Author Archives: Bruce's Air Conditioning

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Six Heartwarming Ways to Shower Your HVAC System with Love This Valentine’s Day


This entry was posted in HVAC on by .

Living in Arizona, your HVAC system becomes more than just an appliance. It’s a lifeline to comfort during atmospheric river winter storms and monsoon thunderstorm summers. So, this Valentine’s Day, why not ditch the chocolates and roses for a gesture your HVAC will truly appreciate? Here are six ways to show your system some love and ensure it keeps you comfortable all year long.

1. Filter First Dates:

Just like you wouldn’t take someone special out without prepping, don’t let your HVAC face the dust bunnies alone. Replace air filters monthly during peak seasons (spring and summer) and at least every two to three months otherwise. You can think of it as clearing the path for smoother airflow and better performance.

2. Schedule a Spa Day (Inspection):

Treat your HVAC to a professional inspection at least twice a year. Like a good massage therapist, your experienced local technician will identify any potential issues before they turn into full-blown meltdowns, saving you money and heartache down the line.

3. Clear the Clutter Around the Vents:

Don’t smother your loved one! Vents need open airways to breathe and circulate air. Remove furniture, curtains, throw rugs, or anything else blocking them.

4. Embrace the Thermostat Dance:

Don’t crank the thermostat down to sub-arctic levels during summertime nor blasting waves of heat during wintertime. It may seem romantic, but it stresses your system and skyrockets your energy bills. Aim for sensible bill-friendly temps and adjust your clothing for a more energy-efficient love affair.

5. Seal the Cracks to Keep the Love In:

Drafty windows and doors are like letting your cool air elope with Mr. Sun during warmer months. Seal air leaks around windows, doors, and other openings to prevent precious cool air from escaping. This will keep your love affair with comfortable temperatures burning bright.

6. Invest in Smart Upgrades:

Consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat if you haven’t already done so and a more energy-efficient HVAC system. Whispering sweet nothings to your thermostat or outdated HVAC system won’t lower your energy bills.

With these small acts of love, your HVAC system will know you truly care, ensuring a long and happy relationship filled with cool comfort in the summer and warm love in the winter. Call us today for all your servicing needs at 480-968-5652 to schedule an appointment. Happy Valentine’s Day from your family at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating!

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Thermostat Tweaks for Cozy Comfort: Best Winter Thermostat Tips During February


This entry was posted in Heating on by .

Phoenix metro is known for its extremely hot summers, but February brings milder temperatures that still call for some thermostat adjustments to keep things comfortable indoors. With average highs of around 70°F and average lows around 48°F for the month, you’ll want to optimize settings on your home heating and cooling system. Here are some tips from your local HVAC experts at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating.

Take Advantage of the Warm Days

During the warmer daylight hours when temperatures climb, set your thermostat higher to avoid running the air conditioner unnecessarily. 72-75°F should be comfortable enough without feeling too chilly. Open your blinds, shutters, and curtains to allow sunshine in to make indoor areas naturally feel warmer. Doing this for just a few hours in the warmest part of the afternoon can also help soak up some solar heat that will continue radiating back into your home after the sun goes down.

Keep Cozy Through the Cool Nights

Don’t let the pleasantly mild Phoenix days fool you. It still gets brisk after dark in February. As soon as the sun tucks behind our Valley of the Sun mountains, you’ll start feeling the chill. Set your thermostat around 68°F during evenings and at night to keep warm without overheating or drying out the air too much. Ensure it’s set to automatically switch over to heat as needed. Use a programmable smart thermostat to easily maintain these temperature setbacks for certain hours. You can toss an extra blanket on the bed too.

Tweak Settings as Weather Changes

February weather isn’t exactly consistent in Phoenix metro, with this year seeing high variances in day-to-day temperatures with more rainy days than typical during wintertime. Pay attention to daily forecasts and tweak your thermostat further to maximize savings. There’s no one-size-fits all temperature and timing for thermostat settings during fluctuating late winter climate. By tailoring it daily based on the weather, along with leveraging automatic scheduling capabilities, your family can stay cozy while keeping utility bills in check. Maintaining 72°F+ during the day and 68°F at night is a good baseline.

Ready to enjoy these benefits? Contact the expert technicians at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating, your local Valley-wide HVAC experts, for servicing, repair, and installation. Call us today at 480-968-5652 to learn more and schedule an appointment. We’re always here for you 24/7 366 days during this leap year.

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Slash Your Home Heating Bills for the Remainder of the Winter


This entry was posted in Heating on by .

Though Arizona enjoys plenty of sunshine all year long, winter does occasionally roll in with chilly rains and overnight lows dipping below freezing. That has certainly been the case this January. So, don’t be surprised when you discover an unusually high electricity bill after a particularly prolonged cold snap.

If the burden of boosting thermostats to maintain comfortably toasty living spaces during periodic cold fronts puts a freeze on your wallet, then you’ll want to take a look at some energy saving ideas for reducing those painful heating expenditures this winter.

Monitor Weather and Adjust Accordingly

Rather than keeping heating systems mindlessly cranking away at the same level night and day, pay attention to daily temperature forecasts so you can appropriately tweak settings. Why heat the house to 72 degrees as another warm sunny afternoon approaches? Before leaving your home, setback your thermostat 5-10 degrees or better yet program your thermostat to do this automatically.

Seal Air Leaks Thoroughly

Vigilant caulking and sealing of sneaky air leaks around outlets, windows, wiring, pipes, and doors prevents costly hot air loss and uncomfortable drafts. You’ll also want to ensure attic hatches and fireplace dampers are tightly closed when not in use.

