How Do the PG&E Shutdowns Affect My HVAC System?

power shutdowns

PG&E Shutdowns and Rolling Blackouts in Northern California

Once again, PG&E shutdowns are happening for over 150,000 customers in locations caught in the middle of local wildfires.  Rolling blackouts will also occur this week for customers in other parts of northern California who aren’t necessarily impacted by local fires, but have to succumb to the needs of their electric company who needs to relieve the stress on the delivery of electricity on the hottest days of the year.

So many people are using their AC’s on hot days.  This can create a high demand for the power company to deliver.  The heat can be life-threatening for people who depend on electricity to cool their homes.  Some people are sensitive to temperature swings.  Infants and older adults are groups most impacted by power grid shutdowns.

PG&E Shutdowns and Your Air Conditioner

Beyond shutting down your electricity, these PG&E shutdowns can actually damage your AC.  Your compressor that sits at the bottom of your outdoor unit is one of the hardest motors in your house to start up.  Once that motor is started, it’s imperative to have regulated voltage applied to it to run effectively.

Power shutdowns and sudden re-energizing of your home’s power supply can send jolts through the power delivery system.  When jolts hit your air conditioner’s power supply, it feeds into the parts themselves, especially if they’re running at the time.  The same thing happens when the system calls for cooling when the power is turned back on by the power company in your area.  The inrush of power hitting your house, albeit ever so slight, is enough to take out the most expensive parts of your AC system.  Here is one of my most popular videos on diagnosing a bad compressor.

Rolling Blackouts Can Damage Your Control Board

Another expensive part that can really get fried is control boards.  These are the brains of the system.  Control boards tell which parts of the indoor and outdoor units to run and at what time.  High voltage and low voltage parts of these control boards can receive massive pulses of power, ruining the smallest parts of control boards.  Here is a video where I explain some more about how control boards get damaged.

It’s really unfortunate when PG&E power shutdowns randomly impact your home.  Damage is often done when systems are running at the time of the shutdown and upon re-energizing the grid.  There are times when power companies are forced into some tough situations.  Randomly selecting which area of the state gets shut down is one of them.

Lawsuits for causing wildfires and power grid relief are the main reasons PG&E has to monitor usage during certain times of the year.  And right now is one of those times of year.  Power shutdowns can damage your AC equipment at your home unintentionally.  It’s very similar to situations when someone takes out a power line in your neighborhood, sending a jolt to the heart and brain of the system.

Equipment Protection During PG&E Shutdowns 

Homes can be equipped with surge protectors.  This would be one way of suppressing voltage spikes entering your home’s power supply, related to shutdowns and start-ups.  We hope this never happens to you but if it does, visit our website to schedule an appointment for us to come out and diagnose the damage to your system.

To learn more about how long your HVAC system should last, check out our blog post on this topic.

Thanks so much for reading this week, and we’ll see you on the next blog.

Don’t miss our videos related to this topic:

 

 

https://youtu.be/utE1XLDxCHk
https://youtu.be/raG_N_hz6ng

Why Does Condensation Form on My Home’s Windows?

Condensation on my windows

Every fall and winter, some homes develop window condensation, and it can be a little concerning.  Nobody likes moisture to build up inside their home because it can cause significant damage or even ruin it. Let’s talk about where this window condensation is coming from and how you can stop it from forming.

When you experience “sweaty windows,” it can directly result from the cold air outside your home and the warm air inside meeting one another on a cold pane of glass.  The warm air inside of homes carries humidity, especially if the season is changing, and these are the first few nights of cold weather hitting the area. 

Warm, humid summers leading into warmer than usual autumns can quickly switch to colder, dryer nights.  As windowpanes get cold, the warmer air from inside the house naturally tries to gravitate to the colder, drier air outside the home.

The window condensation that forms can block your view, preventing you from seeing outside.  That condensation can drip onto the windowsill and even down onto the carpet below.  Not good!  On really cold nights, the water can even freeze right on the window.

