<![CDATA[Specializing in Solar and Home Performance Solutions

<![CDATA[Specializing in Solar and Home Performance Solutions - Blog]]>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 09:03:31 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Easy Ways Lower Your A/C Bill]]>Mon, 25 Jun 2018 20:56:17 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/easy-ways-lower-your-ac-bill

In Phoenix, air conditioning accounts for about 60% of your home’s electricity costs. In some cases during the summer, energy bills will double because of the A/C use. To combat these outrageous energy prices, most Phoenix homeowners will switch to the APS and SRP time of use plan. On this plan most will only do laundry at night and will set the thermostat up during the day. Here are seven ways you can save on A/C costs without spending thousands of dollars upgrading your A/C unit to a high efficiency unit.

Leave Your Doors Open
Your interior doors of course! Phoenix air conditioning companies have spread a lot of false information out there about closing your vents and doors. You want all the interior doors open or at least cracked to help circulate air back to the return. If you notice the doors close by themselves when the heat or air conditioning comes on or dust streaks around the door trim that is a sign the air is getting trapped inside the room when the doors are closed. Why is closing your interiors a bad thing to do? The air gets traps inside the room, and like blowing air into a bottle, you can't force any more air in until you let some out. It can be like putting a blocker in the ductwork that the airflow cannot get past. This makes the room uncomfortable and it makes the heating and AC system work a lot harder trying to overcome the build up pressure in the ductwork. It's a good idea to install a jump duct passive return or an active return in each room to help circulate the air out. If you leave your interior doors open, the air will circulate out on it's own but we say you can never have enough returns.

Seal the Ductwork
Around Phoenix, most homes are losing between 20% and 30% of their conditioned air in their attic. If 60% of your energy bill is coming from your use of A/C in the summer and 20% of your conditioned air isn’t making in to the actual rooms then you can see how that can add up to quite a bit- especially over 5 or 10 years!

Some HVAC contractors don’t seal the ductwork on new, high efficiency air conditioners which is like driving a Prius with a hole in the gas tank. Sealing your HVAC ductwork not only saves money on your heating and cooling bills, it brings less dust in the home too.

Air Seal Your Home
Sealing your home, especially around exterior doors, electrical and plumbing penetrations, and exhaust fans will keep your conditioned air inside and the outside air outside. Chances are, when your house was built, subcontractors ran wires and plumbing vents through holes in the wall that are much bigger than the wires themselves. That extra space around the wires can let your expensive, air-conditioned air leak outside—and invite hot, summer air inside. This leads to heat gain quickly and makes your A/C unit work harder and more often.

Install Shade Screens
Shade screens block up to 90% of the sun’s conductive heat while still allowing sunlight in. Windows account from more than half of your homes heat gain because they have no insulation value and are (obviously) transparent.

If you’ve been holding back on shade screens because you don’t like the way they look, shop around! There are a lot of discrete designs that are coming out. Or, take them off in the winter! Shade screens are typically clipped onto the frame and can be very easily removed after the summer is over.

Increase Your Insulation’s R-value
Are you even surprised that Phoenix attics get really hot during the summer? The temperature difference between the attic and the house can be a major contributor to high A/C costs. Having the insulation up to R-38 can protect your home from taking on the heat from your attic and make sure it’s not taking a toll on your bill.

Make Sure There’s No Connection Between Your Garage and Your House
This is one of the lesser known causes of high energy bills and is surprisingly common in houses in Glendale, Tempe, Scottsdale and Gilbert. Like the attic, the garage gets very hot during the summer. Temperature differences are one of the main drivers of heat gain and having a direct connection to that is like filling a pool with a slash in the liner. While running a blower door test our energy auditors can test and find connections from the garage to the house and let you know if it's worth sealing. If you have an attic hatch in the garage, the changes of having a connection greatly increase in our experience. Sometimes we can see right into the bathroom walls and floor cavity! The difference can be night and day when this is fixed... it pains me just thinking about the waste!

Annual A/C Unit Tune Up
The most important aspect to this tip is that the tune ups are done by a trusted, experienced, and reliable contractor. I personally know that finding a reliable HVAC contractor can be difficult. Just because your friend is in the air conditioning business does not necessarily mean that they will do a good job. I have been in too many homes where an AC contractor and friend installed a new unit and cut way too many corners simply because that’s the way they’ve been doing it for the last 20 years. After that’s done, fixing any of their work is much more difficult.