Utilize Efficient Supplemental Heating

Strategically using well-placed space heaters or gas fireplace inserts rather than heating your entire living spaces can easily create a warm atmosphere and save money on energy costs. Just ensure adequate safety mechanisms are in place especially when operating portable heaters and never leave portable units unattended.

Adjust Water Heater Settings

Simply dialing back standard tank water heaters to 120 degrees and wrapping them with insulation blankets greatly reduces energy drain while still meeting your home’s hot water needs. You may want to consider installing inexpensive on-demand recirculation pumps too.

Upgrade Home Insulation

While adding insulation isn’t something you would think about doing to save money, it can prevent precious heated air from escaping outside. You’ll also want to target any weak attic access points and garage doors to limit heated air loss.

Wisely adjusting thermostats, sealing off leaks, utilizing gas fireplaces and portable heaters, adding additional insulation where it’s needed, and lowering water heater temps provide the best techniques for keeping comfy and avoiding a chilly surprise on your next month’s utility bill. For additional energy saving tips this winter, call your professionals today at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating at 480-968-5652. We’re available to help you 24/7.

Mistakes to avoid: a cautionary image illustrating common errors to steer clear of. Learn from these missteps to achieve success.

Five Common Home Heating Mistakes


This entry was posted in Heating on by .

While winters in much of Arizona seem mild compared to other parts of the country, overnight lows frequently dip below freezing, and cold snaps do roll into the Valley of the Sun during January and February. Many homes here utilize heating systems only sparingly during the year. As a result, homeowners often inadvertently make some common mistakes trying to stay cozy that end up costing more money in higher energy costs. Read below to learn five typical home heating slip-ups and how to steer clear of them.

Thermostat Confusion

The thermostat controls much more than temperature. You may not realize that turning it higher than the desired heat setting won’t warm your home faster. Excessive cycling strains HVAC systems. If you use a programmable thermostat, you can use the settings to optimize energy savings. You’ll want to resist constantly overriding pre-programmed schedules or you’ll negate potential savings from lowering heat levels when you’re away from home.

DIY Disasters

If you attempt complex furnace repairs or ductwork modifications without proper training, you can make existing issues worse or can even disable built-in safety mechanisms. Likewise, using improperly installed space heaters can result in devastating home fires during winter. Ensure you have a sufficient number of smoke alarms installed and be sure to have working fire extinguishers in your home. Leave tricky heating tasks to your local, seasoned HVAC technicians.

Forgotten Fire Risks

Don’t ever leave fireplaces unattended or let ashes smolder too long afterwards. Use caution with outdoor heaters too.

Poorly Sealed Structures

You’re probably aware that worn seals around doors and windows can waste energy. Outlets and switches on exterior walls, dryer and bathroom vent ducts, gaps around pipes and wires, foundations, attics, unfinished spaces, and fireplaces can all leak costly warm air outdoors.

Equipment Neglect

Just like your car, home heating systems need periodic maintenance for efficient, reliable operation. Don’t take your HVAC equipment for granted. Replace your air filters as recommended, clear debris from outdoor units, and have your local professional technicians inspect for any leaks and corrosion. Address strange noises, burning smells, or icy spots immediately to prevent heating system breakdowns.

Call Bruce’s for All Your Heating Needs

This winter, outsmart common home heating mistakes. A little vigilance in monitoring fire hazards, HVAC maintenance, thermostat know-how, and heat loss prevention through sealing and insulation will pay you back in “warm” dividends this winter—and for years to come. Call your knowledgeable Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating professionals today at 480-968-5652 to schedule an appointment.

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Keeping Warm in the Arizona Cold: Preventing Furnace Failures

This entry was posted in Heating on by .

Brr! Valley of the Sun morning and evening temperatures have plummeted since early January. So, you don’t want indoor temps to take a nosedive.

But rather than hearing the familiar hum of the furnace firing up, you’re met with chilly silence. Before panic sets in about calling your local emergency HVAC technician in the midst of an Arizona winter deep freeze, it helps to understand which components commonly fail in cold weather. Learning a little about potential home heating issues can save you time, money, and frustration. Here are the top three furnace parts prone to breaking down during extreme cold weather snaps.

Ignition Sensors

Exposure to low temperatures can make the flame sensor fail intermittently, preventing ignition. This is where your HVAC professionals can quickly resolve with a visit to your house to clean the ignition sensors.

Blower Fan Motors

When asked to run nonstop for warmth to keep your family comfortable and potentially suffering wear from years of use, blower motors can finally burn out. Replacement is required and your HVAC certified technicians can easily do this.

Heat Exchangers

Damage from normal furnace operation may go undetected but lead to cracks during thermal stress, potentially causing your furnace to completely fail. This will necessitate a home inspection, parts or system replacement, and HVAC system servicing.

Arm yourself by knowing which furnace components commonly surrender to Old Man Winter’s chilling grip. Then, review maintenance tips that help combat cold weather breakdowns before they leave your family shivering. Prevention through regular care beats the alternative!

In football terminology, the best defense is a good offense when battling against home heating issues. Be proactive by arranging for a qualified HVAC technician to inspect and service your furnace. They will carefully comb through the system, ensuring correct operation and replacing any parts nearing the end of their lifespan.

Get Furnace Ready

A fully functioning furnace in the Valley of the Sun right now is especially important during our infrequent winter cold snaps. When it’s freezing outdoors you really need your furnace to heat your home. Take a moment to schedule a furnace inspection with one of our experienced, friendly service technicians at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at 480-968-5652. We’re always available 24/7 for emergency service.