Suppose you live in an area that gets down to the low 30’s Fahrenheit during December and January. In that case, you are more likely to experience this than others around warmer regions of the country.

How Does Window Condensation Form?

Humidity is water vapor in the air.  Like fog or steam, just on a lower level.  Whether you’re dealing with fog, steam, or indoor air, all of it contains moisture. 

Air can only hold a certain amount of moisture.  And that amount depends on the temperature inside the home.  At 100% humidity, the air has reached a saturation point.  It can’t hold any more water.  At 50% humidity, the air is holding half of its water capacity.  Cooler air can’t hold as much water vapor as warmer air, either. 

Lots of things generate indoor moisture: people doing everyday things in the home, like cooking, bathing, shaving, doing laundry, and working out.  The typical activities of a couple in a home can add up to a gallon of moisture every day to the air inside of a home. 

Learn More:  Moisture Sources in Houses, National Research Council, Canada 

So, is it the windows that cause the condensation?  Well, it’s just like a pitcher of iced tea on a warm sunny day; the difference between inside the pitcher and outside the glass is just the medium.  As I mentioned above, hot air gravitates to cold.  So, warmer humid air is trying to slip through the framing of the windows, glass, walls, and ceiling. You name it!  Windows don’t cause condensation; they provide a cool surface where the water can condense. 

Window Condensation in a 1920s Cottage

Are some houses more susceptible to having their windows sweat than others?  Well, I can tell you on my recent vacation to Yosemite National Park, we stayed in a cottage built in the 1920s.  The room has been upgraded since it was built.  It was nice and cozy, but you could feel cold drafts “coming in” from the edges around the windows and front door.  At the top of this post, you’ll see a photo taken in the cabin, showing the dew forming on the single pane windows and surrounding framing.

Take that cottage and compare it to my house that was built in 2000.  I have never seen condensation form on those windows.  Maybe it’s because the windows are dual pane and the trim is vinyl.  But I can assure you, I’ve personally never been on a service call in the winter where the homeowner of a newer house complained of condensation forming on their windows.  However, I have been to older homes in the Sacramento area that the homeowner has had issues with it.

So, let me ask you this.  Why does almost every bit of information I read about when it comes to window condensation refer to the fact that today’s homes are built tighter than homes built before 1980?  Experts say humidity tends to accumulate in newer, tighter homes and retain it easier than naturally drafty homes built in the old days.  They say this is why newer homes tend to have more humidity issues and sweaty windows than older homes.

I’d love to hear your opinion on this, so leave me a comment down below so we can start a conversation about it.

Window Condensation Can Cause Damage

Excessive interior humidity can be hard on your home because of the types of damage it can cause.  It can damage sheetrock, paneling, and walls (which weakens wood framing and the structure’s integrity).  It can cause the paint to peel from the edges around your window, too. “Sweaty windows” can drip down into window frames, causing dampness and even warping the wood frames.  Nobody wants this.

Is it older homes that seem to build up condensation on windows in the wintertime, or are newer homes?  I can tell you my 20-year-old house has never experienced sweaty windows.  But I have experienced older homes that develop them.

Don’t forget to weigh in, below.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and we’ll see you on the next blog topic.

Don’t miss our video on this topic:  

Relocating Your Thermostat Might Make Your Home More Comfortable

Relocating Your Thermostat

3 Reasons Why Relocating Your Thermostat To A New Spot Might Be a Good Idea

I’ve been to people’s homes where relocating their thermostat would provide them better comfort.  A thermostat located in a second-floor hallway might cause such extreme temperature differences in the bedrooms upstairs that one room is hotter than another room.   In single-story homes, that thermostat could be located on the other side of the house or stashed away behind a door or bookcase somewhere in the house, creating uneven temperatures.

