Which Type of Air Purifier Is Best for My Home?

March 20th, 2015

If you assume that the air in your home is cleaner than the air outside, you may be mistaken. For many homes in the United States, this is not the case. We keep our homes sealed up tight, but contaminants in the home can still thrive. Besides, this often means that circulation in the home is less than ideal, which makes the air stale.

The best way to get rid of contaminants in the air of your home is by scheduling services with an indoor air quality specialist in Winnetka, IL. Call us today at Malek Heating & Cooling for air purifiers and more.

Air Purification Systems

Any of the following air purification systems may be best for your home. We recommend that you consult with a technician before deciding on a system and scheduling professional installation only.

  • Mechanical Filter: The filter in your air conditioning and heating system right now may not be of the highest quality. Usually, the MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating of your filter—the way you can tell how effective a filter is—is not as high as it can be. Home filters often have a MERV of about 1-4, while the scale does all the way up to 16. Ask a technician which type of filter will work best for your home.
  • Electronic Air Purifier: An electronic air purifier uses ionization to attract particles and keep them out of the air in your home. This includes particles that are much smaller than those which can be filtered with a traditional home filter.
  • UV Air Purifier: A UV air purifier contains UV lights which kill small organic matter like bacteria and viruses, which are detrimental to those with immune disorders in the home.

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we offer these systems and more in order to improve the air quality in a home. Not only to we offer filter and purification service, we also carry heat and energy recovery ventilators for better ventilation, dehumidifiers, and professional air duct cleaning. An IAQ specialist will help you to decide which system or service is right for you.

Call us today for our professional air purifier installation or repair in Winnetka, IL, or to learn more about how to keep the contaminants in your home under control.

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How Long Does It Take to Install a Ductless System?

March 11th, 2015

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we often recommend that customers who are constructing new homes, remodeling a current home, or who live in an older home with limited space, consider installing a ductless mini split heat pump as their principle comfort system. Ductless mini splits provide both heating and cooling, and they work with great energy efficiency that will save money compared to using a standard furnace/air conditioner combination. They also help with increasing indoor air quality, and the lack of ductwork makes them flexible for numerous building and remodeling projects.

A question that customers who are interested in installing ductless heating in Skokie, IL often ask: “How long will the installation take?” The good news is that installation of a ductless system in most cases will not take longer than installing any other type of new heating or cooling system. In fact, in many ways, installing a ductless mini split heat pump is easier than putting in traditional comfort systems that use ducts. It’s a more complicated installation than putting in a small window unit, so it isn’t a job you should attempt on your own; you must look for qualified and licensed technicians familiar with the product. But for those skilled professionals, installing a ductless mini split is usually a fast job that will go without complications.

The average installation job takes one or two days. The actual length depends on the size of the system, in particular how many indoor air handlers need to be mounted inside the home. Each air handler must have a mounting frame put in first and a 3″ hole drilled through the wall to allow of power cable and refrigerant lines through. If you have a large home that requires many air handlers in multiple rooms, the installation process will take longer.

However, not only will the final results be worth the small investment in time, but the installation process is not disruptive. Much of the work occurs outside, setting up the external unit. Mounting the air handlers is usually a fast job for seasoned and trained professionals.

To find out more about outfitting your house with ductless cooling and ductless heating in Skokie, IL, as well as an estimate for how long the installation will take, call our ductless mini split experts at Malek Heating & Cooling. We are licensed Mitsubishi ductless mini split installers, and have helped keep homes in the Chicagoland area comfortable since 1998. Give us a call today.

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What is a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor?

March 4th, 2015

Choosing a quality contractor for heating and cooling installation is one of the most important steps you can take in order to make sure any necessary services are completed properly and that your system runs as efficiently as possible. If you select a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor for the repair or installation of a Mitsubishi Electric ductless AC and heating system, you can feel confident that you’ve selected professionals with all of the proper training and certifications for the job.

Call the friendly people at Malek Heating & Cooling for your new Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling installation or for any AC and heating services in Evanston, IL. We are accredited Mitsubishi Diamond Contractors, a prestigious title that ensures both expertise and craftsmanship.

Why Choose Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractors for Ductless Installation

Mitsubishi Electric ductless systems offer the ultimate in cooling and heating power without the need for any ductwork at all. Mitsubishi systems are known for long-lasting equipment, quiet operation, above-average performance, and incredibly high efficiency ratings. These systems come with a 7-year parts warranty, indoor humidity control, and variable speed settings.

