For as diverse as the "All-American City" is in
it’s housing types, we have found that most heating and cooling repairs in
Chandler homes all stem from a couple core problem areas. Even in newer Chandler homes, with subdivisions
seemingly popping up overnight in the 85248 and 85249 zip codes, you can bet
builders and AC contractors did not pay detailed attention to the quality of
their workmanship. In older Chandler neighborhoods
around Corona Del Sol like Twelve Oaks, College Park and Anderson Springs,
aging HVAC systems have notoriously common (and preventable) heating and
cooling problems. Here is our list of
the most common heating and air conditioning problems in the City of Chandler.
Heating Repair
Findings for Bungalow Style Homes in Chandler
Chandler bungalow homes were built in the 1980’s throughout
the 85224 and 85284 zip codes and includes the Twelve Oaks and Gila Springs
neighborhoods. The bungalow home is
characterized by vaulted ceilings in the main living area, plenty of windows
and natural sunlight and package heat pumps on the roof. Chandler homes south of Chandler Blvd and
between Kyrene and McClintock and some
along the 101 freeway are typically one to two stories, with partial
stucco or wood siding, have all electric package heat pumps on the roof and
have tight attic spaces. Green ID has
been performing heating and cooling repairs and replacements around these homes
since 2009 and find that these homes are plagues with undersized ductwork,
ductwork that has been outlawed in Arizona since 1990 and metal elbows that are
far too small for the unit they deliver air for. 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.
The best Chandler HVAC contractors will address home performance (not
radiant barrier) issues should be done by every heating and air
conditioning company during heating repairs, service and installation. No heating company in Chandler should be
talking about HVAC without addressing a complete home performance picture.
On homes with a package unit on the roof, do you
know it’s rare for a heating contractor in Chandler 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 Aersoeal UV lights and washable filters (the unnecessary products 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.
Heating Repair
Findings for Ranch Style Homes in Chandler
Ranch style homes in Chandler are characterized by long roof
lines and a heat pump package unit on the roof with a metal elbow built in the
1980s. Some Chandler homes have or used
to have evap coolers on the roof next to the main heating and cooling
system. 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 Chandler 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 hard the heating
system has to work. Think of driving a
Prius with a hole in the gas tank… that’s what is happening to homes all over Chandler
when heating and cooling systems are installed on a home with leaky ductwork,
low insulation and ductwork sized for a smaller unit.
Heating Repair
Findings on Stucco Spec Homes in Chandler
Chandler spec homes were built after 1990 and are homes
where the original homeowner had 3-5 model home choices to pick from. The builder would then pull out the plans for
the particular model chosen and build it as quickly and as cheaply as code
would allow. At Green ID we have a
saying that, “code is the worst you can legally build a home,” that is exactly
what builders and HVAC companies did in these spec homes. Chandler stucco homes vary widely in size and
layouts depending on each home builder.
The HVAC air handler systems are most commonly located in the attic but
are also found in garages and air handler closets inside the house.
Most of these homes are found in Chandler zip codes of 85225,
85526, 85286, 85248 and 85249. These
homes, while the code for insulation increased to R30, may be insulated with
the wrong type of insulation if it was done with fiberglass batts. What?
The Pink Panther type of insulation?
Yes, like Joe Camel the Pink Panther is not your friend here. All these type of homes in Chandler have flex ductwork, which is super easy to
install that little to no skill or training is required, so what happened is
that best practices went out the window and are still long forgotten by Arizona
heating and cooling companies. This means that the average Chandler homeowner will have to run their heating
and cooling system longer, their energy bills are going to be higher than they
should be and the HVAC system will have to be replaced sooner.
Heating Problems and Repair
Solutions for Heat Pumps and Furnaces for Newer Chandler Homes Built After 2000
in 85248 and 85249 Zip Codes
Even though Arizona builders and HVAC contractors are forced
to build better through stricter codes, we often find that even newer homes
have their own set of heating and cooling problems. After 1990, Chandler HVAC contractors stopped
using sheet metal ductwork and started using 100% flex ductwork. Flex ductwork is easy to install, in fact
anyone can install it. Because anyone
can install it, the best practices for airflow and duct design have almost all
been long forgotten by installers, technicians and sales reps in the heating
and cooling industry. Some of the best
practices for airflow are common sense things like a duct doubling back on
itself or a kinked duct across a roof truss is bad for airflow. Other things like how to route the flex duct
off a plenum are more subtle.
Heating and air conditioning systems in newer Chandler homes
in the 85248 and 85249 zip codes with the newer refrigerant R410A are probably
not charged correctly either. SRP estimates that 60% of the HVAC units installed after 2005 were never charged
properly with the correct amount of refrigerant. Over and undercharging a system can cause
comfort problems in the home, high energy bills, shorten the life of the unit
and lead to costly repairs much faster
than expected. Newer Chandler homes that
are 3000 sq ft or more are particularly prone to refrigerant charging problems
because of the long distance from the outside condenser to the attic air
handler.
Symptoms of a Broken
Heater in Chandler
Have you experienced these common symptoms in the winter?
- Your heater is blowing cold air
- Your heater or fan never shuts off and runs constantly
- The heater never turns on
- The heater runs for 5 seconds then shuts off
- 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 Heating
and Cooling Problems Around Chandler Homes
Common heater problems in Chandler homes are
listed below:
- 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 Chandler 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.
- 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 Chandler 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.
- 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. To add insult to injury, most Chandler homes are grossly under insulated (insulation code was 6” in the 1980’s).
- 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
and Air Conditioning Problems in Chandler 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 Chandler 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.