Other times, a thermostat is located on the inside of an exterior wall of the house.  This could allow the radiant summer heat from the outside to confuse the thermostat into thinking it’s met the temperature you want it to be, but you’re sure it hasn’t.  Other places you probably don’t want to have a thermostat is near the kitchen, the garage door, or near a window.  Temperatures near these areas of the home might be a little different from other parts of the home you’re trying to keep at a certain level.

If you live in a single-story home, the majority of the time, you’ll find the best place to mount your thermostat is in the main hallway located about halfway between the bedrooms and the living room. You’ll probably notice the return air intake is located in the hallway too.  The thermostat and the return air found there is done that way on purpose.  Conditioned air from the living areas and the house’s sleeping areas are brought together to that area in the hallway and mixes.  The temperature of the house’s air in that precise area is a great place to be measured.

In two-story homes, you’ll find most families in my area of the country have a thermostat in the master bedroom. It’s because the air temperature in the hallway upstairs can be different from the temperature of the air in the bedrooms, especially if the occupants close their bedroom doors at night to sleep.

Smart thermostats like the Nest, Ecobee, and Honeywell can figure out how long it takes to get your home to the temperature you desire.  But if your thermostat is in the wrong place, even those more expensive thermostats won’t read the house’s correct temperature.

Relocating your thermostat to the right spot can save you money and make everyone experience the same temperatures no matter where they are in the home.

See Also: Check out our blog post on how to avoid hot and cold spots in your home.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and we’ll see you at the next blog post.

Don’t miss our videos related to this topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaK0ytU6AOs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufLOd4eIjsc&list=PLKkGqC-nYaE5wfl1NRbXLZnbxSLHfaZbw&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aFva7zogaU

This is How to Successfully Troubleshoot an AC Unit

Howo to Troubleshoot-an-AC-Unit

Breaking Down the Parts of a Air Conditioning System

Technicians just starting in the field have many questions about the process required to troubleshoot an AC unit.  In this series, I’ll break down the major parts of an AC system. But first, let’s go through a simple service call to figure out why the AC in question is not working.  Then we can get into more details in this series once we know what’s going on.

To successfully troubleshoot an AC unit, let’s start at the thermostat and go all the way to the outdoor unit turning on and the blower turning on, forcing air into the rooms of your house.

The Thermostat

When your house reaches a point where the AC needs to come on, a series of components work in a specific order to produce cold air.  So, go ahead and turn on the air conditioner.  Set the temperature down below what the temperature of the room is now.

Taking this step will make two switches inside the thermostat close:  the Y and the G terminal.  Y is for cooling – it turns on the outdoor unit, and G is for the air handler’s blower fan.

At this point, I always check the filter to make sure it’s clean.  Without a clean filter, your system can’t breathe in, so it won’t be able to breathe out, sending air into the house.

The Air Handler

Let’s go to the air handler first and see what’s going on there.

At the air handler or furnace, the control board is what’s calling the shots.  It receives the signal from the thermostat for Y and G to energize the terminal block.  If you put your meter leads on the C and Y terminals, you’ll get 24 volts.  Between C and G, you’ll get the same.

G is going to send the signal to the relay switch on that same board.  The closed switch tells the blower motor to come on.  It allows the 120 volts from the correct blower tap to start turning the blower wheel.  The blower motor on these units will have a capacitor on it. See my video below outlining the steps to test it.  On models made after 2019, blower motors became a little more advanced and energy-efficient.  Digitally commutated motors like this don’t use a capacitor.

The only other thing going on up at the air handler is the cold evaporator coil has refrigerant moving through it. There’s a metering device at the coil, but we’ll address that in another segment in this series.

Some furnace and coil combos have a condensate safety switch wired into the control board.  The air conditioner creates condensation that drains out to the side of the house. This switch provides a safety device that stops the air conditioner from producing any more condensation should the drain clog up.  See my video on this topic as well, below.

