Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair and Home Energy Audits Blog

Monday, November 13, 2017

4 Energy-Saving Tips to Illuminate Your Lighting Habits

Saving money and energy by only changing your lighting? Sounds like a bright idea to me! Energy efficient lighting is one of the easiest ways to save money on your energy bills. Here are some ideas to save money more than just changing out incandescent bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs.

You might think that something so small in your home, which uses so much less energy than, say, your AC unit, might not make a difference. If that’s your thought, let me illuminate you: lighting is one of the easiest ways to save energy, with the most immediate results. Even if you’re not paying much just to light your home, waste is waste, so let me bring a few ideas out of the shadows and into the light:

Firstly, keep your lamps (and even your other appliances!) away from the thermostat. Every thermostat has a sensor so that it can tell how warm the room is, and whether it needs to be running the air conditioning. If the sensor is too close to a warm lamp, the sensor will pick up on its warmth and run the AC longer than necessary.

Lamp placement can help save energy in other ways, too. For instance, try putting a lamp in the corner of the room. A lamp placed against a single wall only has one surface to reflect light off of, but placed against two walls, your lamp reflects twice the amount of light. This makes your lamp appear even brighter than normal, and offers an opportunity to use a lower wattage bulb for the same amount of light.

Speaking of lower wattage bulbs, another idea is to replace your lesser-used light bulbs with a lower wattage. While you do this, you can also upgrade your most used lights with an energy efficient bulb.

Keeping your lights on a timer helps you keep your energy use on a regular schedule, while a motion sensor attached to your lights allows you to make sure you are only keeping lights on when you need them, instead of when you forget about them.

Who would've thought you could do so many different things to save energy from just your lights? At Green ID, we can help your energy efficiency shine bright with a home energy audit. Don't be in the dark about your home's energy waste, call us at (602) 926-1650 today!

Want to convert your garage into a man cave? Here are some practical ideas.

Converting a garage into livable space takes some planning but is well worth the effort. A carefully planned mancave doesn't have to break the bank either and can become a hangout haven for everyone.

Start with an idea

Have you been looking for a place to display a sports or hobby collection, or maybe you are just looking for a place you can call your own to unwind, or would you like a media and entertainment center to watch your favorite movies? Draw your layout of the room on graph paper. Typical garages are about 20' x 20', give or take. Plan where you will hang your cool collections, watch TV and sit and draw lighting, electrical, cable and plumbing plans around the design. You may find you run out of space and have to rework the design based on the layout of the garage.

We can't help you on the design, but here are the essentials you need to do to create a comfortable, functional and low cost man cave.

1. Insulate the walls

No, you don’t have to remove the drywall to insulate the walls, a simple drill and fill is all that is needed. A drill and fill method is easily done from the inside of the home where a two to three two inch holes per stud will be drilled and the wall cavity backfilled with cellulose insulation. Cellulose insulation has a higher R-value per inch then loose fill fiberglass. Because it is loose fill, it will fit around the electrical boxes, plumbing vents and electrical outlets. The holes are replaced with a foam plug by the insulation contractor. Garage door slots can be filled with 2" foam board reflective insulation and/or insulated and drywalled right over, taking away about 6" of space from the wall.

2. Insulate the ceilings

Here in Phoenix our attached garages are not insulated when our homes are built but if you are from back east or the Midwest most attached garages are insulated. Why? Well the temperature swings in cold climates are much more dramatic than here, even in the desert. In Chicago, for example they go from 0 degrees outside to 65 degrees inside, a change of 65 degrees. In Phoenix, we go from 110 degrees outside to 75 degrees inside, a change of only 35 degrees. That difference and also because sub-freezing temperatures are much more damaging than super hot temperatures, makes the difference when insulating attached garages in Phoenix. An R-38 or 12 inches of blown insulation is recommended for an attached garage.

3. Add ducting or a minisplit

You will need to take a look at your air conditioners size if you want to add more ducting to the garage for this upgrade. If your system is oversized, it will actually work to your benefit here where you can use the extra cooling capacity to help cool the garage. A rule of thumb is 1 ton of cooling capacity satisfies 400 sq ft. An energy efficient homes can stretch that ratio out to about 600 sq ft per ton. The location and size of the ductwork is also important and a function of your main home size, HVAC system size and airflow. Another alternative is to add a minisplit ductless AC system to cool the garage. These mini splits are great because they have no ductwork and potential for duct leakage. They can be framed into an external wall and can only be used when needed, helping to save energy.

4. Radiant barrier above the garage to keep the heat out

A radiant barrier will help keep the garage cool in the summer time and should be stapled along the roof truss not laid on top of the insulation. The reason is that once a radiant barrier gathers a layer of dust, it is totally ineffective. That is why radiant barrier chips or radiant barrier laid on the insulation do not work.

