Winter officially arrived on December 21 in the Valley of the Sun! Overnight low temperatures often dip well below 50 degrees during this season. This means you’ll want to ensure your heating system is working optimally. Take a look at the following five HVAC tips for this holiday season to help you stay comfortably warm.

Seal Openings

It’s not uncommon, even in newer homes, for homeowners to experience small sized cracks in doors, windows, and other openings. When heat escapes outdoors, your heating unit has to work overtime to maintain a warm environment indoors. Bruce’s technicians can perform an energy audit to spot areas where heat is escaping and up to $150 of an energy audit is tax deductible.

Check Fire and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Fire and carbon monoxide detectors are designed to detect and alert you to the presence of smoke, fire, or dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home. They’re your first line of defense against potential disasters. It’s important to test these devices monthly and replace batteries yearly.

Replace Your Air Filters

When air filters are filled with dirt, dust, and other contaminants, it’s difficult to maintain indoor air quality. Clogged, dirty air filters not only hinder the function of your HVAC system, but they also reduce the quality of your indoor air and increase your monthly energy bill. By changing out filters once a month, you’ll get cleaner air circulating throughout your home.

Get a Heating Tune Up

Perhaps the single most important thing you can do to keep your HVAC system running smoothly is to get a tune up. HVAC systems require regular maintenance to keep them running properly and reduce the chances of components breaking down. You may want to consider purchasing a maintenance plan for even greater peace of mind to help you stay on track with your maintenance and to save on any repairs you may need down the road.

Choose a Quality, Locally Owned HVAC Company

These five tips can help improve your home’s comfort throughout the year while also enabling you to save money in reduced energy consumption. During this holiday season, our entire team at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating hopes you’re staying cozy inside your house with loved ones and friends.

Throughout the winter you can rely on Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating professionals for all your HVAC needs. To learn more, contact your expert team at Bruce’s today at 480-968-5652. We’re here for you around the clock 24/7/365.

Happy Holidays from the entire team at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating!

With the holidays just around the corner, home heating safety concerns are important to keep in mind. Heater-related accidents and fires most often happen from November to February. Data from the National Fire Protection Association shows 46% of all home heating fires take place during this timeframe. And during the holidays, HVAC heating systems cause 12% of home fires.

Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating professionals want to make certain your family’s holiday season is HVAC safe and trouble-free. That’s why we’re sharing some safety tips from our expert team.

Check Around Heating Vents

Heated air blowing from a heating system vent can cause a fire if it’s in close vicinity to combustible materials such as holiday trees, decorations, wrapped gifts, home furnishings, or pet bedding. During the holiday season, walk around to locate your home’s heating vents to check that there’s plenty of room for the heated air to circulate.

Check Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Once a fire begins, it can spread shockingly fast. Test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and change out batteries yearly. If your home uses natural gas, carbon monoxide detectors can alert you if there are potentially life-threatening levels of gas inside your house.

Change Air Filters

HVAC air filters clean the air that passes through your home’s air ducts. Dirty and clogged air filters can dramatically reduce your home’s indoor air quality. Heating systems that are running excessively due to blocked air filters are more prone to failure. If the air filter is clogged, dusty, molding, or torn, replace it with a new filter. Air filters should be checked at least monthly during the holiday season for excessive buildup if you have pets or family members with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory diseases.

Heating Tune Up

Fires and carbon monoxide leaks can all cause serious accidents and even death. These often happen due to system malfunctions from poorly maintained furnaces, heat pumps, or other home heating systems. One thing you can do to minimize the risk of fires related to home heating equipment is to schedule an HVAC system tune up. Regular tune ups ensure your system is ready for holiday guests and cooler weather.

Schedule an Appointment with Bruce’s

Want to learn more about heating system safety and how to keep the heat running smoothly all holiday season long? Give your expert technicians at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating a call today at 480-968-5652 to schedule an appointment. We’re available evenings, weekends, and holidays.

The Inflation Reduction Act introduced several financial incentives for homeowners wanting to make energy efficient upgrades. Some of the largest credits and rebates are for heat pumps. So, what’s a heat pump and what’s the federal tax credit available?

What’s a Heat Pump

A heat pump doesn’t burn fuel. Instead, it uses electricity to move warm air in or out of your home. Meaning a heat pump both heats and cools your home. It basically functions like a combined air conditioner and furnace. There are a number of different types of heat pumps available. A whole house heat pump is made up of two components with the heat pump installed outside and an air handler installed inside your home. These two parts work in conjunction to distribute warm air throughout the house during cold months or to remove heat and humidity from your home during hot months.