The Air Conditioner

Now let’s get out of this hot attic and head out to the air conditioner!  Technicians must be safety conscious at the AC.  Two hundred forty volts flowing through your body is no fun but regularly happens to people who aren’t qualified to work on it.

Let’s see what should be happening at the air conditioner when you take the panel off.  That Y signal from the air handler connects to the contactor, which pulls in, allowing the 240 volts from the house onto the compressor and condenser fan motor.  The compressor will pump the refrigerant to and from the outdoor coil and the indoor cold coil we talked about earlier.  The condenser fan motor keeps the outdoor unit cool by sending the heat from inside the house out of the AC unit’s top.

From here, the AC will provide about 18 to 22 degrees cooler air than is going into the return side of the system.  If it’s not and the air is reaching that temp split, you may need to check the refrigerant charge and start doing some more in-depth troubleshooting of the compressor and more, which is just what this series will explore.

Troubleshoot an AC Unit: Improving Your Skill Set

As a new technician, you don’t have to be intimidated by all kinds of moving parts and thermodynamics.  Yes, when you get down to the details about it, you’ll need to have a greater skill set, which means more training – and hopefully, this series will provide that for you.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and we’ll see you at the next blog post!

Don’t miss our videos related to this topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glFsL73YmNU&t=7s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-xOiDVhyFk
 

How Moisture in the Refrigerant Lines Damages Compressors

How Moisture in the Refrigerant Lines Damages Compressors

Anytime technicians cut open the refrigerant lines to the air conditioning or heat pump system, we have to ensure the interior of those lines doesn’t get debris and other contaminants in them.  We can’t prevent air and moisture from getting in them, which is why we need to evacuate systems thoroughly.  If we don’t, a form of acid will develop inside the compressor and eat away at the protective lining that surrounds the copper stator windings.

Not only will the acid wear out the windings, but it can tear away the copper lining of the tubing itself.  That copper will land on the bearings or other components in the refrigeration circuit.  Other examples would be the TXV or other metering devices.  Once this starts, friction starts building up, causing the compressor to work harder to do the same work.  Over time, the friction builds up so much the compressor seizes or burns out. 
 

 

Moisture and POE Oil

 

R-410A systems use Polyol ester oil (POE Oil) which is a hygroscopic oil. POE oil retains water in the air a lot more than the mineral oil (R22) systems.  That’s why we have to evacuate the system of as much moisture as possible.  Technically, we’re not supposed to leave the lines open for more than 15 minutes.  That’s hard to do when replacing a major component like a compressor or evaporator coil.  If exposed long enough, it’s best to replace the compressor oil to the levels printed on the data label on the side of the compressor.   This is because no matter how long we have the unit on a vacuum, that moisture will never be removed from the compressor oil.

 

When a system is flat on charge, meaning there is no refrigerant left in the system because it all leaked out,   it can be assumed that air is now in the system.  There’s no vacuum left in the lines, so the leak needs to be repaired and then evacuated to 500 microns or less again to get it back to normal.  Does this mean if the system is flat, the lines have been open longer than 15 minutes?  I would assume so.  Should we change the oil in the compressor?  I guess so.  Do any techs do it?  Probably not.

 

 

Filter driers catch remaining moisture

 

Because it’s so hard to get all the moisture in the lines evacuated, we always install a filter drier.  A good filter drier has desiccants inside it that will absorb residual moisture in the lines as it flows through the system.  Even then, only so much moisture can be absorbed by a filter drier.  A clogged filter drier will start restricting the normal refrigerant flow and even cause flash gas causing abnormal operation.  You can tell if a filter drier is clogged by measuring the temperature of the liquid line before and after the filter drier.  If the difference is 3 degrees or more, changed the filter with a new and properly sized one.

 

It’s so important for technicians to ensure there is no moisture from the atmosphere left in the lines when we turn the system on.  There are tools, components, and procedures to help with this. If we don’t do it right, we are only doing a disservice to the customer because the electrical and mechanical parts of the AC system will eat away from acid that forms inside of it.  