Here’s an easy test that you can do yourself to see if you’re paying too much for your A/C. With the A/C on, close a bedroom door. Place your hand under the door to see if you can feel air coming out of the room. If you feel air coming out then your room pressures are unbalanced and you are probably paying too much for your A/C. Have an APS or SRP Home Energy Auditor do a home performance assessment to actually measure the pressure in each room to determine if correction is needed.

Following these tips are a great first step to lowering your bills and taking control of your A/C use. For other ways to save money on your utility bills, be sure to check out our past articles and get up to speed on APS and SRP energy audits for your home. Feel free to call Green ID for more information or schedule your energy audit.

]]><![CDATA[What is a hard start kit and does it help my air conditioner?]]>Mon, 09 Apr 2018 18:10:48 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/what-is-a-hard-start-kit-and-does-it-help-my-air-conditionerYou may have heard your AC technician talk about installing a hard start kit on your HVAC unit and dismissed it as an unnecessary add on. Are hard start kits a scam? The truth is that hard start kits actually help your heating and cooling unit, unlike some HVAC products. The problem is that most AC technicians aren't educated enough or understand how they work.

Hard start kits work to protect the heart of your heating and cooling unit, the compressor. The compressor is like the heart of your AC system, pumping out refrigerant at a high enough pressure for it to work its magic and keep us comfortable. Every time the compressor starts, it has to move a large amount of refrigerant through the system. The defect with all lower efficiency AC units is when they turn on the compressor has to work extra hard to start. Imagine riding a bike up a hill, once you are moving, to keep moving isn't too hard but starting from a dead stop takes a lot more effort. That's what's happening every time our air conditioners turn on, they are starting from a dead stop and it wears down the compressors. The hard start kit gives the compressor a friendly push from behind on every start so it doesn't have to work as much, and saves the compressor over time. It allows the compressor to start faster and takes less energy to operate.

Replacing a compressor isn't cheap and can be the most expensive replacement short of replacing your entire system. By taking care of it during its life, you will extend the life of your heating and cooling system and lower your energy bills along the way. A hard start kit with a good run capacitor can reduce the inrush of energy usage by as much as 50%! Keeping the heart of your heating and cooling unit protected also protects the other components as well which leads to less maintenance down the road. The more an AC technician understands about your system the more efficiently it can potentially operate.
]]><![CDATA[Air sealing your home for the winter]]>Fri, 22 Dec 2017 20:19:37 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/air-sealing-your-home-for-the-winter

Air that leaks through your home’s envelope – the outer walls, windows, doors, and other openings – wastes a lot of energy and increases your energy costs. A well-sealed envelope, coupled with the right amount of insulation, can make a real difference on your utility bills. Reducing the amount of air that leaks in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, improve durability, increase comfort, and create a healthier indoor environment. Caulking and weatherstripping are two simple and effective air-sealing techniques that offer quick returns on investment, often one year or less. Caulk is generally used for cracks and openings between stationary house components such as around door and window frames, and weatherstripping is used to seal components that move, such as doors and operable windows.

What is Air Leakage?

Air leakage occurs when outside air enters and conditioned air leaves your house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. It is unwise to rely on air leakage for ventilation. During cold or windy weather, too much air may enter the house, or your warm heated air may exit the house. When it is warmer and less windy, not enough air may enter, which can result in poor indoor air quality. Air leakage also contributes to moisture problems that can affect the health of the occupants and the durability of the structure. An added benefit is that sealing cracks and openings reduces drafts and cold spots, improving comfort. The recommended strategy is to reduce air leakage as much as possible and to provide controlled ventilation as needed. Before air sealing, you should first detect air leaks and assess your ventilation needs for indoor air quality. You can then apply air sealing techniques and materials, including caulk and weatherstripping. If you are planning an extensive remodel of your home that will include some construction, review some of the techniques used for air sealing in new home construction and consider a home energy audit to identify the ways that your home wastes energy and money.

Why seal and insulate?