Heat Pump Fast facts

• Environmentally, running a heat pump can significantly reduce carbon dioxide by over 50%.
• Heat pumps have become more widespread due to their energy efficiency and minimal installation requirements. They can also be used as a supplement to your existing HVAC system.
• Having good insulation and sealing any air leaks is important with a heat pump. With poor insulation or numerous air leaks, you’ll notice air drafts and cold spots more often. The good news is that if you’re an APS customer, you’ll be able to insulate your pocket with a $250 rebate. SRP residential electric customers can get a rebate up to $600.
• A heat pump is two to four times more energy efficient than an electric furnace.
• Most heat pumps generate only 40-50 decibels which is between the sound of a bird chirping to normal conversation noise.

Heat Pump Tax Credit

Beginning in 2023 through the end of 2032, homeowners are eligible for a 30% federal tax credit on the total cost of purchasing and installing a new heat pump. The maximum eligible credit is $2,000, the home must be in the U.S., and be an existing home that you improve on or add-on, not a new home.

Would you like to learn more about the benefits of purchasing and installing a heat pump? Call your experts at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at 480-968-5652 to schedule an appointment.

Keeping your house warm during the winter months in Arizona can be costly. According to Energy.gov, heating your home typically costs about 29% of your monthly utility bill. Before you start flinching at what your next month’s heating bill will be, Bruce’s has six helpful ways to save money on home heating costs. You’ll be able to reduce your energy bill while still keeping your house warm and cozy.

1. Get an Energy Audit

It’s not always easy to determine where your home may be losing heat. Windows, door frames, inadequate insulation, and open chimney vents are four of the top offenders for heat loss. Your professionals at Bruce’s can look for all the places where your house is losing valuable heat and provide a list of recommendations on how to fix them. Best of all, a home energy audit is eligible for a $150 energy efficient home improvement tax credit.

2. Monitor Your Thermostat

One easy way to lower your energy bill is to turn down your thermostat. The magic number is 68 degrees according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saver website. Turning the thermostat down by seven to 10 degrees when you’re away from home, sleeping, or even at home can save you up to 10% on your annual heating bill.

3. Check and Change Your Air Filters

Increase your indoor air quality, lengthen the lifespan of your HVAC system, and decrease your energy bills by checking and replacing air filters. This is an easy project that can be done each month by replacing dirty, clogged air filters.

4. Turn Down the Water Heater Setting

The hot water heater is one of the primary users of electricity or gas in your house. Turning down the temperature setting to 120 degrees or even a bit lower can go a long way towards reducing your heating costs.

5. Open South Facing Drapes, Shades, and Curtains

Keep south-facing drapes, shades, and curtains open during daylight hours to let natural sunlight in to help heat your house.

6. Schedule Preventative Maintenance

The top tip to keep your heating system working optimally is preventative maintenance on your heating system. A heating system that’s inspected, serviced, and repaired properly will use less power and increase system lifespan.

Our Customers are Top Priority

At Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating, we pride ourselves on making our customers the number one priority. If you’re in need of an energy audit, HVAC system maintenance, or other helpful money saving heating tips call us to schedule an appointment today at 480-968-5652.

Veteran’s Day, November 11, pays tribute to all American Veterans, living or deceased, who served our country honorably during war or peacetime. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day.

With temperatures finally starting to drop, it’s time to also think about saving energy and keeping your family comfortable in the Valley of the Sun. Here are some efficient heating tips to stay warm and save money during the upcoming cooler months.

Keep Your Chimney Closed
If your house has a fireplace, don’t forget to keep the damper closed when it’s not being used. You might also want to think about purchasing a chimney balloon, an inflatable device that goes inside the chimney, to help keep cold air outside and warm air from escaping up the chimney. It’s only designed to be used when the chimney is not in use.

Seal Cracks and Ducts

Doors and windows account for the majority of heat loss during cooler weather months. Installing weather stripping and caulking cracks can save you up to 10% on heating expenses. Leaks in ductwork add up to an additional 25% to 30% of heating loss. This is a great opportunity to have your local HVAC professionals conduct an energy audit to discover all the areas where warm air is leaking outdoors. Plus, $150 of the energy audit is eligible for a tax credit on your federal taxes.

Ceiling Fans

You can adjust your ceiling fans to help save additional energy. All you need to do is flip the switch to spin the blades clockwise. This will push warm air near the ceiling back down to the floor.

Adjust the Temperature Down

You’ll want to switch over the thermostat setting to either heat or to the heat and cool setting. 68 degrees is the best setting for saving energy during the cooler months. Lowering the setting when you’re away or asleep below this setting will save up to an additional 10% on your heating bills.

Inspect and Replace the HVAC Air Filter

Dirty air filters restrict airflow and increase energy usage. A clean air filter can save an additional 4% to 6% on utility bills. It will help prolong the life of your furnace along with twice-yearly servicing.

Contact Bruce’s

Bruce’s has over 50 years of HVAC experience serving customers in Arizona. Call us anytime at 480-968-5652 for professional, quality heating and cooling service.

A heartfelt thank you to all our veterans for your service to our country from Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating.