Do you live in a house that uses a boiler for heat and doesn’t have any ductwork to allow for a central air conditioning system? If so, you probably have window AC units around the house to help cool down during the summers.
ServiceMax Blog: Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category
Go Ductless and Get Rid of Those Window AC Units
Monday, June 17th, 2019AC Problems You Want Fixed Before It Gets Hotter
Monday, June 3rd, 2019
If you’ve lived in Chicago for even a year, you know the summers can be tough to beat unless you have a solid AC system in your home or business.
Regular AC maintenance is just like maintaining your car—both require consistent upkeep to operate efficiently and avoid costly repairs. Whether you own a home or a business, regular maintenance is essential to keep your equipment running smoothly and your space comfortable. Diagnosing issues early helps keep your home comfortable, ensures cool air reaches every room, and prevents bigger problems that could lead to expensive repairs or even system replacement.
So now is the time to ask yourself if your AC system is solid. Is it showing indications that it’s wearing down or has a malfunction? Right now, in the last stretch of milder weather before summer gets underway, is the right time to arrange for repairs for your air conditioning in Oak Park, IL. Below we’ve put together a list of a few AC issues to have fixed in these last days of spring.
A Bad AC Installation Is Truly Bad! Here’s Why
Monday, May 6th, 2019
If you enjoy “do-it-yourself” projects around the home, there are probably a few big jobs you’re itching to see if you can handle on your own. What about installing a new central air conditioning system? That sounds like it might be a genuine adventure, and you’ll end up saving money on labor costs when you make the project your own.
Hold it right there! We understand your enthusiasm—but central AC installation must only be done by licensed HVAC professionals. This rule applies both to DIY attempts and allowing unlicensed amateur “handymen” to take on the work. A bad air conditioning system installation has many consequences that will cost you in comfort, money, and time.
The MAX Comfort Plan Is the Best Thing for Your AC
Monday, April 22nd, 2019
What does your air conditioning system need right now? If the weather is still cool, you might think the answer is “nothing.” But just because an AC isn’t currently running doesn’t mean it’s doing fine and won’t need any air conditioning services in Chicago, IL until later in the summer.
Right now, the best thing for your AC is maintenance through our MAX Comfort Plan. We don’t even have to take a look at your home’s air conditioner to know this, because every air conditioner benefits from a spring tune-up—and our MAX Comfort Plan tune-ups are among the best around.
How to Find Out (Politely) the Age of Your Air Conditioner
Monday, September 10th, 2018
It’s not polite to ask people their age—unless they’re children, in which case they’ll probably tell you their exact age to half a year without you having to bring it up.
You never need to worry about offending your air conditioner by asking its age. But you may not know how to go about “asking.” This can be a problem if you’re debating whether to replace the system before next summer. An AC’s age is a vital piece of info for choosing “repair vs. replace.” If you didn’t originally install the air conditioner, you may have no idea how long it’s been in your home.
We can help. Discovering the age of a cooling system is simple once you know how. (Figuring out what to do afterwards is the tricky part!)
The 5 Most Common Reasons for AC Problems
Monday, August 13th, 2018
August is often the hottest, most grueling month of the summer—and it’s a time when many air conditioning systems will start to experience malfunctions because of all the stress that’s been put on them. This is a good time to go over a list of the most common AC problems that can crop up, because this is when you’re most likely to run into one of them and have your comfort put in jeopardy!
If your AC runs afoul from one of the troubles below, you can find excellent professional repair service for your air conditioning in Northbrook, IL with just a call to our team. We’re available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
What are the most common AC issues regular maintenance can prevent?
- Blower fan failure
- Outdoor fan problems
- Refrigerant leaks
- Frozen evaporator coils
- Clogged condensate drains
These issues can reduce efficiency, damage system components, and lead to costly repairs if not caught early.
Is an Air Conditioning System Enough to Control Humidity?
Monday, July 16th, 2018
When your air conditioning system is running during a humid summer day—and we get plenty of those in Chicagoland—you’ll occasionally hear a dripping sound coming from the unit. This isn’t because the AC uses water to help cool down the house. The only type of cooling system that does that is an evaporative cooler. What you’re hearing is the water moisture the air conditioner has drawn out of the air with the evaporator coil dripping down into a condensate pan and then being drained outside through a condensate drain line. This collection of moisture is a natural result of the evaporator coil absorbing heat from inside the house to cool the air.
This makes it sound like the air conditioner is also a dehumidifier. But this is not really the case. An air conditioner on its own usually isn’t sufficient to properly dehumidify a house. It can provide cooling to help you feel cooler, but when the relative humidity is above 60%, the AC won’t do much to lower it to comfortable levels.
5 Things We Wish Everybody Knew About Air Conditioning
Monday, July 2nd, 2018
The air conditioning system is just a way of life. Homes are now constructed with central air conditioning in mind, and even vintage buildings can enjoy powerful air conditioning without using window units thanks to ductless mini splits.
But even though ACs are everywhere, they’re still poorly understood. Below is a list of five things we want people to know about air conditioning. These bits of knowledge makes it easier to care for an AC and to know when to call on trained HVAC professionals to fix and maintain them.
The Overheating Air Conditioner: How to Prevent It
Monday, June 18th, 2018
An overheating air conditioner is a tragic story. Your AC has only one goal: to make you feel cool and happy. Your AC will stop at nothing to achieve this, even if it means burning itself out in the process.
Overheating occurs when one or more of the AC’s components are not working the way they’re supposed to. The system will work extra to compensate for the damaged components, and that will lead to excess energy consumption followed by overheating. If you’re lucky, overheating will do no more than trip your circuit breaker. If you’re not so lucky, your AC will do its best before sadly breaking down.
Overheating can be prevented with regular maintenance and tune-ups. Below are some of the first services a professional HVAC contractor will perform to keep your AC from overheating.
Electrical Problems in Your Air Conditioner Can Mean Big Trouble!
Monday, June 4th, 2018
At ServiceMax, we offer a wide range of services for our customers. We’re both an electrical and HVAC contractor for Wilmette, IL and the rest of Chicagoland. This puts us in the special position of understanding the electrical issues that may affect an air conditioning system during the summer. That’s good news—because electrical malfunctions are the most common type in air conditioners. It only takes a few wiring glitches in your home’s AC to turn a pleasant summer day indoors into a sweatbox!