cooling, dust from leaking ductwork, and poor air distribution. At Green ID, we tell our customers it doesn’t matter what manufacturer you go with for your HVAC system, the most important thing is how it’s installed that first day. Here is a reference guide to help choose the right heating and cooling contractor.

​Ask the following questions to each contractor:

1. What best practices does your company follow during my installation?

This single question posed to AC contractors can reveal a lot on how the company performs their installations. You can trust and like your sales rep but if they don’t know or you get a blank stare as a initial response, you’re better off finding a contractor who is a little less polished but knows their installation crews.

Experienced air conditioning contractors are good because they know where the hiccups occur during an air conditioner install and how to avoid them and they know what the most common call backs are and how to avoid them. Most of the time doing the right thing requires a little extra effort on their part during the AC install. For most AC contractors this is not the standard way of doing their installs and just like learning how to swing a golf club the correct way verses the easy way, it takes them out of their comfort zone and most would rather just skip doing the extra effort verses spending a little more time, effort and materials to do it right.

You definitely want to hear an air conditioning contractor tell you they do the following: 

a. Charge the system with the correct amount of refrigerant after installation.

This is not factory settings as every system comes with refrigerant already charged it. Many contractors just leave the factory charge and do not bother adding any more or measuring to find out how much more is needed and this is a big problem. If the distance from your outside condenser to the inside air handler is more than 15 feet, your AC contractor should be adding more refrigerant as the manufacturers only add enough refrigerant for 15 feet of refrigerant line.

b. Size the unit according to what your home needs, not based on the square footage of the house alone.

This requires a Manual J calculation on the house so you should see your contractor measuring your windows and actually going in your attic to measure the insulation.

c. For package roof units, you want a side by side elbow, not a down draft and not a over-under aka twist elbow.

This is a major no no that most AC contractors are guilty of not following. Down draft and over-under elbows are cheaper and easier to install and require less labor and materials but are NOT best for your energy bills, comfort and the life of your system. If your AC contractor is really stuck in their ways or really lazy, they will make up excuses on why down draft and over-under elbows are OK to install, they may even believe what they are saying is true but hold firm in your affirmation that you want a side by side elbow. Here's our list of reasons why a side by side elbow is better on package HVAC units in Phoenix.

d. Supply and return plenums

A plenum is a transition between the ductwork and the unit. If your furnace or air handler is in the attic like most are in Phoenix, the plenum is likely a sheet metal box that has flex duct connecting into it and the other side is attached to the furnace. If your furnace or air handler is in the garage or closet, the return plenum is the framed box that it sits on and the supply plenum is the sheet metal on top. Plenums are important for proper airflow, allowing the unit to breath and mix air in the box before it hits the evaporator coils. They are not always included in the cost of an AC but should be. It is extra work to install them but every home should have them. e. There are several other must-haves when requesting specifics during air conditioner bids but the list above are the basics to start you on the right foot. I would make sure all these things were done on my own home and you should too.

2. How will you determine the maximum system size that can be installed with my existing ductwork?

 I love this question because it immediately separates the true players from the fakes. It is a variant of the question of system sizing for the house and asking if the contractor performs a Manual J load calculation to verify the size of the unit. Here you are making sure your ductwork is going to be properly sized for the unit, which is just as important as matching the size of the unit correct to the house specifications (windows, insulation, duct leakage, sq ft, air leakage, etc). Having a 5 ton HVAC system with ductwork that can only handle 4 tons of air is a big problem and we see it all the time. It causes the HVAC system to work harder than it needs to, shortening the life of it’s components, comfort issues with hot and cold rooms, weak airflow, exaggerates ductwork leakage, and causes noisy systems.

The correct answer would be to measure the static pressure of the unit to see how well the air is moving in the and out of the ductwork before a new unit is installed. This will require your contractor to go in the attic (if your HVAC unit is located there) to measure and if you never see them go in the attic, you know that your static pressure was never measured. It is possible in many cases to increase the size of the ductwork to handle more airflow and that will be up to your HVAC company to determine. ​

To lower your energy bills, make your home more comfortable with less dust, you cannot rely on just changing the air conditioner and heater alone. Your contractor needs to consider the ductwork as well… and if they are really on their game they are going to talk about your insulation as well. Duct leaks and poor airflow to rooms are the major cause of comfort issues… it’s not having a dinosaur HVAC system. A new variable speed HVAC system is not a one-stop-shop to fixing those problems although some HVAC contractors may make it seem that way, resist the temptation to look at just the box.