And when you choose a Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor for installation, our technical excellence will help to keep your unit in the best shape possible. Diamond Partners are trained on Mitsubishi systems at an approved training center. They perform any work according to industry guidelines for the most efficient system possible.

When your Mitsubishi ductless heating and cooling system is not installed by Diamond contractors, you cannot be certain that everything will go smoothly. Your technician may not be as familiar with this type of system, and may be unable to complete the job according to the highest standards. But Diamond contractors work extensively on Mitsubishi Electric systems, so you can be sure of a job well done.

In most cases, new ductless heating and cooling system installation takes 1-2 days. A Diamond Contractor will take the time to make sure that everything is sized and installed properly, on top of completing a thorough inspection so that you can rest assured your new unit runs optimally.

Count on your local Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractors for ductless heating and cooling installation in Evanston, IL and the surrounding areas. Call Malek Heating & Cooling today!

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How Efficient Are Ductless Systems?

February 25th, 2015

Ductless systems may seem like a very odd choice for home heating. They’re limited to serving one room per unit, and usually take up a fair bit of wall or ceiling space in that room. It would seem that centralized heating and cooling systems are better suited to service the house in every way. However, ductless systems do actually have plenty of reasons to recommend them over centralized systems. One of those reasons is efficiency. Let’s explore why ductless systems are so efficient, both in terms of output and energy usage.

Ductless System Construction

In order to understand why ductless systems are so efficient, you must first understand how they work. Ductless systems are essentially heat pumps. They don’t burn any kind of fuel to create heat, and instead work by moving heat from one place to another. Their construction is similar to air conditioning systems, with one unit installed inside the house and the other outside. The inside unit is always installed in the room that it is going to condition, either on a wall or ceiling. The outside unit is either installed on the roof, an exterior wall, or on the ground outside the house.

Ductless Operation and Efficiency

Ductless units move heat from one place to another by evaporating and condensing refrigerant. In cooling mode, the inside unit evaporates refrigerant inside its coil to draw heat from the room. The refrigerant gas then moves down a refrigerant line to the outside unit, where it is condensed back into a liquid. The condensing process releases the heat into the open air. In heating mode the flow of refrigerant is reversed, with the outside unit capturing heat to send inside.

This method of operation makes ductless systems efficient in a number of ways. For one, the system saves a lot of money on heating bills by not burning any kind of fuel. For another, the ability to both heat and cool the room means that a ductless system does not need to be supplemented by any other system. Only heating or cooling one room also makes ductless systems incredibly energy efficient. The average central forced air system loses about 30% of its output to leaks in a home’s ducts. Ductless systems always deliver 100% of their output directly into the room.

If you’re interested in a ductless system, call Malek Heating & Cooling and speak with one of our heating experts. We provide professional ductless heating services throughout Wilmette.

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Is a Ductless System Installation a Good Investment?

February 16th, 2015

A ductless system has a number of great benefits, but we have many customers wondering: is it really a good investment for my home? The best way to assess this is to review some of the costs involved, as well as the savings you can gain, by using a ductless heating system in your home.

Initial Costs

A ductless system is comprised of an outdoor unit that holds the compressor, condenser and reversing valve, and indoor blowers that deliver the air. A single outdoor unit can support up to four indoor blowers, but when purchasing a ductless system, you should review the package to see how many blowers come in the package cost. On average, an outdoor unit and one blower with an output of 13,000 BTUs will have an average cost around $2,000. The number of BTUs affects the pricing considerably, so it’s important to know what size ductless unit you’ll need for your home, which is something your Malek Heating & Cooling specialist can help you determine. A package with four indoor blowers and an outdoor unit that delivers 36,000 BTUs has average costs of $5,200.

Where You Can Save Money

The first thing to keep in mind when reviewing the initial costs of a ductless heat pump system is that you are getting a device that offers both heating and cooling. When you consider that the average cost for a furnace or boiler is around $2,000 or more, and the average cost for an air conditioning system is around $3,000 or more, you aren’t really paying more for the heat pump. Secondly, heat pumps only use electricity to operate, which eliminates any fossil fuel usage and the costs associated with fossil fuel usage, and the amount of electricity a heat pump uses is about 25% of that of a whole-home AC. What does this mean for you? No more fossil fuel costs for your home heating, which can be a huge savings, and the reduction in electrical usage can equal up to $280 of annual savings per year. Lastly, there are a number of manufacturer rebates you can take advantage of, some that can save you up to $1,500 on purchase and/or installation costs, and there are many states offering tax rebates for using a far more energy efficient heating and cooling system for your home.

