Congratulations, you’re planning to remodel your home! Breathing new life and comfort into your charming older house is a grand adventure, and you can count on our team at Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. to be there every step of the way to help however we can.

Whether you’re opening up rooms, adding square footage, or simply making your space more efficient and enjoyable, don’t forget to include your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in your renovation checklist. It may not be as exciting as choosing countertops or flooring, but upgrading your HVAC equipment can lead to long-term energy savings and improved indoor comfort.

In fact, installing a modern, energy-efficient heating and cooling system can lower your monthly utility bills by more than 40 percent. And the best time to make these changes is when you’re already updating your home.

At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., we proudly serve homeowners throughout Peoria, offering expert HVAC installation, replacement, repairs, and maintenance for all major brands and models. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation for your upcoming remodeling project.

Why Upgrade Your HVAC Equipment During a Remodel

Many homeowners make the mistake of waiting until their HVAC system fails before considering a replacement. But in reality, this approach can cost you more in the long run. HVAC equipment generally starts to decline in performance after about 10 years. As components wear out, your energy bills creep up, and you may find yourself scheduling more frequent repairs.

If you’re planning a major home remodel—especially one that includes adding new square footage—this is the perfect opportunity to assess your HVAC system. Your current heating and cooling units were likely sized based on your original floor plan. Adding rooms or changing the layout may put added stress on an outdated system that wasn’t designed to handle the extra load.

Also, don’t forget about your ductwork. Over time, air ducts can develop small leaks or tears that lead to significant energy loss—up to 30 percent of your conditioned air can be wasted before it ever reaches your living spaces. A remodeling project gives you access to areas of your home that are typically hidden behind walls or ceilings, making it much easier to inspect, repair, or replace aging ductwork.

Upgrading or sealing your duct system helps your HVAC equipment run more efficiently and can also improve your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ) by reducing dust, allergens, and other airborne particles.

Want to keep your project affordable? Ask us about our flexible financing options that make energy-efficient HVAC upgrades accessible on any budget.

HVAC Remodeling Ideas to Consider

Remodeling is the perfect time to explore new HVAC solutions that improve comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency in your home. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Smart Thermostats

A smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature in your home from your smartphone, even when you’re away. Many models learn your habits over time and adjust automatically for maximum energy savings.

Zoned Heating and Cooling

Installing a zone control system allows you to set different temperatures for different areas (or “zones”) of your home. This is especially helpful in multi-story homes or spaces with varying sun exposure.

Ductless Mini Splits

For home additions, converted garages, basements, or attic spaces where ductwork isn’t practical, consider a ductless mini split system. These compact units provide powerful heating and cooling without requiring existing ducts.

Ventilation Upgrades

Don’t overlook the importance of proper ventilation. Add or improve venting in kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms to remove moisture, odors, and airborne pollutants.

Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment

New ENERGY STAR®-certified furnaces, air conditioners, or heat pumps offer superior performance and significant energy savings compared to older models. Investing in these systems now means fewer issues down the road.

Collaborate With HVAC Experts From the Start

When you involve HVAC professionals early in your remodeling plans, you ensure a smoother process, better integration, and fewer headaches. Our licensed and knowledgeable technicians at Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. will evaluate your current system, help you choose the right equipment for your new layout, and work directly with your contractor to ensure proper installation and code compliance.

We pride ourselves on accurate, up-front pricing—no hidden costs, no surprises. Our goal is to help you create a beautiful, comfortable, and energy-efficient home that works for your family and lifestyle.

Call Your HVAC Experts Today

Don’t wait until after your remodel is complete to think about your HVAC system. Doing so could lead to costly adjustments, unnecessary disruption, and missed opportunities for savings.

Let Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. help you develop a smart, cost-effective HVAC strategy for your home renovation. We’ll work with your schedule, your contractor, and your budget to create the perfect solution. Call us today at 480-581-9108 or request service online to schedule your free in-home consultation.

The post Think HVAC During Your Home Remodeling first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

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 Clear Air Conditioning & Heating team members with any questions you may have about your programmable thermostat.

Forget About It

With a programmable thermostat in your Peoria 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 Peoria 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 Clear Air Conditioning & Heating 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 Peoria, AZ, home comfortable and may allow you to save money at the same time. Call Clear Air Conditioning & Heating at 480-770-4138 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.

The post How to Set Your Programmable Thermostat first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

We all know the difference between the heating and cooling settings on a thermostat.

But what’s the difference between the On or Auto switch? How does this setting impact the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in your Glendale home?

Switching the setting to On will leave your HVAC fan continuously running, even after your system reaches a targeted temperature. The Auto setting, on the other hand, means the fan will only run while your  system is actively heating or cooling the air inside your Arizona home or business.

Your preferred setting can depend on several factors, from cost savings to improving your indoor air quality (IAQ). Here is some basic information from our team at Clean Air Conditioning & Heating to get you thinking about a strategy that works best for you and your loved ones.

Why Set My Thermostat to Auto?

The best part of leaving your thermostat to Auto is you never have to think about it again. The fan turns on when the furnace or air conditioner starts running and goes off when your home reaches a set temperature. It’s a simple, no-fuss, energy-efficient approach to your heating and cooling needs.