Sealing leaks and adding insulation can improve the overall comfort of your home and help to fix many of these common problems:

Reduced noise from outside
Less pollen, dust, and insects (or other pests) entering your home
Better humidity control

Many Phoenix homes do not have enough insulation and have significant air leaks. In fact, if you added up all the leaks, holes, and gaps in a typical home’s envelope, it would be the equivalent of having a window open every day of the year!

Know your ducts

In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute conditioned air throughout the house. But in the typical home, about 20% of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. The result is higher energy bills and difficulty keeping the house comfortable, no matter how the thermostat is set. Some signs that your home may have leaky, poorly insulated, or inefficient ducts:

You have high summer cooling bills

You have rooms that are difficult to heat and cool (one room that is hotter than the rest during the summer)
You have stuffy rooms that never seem to feel comfortable
Your ducts are located in an attic, unfinished basement, crawlspace, or the garage
You can find tangled or kinked flexible ducts in your system.

Benefits of air sealing

A duct system that is well-designed and properly sealed can make your home more comfortable, safer and more energy efficient.
Comfort
Sealing and insulating ducts can help with common comfort problems, such as rooms that are too hot in the summer of too cold in the winter.

Indoor Air Quality
Fumes from household and garden chemicals, insulation particles, and dust can enter your duct system, aggravating asthma and allergy problems. Sealing ducts can help improve indoor air quality by reducing the risk of pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home.
Safety
During normal operation, gas appliances such as water heaters, clothes dryers, and furnaces release combustion gases (like carbon monoxide) through their ventilation systems. Leaky ductwork in your heating and cooling system may cause “backdrafting,” where these gases are drawn back into the living space, rather than expelled to the outdoors. Sealing leaks can minimize this risk.
Save money!
Leaky ducts can reduce heating and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Sealing and insulating ducts increases efficiency, lowers your energy bills, and can often pay for itself in energy savings. Plus, if you’re planning to install new heating and cooling equipment, a well-designed and sealed duct system may allow you to downsize to a smaller, less costly heating and cooling system that will provide better dehumidification.

Get Started Today!

Having your home properly air sealed is critical to your energy conservation efforts and greatly impacts your utility bills. You can save big on your energy costs by air sealing multiple points of your home where energy losses occur. Fixing these problems also improves your comfort, eliminates moisture problems, and improves the air quality within your home.

A professional home energy audit by a certified contractor, such as Green ID, is the best way to evaluate your energy consumption, providing you with a comprehensive assessment of your home’s energy performance. This energy audit performed by a professional energy auditor using diagnostic equipment will provide you with detailed information and a plan of action for how to improve your home, cut down energy consumption, and save money. Call Green ID today at (602) 926-1650 to schedule your home energy audit and start saving!

]]><![CDATA[Air Seal Flu Shot]]>Thu, 21 Dec 2017 17:41:53 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/air-seal-flu-shot

Do you have problems with sickness, allergies, and asthma in your home?

Are you looking for a way to breathe easy and feel better without medication?

We have the solution:
Air seal your home!

We liken air sealing to getting a flu shot – it protects your health and saves you money in the long run.

Air that leaks through your home’s envelope not only wastes energy and increases costs, but creates an unhealthy (and potentially unsafe) environment for you and your family.

Air leakage occurs when outside air enters and conditioned air leaves uncontrollably through cracks and openings. This results in poor indoor air quality and moisture problems, both of which can affect the health of the occupants. In addition, sealing air leaks reduces outside noise; causes less pollen, dust, insects, and pests to enter the house; and controls humidity – all of which will improve your health in your home.

Fumes from household and garden chemicals, insulation particles, and dust can enter your duct system, aggravating asthma and allergy problems. Sealing ducts can help improve indoor air quality by reducing the amount of pollutants entering ducts and circulating through your home.

During normal operation, gas appliances such as water heaters, clothes dryers, and furnaces release combustion gases (like carbon monoxide) through their ventilation systems. Leaky ductwork in your heating and cooling system may cause “backdrafting,” where these gases are drawn back into the living space, rather than expelled to the outdoors. Sealing leaks can minimize this risk.

In addition to the health aspect, leaky ducts can reduce heating and cooling system efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Sealing and insulating ducts increases efficiency, lowers your energy bills, and can often pay for itself in energy savings. Plus, if you’re planning to install new heating and cooling equipment, a well-designed and sealed duct system may allow you to downsize to a smaller, less costly heating and cooling system that will provide better dehumidification.

For more information about how you can live healthier in your home, be more comfortable, and save money, contact Green ID at (602) 926-1650 today. Ask us how you can get started with air sealing – the flu shot for your home. Protect yourself and your family!

]]><![CDATA[How Much Does Spray Foam Cost?]]>Mon, 18 Dec 2017 17:40:00 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/how-much-does-spray-foam-costWhen researching if spray foam is the right choice for your home, cost is one of the biggest factors to consider. There are several applications of spray foam in Arizona home and prices can vary depending on wall, attic rafters or crawlspace application, new construction or existing home, the depth and whether open cell spray foam or closed cell spray foam is used. Spray Foam Cost TableWe’ve put together a table comparing the costs for each type of spray foam insulation.

Open Cell Spray Foam Along The Roof Deck

In Arizona existing homes, applying open cell spray foam to the roof deck or attic rafters is typically done to a depth of 6” to achieve an R-value of R-22. While this R-value may be less than Energy Star Standards for loose fill insulation along the attic floor, it is much more effective because of where it is applied. Insulation along the attic rafters is more effective than along the attic floor because it starts slowing the heat gain in the attic before it enters the attic space. Insulation along the attic floor starts working once the heat is already in the attic space, driving up the attic temperature by 30-40 degrees. When insulating along the roof deck, the entire attic becomes conditioned space so it is kept cool, typically no more than 10 degrees warmer than the inside of the house. A conditioned attic also has relatively low dust, making it a great place to lay plywood on the attic floor and use as extra storage area.

Open cell spray foam expands 100 times its original size and fills the cracks and crevices stopping air leaks and has an R-value of 3.7 per inch. Open cell spray foam is not recommended in cold climates but is perfect for hot, dry climates like southern Arizona where we do not have to worry about humidity. In Arizona homes, open cell spray foam is ideal for single story homes with greater attic square footage than two story attics. We like to remove the existing insulation from the attic floor before the spray foam is installed because it prevents the build-up and trapping of heat with the existing insulation left in place. 6” of open cell spray foam is typically applied to the attic rafters to achieve a R-value of R-22.2. Open cell spray foam can be applied thicker to a total depth of 8” to get an R-value of R-29.6.

Closed Cell Spray Foam Along The Roof Deck

Closed cell spray foam has an R-value of 7.1 per inch and is designed for tight, enclosed areas like crawlspaces and tight attics. In tight spaces we do need some clearance to fit our installers and the spray guns. Closed cell spray foam is not a green material and older closed cell spray foam products were known to off-gas for days after the installation. Icynene manufactures a low emitting closed cell spray foam product. Some homeowners think that closed cell spray foam is necessary in the wall cavities in new construction homes but this is not true. Open cell spray foam in a 2x6 wall frame can achieve an R-22 value and will be at least two times less expensive compared to closed cell spray foam.

Spray Foam Insulation in Block Walls

If your home was built before 1991, the block walls have zero insulation in them. We know from our energy models that insulation has it’s biggest benefits going from R-0 to R-19 so adding a closed cell spray foam to an uninsulated block wall will have huge comfort and efficiency benefits. Spray foam can be injected into the cavities of block walls, closing air gaps and creating an insulation barrier between the home and the outside. We recommend insulation any block walls that get more than 2 hours of direct sunlight in Arizona. Block walls that face north and do not get any direct sunlight will not benefit as much as the south, west and east facing walls.

Spray Foam In Wood Framed Walls

Insulating wood framed homes with spray foam can also be done by Insulsmart injection spray foam. Holes are drilled into the wall cavities either from the outside or inside and spray foam is injected filling in the insulation gaps along the way. Since wood frame homes already have wall insulation present, the benefit of insulating with spray foam is less than insulating a block wall.

