One of the services we offer to the Chicagoland area, and have offered since we started in business in 1998, is solutions to improve indoor air quality for homes. Although people assume that outdoor air is unhealthier than indoor air, the reverse is often true. The U.S. EPA has discovered that the air inside buildings is often 3 to 4 times worse than that outside.
ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Skokie’
What’s In Your Home’s Air That Might Be Harmful?
Monday, February 8th, 2016Why You Should Consider Installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator This Winter
Monday, January 11th, 2016Winter is a time when you close up your house tight to keep as much heat trapped indoors as possible so you can keep your heating cost effective. One of the side effects of sealing up the home, however, is that it traps air indoors. This air will often become stale, dry, and filled with contaminants. One of the ways to solve this problem is to have special IAQ devices installed, such as air purifiers. In this post, we’ll look at the energy recovery ventilator (ERV), which offers some advantages for homes in winter.
Another Furnace Safety Tip: Check the Color of the Pilot Light
Monday, December 14th, 2015Last week we offered up a number of important tips that will help you keep your heating system working safely through the winter months. Today, we are going to focus on the natural gas furnace in particular. Gas furnaces are the most common type of home heater found in the country, and although they are not inherently dangerous as sometimes described, they do require some special maintenance care to work at their safest.
Don’t Forget Maintenance for Your Generator This Fall
Monday, November 16th, 2015We’ve already talked a bit this season about the importance of scheduling heating maintenance in preparation for winter. You definitely don’t want to get caught without a working heater during a cold Illinois winter. But there’s another important maintenance job you should take care of this fall. A heating system won’t work without electricity (even a modern gas furnace uses some electrical power), so make certain that the whole-house generator that protects your home’s electrical system during a power outage is also ready for storm season.
Why You Should Consider Installing a Whole-House Humidifier for Winter
Monday, October 19th, 2015Temperatures are falling as we move deeper into the fall and closer to winter. Now is the time to prepare our homes and heating systems for the rigors of another Skokie, IL cold season. That means you should have professional heating maintenance scheduled (if you haven’t done so already) and take care of replacing old heaters if they are no longer working well.
Is It Too Early to Arrange for Maintenance for My Heater?
Monday, September 21st, 2015We’re still enjoying warm weather here in Skokie. But of course, that won’t last forever as winter start to move closer. If you’re thinking that it’s perhaps a good time to schedule that annual maintenance for your furnace or other heating system, only to then back away from the idea because it seems a bit too early, we’re here to tell you that your first instinct is 100% correct. Once September arrives, there is no such thing to “too early” when it comes to heating maintenance.
A Few Air Conditioning Problems to Watch for at the End of the Summer
Monday, August 24th, 2015Summer is coming to an end, although we can still expect some lingering heat through the early autumn. The air conditioning system in your home has probably spent most of this last season working hard, and all that stress and wear could possibly cause the system to break down. During these final weeks of hot weather, make sure that you pay close attention to some of the warning signs that your AC is having trouble. (And don’t wait to have any problems fixed in the spring! The sooner repairs are done, the less expensive they will be.)
3 Reasons to Consider a Whole-House Generator
Monday, July 27th, 2015What do you do when you lose power? If you’re like most homeowners, you rummage around the junk drawer or garage for your trusty flashlight and set to work either finding the other flashlights (and perhaps some candles) and possibly your portable generator (hopefully you have some spare gas). But more and more homeowners are considering whole-house generators for their homes. To many, this seems like an obvious home improvement. Few things are as convenient as being able to fire up your whole-house generator to run not only your lights, but also major appliances. Here’s why you need one for your home.
Is a Heat Pump Water Heater a Good Investment?
Monday, July 13th, 2015You have more options today for new water heater installation than you once did. The standard storage tank water heater is no longer the sole type available. You can now install tankless and hybrid water heaters. One of the more exciting developments in water heater technology is the heat pump water heater. Is one of these systems a good investment for your home?
How to Get Your Aging Air Conditioner to Work Better
Monday, June 29th, 2015A quality air conditioning system can often last for around 15 years, maybe more, while still providing the right level of cooling for a home and without wasting energy. If you have a system that is over 10 years old and you’ve noticed that it isn’t working as well as it should (problems with cooling, increased energy bills), there are some steps you can take to make it work better. Below are a few of them.