Sustainable Tree Pruning & Air Conditioning Evaluation Print

Continuation of Steve's top 5 destination/adventures.

Two hiking trail suggestions

1. Gateway Trail in McDowell Mountains
2. Bright Angle Trail in the Grand Canyon

Sanderson Ford's Arizona Staycation - Enter to Win Here.

Arizona Wildlife for Tomorrow Information and Annual Banquet Saturday August 22nd.

2015 Hall of Fame inductees.

1. Senator John McCain
2. John W. Harris
3. Jim O’Haco
4. Dan Priest
5. Audubon Arizona

wildlifefortomorrow.org

Certified Arborist, John Eisenhower with Integrity Tree Service joins the show to answer your questions.

"Tree" of the Week: Not technicaly a tree, but today John talks about the sago palm.

We discuss sustainable pruning and what that means at your home or busines.

• "Pruning is a combination of art & science"
• John breaks down the "art" and shape of trees that will compliment the natural growth pattern.
• John talks about the correct way to prune palo verde and how we usually do it.
• Proper tree options to use for shade.

More on choosing the correct tree for different applications.

• Palo Brea is great for shade in the desert.
• Why our trees are low to the ground......
• Why we have smaller leaves.
• How photosynthesis is different in the hot Arizona climate.
• What do you do if you've moved into a new home with dangerous or improperly placed trees.

• Proper placement of irrigation for trees as they grow and expand.

Caller:

• Dave - He's trying to repair a eucalyptus tree that was improperly trimmed. It fell over and damaged the nearby fence and the neighbors property. They were just doing what the homeowner wanted, but didn't take the overall tree structure into consideration.

Recommendation - It sounds like they were "Going G.A.G.A" (Going Against Good Advice)  The best advice...use qualified arborists!

• Elizabeth - She has a large palo verde that is leaning on another palo verde. The large roots are pulling out and she's wondering if there is a way to stake the tree to salvage it?

Recommendation - There are times that you can repair it, but there are factors that will determine if it can survive. (Are the roots dried out? Why did it fall?, Is it worth stabalizing for several years?)

• Jack - Is an oleander a tree? How tall does it grow?

Recommendation - Nope! It's actually a bush, but can be trimmed like a tree though and can grow up to 20-25 feet. (John gives more additional tips and warnings about planting them)

• Jane - She heard John say "side trimming" and she wanted to know what that meant.

Recommendation - It is trimming back the heavier branches on the sides to grow taller.

John talks about his classes and partnership with the Desert Botanical Gardens.

Callers:

• Becky - When should she "stress" her citrus trees, so they produce fruit. She hasn't seen fruit in 5 years.

Recommendation - John isn't a big believer in "stressing" trees to produce fruit. He would check the cultural conditions and what's causing the issue. Some citrus trees just don't produce very much fruit. Correct irrigation and fertilizing is the most important key.

• John talks about some of his preferences with fertilizing different types of trees.
• Transplanting a saqo palm is possible for transport! (They're high $ plants, so save them if you can)

If you have questions for John, contact Integrity Tree Service!

Jeff from REEis & Andrew with Intelligent Design are In-studio to talk about saving money on your Air Conditioning bill.

• Rosie talks about how to gage what your bills should be for AC during the summer.
• Learn what "Base Load" is and how that will help guide your energy useage.
• Don't be scammed by tricky promises.
• Your Windows are the biggest source of heat infiltrating your home.
• Missing and low insulation in the attic is your #2 source causing high energy bills. 
• What is the "lowest hanging fruit" you should tackle to bring down your AC costs. 
• Properly using sun screens.

Caller:

• Terry - She had REEis seal up their duct work and just wanted to call in to say that the amount of dust in her home has decreased significantly. She's very happy about it! AND the AC is much more efficient.

• Choosing the correct air filter & how the return air flow effects your AC's efficiency.

Rosie welcomes our new partner, Channel Choice in Phoenix or Tucson!!!

More on Saving $$$ on Air Conditioning:

• Sealing Ductwork.
• Andrew and Jeff both love Aeroseal
• The importance of properly placed insulation.
• Properly sized return air vents are overlooked. 

Callers:

• Jana - She has a probelm with buying a paper air filter we recommend, because they are the custom sizes...