]]><![CDATA[Energy Gremlins Could Be Keeping Your Energy Bills Higher Than Normal, Here’s Your Guide to Driving The Home Gremlins Out For Good]]>Thu, 07 Dec 2017 18:45:27 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/energy-gremlins-could-be-keeping-your-energy-bills-higher-than-normal-heres-your-guide-to-driving-the-home-gremlins-out-for-good

Remember the Gremlins movie where cute little furbie creatures with huge ears made every child want to snuggle up with until they came into contact with water and transformed into ravenous looting monsters The story goes that the old man that gave the Gremlins away warned its new owner to avoid contact with water but despite a half-hearted prevention effort, the original creature comes into contact with water and the trouble begins as the Gremlins multiply and take over the town.

There’s plenty of Gremlins that are hidden in your house that keep your energy bills higher than they should be and cause hot rooms and temperature differences despite efforts to save be energy efficient at home. These home energy Gremlins remain hidden from view but are counteracting the positives of energy upgrades you may have tried like using a time of use plan or replacing your windows or air conditioner. If you have seen lack luster results from your energy saving efforts, start looking for these Home Energy Gremlins.

Performing a whole home performance upgrade instead of a one upgrade approach
A specialty contractor takes the point of view of that everything is a nail and they are the hammer. The problem with this is that homeowners looking to reduce their energy bills or fix comfort problems will likely be disappointed from this approach because these problems aren’t often fixed with just one approach, be it solar, windows, insulation, Aerosealing or radiant barrier and solar attic fans. Our energy auditors have seen all too often homes that have plenty of insulation in the attic by an insulation contractor, Aerosealing done by an air conditioning contractor or new windows installed by a window contractor and the results fall far short of the promised results. Sometimes the contractors just don’t know the best way to truly upgrade a home is a whole home approach and education. Other times contractors are over ambitious in their savings and product estimates. When push comes to shove, there is no way to know what a home needs until a whole home energy audit is done by a qualified company.

The wrong sized HVAC unit
A home could have all the right upgrades- new windows, spray foam in the attic, a tight house and duct system and even a new AC unit on, but putting the wrong sized HVAC system on the home is an energy Gremlin that could turn in real ugly real fast. Too big a system and the air conditioner will turn on and shut off like a kid who’s had too much candy and can’t sit still, we call it short cycling. An air conditioner that short cycles wastes a ton of energy because these boys spike in energy use just to turn on, almost ten times the energy is used to turn the AC unit on as it takes to run it at a steady state. At start up, a compressor has to immediately move a lot of refrigerant through the unit and compressors need extra torque to overcome higher pressure sitting on the compressor cylinder head at startup. The load calculations we have done to determine the proper air conditioner size in Phoenix reveal about half of the systems we look at are oversized. I love putting a smaller and properly sized air conditioner on a home but that is a topic for a different post.

Duct sizing is wrong
We have seen attics with perfectly sealed ductwork, well insulated attic floors and had done all the right things on the surface but the energy bills were still sky high and there was weak airflow in some rooms. After performing a home energy audit we found that their problem wasn’t with the quality of previous work, it was the ductwork size and layout was wrong. Oversized or undersized ductwork can be a huge problem that can cause the most energy efficient air conditioner to act like a 30 year old system in terms of efficiency. Imagine a 5 ton air conditioner that’s getting only 4 tons of air? It doesn’t matter how efficient the unit is its not getting enough air into the system, it’s going to be overworked and stress the unit and your energy bills.

Insulation
The fourth home energy Gremlin is the insulation. This isn’t just how much is up in the attic, it’s also how the insulation is installed. Even on newer homes if the insulation is installed wrong (or missing completely), it can cause hot spots and lower the entire attic’s R-value, or its ability to resist heat flow. On older homes the level of insulation may have settled and the attic is likely under insulated. The Department of Energy recommends a R38 or 12” of cellulose or 16” of loose fill fiberglass in Arizona attics. The cost effective threshold is about R26, where if you have 8.5” of cellulose now the cost savings isn’t as great as homes with less than 8.5" of cellulose.

Want to know a dirty secret that builders and insulation contractors use to save money? They consider the studs, drywall, and paint and paper layer on the ceiling to have an R value of 2.0, so they don’t have to blow a full 10” of insulation in the attic on new construction homes. What a rip off! You pay all that money for a brand new home and builders and insulation contractors cut corners to save money and you get stuck paying higher energy bills… and they do this on homes dubbed “energy efficient” or even homes with a low HERS Score.

