Month: December 2021

With all the options available for setting your programmable thermostat, it is easy to get confused. Of course, this defeats the purpose of a programmable thermostat––it is designed for you to “set it and forget it,” making your life easier. Naturally, anything can be confusing at times, so feel free to contact our qualified ACS Air Conditioning Services team members with any questions you may have about your programmable thermostat.

Forget About It

With a programmable thermostat in your Tucson home, you are able to program your thermostat once with the changes specified. Quite literally, you can “set it and forget it.”

Changing Temps Really Does Help

Why even bother to set different temperatures on your programmable thermostat?

Because living here in Arizona, it will save you a decent chunk of money. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), if you turn your heat down 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours, you can achieve a 5 to 15 percent savings on your heating bill.

This goes for your air conditioning as well. Turn your air conditioning down (or the temperature up) when you are out of your house or sleeping, then do the opposite when you are back home or awake.

A Plethora of Programmables

If you are in the purchasing stage of a new programmable thermostat for your Tucson home, know  what type of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment you have for compatibility reasons. Also, keep in mind you will need to set a different program for the cooler months than the warmer months.

Here are a few of the main types of programmable thermostats and how they function:

• 7-day programming. This thermostat allows the most flexibility. You can set individual temperatures for each day of the week.

• 5-1-1 programming. This thermostat allows one schedule for the week (five days, Monday through Friday), then a separate schedule for Saturday and then Sunday.

• 5-2 programming. This thermostat is very similar to the 5-1-1 programming type, except Saturday and Sunday are combined into one plan.

• 1-week programming. This thermostat allows you to only set one repeated schedule, the same for every day, regardless of weekdays and weekends.

Programmable Thermostat Dos and Don’ts

Depending on the type of programmable thermostat you have, there will be somewhat different choices. This said, most programmables generally work on the same time options: Wake Time, Sleep Time, Leave Time, and Return Time.

Be sure when programming your thermostat you enter realistic times—accurately reflecting your schedule. You want to get the most from your thermostat.

These are a few things to keep in mind prior to setting your schedule:

• Install name-brand batteries, and change them annually. Cheaper batteries do not have as long of a charge in them. You want your thermostat working when you need it.

• Feel free to temporarily override your set schedule and adjust the temperature when needed. This override automatically cancels and then resumes to normal programming. Do not select Hold/Permanent/Vacation (depending on your thermostat, and unless you are actually going on vacation), and just choose Temporary.

• Avoid cranking temperatures to extremes with the mindset of heating up or cooling down your home quicker. The system does not work that way, and it just uses up your energy faster, costing you more money. Your equipment will heat or cool your home just as quickly when setting it at the accurate temperatures.

In general, here is how to set your thermostat:

1. Be sure to follow your manufacturer’s instructions.

2. Choose either heating or cooling—whichever you will be doing, obviously dependent on the season.

3. Set the temperature for weekdays by setting the switch to heating or cooling and selecting the weekday program. Start with Monday or just weekday, depending on your model, and select the time and temperature for the day(s) you wish.

Continue with the remaining times for that day(s) with temperatures. For example, you may want your air conditioner to cool your home to 72 degrees at 7:00 a.m., so when your alarm goes off at 7:30 a.m., your home is nice and cool for you. Then when you go to bed at 11:00 p.m., you would want to set your air conditioning to 76 degrees at 11:30 p.m. so you are saving energy while asleep.

The same procedure goes for the heating setting. Many thermostat models allow you to set times and temperatures up to four times during weekends. So if you work or leave during the day, you can change the temperature to reflect this and save even more money.

4. Set the temperature for weekends in the same manner. However, since most people tend to be home more during the weekend, you may only want to set the temperature for your wakeup and bed times. You can use a temporary override to adjust the temperature if you decide to leave the house during the day.

Contact ACS Air Conditioning Services for All Your HVAC Needs

Programmable thermostats are really designed for you to “set it and forget it.” A programmable thermostat will help make your Tucson, AZ, home comfortable and may allow you to save money at the same time. Call ACS Air Conditioning Services at 520-230-5668 or request service online if it is time for a new thermostat or if you need help programming yours. We are always happy to help.

Winter is right around the corner and with it comes freezing temperatures, frequent illness, and dry indoor air. If you struggle with discomfort during the winter in your Oro Valley home, you may benefit from investing in a humidification system.

Our professionals at ACS Air Conditioning Services are here to inform you about home humidification, different systems available, and the benefits they can provide during the winter season.

What Is Humidity?

Humidity is a measure of how much moisture exists in the air. Typically, humidity is lower in the winter and can be very high in some areas in the summer. A more important question, however, is what is the relative humidity in your Arizona home? Relative humidity takes into account the temperature and moisture levels, which directly affect how comfortable we are in our homes.

For instance, a room that is 77 degrees Fahrenheit can hold 22 grams of water in a cubic meter of air. If that much moisture actually exists, you have a relative humidity of 100 percent. If only 11 grams of water exists, your relative humidity is 50 percent.

At 100 percent relative humidity at any temperature, the surrounding air will be holding its maximum amount of water, which means sweat cannot evaporate from human skin, making us feel hotter.

When relative humidity is low, any moisture on our skin does evaporate, making us feel cooler. Ideally, your home should have a relative humidity of about 40 to 50 percent.

How Does a Humidifier Work?

A humidifier is a device that emits water vapor to increase the humidity in your home. There are many different mechanical systems that allow you to do this. Here are the humidifiers commonly available and how they operate:

• Evaporative humidifier. As the most common type of humidifier, an evaporative system takes water from a holding tank, moves it to a basin that contains a wicking material, and then uses a fan to blow air through the wet filter. This moisture moves to the surrounding air in the room.

• Steam vaporizer. This system essentially boils water and releases steam into your home to provide humidification. It is the simplest and least expensive option.

• Impeller humidifier. In an impeller-based system, a spinning disc throws water at a diffuser, which further breaks down the water droplets to create a cool mist.

• Ultrasonic humidifier. Operating silently, an ultrasonic humidifier has a metal component that vibrates at a high frequency to create water droplets.

Many room humidifiers can be purchased just about anywhere and work especially well in bedrooms when family members are trying to recover from a winter illness. However, if you live in a very dry climate, it may be worth investing in a whole-house humidifier that works with your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Whole-house humidifiers can help balance the moisture levels throughout your home. Many whole-house humidifiers are bypass systems that add moisture to the warm air blowing from your furnace.

When air comes through the heating ducts, it passes through a built-in water panel, picking up the moisture that can be distributed throughout your home. Fan-powered humidifiers take the bypass systems one step further by using a fan to force air through the water panel, which increases evaporation further.

Just like steam vaporizers can humidify a single room, whole-house steam humidifiers can use the same technology to blow steam throughout your house regardless of whether the furnace is operating or not. This is the fastest and most effective method of humidification.

How Does Low Humidity Affect My Life?

When you have very dry, winter air in your home, you will experience overall discomfort. First,  you’ll feel colder because all the moisture from your skin evaporates into the air around you.

Many people are plagued with dry, chapped skin or uncomfortable sore throats as a result. Humidity below 30 percent can also make seasonal colds, the flu, and respiratory illnesses more uncomfortable.

In addition, very dry air can damage things like wood furniture or sensitive musical instruments in your home.

Let’s Discuss Your Home’s Humidity

If you’re looking for humidification solutions or have other heating, cooling, or ventilation needs, call ACS Air Conditioning Services in Oro Valley, AZ. Our professionals can help recommend equipment as well as provide repair and maintenance services. Call 520-230-5668 or request service online today.