ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Skokie’

7 Sounds That Spell Trouble for Your Air Conditioner

Monday, September 21st, 2020

shocked-by-loud-noiseWhen it comes to your air conditioning system, the only sounds you really want to hear are going to be the whoosh of air blowing into your home and the hum of the motors and the drip of condensate moisture. Aside from this, additional noises should be treated as what they are: likely signs of trouble in your AC system.

If you start hearing troublesome sounds from your cooling system, it is likely that you need to schedule air conditioning repair in Skokie, IL. Here are some of the warning sounds you should be on the alert for.

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Replacing Your Heater—Some of Your Choices

Monday, October 22nd, 2018

hands-over-a-radiatorEach fall we stress to all our customers (and future customers) how important it is to schedule regular maintenance for their heating system—whatever type of heating system they have. There are many benefits of having this done, and one of them is it can help you find out if your heater is no longer up to the task of a Chicago winter. When you have a heating system that’s more than 15 to 20 years old, it’s probably ready to retire. During maintenance, a technician can tell you when it’s best to install a new heater.

You have a range of choices for central heating, and you may wish to consider changing to a new type or staying with what you already use. Below are a few of the systems available to warm your home. We hope this helps you start thinking about the replacement system you want.

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How to Find Out (Politely) the Age of Your Air Conditioner

Monday, September 10th, 2018

air-conditioners-recyclingIt’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!)

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Why We Recommend AFCI and GFCI Outlets for Your Home

Monday, February 12th, 2018

GFCI-electrical-outletThe changes in electrical usage in homes over the last twenty years, even the last ten years, are nothing short of incredible. The average household now consumes more electricity than ever before because of the increase in charging electrical devices and powerful computers and home entertainment systems. Electrical circuitry and panels have to stay current with the rise in consumption, but the outlets have to change as well.

If your home still has two-pronged outlets or standard three-pronged outlets, we strongly recommend calling us to arrange for the installation of GFCI and AFCI outlets as replacements. What are these, and why should you make the upgrade? We’ll answer these questions for both outlet types below.

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Planning for Your AC’s Future at the End of the Season

Monday, September 11th, 2017

frozen-over-air-conditionerThe summer weather is starting to recede: the official end of the season is less than two weeks away. You’re soon going to start making plans for turning on the heating system that will warm your home through later fall and into the winter. A crucial part of those plans includes schedule routine heating maintenance: sign up for our MAX Comfort Plan and we’ll have your heating taken care of!

But part of fall planning involves the air conditioning system. Simply shutting it off for the season isn’t the best idea. You want the AC in excellent shape for that first day you need it in spring. The way you want your heater to be prepared when the first cold day hits, you also want your AC prepared. There are a few steps you can take at this time of the year to help.

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Odd Noises That Can Warn You Have an AC in Need of Repairs

Monday, July 31st, 2017

shocked-by-loud-noiseOne day in the future, consumers may have access to HVAC systems equipped with powerful artificial intelligence programs capable of diagnosing malfunctions early and altering homeowners to the problem—along with instructions of exactly what’s wrong and how to call a technicians to ask for help.

But we’re not quite there yet. Air conditioning systems can’t self-diagnose, but they do have ways of telling homeowners that something has gone amiss so they know to call for professional assistance. HVAC technicians use good old fashioned “organic intelligence,” i.e. their extensive training and experience, to find out what’s wrong and how to fix it. One of the ways air conditioners tell homeowners there’s a problem is unusual sounds from the system.

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4 Ways You Might Spend Too Much on Air Conditioning This Summer

Monday, June 5th, 2017

air-conditioner-money-saverYou’ll need to have your home’s air conditioning system running during the summer to stay cool. That’s just a basic part of Chicagoland Survival 101—our summers are hot and humid. Of course, keeping a home cool doesn’t come for free, and you can expect to see a rise in your electricity costs over the summer because of the extra use of the air conditioner.

However, air conditioning bills in homes are often higher than they need to be. Below we’ve listed 4 of the ways you may end up wasting energy with your AC over the summer—and how you prevent them.

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Handling the Allergies of Spring with IAQ Solutions

Monday, April 10th, 2017

tulips-in-springAs we move into spring, we’re finally going to start enjoying warmer weather. But along with warmer weather comes a spike in the pollen levels. And you know what that means: allergy season! As the cold and wet weather fades, plant blooming leads to an increased pollen count, which is responsible for numerous allergic reactions that can make this season a miserable one. And pollen is only one source for allergies this time of year: mold starts to grow in the wake of the wet weather, creating dangerous mold spores in the air.

There are medical steps people can take to lessen the problems of allergy season. But many homeowners don’t realize they can improve their health during spring allergy season with the proper professional indoor air quality services in Skokie, IL.

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Can I Save Money on Heating by Shutting Vents in Empty Rooms?

Monday, February 13th, 2017

piles-of-large-currency-billsIf you use a furnace or heat pump to warm up your house, the heated air travels to the various rooms through ductwork and then out vents. Most vents have levers on them allowing you to adjust the louvers behind the grill. This way you can direct which way the air flows when it first comes out of the ventilation system. In fact, you can adjust the louvers to lie flat, shutting off the ventilation opening.

Does this mean that you can shut off airflow into an unused room by doing this? And is this a way to effectively reduce energy costs during the summer?

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The Choice: Energy Recovery Ventilator or Heat Recovery Ventilator?

Monday, January 2nd, 2017

During yet another cold winter in Chicago, you may not realize that a key part of staying comfortable inside your house is maintaining a good level of indoor air quality. This is one of the unpleasant little secrets of the modern home: they don’t “breathe” well. This keeps heat from escaping in winter (and keeps the heat out in the summer) but it ends up trapping contaminant-filled, stuffy air indoors, and that can be a problem.

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