Going Somewhere this Summer? Save Energy While You're Gone.

It's that time of year again. Beaches, barbecues, road trips, and more! If you're going on vacation this summer (or you're a snowbird), make sure you follow these 5 tips to save on energy while you're gone.

TIP 1: Turn up the thermostat! You've likely heard this one before, but it's still an important tip. Keep it at around 90 degrees. Warm enough to save energy on your AC, but cool enough to be able to come home to a livable house.

TIP 2: Turn off the water heater. It's not like you'll be using it! You can choose to either completely shut it off, or if there's a vacation setting, feel free to use it.

TIP 3: Get rid of your energy vampires. It's not Halloween yet, but there are still vampires lurking around in the shadows of your house. Your electronics! Again, you're not going to use them, so keeping them plugged in is just a waste.

TIP 4: Keep water around. Bottle up some gallons of water and place them around the house for when it gets too dry.

TIP 5: Cover up those windows. Your windows are a major source of heat gain in your house, so just by covering them up, you'll be saving a ton of energy. A window shade screen works best, but any kind of shading will do.

​Safe travels, everyone!

Comfort & Payback in Your Home

Making green upgrades to your home can majorly increase your comfort. Unfortunately, comfort and quick paybacks don’t always go hand in hand. Upgrades like window replacements, garage insulation and increasing insulation levels to assure they’re up to the R-38 standard, are all upgrades where the most cost effective solution may not align with your lifestyle conditions. For example, replacing single pane windows in good condition is not cost-effective but the price paid for one south or west-facing window may be well worth the cost if it cools down a hot office or reduces traffic noise at night. It’s clear that in some situations the lifestyle conditions may outweigh the cost or payback of upgrades.

Insulation changes are another popular upgrade that homeowners choose to make. Adding insulation can often times give homeowners greater temperature control in their home but not every home is the same in terms of insulation. If a home has already met a R-38 Energy Star standard adding more may still save you money on utilities but only by a small margin opposed to adding insulation to an aged home where the insulation has sank. In the later example the upgrade would most likely save the home owners much more on their utility bills. Often the more important issue is finding out how the insulation installed.  A 5% defect in the installation will cut the R-value (its effectiveness) by 50%.

All considerations for upgrades can be discussed with an energy auditor who will give you their professional and unbiased opinion of the most cost effective upgrades you can be making in your home. It’s important to get a professional opinion when making investments that could save you money and increase your comfort. 

What is an Energy Audit?

Energy audits in Arizona are done to identify energy saving opportunities for home owners who want to lower their monthly bills, who are unsure what energy saving upgrades would be best for their home, who want to improve their health by cutting down on allergens and pollutants coming from the outdoors, and home owners who want an unbiased energy analysis and recommendations.

​An auditor will analyze your energy consumption and home performance by inspecting the layout of the home, its thermal envelope, air flow, and air leakage. This 41-point home energy audit will take into consideration any large appliances in the home as well as lifestyle factors when putting together your final report. This report put together by Green ID’s home-as-a-system inspection is a unique comprehensive action plan for how you can reduce the energy action in your home. This report will outline beneficial upgrades for your home, estimated costs, and payback periods.

Having a home energy audit can help with a variety of problems that you may be experiencing in your home whether it be hot/cold rooms, abnormally high energy bills, low air flow, noise control issues, and drafty rooms. Getting an energy audit can improve almost any home’s energy consumption unless it was designed specifically for energy efficiency.

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful... But my Cool House Feels Delightful!

Well, it's certainly not snowing here in Phoenix around this time of summer. With our infamous heat and unrelenting sunlight, our air conditioners are working overtime just to keep our homes at a livable temperature. That also means it's that time of year when you're probably spending a ton of money on your energy bills. If only there was anything that could be done...

Oh, wait! There is. A huge reason for heat gain in your home is the windows, which are always the least insulated part of any home. Think about all the houses you pass by every day with windows directly in the sun's rays, and no or minimal shading and covering. What a terrible fate! These people must be spending a small fortune to cool their house! 

Or maybe you see your neighbors with all kinds of window treatments! Some neighbors might have awnings. Some might have sun shades. Some might just have some shady trees or vines! Great! But how do you know where to go with all these options?

Well, luckily, here's a list of some window treatments that will help curb your heat gain... And, by extension, lower those bills, and make it easier on your AC unit, too! Feels a bit like Christmas in July, right?

Can I Use Spray Foam Insulation In My Cement Block Home?

So you’ve heard about spray foam insulation, but you live in a block home. This makes you wonder, is it even possible to have spray foam in a cement block home? What about in an older home?
​
The answer is YES!

The ideal way to install spray foam insulation in a cement block home is during construction. This allows our professional installers direct access to the empty concrete block cells that will be filled with the spray foam product.

However, even after construction is finished, or during a remodel or retrofit of an older home, we can get foam insulation into a block wall by drilling a series of holes near the top of the wall and filling the wall one vertical cell at a time.

Working from the inside face (or the surface most likely to be covered with a finish), contractors drill 5/8-inch or 7/8-inch holes into the face of the blocks about 4 feet up from the floor to fit an injection tube running from a “mixer” that combines a non-toxic liquid resin, a foaming agent, and air.

Once the foam starts to seep through the injection holes (indicating a full cavity encompassing several blocks), the process is repeated along the length of the wall every 4 feet, and then again along the top of the wall about a foot short of its full height.
Here is how that works: as one cell fills up, the foam will start to exit from the hole in the adjoining cell, signaling the installer to move the hose to the next cell and seal the hole that was just filled. One vertical cell is filled at a time, until the entire block wall is full of foam insulation.

Another option would be to fur out an interior wall with wood or steel studs and spray the foam directly into place over the face of the block wall and in between the studs. Be advised, this option would imply added material costs in the form of studs, sheetrock, etc…and it would result in a slight – although measurable – loss of interior square footage.

These are only two examples of how spray foam insulation can be retro-fitted to existing concrete structures. Spray foam is a highly adaptable material, and it can be used on nearly any project.

Here at Green ID, we have the needed experience and expertise to assist you with all of your insulation needs!

If you have any questions or concerns about whether our spray foam products can be used at your home, call us at (602) 926-1650.

There’s a huge attraction toward solar panels for a reason. The source of “free energy” has been growing in popularity because solar power is a great way to reduce not only your energy bills but also your carbon footprint. Although this energy alternative is definitely something to keep in mind, it’s important to fully consider this investment. Rebates are available for solar through SRP and APS, but the cost alone for having solar installed on your home can cost owners up to $9 per watt, meaning that a 5,000 W system could run you $35,000, and that’s just for installation!

​The truth is that, although solar energy use is a great advancement on homes and definitely something to consider, there are more cost effective methods to cutting down your carbon footprint and saving money on your energy bill.

Cutting down energy consumption is an important first step whether you decide to invest in solar power for your home or not.  At Green ID, we say reduce before you produce.  Reducing your energy use by keeping warmed and conditioned air inside through correct insulation of the walls and roof, and also by making sure your heating and cooling systems are working properly. This will put you in a much better position to use renewable energy if you choose to go that route. This is because by reducing your energy consumption, your home will require a smaller PV system.  Cutting down your energy consumption before the instillation of solar panels will not only lower your current energy bills, but also will lower your overall cost of installing and purchasing solar panels because you will require a smaller unit.  For each kW you reduce could save you about $500 upfront cost when investing in solar panels.

Home energy audits are the best way to learn where your whole home can save on energy.  You wouldn’t get a heart transplant without first making sure you absolutely needed one and in the same way, a home energy audit would be the diagnostic testing of your home. Will solar energy help reduce your energy bills no matter what? Yes, of course it will, but putting solar panels on an inefficient home is like driving a Prius with a hole in the gas tank!

The Department of Energy put together a video explaining what an energy audit includes, and you can also view a checklist of what an energy audit includes here.

Although solar panels may be the right move for you and your home, first consider that it may not be the right first move. It’s important to make improvements on what you already have existing so that you’re cutting back on energy consumption and cost both initially and long term.

http://www.greenintegrateddesign.com/blog/alternatives-to-solar-panels

Heating Problems and Repair Solutions For Heat Pumps and Furnaces For Chandler Homes

Heating Problems and Repair Solutions For Heat Pumps and Furnaces For Chandler Homes

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.

Air Conditioning 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 air conditioning repairs, service and installation.  No air conditioning 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 an air conditioning contractor in Chandler to go into the attic at all during a maintenance inspection, air conditioning tune up or an air conditioning service call?  Air conditioning contractors need to focus more on the whole-home and less on the bells and whistles of air conditioning 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.  

Air Conditioning 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 air conditioning systems go bad not because the units are old, but because the components around the air conditioning system are bad.  The components that deliver the air, the ductwork is very important to how hard the air conditioning 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. 

 Air Conditioning 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.

Air Conditioning 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 Air Conditioner in Chandler

Have you experienced these common symptoms in the winter?

• Your air conditioner is blowing cold air 
• Your air conditioner or fan never shuts off and runs constantly
•  The air conditioner never turns on
• The air conditioner runs for 5 seconds then shuts off
• The thermostat doesn’t turn on

All these air conditioning 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 air conditioner problems in Chandler homes 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 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.

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 Chandler homes were built with round rigid ductwork has was too small for the existing HVAC system.  Next time your air conditioner 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.  To add insult to injury, most Chandler homes are grossly under insulated (insulation code was 6” in the 1980’s). 

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 air conditioners if you notice the air conditioner is not working.

What Causes the Most Heating and Air Conditioning Problems in Chandler Homes? 

The answer is not the air conditioning units themselves, it’s the other components of the home that cause the air conditioning 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 air conditioning 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.