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 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?

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

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

What Causes Heating and Cooling Problems Around Chandler Homes

Common heater 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 heater turns on, listen to see if your return sounds very loud, it’s likely from an undersized return.
3. Low insulation.  Insulation on a heating and air conditioning repair post?  Yes, your home’s insulation is very important in keeping the warm air in the winter time and cool conditioned air in during the hot Arizona summers.  If your attic has too little, you’re heating and cooling system will be constantly running and short cycling on and off, overworking your system.  In Arizona, the DOE Energy Star recommends R38 level of insulation in the attic.  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 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.