 

Professional, knowledgeable service is essential when it comes to the air conditioner.  Don’t just call anyone out to service your system.  Call Fox Family or even book online  at the top of the page.

That’s it for this week.  Check us out on the next blog!

SMUD Suspends Certain Rebates Due to COVID-19

SMUD Suspends Rebates

Sacramento County Utility Companies Navigate the Effects of the Coronavirus: What It Means for You

At the beginning of 2020, Sacramento county residents were offered lucrative rebates for choosing to upgrade their HVAC systems to a more carbon-free fuel source.   Since the downturn of the economy in America, businesses, even utility company SMUD, have been oozing money.  SMUD has had to focus more on taking care of customers who can’t afford to pay their bills during the epidemic.  This is putting pressure on the source of funding for the 2020 rebates.  SMUD is even suspending certain rebates.

Getting to Carbon Neutral

As SMUD utility company guides its customers with a plan called electrification, their goal is to follow California’s mandate to become carbon neutral in the next 20 to 30 years.  One way of doing this was to incentivize their Sacramento County residents to stop using fossil fuels to heat their homes.  Various options for upgrading a home’s HVAC system exist.

Reduced and Suspended SMUD Rebates on the Horizon

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, however, half of the rebates have been suspended, at least until the end of the year.  The others have been reduced but still offer an exceptional rebate opportunity for switching from gas to electric.  Customers can still work with their contractors to get these upgrades until the funds run out.

Measure Current Rebate Effective May 29
Air conditioner with gas furnace upgrade $1,500 Suspended
Dual fuel HVAC upgrade $2,500 Suspended
Heat pump HVAC upgrade – electric to electric $1,500 $750
Heat pump HVAC upgrade – gas to electric $4,000 $2,500

In March, we told you about the reductions in water heater rebates.  We let our readers know those rebates would only be around until the funding source ran out.  We’ve also been telling our customers who are looking to upgrade their HVAC systems that the HVAC rebates wouldn’t be this rewarding for long.  By the end of summer, we at Fox Family thought the rebates would be depleted. 

Timing is Everything

There is still time to get your HVAC upgrade project done this year, and there are some great financing options we offer to get them done. But again, time isn’t on your side.  Get in on these rebates now while they exist, because we don’t see them being around, or at least this fruitful for long.

Fox Family Wins “Ultimate Family Game Room Prize Package” From Honeywell

“Ultimate Family Game Room Prize Package”.jpg

We’re excited to announce that Fox Family Heating & Air won a grand prize last month’s  “Ultimate Family Game Room Prize Package”.  Today we got to celebrate it today!  For every Honeywell Control we purchased over the summer through Ferguson HVAC Supply in Sacramento, we earned a ticket in the hat for the drawing.  And we won!

One HVAC contractor from the Arizona/Nevada, Southern California, and Northern California regions was chosen randomly in July of 2021.  The winners were announced in August.  And in September we received all the goodies!  The $2000 prize package including:

  • 60” Class UN7000 Series LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV
  • XBOX One Game Station
  • PacMan Head2Head Home Arcade Game
  • Two Stealth 700 Gen 2 Black Wireless Gaming Headset
  • Ten-Game 48” Multi Game Table
  • 19” Wide 105 Can Capacity Extreme Cool Beverage Center
  • Family Game Room Sign
  • Rockville HTS56 1000w 5.1 Channel Home Theater System
  • 36” Round Bar Type Pub Table w/ four Residio Barstools
  • Yeti Roadie 24 Insulated Chest Cooler

All had a great time as we gave away all the prizes through a raffle.  We gave everyone 30 tickets to put in for every item they wanted.  We threw in some extra things and made sure everyone won a prize.

Our team works so hard all year round, taking care of our Fox Family customers.  Today’s giveaway was a great way to show them some love.