Motors
Motors and pumps are the Dark Horse of home energy Gremlins, they often go unnoticed until they break down or one of our energy auditors shed light on these potential Gremlins. A motor can be in the form of a pool pump, recirculation pump or in your HVAC system. The recirculation pump is an effective way to get hot water fast to a faucet far away from the water heater but these pumps are rarely set correctly and forgotten about. How much can your energy bills increase from an improper recirculation pump setting? Try the tune of $60 a month! With that much energy waste it’s no wonder your energy bills having gone down even with a new AC system or windows.

Pool pumps can also be a forgotten Dark Horse Energy Gremlin. Whether you do your own pool maintenance or you have it serviced every month, it’s easy to set and forget the second/ third biggest energy user in your home. The pool pump can draw a $12 per month for a variable speed pump (that’s properly calibrated) to $80 per month for a single speed pump. It’s important the pool pump is calibrated to your pool volume or it could be driving up your energy bills for no reason.

There’s plenty of Gremlins that are at play that keep your energy bills higher that counteract the positives of energy upgrades you may have tried that using a time of use plan or even replaced your windows or air conditioner with lack luster results. With this list in hand you can be armed and ready to fight against high energy bills. To go a step further and schedule a $99 energy audit in Arizona, give us a call at 602-926-1650 or set up an appointment online.

]]><![CDATA[9 Energy Saving Tips For Your Thanksgiving]]>Wed, 22 Nov 2017 19:18:36 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/9-energy-saving-tips-for-your-thanksgivingHere are 9 tips from Green ID to make sure you’re not gobbling up too much energy this Thanksgiving!

If you’re planning on having plenty of people over for your feast, lower the thermostat a few degrees before they arrive. The combination of warm guests and food will compensate for your decreased temperature.
Take a look at your refrigerator doors! Firstly, keep an eye on them to make sure that they are closed firmly. Secondly, test them to make sure the gaskets are in good shape. You can do this by closing the door on a dollar bill. If the dollar bill falls out or can be pulled out easily, your seals may need to be adjusted or replaced.
Keep the lids on your pots and pans while cooking! This technique keeps more heat in and allows you to lower the heat of your burners a bit!
Go with your microwave instead of your oven when you can. Your microwave uses less than half the amount of energy that your traditional oven does and it cuts down on time.
Preheating isn’t always necessary. Your oven doesn’t need to preheat when you’re using it to broil or roast. When your oven does require preheating, allow it to preheat for just five to ten minutes. Preheating the traditional oven for five to ten minutes should be plenty of time.
Keep that oven door closed! Every time you open that door up to check on your dish a large amount of heat is lost and it takes a considerable amount of energy to restore the heat in the oven.
Cook as much of your meal at one time as you can. While using your oven, try to cook multiple dishes at one time. Even if the cooking directions say that they’re supposed to be cooked at different temperatures, they can often be cooked together. If dishes are cooked within 25 degrees F of the directed temperature they will turn out just as good!
Avoid using the self-cleaning option on the oven. Unless a deep clean is completely necessary, stay away from this feature. Instead, use a damp cloth with some dish soap. If you do decide to use this feature, start it right after you finish cooking while the oven is still hot.
Allow your leftovers to cool down before putting them in the refrigerator. Letting the foods cool off a bit before placing them in your fridge means that it won’t need to work as hard or long.

]]><![CDATA[Want to convert your garage into a man cave? Here are some practical ideas.]]>Mon, 13 Nov 2017 19:11:42 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/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.

]]><![CDATA[Heating Problems and Repair Solutions For Heat Pumps and Furnaces For Chandler Homes]]>Wed, 18 Jan 2017 21:38:17 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/heating-problems-and-repair-solutions-for-heat-pumps-and-furnaces-for-chandler-homesFor 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 https://www.chandleraz.gov/.

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. his 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.

]]><![CDATA[What To Do If You Notice Ice Forming On Your Air Conditioner Coils]]>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 20:12:05 GMThttp://www.azhomeenergyaudit.com/blog/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.

]]>

Heating Repair Findings for Bungalow Style Homes in Chandler​