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.

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.

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.

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.

When winter truly hits Arizona, the weather can get quite chilly during the nighttime hours. However, afternoon highs still typically reach the 60s and 70s. With this drastic difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, efficiently programming your thermostat is key to staying comfortable while avoiding high energy bills.

So, what’s the best thermostat setting for our Valley of the Sun winters? Read on for tips.

Go Smart 

The first step is deciding whether you want to manually adjust your thermostat daily or program it and largely set it and forget it. Smart, programmable models allow you to set different target temperatures for different times of day. This way, you can let temperatures dip down at night when you need less heating.

Set the Right Daytime Temperature

When you’re home during the day, set your thermostat between 68-72° F for comfortable warmth. Any lower than 68° and you might start feeling chilly. Any higher than 72° risks overheating and wasting energy.

Around 70° F is ideal, letting you feel cozy without constantly turning on the heat. The exact number depends on your personal preference too. Go with what feels best for your household. You want to aim to minimize how often your HVAC heater runs while maintaining a pleasing temperature.

Lower the Temperature at Night

Plan on setting your thermostat back about 8-10°F at night when sleeping. There’s no need to keep your home as warm overnight when you’re tucked under warm blankets.

So, if you keep your home at 70°F during the day, dropping the thermostat down to about 60-62°F at night can save energy without sacrificing comfort. You might need an extra blanket, but the savings can be worth it.

Watch Out for Extreme Cold Spells 

While Arizona winters overall tend to remain mild to moderate, we occasionally get stretches of extreme cold. When temperatures dip into the 30s or lower, even at night, nudging your thermostat up another 2-4 degrees can offset the increased chill.

Stay Cozy and Comfortable 

Following these winter thermostat tips will help every Valley of the Sun homeowner stay cozy while keeping your energy usage in check. Programmable smart thermostat models make this easy to do. For additional tips this winter, call your heating experts at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating. Call us today at 480-968-5652 to speak with one of our certified technicians or to schedule an appointment. Bruce’s always offers fast and reliable service.