According to ENERGY STAR^®, heating and cooling your home accounts for nearly half of your annual energy bill. Finding ways to reduce these costs can turn into a real money saver.

Why Set My Thermostat to On?

More air circulation means cleaner air. Since the air in your home continually runs through a filter, this setting may be better for family members who suffer from allergies or asthma. You may also want to leave the fan setting to On if you live in an industrial setting or someone smokes in the house.

Leaving the fan setting to On also helps distribute the air more evenly, which helps to eliminate “hot” and “cold” spots in your Glendale home. Another benefit is your fan no longer starts and stops throughout the day, which may help to extend its service life.

Which Thermostat Setting Works Best?

Our team at Clean Air Conditioning & Heating recommends leaving the thermostat to the Auto fan setting for a few reasons.

While leaving the thermostat to the On setting does a better job of circulating the air, it also means you will need to swap out HVAC filters more often. You not only pay extra on your utility bills to keep your fan running, but you also need to buy filters more frequently. And the difference in air quality is negligible at best for most people.

On those cold winter nights, it might feel like cold air is coming through the vent. It’s not cold air—it’s the temperature set on your thermostat, only it’s not actively being heated. It only seems colder compared to your body temperature.

Auto is the setting most homeowners use, mainly for the reasons stated above. You can always test the difference to see which one you prefer, turning the thermostat setting to On during the day and back to Auto before you go to bed.

Call Your HVAC Experts Today

Learning all the intricacies of your HVAC equipment ensures you get the most value out of your heating and cooling system. Our professionals at Clean Air Conditioning & Heating stand ready to offer sustainable and practical solutions that will save you money while adding comfort to your Glendale, AZ home. Call 623-516-8373 or request service online to learn more about thermostats and which one is right for your needs.

The post Thermostat Settings: On vs. Auto first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

It is an “Oh no!” moment when you approach your home’s thermostat and see its screen is blank.

Is it serious? Does it mean your furnace, heat pump, or air conditioning is broken? Not necessarily. In fact, most of the time, it is something minor and can be easily fixed.

Chill Out

Here are some of the most frequent reasons our Clear Air Conditioning & Heating professionals see a thermostat blank screen here in the Glendale area:

Dead batteries.

If your thermostat wall does not have a c-wire, or common wire, your thermostat is most likely not hooked up to your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for its power and requires batteries. When your screen is blank, it could indicate you need to replace the batteries.

If this is the case, you typically need AA alkaline or 3-volt lithium batteries, so check what type is currently powering the thermostat and simply replace them. Most thermostats display a low-battery symbol when the juice is running low.

On the other hand, if your thermostat is hardwired to your HVAC system for power, it could be a temporary blank screen if the thermostat is in the middle of recharging. Wait a short time and see if the display returns. If it does not, read on.

Loose wiring or wiring problems.

Sometimes the wires hooked up to your thermostat are responsible for its lack of power. If they originally were not firmly attached or the thermostat is in a high-traffic room, the vibrations from people walking by can actually affect the wires.

Our professionals have also seen wires chewed by rodents damage the wiring. According to Humane Society International, these rodents will continue to cause havoc in your Glendale home until you locate their entrance/exit opening and permanently seal it.

Since wiring deals directly with electricity, we recommend calling us to diagnose and repair the issue for you. When it comes to electricity, rely on a professional. It is much better to be safe than sorry.

Tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse.

A quick fix to restore your thermostat’s power is a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse, depending what you have in your Arizona home. Sometimes a surge can cause this issue.

If you check your electrical box and a circuit breaker is tripped, just flip it back. If you have fuses, replace the fuse.

Once this is done, check your thermostat. If you have power again, you are set; but if the breaker trips again or the replacement fuse blows, you may have a more involved HVAC problem. You need to get one of our Clear Air Conditioning & Heating professionals involved.

Tripped safety switch.

HVAC systems have built-in safety switches to protect you in an unsafe situation. In the event one of your unit’s safety switch is tripped, the transformer supplying voltage to your unit (and possibly your thermostat) will stop power.

If your unit is a furnace, you need to call one of our HVAC experts for a diagnosis and repair. If the unit is your heat pump or air conditioner, check its condensate pan to see if it is full. As a safety precaution, a full pan may trip the safety switch. Give us a call if this is the case.

Open furnace door.

Every once in a while, our team members come across an open furnace door causes a blank thermostat. Some thermostats are more sensitive to this issue than others, but it is worth checking. If your furnace door is not closed tightly, your thermostat may turn off. Simply closing the door securely should restore power in this situation.

Old thermostat.

Though thermostats can last 10 to 20 years, they do wear out. Sometimes it is just time to replace it.

If your thermostat is older, unfortunately this may be the problem. If it is, be sure to have one of our HVAC professionals install the new one—newer models can be complicated. You want to be sure to avoid issues with it in the future.

