Category Archives: Air Conditioning

Would an Evaporative Cooler or AC Unit Work Best in the Summer?

You may have heard about evaporative coolers and wondered why your home doesn’t have one. Evaporative coolers, known as swamp coolers, were once on rooftops of most homes in the Valley of the Sun to help keep homes cool. But what exactly are evaporative coolers and what makes them different from air conditioning units?

Evaporative Coolers vs. Air Conditioning Units

An evaporative or “swamp” cooler looks like a large metal box mounted usually on a rooftop. Coolers utilize hot outside air and pump it inside your home by way of a motor and rotating centrifugal fan and don’t require return air ducting. Swamp coolers work by exposing indoor air to a number of water-soaked pads made of paper or shredded wood in the cooler. The indoor air is chilled as it absorbs the pads moisture and then this cooler air is pushed inside your home.
An air conditioning unit functions by removing heat and humidity out of the air to produce cold air. This cold air is then recirculated over and over inside your home. The compressor raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant gas and sends it to the condenser coil where it’s changed to a liquid. As the refrigerant evaporates, it cools the indoor coil. The cooled air is circulated throughout your home and the heated evaporated gas is returned back outside to the compressor.

So, When Does an Evaporative Cooler Make Sense?

Evaporative coolers are ideal during spring and fall when it’s hot outside with low humidity. The evaporative cooler adds just enough moisture to the air to make your home cool and comfortable. These units don’t require nearly as much energy as an AC unit, and they’re easier to maintain.
When monsoon thunderstorm season arrives in Arizona, usually early July with high winds, rain, lightning, and dust storms, the significant increase in humidity and air temperature hinders the function of evaporative cooling systems. When summer humidity is high during monsoon season, an air conditioning unit is the best choice to cool your home.

Call Bruce’s

Whether you have an evaporative cooler, an AC, or both, it’s important to consider your options. Give your local professionals at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating a call today at 480-968-5652 to discuss your home’s cooling system.

Get Your Air Conditioner Ready for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer and the end of spring for many in the Valley of the Sun. Vacations, end of the school year, and pool time are top of mind this time of the year. But one of the most important components for homeowners to prioritize is a checkup of the air conditioner. Your house becomes a refuge from the climbing temperatures outside, and now is the best time to get your air conditioning unit in tip top shape before Memorial Day.

Schedule Maintenance

Regular maintenance is the best way to keep your air conditioning running smoothly. As springtime temperatures turn into summer’s blazing heat, your air conditioning system needs to be ready to tackle the extreme weather conditions. The best option is to call your local professionals at Bruce’s to perform a tune up to keep your home cool and avoid the excessive heat outdoors during daytime hours.
Maintenance ensures your air conditioning unit will be running efficiently, helps to avoid unexpected inconvenient and expensive breakdowns, and lengthens the lifespan of your HVAC system. Bruce’s technicians suggest twice-yearly tune ups for your HVAC system to operate at high performance levels and help you save money on your monthly utility bills. Even when the temperatures are above triple digits, an HVAC system serviced properly will be your best resource to assist keeping your family comfortable.

Check the Thermostat

Your HVAC thermostat will be checked during the maintenance call. Even smart thermostats can experience hiccups throughout the year, sometimes resulting in a false reading and wasted energy. When our trained technicians check the thermostat settings, they’ll be able to gauge if it’s operating efficiently. A thermostat operating properly allows your air conditioning unit to keep up with cooling demands, reduces wear and tear on your system, and allows you to optimize temperatures indoors whether you’re at home or away.

Bruce’s is Here for You on Memorial Day

Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating has the expertise to help keep your family cool and comfortable all summer long including the Memorial Day long holiday weekend. Our technicians can perform emergency repairs if needed to keep you cool indoors when the temperatures get toasty hot outdoors. Our years of experience will keep your HVAC system running when you need it most. Call us today to schedule servicing at 480-968-5652. We’re here for you 24/7 including holidays and evenings.

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How to Increase AC Efficiency

The biggest part of your monthly energy bill in the Valley of the Sun can be attributed to heating and cooling your house. So, it just makes sense to search for ways to increase your HVAC system’s efficiency. With summer approaching, here are some cool ways to increase the energy efficiency of your air conditioning.

Keep the Outdoor Unit Clean

Start by keeping the area around your outside unit clean. Restricted air flow forces the fan motor to work harder, which will lead to increased unit energy consumption. Plus, by removing any debris that may obstruct airflow to the unit, you’ll be prolonging the lifespan of your HVAC system. Bruce’s is here to provide a thorough cleaning during a twice-yearly maintenance visit, too.

Change Air Filters

When air filters are clogged, a number of issues can occur. The fan motors will be forced to work harder to push air through the filters. If you find that your air filters are getting dirty very quickly, you may need to have your local HVAC technicians look at your indoor air quality. There may be issues that should be investigated to help your indoor air quality as well as AC efficiency.

