How to Prepare For Summer Savings

Here in Arizona, the Summer Heat is already well on its way! A little birdie told us that we’re expecting the hottest summer we have had in years, which means that the higher temperatures are coming, and they’re coming quick! So, how do you prepare for the heat to prevent your air conditioning from breaking down and becoming an added expense? If your system is new or recently serviced, how do you keep your utility bills from adding up?

Don’t worry – we’re here to help! We know how expensive comfortable living is in Arizona, especially when those temperatures hit the triple digits! Between the normal expenses of utilities, we have the added expense of keeping our homes completely cool to relieve us from those extreme temperatures outside!

The following are some inexpensive things that you can do to keep your utility costs low and your home comfortably cool:

• Get your air conditioning unit inspected and tuned, and do it now before the heat sets in. 
• Having an inspection performed in the Spring allows you the comfort and peace of mind in knowing if anything is seriously wrong with your system, and the time to have it fixed before the heat is here. 
• Get your coils cleaned.
• Dirty coils are more than just an eyesore – they also make your equipment run less efficiently, and can even lead to really expensive repairs. You should be having your coils cleaned at least once a year, if not two. This will save you lots of money in the long run, as well as help your system run more efficiently, which saves you monthly on your utility cost.
• Change your air conditioning filters, and change them often.
• You should be changing your air conditioning filters every month. Dirty filters can clog your system, causing it to work harder to keep you cool. This also runs up your electricity bill!
• Flush your condensate drain line.
• This should be done when you receive your annual inspection and tune up. Keeping the drain line clear helps your unit run more efficiently, as well as prevents major malfunction.
• Set your thermostat at a comfortable setting, and keep it there.
• This is up to your discretion, but you shouldn’t be turning it off and on when you’re not home. We like to recommend setting your thermostat at 80 degrees when you’re not home, and 76-78 when you are. This is a comfortable temperature for most, and it keeps your home cool. Turning your system off and on makes your system work harder to keep your home cool, and thus increases the rate of your electricity use.
• Keep your shutters, blinds, and curtains open half way.
• Allowing a little bit of light in helps keep your home insulated and prevents the heat from being trapped in just one spot.
• Set your ceiling fans to blow the air upwards.
• There’s a setting on your ceiling fan that allows you to change the direction of the fan. Make sure you set this to blow the air upwards, which helps keep your home cooler, allowing you to keep the setting of your thermostat at a reasonable temperature that won’t force you to commit to a lower temperature and a higher utility bill! 
• Check your attic insulation.

• Your attic insulation should be at an R-49 to an R-60 value. This is roughly between 18-22 inches high. Anything less is not efficient in keeping your home cool, making your air conditioning system work harder and keeping your utility bills higher year round.
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• Ensure that all windows and doors have proper seals.
• Proper sealing allows your home comfort system to work together as efficiently as possible. The cool air needs to stay inside and the hot air needs to stay outside in order to achieve a proper air balance in your home. Sealing is very inexpensive, but it make a huge difference in your utility bill! 

If you continue to take care of your home comfort investment, it will take care of you and your family for a long time! We understand that this is an expensive investment, and we want to do everything that we can to ensure that you’re protecting this investment and living as comfortable as possible!

To schedule your Spring A/C Tune Up, call us today!

602-943-2000

Or schedule online at: http://www.acehomeaz.com

Home Water Quality

In 2014, home water quality is not something that Americans, or even Arizonans, have much to worry about. Our federal standards make it very difficult for our water to be contaminated, as there are many different processes that water is filtered through before it goes into our homes. We are fortunate here, as there are many countries in the world who do not have this privilege, and we often forget that.

That being said, nobody is perfect, and Arizona has had its problems with contaminants entering our drinking water supply. The process that the city, state, and federal government uses to secure safe drinking water has become more and more of a public accessory. Reverse Osmosis is a very popular approach for home owners to secure safe drinking water in their home to avoid drinking unfiltered tap water. Just  last year, Buckeye had an E. Coli scare in their drinking water supply, which is another good reason to have a Reverse Osmosis system in your home. There is no risk in drinking from a Reverse Osmosis system for ingesting contaminants like bacteria, viruses, or dangerous minerals. Considering that this is a similar process to how most recyclable bottled water comes from, it makes sense for home owners who want to save money, have clean drinking water, and be ecologically friendly by reducing plastic waste.

ACE Home Services has expert plumbers to help you assess the best solution for your home in improving your water quality, as well as ensuring the safety of your drinking water.

Call us today to find out how we can help you save money, be environmentally friendly, and have better water quality in your home!

602-943-2000

Or schedule your Whole Home Plumbing Inspection today: http://www.acehomeaz.com

Why You Need an A/C Tune Up

Having your A/C unit serviced is something that people normally do not think about until something goes wrong, right? Well, this is definitely not the proper way to take care of your investment.

Let's think about this for a minute: you spend thousands of dollars installing an A/C unit in your home, hundreds of thousands of dollars on your home, itself, and hundreds of dollars a month to keep it powered. That is quite an investment! So, shouldn't you want to be more proactive in protecting your investment, and save yourself some money in the long run?

Here are the facts:

1. Your A/C unit needs to be maintained at least once a year.
2. Your A/C unit has a warranty, and that warranty is voided for neglect of regular maintenance.
3. Arizona weather does horrible damage on your A/C unit that you might not even notice.
4. Lack of maintenance can lead to extremely expensive repairs or premature replacement.
5. Regular maintenance can actually improve the longevity of your system, as well as lower your electricity bills.

Given the facts, do you think that you have been properly maintaining your A/C unit?

Here's what we can do to help: We can perform an A/C Tune-Up on your home comfort system as a whole. The Tune-Up entails the following items:

• Check thermostat operation
• Inspect plenum
• Inspect ducts for air leaks
• Check condensation drain pan
• Inspect the evaporator coils
• Check indoor blower motor
• Check blower motor run capacitor
• Inspect condition of blower wheel
• Measure air flow
• Test safety controls
• Check electrical wiring of system
• Check operation and condition of compressor contactor
• Check relays
• Test run capacitors 
• Check all starting components in system 
• Check refrigerant pressures
• Check condenser motor operation
• Inspect condenser coils
• Check insulation on tubes and panels
• Calculate operating efficiency 

Call us today to book your A/C Tune Up and prepare for the heat! 602-943-2000

Or schedule online at: http://www.acehomeaz.com