Call Us With Any Thermostat Concerns

At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc here in Glendale, AZ we frequently field phone calls regarding thermostat issues. If your thermostat has a blank display, try the aforementioned ideas to see if you can restore its power. But if they are not solving your problem, or if you are hesitant about attempting these on your own, please call us at 623-516-8373 or request service online. We are happy to help.

The post Why Is My Thermostat Blank? first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.

Federally funded heating and cooling rebates have arrived, which is good news for anyone planning home improvements this year.

As of September 2024, a few states have launched rebate programs that will lower the cost of energy-efficient upgrades such as air sealing, insulation, heat pump installation, and electric appliances.

A handful of other states are poised to begin awarding federal rebate dollars this fall, and even more plan to make rebates available to residents in 2025.

At Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., we are closely following the progress of the Home Energy Rebates program in Arizona. We can help with efficiency upgrades, like heat pump installation, in your Glendale home to improve comfort and reduce energy consumption.

Call us for a consultation at 623-516-8373 or request service online. Your project may qualify for a tax credit now.

Rebates vs. Tax Credits

Rebates give you a partial refund of the purchase price. They typically occur after you buy a product or service. In the case of Home Energy Rebates, the money provided lowers the cost at the point of sale.  

Tax credits reduce what you owe the federal or state government in income tax. You can get a 30 percent tax credit for eligible energy-efficient home improvement projects through 2032. Here is a sampling of maximum credits:

• Air conditioners up to $600
• Heat pumps up to $2,000
• Oil and natural gas furnaces up to $600
• Insulation up to $1,200
• Energy audit up to $150

Learn more about the improvements that qualify for federal tax credits at ENERGY STAR^®.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

The IRA, which became law in 2022, updated and extended energy-efficiency tax credits through 2032. It also created the Home Energy Rebates program, setting aside nearly $9 billion to help U.S. residents pay for home improvements that will lower their energy consumption and save money on their utility bills.

The federal government gave the states the authority to administer the rebate program. States are tasked with developing rebate programs for their residents, applying for federal funding, and distributing their share of the funds as rebates for energy-efficient home improvements. The states are at various steps in the process.

From Application to Launch

As of September 1, Wisconsin, New York, Arizona, and New Mexico have launched rebate programs. A dozen others received U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) application approval and are tweaking their programs before launching.

Other states have submitted applications and await approval. Approximately two dozen states are preparing applications and have until the end of January 2025 to submit them to the DOE. One state, South Dakota, has opted out of the program.

Check out this DOE map to see where each state is in the rebate process.

Two Rebates Programs

The Home Energy Rebates program consists of two distinct rebate programs: Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR). States can apply for federal funding to offer one or both programs to their residents.

The two programs may look a little different from state to state. Although the federal government sets guidelines for each program, state energy offices may put their stamp on them.

For example, the federal government specifies the type of electric appliances and services, such as air sealing and home wiring, that qualify for rebates under the HEAR program. Each state can decide if it will offer all or just some items listed in the guidelines.

States also can determine which method to use when determining the basis for the HOMES rebates. They can use a modeled approach, which estimates how much energy the home improvements will save, or the measured approach, which tracks savings over several months after installation. States can adopt just one or both methods.

You can seek a tax credit and a rebate for the same qualified home improvement or electrification project. However, you cannot earn rebates from both HOMES and HEAR for the same project.

Here is a closer look at the HOMES and HEAR rebate program:

HOMES Rebate Program

This program is open to all income levels. It allows you to make energy-saving home improvements in heating and cooling, water heating, and your home’s envelope and receive a rebate based on the amount of energy the improvements save.

Under the modeled method, improvements estimated to save 20 to 35 percent are eligible for a $2,000 rebate, and those estimated to save over 35 percent are eligible for a $4,000 rebate.

The measured method considers actual energy savings achieved over the months after you complete your home improvement project. It must save at least 15 percent on energy consumption. The more you save, the bigger the rebate.

Both methods cap rebates at 50 percent of the project cost.

HEAR Program

This program applies to homeowners and renters and assists low-to-moderate-income households with rebates. It defines low income as earning less than 80 percent of the area median income and moderate as 80 to 150 percent of the area median income.

The rebates cover 100 percent of electrification costs up to $14,000 for low-income households and 50 percent up to $14,000 for those with moderate incomes.

What constitutes an electrification project? Here is a list, along with the maximum rebate:

• Heat pump for space heating, $8,000
• Electric panel, $4,000
• Electric wiring upgraded, $2,500
• Heat pump water heater, $1,750
• Insulation, air sealing, and ventilation, $1,600
• Electric stove, cooktop, or oven, $840
• Electric clothes dryer, $840

Each state will decide what items to include in its localized HEAR program.

Cut Energy Waste, Save Money

Thinking about upgrading your HVAC system? New federal rebates can help you save money! Let Clear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. recommend energy-efficient upgrades for your Glendale, Arizona, home. We can help you cut energy consumption, save money, and enhance your comfort with top-notch HVAC equipment that qualifies for discounts and tax credits. Call us today at 623-516-8373 or request service online for a free consultation on how you might qualify for these savings.

The post Federal HVAC Rebates Now Available! first appeared on Clear Air Conditioning & Heating and is written by Clear Air Conditioning & Heating.