Thanks so much to Ferguson HVAC Supply and Residio Honeywell Home for providing us with such great prizes from the “Ultimate Family Game Room Prize Package”.  Fox Family Heating & Air appreciates you!

How I Troubleshoot a PSC Condenser Fan Motor on an Air Conditioner

Troubleshooting a Condenser Fan Motor

Condenser fan motors come in a couple of forms.  PSC style and ECM style.  PSC motors are easily identified by the run capacitor that comes inside the service panel with them.  ECM motors are electronically commutated motors run on their own power.  Today we’re talking about the PSC condenser fan motor which you’ll find on a lot of the basic 10 to 14 SEER single-stage systems out there. 

There are only a few things that can go wrong with your typical PSC motor.  Voltage from the panel isn’t sufficient, the contactor is bad, the capacitor is bad, or damaged parts inside the condenser fan motor.

Why Is The AC Making A High Pitched Noise?

I’ve gotten this call before.  The customer says the outdoor unit is making a very pitched noise.  Louder than they’ve ever heard!  When you get to the house and turn on the AC, you walk up on the outdoor AC unit and find that the compressor is pumping the refrigerant, but the fan on top is not spinning.

What’s happening here is the condenser fan blade isn’t spinning which normally removes the heat from the outdoor unit.  If it doesn’t, the compressor will overheat and shut down, but not before putting up a screaming hissy-fit.  After that, the internal overload switch on the compressor opens.  It takes about 45 minutes or so to cool back down, and then retry running again.  Heats up, shuts down, cools off, restarts, and over and over.

In this case, you likely have good voltage to the system but just to be sure make sure you have about 240 volts to the load side of the contactor while it’s running.  This lets you know the line voltage is good and the contactor is good in one quick test with your multimeter.

You only have so much time to do this before the compressor shuts down, but next, I usually take a stick or something and try spinning the fan blade with it.  If the fan starts spinning after giving it a little nudge, I’d check the capacitor next.  That capacitor is what helps it start and run efficiently.

If the capacitor checks out good, then you know you have proper voltage getting to the motor, so the condenser fan motor is bad.

If the fan blade doesn’t keep spinning after you nudge it, the capacitor could be good, but still, check it.  If it’s good, the condenser fan motor is bad.

Checking The Condenser Fan

I’ve seen this happen when a big windstorm hit an area recently and knocked some branches down into the top of the AC.  The shroud on top usually does a great job of protecting the fan blade, but in this instance, a stick wedged itself in there and caused the motor to burn out.

Another reason this can happen, especially on universal replacements is the inside of the motor got wet.  These motors come with rubber plugs sometimes.  These plugs have to be placed on the top side of a downward mounted fan, and in the bottom of an upward facing motor.  The ports on the opposite sides should remain open, so that any moisture that does get into it, can drain out.  Happens all the time!

I would say check the fan motor for a short to ground, but the main breaker or service disconnect fuses would have usually tripped by now.  So let’s check the motor windings first to see if we have an open or damaged winding.

Take the wires off the contactor and the capacitor that leads to the fan motor.  Refer to your wiring diagram that comes with the AC and check your ohms (resistance) between Common (Purple or C on the capacitor) and Start (Usually Brown but was attached to Fan on the capacitor.)  You should read a fairly low amount of resistance here.  If you read OL on your meter, then you have an open Start winding

Common and Run (Black, or the only wire that’s coming from the contactor to the fan motor.)  You’ll likely measure a lower amount of resistance here.  If it’s OL, then you have an open Run winding.

If you have an OL on both of the motor’s windings, the motor’s internal overload switch could be open.  If you allow time for it to cool down, and it still wont run, replace the condenser fan motor.

Just in case you do have good windings, let’s double check to make sure the motor isn’t shorted to ground.  You can check with your ohm meter, but I usually just use the continuity setting on my meter.  Check between the frame of the motor and each winding.  Common, Start, and Run.  Make sure you’re not using a painted surface for the frame.  You want to use a metallic base for this test.