Recommendation - She does have a unique size filter and Jeff recommends going online to search for it and buying it in bulk, rather than stopping into a store to pick up. We do not like washeable filters. The last solution is refitting an intake to a more standard size.

*Why we do not like washeable filters.

• Mike - He's taken several steps to cut down on his energy bills, yet SRP is still saying he's an average user. He also wants to know if he should have such a short on/off cycle. The humidity is around 60 percent and it's uncomfortable.

Recommendation - It sounds like it is an oversized AC unit and that leads to higher humidity in the home. Humidity should be around 40 percent.

• Jeff & Andrew talk about the energy audits they provide and why that should be your first step to cut down on energy costs.
• There are some bad energy audit companies out there. Beware!

Callers:

• Tom - He has an older manufactured home and wonders what they could do to analyze their specific situation.

Recommendation - She mentioned single pane windows and the 3 window AC units can cause a pretty big energy bill for the size. Andrew will take a look when he gets back to Tucson!

• Another Tom - He's renting a home and his bill seems very high. What do we think?

Recommendation - He should take a look at how he's buying power and get on a time of day plan.

Callers:

• Paul - He had solar panels installed a few years ago and he got an energy audit done. They said he didn't need anything and was losing about 10 percent. Is that okay?

Recommendation - Andrew thinks it should be okay at the 10 percent, but he could get a second opinion from Intelligent Design Air Conditioning & Heating.

• Tom - His AC bills are extremely high and he's had a motor replaced, but it seems like it won't stop running. In the extreme heat, it wouldn't get below 78 degrees. He's also heard that the 80's were bad for ductwork. He knows screens need to be installed & he's got bad windows.

Recommendation - Duct work is usually metal from the 80's and they're almost never sealed up. That would cut down for sure. Consider "time of day" plan too. Get an energy audit done and add sun screens. 

• Roger - His Master Bedroom won't stay cool and it's all summer long. What should he do?

Recommendation - It's usually a ductwork issue and Jeff is going to take a look at Roger's home himself. The system is 10 years old and usually has some simple situations. (Adding a return air can always help)

• Greg - He moved into his home and last month he switched his bill after realizing he was on a consumption plan. He switched to a "time of day" plan and it's dropped his bill significantly!!!

Callers:

• Peter - He has a 10 year old Trane system on his home and an evap. system too. With the additional eveaporative cooler on the system, can he still have a pressure test on his AC system?

Recommendation - Yes, that's not a problem. Rosie also doesn't think it's worth adding an evap cooler with AC systems over a certain sear number.

• Greg - We lost him earlier, but his Master Bedroom is staying warmer than it should. He shuts the doors....should he be doing that?

Recommendation - With central returns, you should have the bedroom doors open to balance the homes air pressure. This keeps the whole home cooler and it's actually shrinking the home and making the unit work harder.

Callers:

• Robert - He is consuming too much energy and his home is an energy star home. He's been investigating for a while and wants our advice

Recommendation - It sounds like he's getting bad information and his home isn't wasting more energy than he should in our opinions. It sounds like his rating is off for such a large home. We'll follow up with Robert.

• Derek - He has blown insulation in his home and wants to know what the value of cathedral insulation is?

Recommendation - In an existing home, it's very challenging. It WILL cool the ductwork, but wouldn't help a whole lot with the interior of the home. Retrofitting this is very expensive to do. You won't get your Return on Investment.

**Always remember only 10 percent of your AC bill is caused by the attic temps. Windows and duct leaks are the No. 1 cause of you high bills.

**Rosie rants about attic exhaust fans....DON'T DO IT!!!

Callers:

• Diane - When leaving for vacation, what should she set her thermostat at?

Recommendation - Set it at 88 to 90 degrees. It will keep the home cool enough to not melt candles and keep the AC bill lower.

• The crew talks about the price of power & what to expect going forward.
• New technology that's on the market.
• We love and talk about Sprayed Insulated Cork. Learn more about Vipeq USA products.
• New Thermosats will save you money too! 

 If you have AC questions in Phoenix, call REEIs Home Performance Air Conditiong & Heating and in Tucson, it's Intelligent Design Air Conditioning & Heating.