Some of these numbers can be a bit daunting, so if you have been considering the installation of a ductless heating system for your home in Winnetka, sit down with one of the experts from Malek Heating & Cooling and see how a ductless system may benefit your home’s budget. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

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Valentine’s Day: Pagan Revelry, Clandestine Marriage, and 14th Century Poetry

February 14th, 2015

What do you think of when you think of Valentine’s Day? Perhaps rushing off to the stationary store after work to choose the perfect card with which to express your feelings towards a loved one? Dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant? Roses, dark chocolates, and other gifts and confections? Whatever Valentine’s Day may look like to you, chances are that it is a far cry from the history surrounding this holiday – or at least we hope so. Here are a few interesting facts about this most romantic of holidays, from your friends here at Malek Heating & Cooling.

The fact of the matter is that there is no definitive history as to how Valentine’s Day came to be. There are a few different saints with variations of the name Valentine, for example. One of the most prevalent legends, and one certainly in keeping with the romantic nature of the holiday as we know it today, pertains to a priest serving during the 3rd century in Rome. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, who believed that young men made for better soldiers if unfettered by marriage, it was illegal for young men to marry. A true believer in love, Valentine would marry young couples in secret. Until, at least, he was found out, and met a very unpleasant end for his crimes.

Like many of our modern holidays, Valentine’s Day can also be traced back to pagan ritual. Lupercalia, as the pagan festival is known, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, a god of agriculture. As is often the case with Roman celebrations, the details of this celebration are unfit to detail here. Suffice to say that, while there is certainly a touch of the amorous in the proceedings, the festival was a far cry from what we associate with Valentine’s Day today.

How, then, did our modern version of Valentine’s Day come to be? The answer may lie in, of all places, 14th century poetry; particularly, in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer. Famed for his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer may well be the very first writer to associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love, in the manner of which we are familiar with it today. His The Parliament of Fowls details the dream-vision of a narrator consumed with the idea of romantic love and the natural order of finding a mate. Valentine’s Day is mentioned by name a number of times, as the narrator witnesses a parliament of eagles vying for the hand – or, perhaps more aptly, the wing – of a mate.

Whatever you may think of the holiday’s sordid and convoluted history, we here at Malek Heating & Cooling hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with the special someone in your life.

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Water Heater Replacement Product Alert

February 6th, 2015

If you’re thinking about replacing your water heater in the next five years, you really should act in the next 60 days!

New Department of Energy water heater efficiency regulations will force manufacturers of gas, electric or oil fired water heaters to increase their efficiency by April 2015. These changes will have an impact on how water heaters are designed, manufactured, tested and installed. And this will ultimately cost consumers more in equipment and installation costs. Also, since the new water heaters will be larger, they may need to be relocated along with your existing heating equipment.

If your water heater is over 10 years old, it’s about time to change it. You could wait, but if you do, after April 15, 2015, that newly manufactured water heater will have to meet those new, more costly standards… and it will cost you more.

Besides replacing your existing water heater with a similar unit you can choose to upgrade to a tankless water heater. You’ll save energy dollars because it only heats the water when you open up a faucet. It doesn’t store water and constantly heat it waiting for you to use it.

Let the trusted experts at Malek Heating & Cooling help you to make the right decision about your new water heater. But you need to act quickly… there’s less than 90 days before the new rules take effect. After April 15, we’ll be installing the new water heaters at the new, higher cost. Call us or contact us online to schedule service today!

 

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What Is a Ductless Heating System?

February 5th, 2015

It wasn’t too long ago that your choices for home heating were limited to a furnace or a boiler. These days, homeowners have a number of choices for heating systems, including ductless heating. Many people wonder how ductless heating works and if it’s sufficient enough to heat the home, so we’ll explain below how ductless heating can be a great option.

Ductless Components

A ductless heating system uses the same components to heat your home as a ductless air conditioning systems uses to cool, but there’s one key difference: heat pump technology. Ductless systems are comprised of an outdoor unit and individual indoor blowers; a single outdoor unit can support up to four indoor blowers. The indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit via a conduit in an exterior wall. This conduit contains a power cord, refrigerant line and condensate drain pipe. The indoor blowers contain a small fan, small air filter and the coils through which the refrigerant cycles when an indoor blower is in operation.