3. Do you recommend and how much is it to install new refrigerant lines rather than reusing existing lines? ​

The answer you are looking for is “yes”, when switching from the old outlawed refrigerant R22 to the more environmentally friendly R410, we always recommend installing new refrigerant lines. The old R22 refrigerant is not compatible with the new R410 refrigerant, they don’t mix well together and you can ruin your compressor if the old R22 is not cleaned out of the refrigerant lines. Does it increase the cost? Yes, it will add to the cost but you are taking better care of your new unit now to have a worry-free system in the future. Changing out your existing refrigerant lines is labor intensive and copper lines are not cheap, but I like this question because it gives you an idea where in the ballpark this AC company falls in terms of best practice knowledge and actually caring for the quality of work or if they are just going for the sale.

4. Will you help me install my programmable thermostat?

It’s easy for HVAC installers to get used to just doing the installation routine without much customer interaction. However for a complicated AC system that costs thousands of dollars, it’s helpful to have a little explanation of your new unit and getting acquainted with all its nuisances soon after it’s up and running. This starts with the thermostat, the only interaction you’ll probably ever have with the entire system. Programmable thermostats can save money on your energy bills by setting the temperature up while you are away in the summer, similar to turning the lights off when you are not in the room. The smart thermostats of today can sense when you are away automatically raise the temperature up in an energy saving mode that you don’t have to think about. However, some thermostats are pretty complicated to navigate, change the settings, set up the wi fi and learn the functionalities. It can be like programming your VCR or the old digital watches, something we can put our attention to maybe once to try to program, then we just give up the rest of the year and just live with the factory settings the same as when we took it out of the box. Ask your AC company to agree to help you install and set up your programmable thermostat for easy additional comfort and savings.

5. How do you fix a hot room?

Whether you have a room that’s different temperatures than the rest of the house or not, this questions can tell you if your heating and cooling company is more on a cookie cutter path or takes a more customized approach. More and more heating and air conditioning contractors are defaulting to installing a new return in a hot room to help air circulate out of the room. It is true that you can never have enough returns in your home but it all depends on the best practices of the company. In our experience adding a return an help make a room more comfortable, but it’s subtle and won’t leave you feeling entirely satisfied. We have lots of feedback from our customers who had only returns installed, only additional supplies, and both additional supplies and returns and the results are not promising. ​

You can read our post on why rooms get so hot above a garage here to get an idea what truly causes comfort issues and the correct way to address them, but it is NOT by adding a return to a room (you’re welcome HVAC contractors).

6. When installing my ductwork connections, will you seal at all the duct seems first? ​

Proper heating and air conditioning installation has so much more to do with the ductwork than it HVAC contractors give it credit for. Again this question hints at a whole home approach to air conditioning installation. AC contractors that just consider the unit change out are leaving their customers short and are asking for a life time of AC problems. Early capacitor failures, bad fan motors and pitted contactors are signs that something else is going on in the attic outside of the actually unit that are causing early failure. Other signs the airflow and ductwork needs to be properly inspected are rooms that are different temperatures than the rest of the house, excessive dust and high energy bills. An air conditioning company may claim that this new high efficiency SEER 16 system is going to fix comfort and dust concerns but putting a high end AC unit on a badly designed duct system is like driving a Prius with a hole in the gas tank. It’s best to consider a whole home approach when replacing your air conditioner and start with a certified energy audit.

7. Will you test to confirm that duct leakage does not exceed recommended levels?

Testing for airflow and duct leaking is the only way to be sure if the work was done right. That test can be done with a blower door or duct blaster and is pictured here

Aerosealing is an effective way at sealing small holes in the ductwork but it will not seal anything greater than 1/8th of n inch. In many older homes, the ducts have a hole greater than an 1/8th of an inch so a manual seal is better suited and is what we at Green ID prefer because we apply our sealant on thicker and it our product has a longer lifespan than Aeroseal. Read more about Aersoealing and the bad wrap is has been getting here. ​ 

8. Will you confirm proper levels of refrigerant and airflow across the coil?

This last question is important because a typical HVAC contractor will say that the units come factory charged and that is enough the typical house. What they don’t tell you is that every manufacturer is different and many AC manufacturers have been chronically light on their factory refrigerant charge. This means that, yes, after every install the refrigerant levels should be measured and the proper amount needs to be weighed in to ensure the correct amount is put in the system from Day 1. A rule of thumb is if the refrigerant lines are longer than 15 feet, that is 15 feet from your outside condenser to the air handler in the attic, more refrigerant should be added.

Measuring airflow across the coil is important because you want to be sure you are getting the correct amount of airflow into the home. Air conditioning companies need to measure that all the air into the return is existing through the supplies and that it is the correct amount of airflow for the size of the unit. Most HVAC contractors will just install the box and forget about anything outside of it to the owners determent. When you purchase a new heating and cooling system, you expect high performance. Not all Phoenix HVAC contractors are the same. Ask the AC contractors bidding for your business if they follow ACCA Best Practice Guidelines or ENERGY STAR® Quality Installation Guidelines (www.energystar.gov/qispec) to ensure that you are not buying just a piece of equipment but a properly installed heating and cooling system that provides comfort and efficiency.