HVAC answers for Southern California homeowners
Straight, evergreen guides on the questions we get asked most, written by the Piggies team. Looking for news and seasonal tips? Those live on the blog.
Bills & Incentives
SCE rate plans, rebates and credits, and how to run a system around them.
How SCE Time-of-Use Rates Change When You Should Heat and Cool
The same kilowatt-hour costs more at 6 PM than at 2 PM. Here is how to run your system around that.
Read the guide → 6 min readStacking HVAC Incentives in Southern California: What Combines and What Doesn't
Utility, state and federal programs come and go. Here is how to think about them so you do not leave money on the table or count it twice.
Read the guide →Codes & Ratings
Title 24, permits, air-district rules, and every number on a proposal.
Title 24, Permits and HERS Testing for HVAC Work in LA County
What the California energy code requires when you replace a system, and why a permit protects you.
Read the guide → 6 min readHVAC Ratings Glossary: SEER2, HSPF2, EER2, AFUE, Tonnage and MERV
Every number on a proposal or data plate, explained in one place.
Read the guide → 5 min readSCAQMD Zero-NOx Rules for Furnaces and Water Heaters: What Changes and When
The air district is steering new gas equipment toward electric. Here is what that does and does not mean for your house.
Read the guide →Heat Pumps & Electrification
Water heaters, panel capacity, noise and solar for an all-electric home.
Heat Pump Water Heaters Explained for Southern California Homes
They move heat instead of making it, which is why a garage in Covina is the perfect place for one.
Read the guide → 6 min readElectrical Panel Capacity: Will a Heat Pump Fit on 100-Amp Service?
Often yes, sometimes with a load calculation and a smart circuit, and occasionally only after an upgrade.
Read the guide → 5 min readHow Loud Is a Heat Pump? Decibels, Placement and Property-Line Rules
Modern inverter units are quieter than the AC they replace, if they are placed and mounted right.
Read the guide → 6 min readSolar Plus Heat Pump: Sizing Your Array for an Electrified Home
Adding a heat pump moves your heating bill onto the electric meter. Plan the solar around the new load, not the old one.
Read the guide →Your Home's Air & Envelope
Ducts, attic insulation and night cooling: the house side of comfort.
Static Pressure and Duct Design: Why Adding Vents Does Not Fix Airflow
Weak airflow is usually a resistance problem, and more holes in the duct do not lower resistance.
Read the guide → 6 min readAttic Insulation R-Values for California Climate Zones 9 and 10
The attic is where a San Gabriel Valley house wins or loses the afternoon.
Read the guide → 5 min readWhole-House Fans and Night Cooling in the San Gabriel Valley
On the many evenings when outdoor air drops into the 60s, a whole-house fan cools the house for pennies.
Read the guide →Safety & Ownership
Carbon monoxide, buying a home with an old system, and what each part does.
Carbon Monoxide Safety With Gas Furnaces in Older San Gabriel Valley Homes
The alarm, the annual inspection and the three warning signs that mean leave the house now.
Read the guide → 6 min readBuying a Home: What the Inspection Report Says About the HVAC System
"Serviceable, near end of useful life, recommend evaluation by a licensed HVAC contractor." Here is how to read that.
Read the guide → 7 min readAnatomy of Your HVAC System: Capacitor, Contactor, TXV, Blower and What Each Failure Means
A field guide to the parts a technician names on the invoice, and the symptom each one produces when it fails.
Read the guide →
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