Arizona Comfort Specialists
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some of the most common questions people have about their heating and cooling systems.
Contrary to popular belief there, is no rule of thumb for sizing a system to a home. Depending upon the construction of your home, a singleton of air conditioning can cool anywhere from 300 to 800 square feet of living space. The only way to ensure that the size of the system you purchase will be large enough to cool your home (but not any larger than you need) is to have your home’s individual heating and cooling needs evaluated by a licensed HVAC professional.
The S.E.E.R. (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is the amount of cooling your system will deliver per dollar spent on electricity. For example, a 3-ton unit may have a S.E.E.R. efficiency rating of 13, 14, or 15. The higher the S.E.E.R. the more efficient the system will be. The S.E.E.R. rating of any given unit can range anywhere from 13 to 17.
Absolutely, the most important thing you can do is to clean and replace your filters frequently. Also, a system heats and cools more evenly when the blower is in the “on” position. The blower provides constant air movement throughout the home and allows for better filtration. Finally, shades, drapes, shutters, or screens should be installed on windows that are exposed to extreme sunlight.
Heating and cooling systems are sized according to their tonnage. A one (1) ton unit provides 12,000 BTU/H. Residential systems can range from 1 to 5 tons.
No. A larger system with more capacity delivers less comfort and costs more to operate. An air conditioner is at its least efficient when first turning on. A system with too much capacity will run in numerous short cycles, turning on and off repeatedly, therefore causing it to be less efficient. Also keep in mind that an air conditioner only removes humidity when it’s running, so a system with shorter run cycles doesn’t remove humidity from the air very well.
There is no exact answer for how long your system should run during each cooling or heating cycle. The average air conditioner is sized to remove the heat from your home as fast as it comes in (on a 110° day). Therefore, ideally, on days like these, the system should be able to keep up with the incoming heat, but not gain on it and be able to turn it off. The farther it is below 110°, the more the system will cycle on and off.
Every time your system starts up, it will use a lot of electricity and not produce much cooling. Usually, a system that is too small to cool the home is more economical to run but delivers less comfort. Even though it runs nonstop, it will usually consume less power than a larger system that cycles on and off. As a rule of thumb, a unit that is either on or off is less expensive than one cycling on and off.
The air temperature your system produces depends on the temperature of the air going into the system. Generally, the air produced should be 18°-20° below what enters the system. So if the air entering the system is 80°, the air exiting should be about 60°-62°. However, that only works on a system that has been running for at least 15 minutes on a warm, dry day with a home that is about 80° inside. On a mild day, with an indoor temperature in the low 70′s, or during humid conditions, the air coming out may only be 15°-17° cooler than what enters.
Obviously the time of year becomes a big factor for desired temperature settings. In the summer months, the average temperature setting is 78°-80°, in the winter 70°-72° seems to be the most common setting for Phoenix-area residents. Remember, when leaving your house; try to avoid drastic temperature changes. Do not set your temperature back more than 5°; this will cause your unit to work harder to achieve the desired temperature setting.
Programmable thermostats are now the standard in most homes and offer many different features. Because they are electronic, they are more accurate and efficient than older-style thermostats that contain mercury. With programmable thermostats, you can control the temperature in your home at different times of day without ever touching your thermostat (or even when you are away from your home!). Because everything is automatic, you will never forget to change the setting on your own.
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Raving Reviews
Testimonials
EXCELLENT Based on 184 reviews Eric CamioloDecember 6, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ari and Mike were great, and throughly cleaned all my vents! Highly recommended! Rebecca RoilandSeptember 7, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I highly recommend Arizona Comfort Specialists and will absolutely use them again! David the technician is very professional and got our units serviced and running very quickly. The office staff are super friendly and were able to get us in within a day. We won't be using anyone else! Nikolas FowlerAugust 18, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I needed to replace my A/C unit of 25 plus years. I received a recommendation for Arizona Comfort Specialists. Bryan, Tim, and Greg were OUTSTANDING!! The communication on what they were going to do and what they did was exactly that. Straight to work and professional. Great team to have working on our home. Professional, hardworking, and trustworthy company. Will recommend them to friends and family. Great work guys!! Suella BairdJuly 11, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have used this company for a very long time. David the service tech is always thorough and friendly. We needed a new ac. Not only was their bid considerably lower, but they credidited back the new thermostat we had had installed only 2 weeks prior thinking that was the issue. The installation went smoothly with Mike and Arial doing an excellent job. I highly recommend this company Laura G.July 11, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I never leave reviews but when you’re spending money to replace an AC unit you really rely on them (I know I did) so here you go… I recently had my dying 29 year old AC unit replaced by Arizona Comfort Specialists. I found them through SRPs qualified contractor program and also got quotes from 3 other companies. Everything was seamless from having them come out to give a quote (they came out the day I called) to installation a few days later to their quick submission of paperwork for an SRP rebate. Their quotes were lower than most and when they weren’t for one particular unit they were able to meet the lowest… and in addition to that they provided a better warranty. They were also not at all annoying or high pressure or condescending at any level. Which I can’t say about all the other companies I contacted. I had a small issue with my wifi thermostat registration/connectivity after installation and they came out quickly and replaced it. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to get a new AC or even just a quote. Nickolas SchulzApril 15, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you to the Arizona Comfort Specialists team that came to my house and replaced our 27-year-old AC unit. Starting off, we had a great experience with Josias walking the site and figuring out the quote. His professionalism and warm personality were fantastic to interact with. I explained my needs and what we were looking for, and we were able to find the right product at the right price for our home. A week later Bryan and Tim came to the house and started bright and early on the dismantling of our old unit. After removing the old unit, they found that the compressor could not fit through our back gate, so they ordered a mobile crane to make sure it was done right without damaging the new compressor or our house. When they were done with the new air handler install, I asked a few clarifying questions. They both took time and care to make sure that I understood everything and felt comfortable with the result, phenomenal customer service! Once everything was installed, they cleaned up by vacuuming and wiping down the stair rails and trim, along with vacuuming the carpet. They didn't cut corners and did a thorough job! I would recommend the Arizona Comfort Team to anyone, they are a great company and they hire great people to do great work! T HarrisonFebruary 22, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had a great experience with Arizona Comfort Specialists! Josias was awesome during my initial quote and was very professional and knowledgeable about the Bosch systems (which was what I was most interested in). He noticed that my supply duct was a bit undersized for the unit and included an upsizing in the quote to allow the unit to have a better static pressure. They had great prices compared to my other quotes and a great warranty on the unit as well! On install day Bryan and I believe Tim? were a fantastic install team, they did a lot of hard work in the attic running the new flex ducts for the system. The unit had a bit of a dent on the louvers but they were able to come out that same day and replace the panel ASAP and the unit is looking great. Looking forward to a nice cool summer coming up! Van HansenJanuary 16, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We use John and his team at Arizona Comfort Specialists all the time on our remodeling projects. They do great work, are reliable and stand behind their services. Highly recommend them! Victoria HathawayJanuary 5, 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have used Arizona Comfort Specialists for many years. I. Have found both Jason and David to be friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and honest. This year, when I needed a new HVAC, I knew I was in good hands. Quickly and efficiently had me up and running in no time. I highly recommend Arizona Comfort Specialists. Period.
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