5. Electrical, cable and fiber lines

Plan where you will need electrical outlets, overhead lighting and light switches for electrical runs. Have an electrician check if your sub panel has enough space for the additional loads. Smurf tubes with a looped rope are convenient if you think you may need to add more cables like cable or power cords through the walls. Plan the location of your TV and if you will need an internet connection and their location. To minimize work, try to keep your major plumbing and electrical on the shared wall to the main house. Watch only movies or what can be accessed through the internet via a smart TV or a game console may not warrant the need for cable lines to be run.

6. Plumbing

If you plan on having a separate bathroom, wet bar or kitchen area, try keeping it close to your existing home. If your existing water lines run under the slab, a plumber will have to find a manifold behind the common wall and run new lines through the attic of even through the wall. If you have an existing laundry room or bathroom against that common wall, you can tap into the drain for new plumbing if you are planning on having a bathroom or kitchen sink.

7. Drywall

You may need to relocate the attic hatch to a new storage closet along the wall of the main house to conceal the existing attic hatch if it's in the middle of the garage. Usually 5-6 feet of length is taken off of the garage area and sectioned off into a bathroom, bar area, storage closet with the attic hatch, and a media cabinet.

8. Flooring

Since most garages are concrete slabs, you want to make sure it's not post-tension before hammering it up. If you plan on using your garage more as a work space, a coating of acrylic paint can transform the room by itself. If you plan on using the man cave more as living space, a sub floor base is essential just like the main part of the home.

Cool man cave ideas and links
http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/poker-man-cave/42441.html

Man Cave Club http://www.mancavesite.org/

Those are the essentials, next step is to decorate, get a 70" flat screen or movie projector and a comfort chair to kick back in. When done right, a man cave doesn't have to break the bank or drive your energy bills through the roof. For help with HVAC, duct design and insulation needs, contact Green ID to schedule your free assessment.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Want to convert your garage into a man cave? Here are some practical ideas.

Homes On The Market Should Be Getting Energy Audits

For $99, you can add an energy audit to the inspection of your possible new home or to the home that you’re selling. Whether you’re buying or selling, having an energy audit done on the home can save buyers thousands of dollars in future operating costs or identify just how efficient the home is. Energy audits do this by pinpointing features of the house that need corrections that would improve the energy efficiency of the home. By finding these features, it can let you know that the home is either and energy guzzler or a sustainable home.

Energy audits have been around for quite some time now but they are still not utilized in the real estate field. According to HERS, almost all energy audits are done on new homes instead of existing/resold homes. This is unfortunate because knowing the energy status of a home can affect the overall pricing of the home. After having an audit completed many buyers say: lower the price, fix the problems or I’m not buying. But as a seller, showing that you have an efficient home can be a selling point.

So, in a world where energy efficiency is a growing concern, where energy costs are high on the list of ongoing expenses, and where energy upgrades pay for themselves in bill savings, why aren’t more energy audits performed on houses being sold? Neither buyers nor sellers ask! Sellers want to avoid giving purchasers a reason to make lower offers or demand repairs before closing and buyers may simply not know that there’s another option. It isn’t recommended to most buyers.

On the contrary to what most think though, having an energy audit done on the home, or making energy upgrades to the home, can help sell houses. If a home is proven to be more energy efficient it’s more desirable and if it isn’t, buyers feel comfortable in knowing what exactly they’re going to get.

Green ID is one of the top energy auditors in Arizona. We offer competent, experienced, certified auditors and a comprehensive report once the audit is completed. You can find Green ID at YourGreenID.com or by contacting us at (602) 926-1650.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Is Insulating Your Garage A Good Idea?

We often get questions, normally in Arizona’s peak summer/winter seasons, about garage insulation. “Will insulating my garage make it more comfortable?” “Will adding insulation to my garage save me money?” “Is it worth it?”

Here at Green ID, we typically tell people that adding insulation to your garage is an unnecessary home upgrade. Adding insulation to your garage will not save you money on bills. Of course, if you have rooms bordering your garage or above it then that garage wall should be insulated. Insulating the wall that separates the room and the garage will protect that room from being effected by the garage’s temperature.
If insulating your garage is more about comfort and less about savings then we completely encourage it! If you’re one of those people who enjoys working in the garage then insulating the space might be a good idea. Insulating the garage will help you keep the warm or cool air inside without it escaping and being influenced by the outdoor temperature. Just be aware that that tempered air will escape immediately when the garage door is opened.