How a Ductless System Provides Heat

The heat pump technology is what allows a ductless system to provide your home with heat. Heat pumps are equipped with a component called a reversing valve; this valve can switch the way the refrigerant flows in the system, allowing for the device to operate in either cooling mode or heating mode. As the homeowner, you’ll have a dual-mode thermostat, so all you have to do to switch modes is press a button.

Benefits of Ductless Heating

There are a number of benefits a ductless heating system offers that can make a good option for homeowners:

  • Very good energy efficiency – ductless heating systems offer very good energy efficiency for two reasons: first, they use only a small amount of electricity to operate and second, there is no worry about air loss from ductwork.
  • Long lifespan – heat pumps have an average lifespan of 20-25 years, whereas a combustion heating system has an average lifespan of 15-20 years.
  • Customized comfort – each blower operates individually, allowing you to have zone comfort.

If a ductless heating system seems like a good fit for your home in Skokie, call the experts at Malek Heating & Cooling and schedule an appointment today!

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Is It Time to Repair Your Generator?

January 30th, 2015

The main reason to own a whole-home generator is to be able to power your home should a power outage occur; if this help isn’t available from your generator when you need it, there isn’t much point in having a generator. Unfortunately, because generators aren’t used constantly, it may not be clear whether or not a problem exists with your generator until you need to use it. However, there are some steps you can take to determine whether or not you may need generator repair for your home in Wilmette.

Common Generator Repairs

Here are some of the more common problems that can develop with your whole-home generator:

  • Loss of lubrication – all the moving parts on your generator need adequate lubrication to operate correctly; without proper lubrication, these parts will grind and can eventually break.
  • Electrical problems – wiring and spark plugs inside the generator can corrode over time, which will affect the operation of the generator.
  • Blown generator fuses – your generator has its own fuse box that helps it to run; blown fuses will hamper its operation and require replacement in order for the generator to be operational.
  • Problems with the fuel line – the fuel line is integral to your generator’s operation. If it is bent or kinked, or has developed an air bubble, the fuel feed may be impeded.

Signs of Problems

So how can you know about some of these problems? Here are a few tips:

  • Leaking – if you see any kind of leaking or puddling around your generator, there is a good chance is has sprung a leak.
  • Visible wear on electrical components – some corrosion of the electrical components may be visible, so if you see frayed wiring or rust around terminals, call for an expert.
  • Burning smell – if you smell a burning odor while testing your generator (or using it), shut it off immediately and schedule an appointment with a repair person.

Test on Your Own

One of the best ways to assess whether or not a problem has developed is to test your generator every 3 months. Simply turn it on and let it run for 10-15; while it’s running, inspect the outside and stay aware of any strange noises or odors.

And if you’re in need of professional generator service in the Wilmette area, give Malek Heating & Cooling a call today.

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Repairs That Your Heat Pump May Need

January 21st, 2015

Heat pumps have a unique construction and operation that sets them apart from other heating systems. This also happens to make their repair needs unique. Though you should always call a professional HVAC technician to address any issues with your heating system, it pays to know a bit more about how your heating system works. With that in mind, take a look at these repairs that your heat pump may need.

Broken Reversing Valve

The reversing valve is a 4-way junction in the refrigerant line between the indoor and outdoor units of the heat pump. This valve determines which way the refrigerant flows through the system, depending on the position it’s in. This is what makes the heat pump capable of both heating and cooling functions. The valve is comprised of a chamber that contains a slide. This slide has two positions, one for each refrigerant direction. Attached to the slide is an electromagnet called a “solenoid.” When the solenoid is charged, it pulls the slide to one side of the chamber. When the solenoid is not charged, the slide drops to the default position.

A reversing valve can break in two primary ways. The first way is that the slide becomes stuck in the chamber, preventing it from directing the refrigerant flow. The second way is that the solenoid loses its magnetism, rendering it unable to pull the slide from one side of the valve to the other. If the slide is stuck, a technician simply has to open the valve and free it. If the solenoid loses its magnetism, however, it will have to be replaced.

Broken Defrost Cycle

During cold days, the outdoor unit of the heat pump can have ice buildup on the outside of the casing. If the ice manages to cover most or all of the unit, it will cut off the unit’s ability to siphon heat. Normally, the heat pump uses a defrost cycle to melt the ice off of the unit. If you notice that your outdoor unit is mostly or entirely covered in ice, however, that means the defrost cycle isn’t working. You’ll need to call a professional to fix it.

If your heat pump is having issues, call Malek Heating & Cooling to schedule a service appointment. We provide professional heating repair in Evanston, IL.

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