Insulate Air Ducts

You can immediately improve the efficiency of your system by insulating exposed ducts. You can also seal all holes and gaps that may be leaking cool air, leading to reduced energy efficiency. If your ductwork is not adequately sealed and insulated, you may need to call your local HVAC professionals to perform an energy audit prior to insulating ductwork.

Keep Window Coverings Closed During the Day

Your AC will work extra hard to cool your house down during daytime hours when window coverings are kept open and exposed to direct sunlight. Even though this will make only a small difference on overall bills for cooling your home, every little bit counts when you keep blinds, shades, and drapes closed during the day. These tips will add up to big savings when combined with other energy conservation measures.

Call Bruce’s for AC Efficiency

These tips will help get you started on trimming back your monthly energy costs. Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating professionals have even more ideas that can help save you money and energy. Call our experts today at 480-968-5652 to schedule your service appointment. We’re available for our customers 24/7/365.

Using Your AC to Reduce Indoor Allergens

Spring in Arizona is the time of year that dormant trees, shrubs, and grasses bounce back to life and start releasing pollen to fertilize other plants. These tiny grains are usually carried by the wind, and they end up in the outdoor and indoor areas we frequent. This makes it likely that you’ll inhale them, and some people’s bodies react strongly to this pollen invasion. The immune system defenses trigger allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes. Let’s take a look at how your AC unit can help out.

Contaminants That Live under Your Nose

There are many factors that can play a role in the overall peak operating condition of your air conditioning unit. While pollen is the primary springtime allergy-inducing culprit, there are other pollutants living inside your home. When combined with pollen, they may result in your allergies flaring up.

Indoor contaminants include dust, pet hair and dander, mold, mildew, and pest excretion. Volatile organic compounds like chemical fumes from paint and household cleaning products can cause hay fever-like symptoms. So how do you remove pollutants from the air you breathe? That’s where spring HVAC maintenance from your local Valley of the Sun HVAC company will ensure that your system keeps performing at peak levels and keeps your indoor air quality sparkling clean.

Keep Your HVAC System in Top Shape

While spring HVAC maintenance is best left to the technicians, there are a few DIY tasks you can do to help your HVAC unit function efficiently and remove pollutants. One of the top issues that can impact the effectiveness of your HVAC system is something as seemingly simple as the air filter. A dirty and clogged air filter can drive up energy usage by up to 15%. Check and change your air filter every month if it’s dirty with a high-efficiency filter with a MERV rating of at least 13. Keep in mind, the more contaminants the air filter pulls out of the air, the dirtier it will get. This minor investment in time and money will help increase your overall comfort and health.

Then, dust your registers and air vents as they trap a lot of contaminants that may circulate in the air. Finally, check around the outdoor unit to make certain the area surrounding it is clear of debris, tree limbs, and dirt.

Call Bruce’s for Maintenance

It’s never too late to adjust your HVAC system to help you and your family avoid the worst of seasonal allergy symptoms. Contact your locally owned experts at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at 480-968-5652 to schedule a servicing appointment. Our professionals are available 24/7/365.

Prepare Now for Turning on the AC

Unlike most of the country that is still dealing with an especially challenging winter, here in the Valley of the Sun, we’re already beginning to enjoy warmer daytime temperatures. Soon, it will be time to turn on your air conditioning system once again. Are you ready to flip the switch?

It can be incredibly frustrating when you want to turn on your air conditioner on a warm afternoon, and it doesn’t work. The good news is that this can be prevented with these four simple steps that you can take now before temperatures begin to soar. Here’s what you need to do to get prepared.

Test the System

Typically, HVAC system failures occur when the air conditioning is turned on for the first time after a long break. To test out your HVAC, turn down the temperature on the thermostat and change the setting to cool. Make sure you hear the unit turn on, then check to make certain that you feel cool air coming from the vents in each room. If not, you may need to do some DIY troubleshooting or contact your local HVAC experts at Bruce’s.

Replace Your Air Filters

Keeping your HVAC filter clean can cut energy use up to 15 percent and increase the lifespan of your air conditioner. In dusty climates like ours, it’s recommended that you clean or replace your filter every one to three months. You’ll want to change out the air filter even more frequently if you have pets that shed, during monsoon season, or you have allergy sufferers in your house.

Check Your System’s Drainage

Air conditioning units tend to get clogged over time. This is particularly relevant for homeowners with outside condensers. Clogs happen when dust, dirt, leaves, and vegetation build up in the drain pan and around the unit. When an air conditioner can’t drain properly, water flow can be impeded in the drain lines. Sometimes this will result in the growth of mold and mildew potentially getting into your home’s indoor air.

Time for a Tune Up

A seasonal maintenance tune up is important for keeping your air conditioner working at optimal performance. Many times, regular maintenance is necessary for your HVAC system’s warranty. At Bruce’s, we highly encourage our customers to take advantage of our semi-annual HVAC system tune ups. Call us today at 480-968-5652 to schedule your tune-up with your locally owned Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating.