
Special Guest Arizona Wildlife for Tomorrow Director Steve Hirsch.
Steve is a long time family friend and oldest sun of legendary Arizona Outdoorsman Bob Hirsch. He joins us to share stories of growing up in the Arizona outdoors and share his top five destinations/adventures.
Continuation of Steve’s top 5 destination/adventures.
Two hiking trail suggestions
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.
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.
More on choosing the correct tree for different applications.
Caller:
Recommendation – It sounds like they were “Going G.A.G.A” (Going Against Good Advice) The best advice…use qualified arborists!
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?)
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)
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:
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.
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.
Caller:
Rosie welcomes our new partner, Channel Choice in Phoenix or Tucson!!!
More on Saving $$$ on Air Conditioning:
Callers:
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.
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.
Callers:
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!
Recommendation – He should take a look at how he’s buying power and get on a time of day plan.
Callers:
Recommendation – Andrew thinks it should be okay at the 10 percent, but he could get a second opinion from Intelligent Design Air Conditioning & Heating.
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.
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)
Callers:
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
If you have AC questions in Phoenix, call REEIs Home Performance Air Conditiong & Heating and in Tucson, it’s Intelligent Design Air Conditioning & Heating.