Some homeowners will insulate their garages during construction because they know that they’d eventually like to turn it into a bedroom years down the road. This is a fine idea as long as you’re using insulation that will not deplete over time like microfiber or spray foam.

http://www.greenintegrateddesign.com/blog/is-insulating-your-garage-a-good-idea

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

How To Save Energy In Your Kitchen!

Whether you spend every night in the kitchen making dinner or its main use is warming up left overs, these tips can help you cut down your spending and energy use in the kitchen.

Pots, Pans, and dishes
Using a warped pan to cook can be an energy sucker. Using a warped pot to boil water can take longer and use 50% more energy! Not only does the state of the cookware matter but the material matters as well. Using a copper bottomed pan will cut the time of cooking down; they heat up much faster than some of the other options. Also, when using the oven it’s better to use glass or ceramic dishes rather than metal. If you use a metal dish you’ll need to turn your oven at least 25 degrees up to be finished cooking in the same about of time as you would with a glass dish.

Make leftovers
If you can, make double portions! You can freeze the extras and save them for later. It takes a lot less energy to reheat than it does to cook a meal twice.

Appliances
Trust me, when it comes to energy use, not all appliances are equal. Upgrading your appliances would be a great first step to lower your long term spending in the kitchen. Although the initial cost may be high, this change will make the biggest impact on your energy bills and has the potential to slash your spending. Aim for investing in energy star appliances because you’re guaranteed that they are the most energy efficient.

A convention is always preferred over a standard oven. Because the heated air is constantly circulating the temperature and cook time can both decrease. Making the switch to a convention oven, on average, will lower your ovens energy use by 20%.

Self-cleaning ovens are ideal because they’re built with better insulation.

Your burner pans
You know the metal bowl underneath the coil stove burners that catch water and crumbs while you’re cooking? Those are burner pans. Keeping your burner pans is crucial and so easy. Those pans are not meant just to catch whatever is overflowing your pots; they’re supposed to be a reflective surface! That surface reflects heat up to the cookware and helps your stove work more efficiently.

Fix that leaky faucet
A leaky faucet, though it seems only small and annoying, can really add up! A faucet that drips once a second can waste up to 1,661 gallons of water each year! Not only is that a complete waste of water, it can cost you up to $35 in electricity and gas.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

It's the Little Things: 5 Small Energy Saving Tips

The energy efficiency of your house depends on all kinds of different factors, from replacing your ductwork system to turning off the lights when you leave the room. Even if you have all the big stuff covered, that doesn’t mean you get to slack off when it comes to using energy-saving habits. Remember: Every bit counts. Even if it doesn’t seem like much, each step you take still adds to a more energy efficient home and lifestyle.

Unplug vampire appliances-

While this is not an unknown way to save energy, it’s pretty easily forgotten.
Energy vampires are appliances that don’t turn off. They either remain on “stand-by” mode or they simply stay on, but regardless, they suck out energy continuously from the lifeblood of your house. Hence the "energy vampires" name.
Use smart power strips, which will turn off those pesky appliances for you by shutting down anything that goes into standby mode. You can also simply turn them off, or group them onto regular power strips for an easier time turning them off.

Keep doors open-

When you keep doors in your house closed, it causes the air pressure to increase, which can possibly lead to your precious conditioned air to be sucked through any existing leaks into the attic, or even outside.
This is an easy fix: keep your doors open! Your house will have a single air pressure throughout and you won't lose your cold air.

Change the thermostat-

A programmable thermostat saves energy by allowing you to control the temperature remotely, and by adjusting the temperature by itself throughout the day in order to use the least amount of energy required. Some are advanced enough to learn your habits and adjust accordingly all on its own.
If your thermostat has a “vacation” setting, use it! Only keep your thermostat on when you need it.
Even if a programmable thermostat isn’t an option for you, there’s still something you can do- keep this rule in mind: it is better to set the temperature higher during the day while you’re gone and bring it back down in the evenings when you need it than to consistently keep it cool.

How you do laundry-

Use cold water in your loads- almost all of the energy required to do your laundry is just from heating up the water.
Wash only full loads.
Only run the dryer for as long as necessary. Even running it a seemingly small extra 10 or 15 minutes wastes a significant amount of energy. Try to stop it from running as soon as your clothes are completely dry- and drying full loads should help with this too.

Ceiling fan details-

Your ceiling fan should spin counter-clockwise, especially in summer. This will create a cooling, "wind chill" effect, as opposed to letting it run clockwise, which will cause the fan to recirculate warm air (which you might want in the winter, so don't forget where the direction switch is!).
This will allow you to cool down a bit without touching the thermostat.

http://www.greenintegrateddesign.com/blog/its-the-little-things-5-small-energy-saving-tips