Condenser motor

If you have continuity between any of these and the frame of the motor, replace the condenser fan motor.

Well, I hope this helps you troubleshoot your next condenser fan motor.  This is one of the easier components to check.

If this is your first time watching our channel, please click subscribe down here on the bottom right.  And if you click that little bell next to it, you’ll be notified of all our videos as they come out.

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll see you on the next blog.

Our Financing Options That Work – Fox Family Heating & Air

Financing Options - Fox Family Heating & Air Conditioning

Purchasing a new HVAC system is one of the most significant investments you’ll make for your home.  But I wanted to let you know that we offer some great for financing options here at Fox Family Heating and Air.  So, what follows is a few different financing solutions for our customers to help ease the financial burden.

At the end of telling you what we do offer, I wanted to tell you WHY we don’t offer PACE financing as an financing option for our customers.  So, I hope you’ll stick around to hear that.

We use two solutions for financing — Synchrony Bank and GoGreen Financing by PG&E.

SynchronySynchrony Bank Financing

Synchrony is our most popular form of financing.  It offers an unsecured revolving credit line (like a credit card), specifically for home improvements like your upcoming HVAC system.  They have no liens attached to your HVAC equipment either.

Here are 5 reasons we partner with Synchrony3 finance.

  1. Their PAYMENT OPTIONS
    Synchrony allows our customers to select a payment plan that works best for their budget.  Customers can choose one of the following options.

    • 25 months at 0.00%
    • 37 months at 5.99%
    • 61 months at 7.99%
    • 132 months at 9.99%
  2. Their EASY APPLICATION PROCESS
    • The credit application is short and simple and can be done over the phone with our office staff – or we can email a link directly to the customer to complete. Please email us at foxfamilyheatingandair@outlook.com to get started with the process.
  3. You get an INSTANT CREDIT DECISION
    • Upon completion of the application, the credit decision is instant. Once approved, Synchrony emails a financing agreement to the customer for electronic signature.
  4. It’s FULLY DIGITAL
    • The entire process with Synchrony is done electronically. This means faster processing and no postage or wasted paper.
  5. There’s NO MINIMUM
    • Customers can apply for financing for smaller repairs, too. For any financed amount under $2,500, Synchrony offers a payment plan of 6 months at 0.00%.

GoGreen Financing

GoGreen Financing through PG&E

Again, this program is available to PG&E customers only. Meaning, at my house, we get our natural gas from West Coast Gas and our electricity from SMUD. So, we wouldn’t be able to use GoGreen financing.

Customers can choose from several different lenders affiliated with this program.  The rates range from 5.99% to 9.99%, and they also have options available for customers with lower credit scores.

This is an unsecured loan, so there is no lien placed on the equipment.

Customers can apply for this loan by going to www.gogreenfinancing.com.   The customer works directly with the lender for the application and financing documents.  This process, from application to system installation, typically takes about 5-7 days.

Once all required paperwork is in place, GoGreen will provide us with an authorization to proceed with the system installation.

Why We Do Not Use Pace

You may have heard about PACE, YGRENE.  A PACE loan might be a viable option for funding. It makes it easy for you to qualify for relatively affordable long-term loans, but there are pros and cons of going this route.

The Pros are typical – easy approval, no down payment, the assessment stays with the property, very flexible terms, extended payoff times (10-20 years, for example), and the interest rates might be tax-deductible.

But because of the Cons – we don’t offer it. Don’t get me wrong; some companies do a ton of PACE financing. But something rubs me wrong about it, so we don’t.  And here’s why:

  • Some contractors push PACE financing options to serve their own interests. Contractors receive additional referral fees from a lender if they arrange the project’s funding, so the potential for conflicts of interest is real.
  • Most people think of payments as a monthly routine. Payments for the PACE loans are due in large chunks once or twice a year.  So, you have to save monthly for when it’s time to make those bulky payments, or else you’re going to get a surprise expense when it’s time to make those inflated payments.

Granted, If your mortgage loan servicer pays your property taxes through an escrow or impound account, you should be able to make your PACE payments in monthly installments as well.

  • PACE financing, while relatively simple, isn’t cheap. There are significant closing costs, and the interest rates can be higher than traditional home equity loans or a line of credit.
  • Realtors hate PACE financing because it makes it difficult to sell the house until the loan is fully paid off. And if you suddenly decide to pay the loan off early so that you can sell the house easier and you didn’t check that little box when you signed up for the loan, you get stuck paying the loan’s interest anyway.

Salespeople will tell you the loan stays with the property and not the owner.  So when you’re ready to sell your home, it just passes on to the new owner.  But no buyer wants to incur those payments, trust me.

  • Finally, PACE borrowing is secured by your home, so it’s possible to lose your home in foreclosure if you don’t make the payments. And because the PACE lien is generally in “first position”—meaning, in front of your mortgage lender—you risk foreclosure even if you make your regular mortgage payments as agreed.

Also, according to the Federal Housing Financing Authority, homes with a PACE lien are not eligible for a mortgage financed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the Federal Home Loan Banks. That could make it impossible to sell the property to someone whose mortgage was obtained through a federal lending program.

Okay, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent there, but I feel strongly about transparency.  As the owner of Fox Family, I’m privy to all of these details, but it’s hard to get this info to all of my techs and make it sink in by the time they get to your kitchen table to sell you a system.  For that reason, all of these little details, which can ultimately end up with someone losing their home, aren’t worth it to us just to sell a system.

Our 2 Financing Options

So, these are our financing options.  Hopefully, this eases the burden of your HVAC project so you can break it down into smaller payments.  Our 0% for 25 months option through Synchrony is a great way to go.  You can pay it off early, but you have to make at least minimum payments every month.

If you have any questions about this, shoot me an email at foxfamilyheatingandair@outlook.com

How cold can my air conditioning get my house in the summer?

How cold can my house get?

 

HVAC companies like ours startup because we are passionate about helping people when it gets hot (or cold) outside.  We honestly want to get you comfortable as soon as your AC breaks down.  Some people want their home to feel like a meat locker, but the reality is your system can only get your home so cool.

Your system is designed to cool your house 18 to 22 degrees less than the temperature of the house at any given time.  Meaning, if your house is currently 80 degrees, the temperature of the air coming out of your registers should be 62 to 58 degrees.  As the temperature of the house comes down to your desired 72 degrees, the temps coming from the supply registers will be 54 to 50 degrees.  

Your house can get cooler than that. Most of the time, I sleep with the temperature in my bedroom at 68 degrees.  I can only do that if I strategically set my thermostat not to let my house get too warm during the day.  If you let your house get to warm, say 85 to 90 degrees, before turning your system on, your AC will struggle to bring the temps in your home to 72 degrees or less.  

A system is designed to cool your house one or two degrees every 15 minutes.  But if it’s super-hot in your home, the walls are going to be warm, the furniture is warm, and the ceiling is warm.  All the items in your house will need to cool down before you’re going to start feeling comfortable again.  So if it’s 90 degrees in your home before you decide to turn your AC on, it may have to run all through the night, even into the following day to get you there, depending on the age of your HVAC system.

So, the answer to the question is about 72 degrees.  75 is reasonable for every home, but some systems are old and inefficient.  Some systems aren’t sized large enough for that particular home.  Every house is different. Some systems might be low on refrigerant.  It could be a variety of things.  

One thing is for sure though, if you live in the Sacramento area, Fox Family Heating & Air will be able to get your home nice and cool no matter what’s going on with your AC.  Feel free to schedule an appointment with us at (916) 877-1577 or online at www.foxfamilyhvac.com