ServiceMax Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Some of Your Choices for Heating Installation in Winnetka, IL

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

If you need new heating installation in Winnetka, IL, you’re in luck. There are many options available for you to choose from, so you can have the level of comfort you need, as well as added features like zone control and energy if desired. While the prospect of a new heating system that fits your needs may be exciting, picking a system can seem overwhelming.

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we offer professional heating installation in Winnetka, IL for any of the following units. If you need professional advice and quality service, put your trust in our skilled team.

  • Radiant Heating: A radiant heating system requires a large tank, called a boiler, to heat water. The common name for the system is deceptive; the hot water travels through a set of pipes under the floor or to an endpoint like a baseboard heater and gives off convective and conductive heat. Many people describe this heat as more comfortable than forced-air heating systems because it fills a room with warmth.
  • Furnaces: However, furnaces are more common with heating installation in the U.S., partly because of the lower cost and partly because it’s much easier and takes less time to install if you already have a working set of ducts. Furnaces use combustion to generate heat and send it to a heat exchanger. A blower fan brings cool air into the furnace and moves the warm air back into the house through the duct system.
  • Heat Pumps: Heat pumps actually work just like air conditioners, except that they have the ability to both heat and cool. Refrigerant travels through the system, absorbing and removing heat either from the indoors to the outdoors in the summer, or from the inside to the outside in the cooler months. It’s important to note, however, that you may need an alternate heat source when temperatures drop below freezing.
  • Ductless Heating: A ductless unit is essentially a heat pump that doesn’t need ducts. These systems have individual air handlers dispersed throughout the home that blow air directly into any room or zone.

Comparing some of your options can be difficult. While any of these systems allows you the option of zone control, it generally only comes standard with some radiant systems and ductless units. Boilers may save quite a bit of energy, but heat pumps are also considered some of the most efficient heating systems. If you’re still on the fence, call Malek Heating & Cooling today for professional service and to talk about your needs for heating installation in Winnetka.

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How to Decide Between Electric and Gas Furnaces

Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

It’s a good thing to have options, especially when it comes to whole-home systems, but sometimes the choices can be confusing, overwhelming or both. When it comes to choosing a furnace in Skokie, IL, homeowners have two main choices: electric or natural gas. Each can heat your home sufficiently, but choosing one will depend on your needs, the available resources of your home and your preferences. One of the best ways to ensure that you choose the right heating system for your home is to work with an expert. The trained and certified specialists at Malek Heating & Cooling can help you with any furnace installation from start to finish. If you are ready for a new heater, call us today!

Electric Furnaces

Electric furnaces have come a long way over the years. While they were once considered to be inefficient, they have since become some of the most efficient furnaces available. Additionally, they have a slightly longer lifespan than combustion furnaces.

Electric furnaces work by generating heat from a component called a heating element. This component has a number of tightly-wound metal coils that, when electrified, become red-hot and generate heat. Once the air around the heating element has reached the right temperature, the furnace’s fan turns on and blows air over the heating element and pushes the warmed air into your home via ductwork.

One of the biggest benefits of an electric furnace is that it doesn’t require any kind of fossil fuel for operation. Not all homes have access to a natural gas line, so this can be an important factor to consider.

Gas Furnaces

Gas furnaces are some of the most common heating systems around, making them very easy to repair and replace as parts are readily available. Additionally, the convenience of fueling via a gas line means you’ll have a constant flow of fuel for your heating system. Gas furnaces provide heat for your home via combustion; an element known as the burner heats another element known as the heat exchanger. As with an electric furnace, once the air around the heat exchanger reaches the right temperature, the warm air is blown into your home. Gas is the cleanest-burning of all the fossil fuels, making them the most environmentally friendly.

Which Is Best for You?

First, you need to see if you have the availability of a gas line in close proximity to your home; if not, you may have to consider an electric furnace. Second, you’ll want to consider your preferences: some people prefer the quick, efficient heating of a gas furnace while others may want to stay away from fossil fuels. Your furnace will be with you a long time, so if you need help in choosing a new furnace for your home, make an appointment with the experts you can count on: Malek Heating & Cooling.

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Why Is My Heat Pump Still Blowing Cool Air?

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014

It’s officially heating season and time to switch your heat pump from cooling to heating mode. Heat pumps don’t blow blasts of hot air out like forced air systems do, so the air coming through your vents or ductless blower can feel cooler than some traditional heating systems. However, if you feel air that is definitely cool/cold, there may be an issue with your heat pump in Wilmette. Heat pump systems are complicated, so if you experience any type of problem with your system, call Malek Heating & Cooling and schedule an appointment with one of our heating experts.

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What You Should Look for in a Heating Maintenance Plan

Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Your heating system benefits greatly when you enroll in a quality heating maintenance program. Heating maintenance is a service in which a technician visits your home in order to make a few adjustments to your system, clean dirty components, and perform a full inspection so you can find out about any failing parts that may need replacement. This could make your system last longer and operate efficiently among many other advantages.

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Some Common Boiler Repair Needs

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

Boilers have many significant advantages when it comes to keeping a home warm through even the harshest Illinois winters. One of them is they usually need fewer repairs than other heating systems, such as furnaces and heat pumps. The reason for this is that it requires a small number of mechanical parts—the components that wear down quickest from use—to circulate hot water from a boiler throughout a house to radiators and baseboard heaters.

Of course, you cannot expect a boiler to run 100% free from repairs, and it’s important to schedule regular maintenance for a boiler to prevent malfunctions. On occasion, no matter the precautions you take, you may need to call for heating repair in Winnetka, IL to fix an ailing boiler. Malek Heating & Cooling is here to provide you with excellent service for boiler repairs whenever you need them, any time of the day or night.

Here are some of the more common boiler repairs:

  • Fixing the circulator pump: This is one of the mechanical components in a boiler, and therefore a part that will start to decline over time. The pump handles moving hot water from the tank and sending it through the pipes to terminal points around the house. If the circulator pump breaks, it will need repairs (or replacement) to restore the boiler’s operation.
  • Repairs to the expansion tank: If you look at your boiler’s water tank, you’ll notice a small cylindrical tank attached to a pressure cage on top of it. This is the expansion tank that maintains water pressure inside the boiler and helps prevent the pressure from spiking. But should the membrane in the expansion tank break, it will place the tank in danger of high water pressure, which can lead to numerous problems. It requires professionals to handle repairs to the expansion tank.
  • Flushing the system: Sediment can sometimes begin to build up inside the boiler tank because of underground breaks in the piping. This build-up along the bottom of the tank may cause the boiler to overheat or develop corrosion. Technicians will flush out the water from the system to clean it.
  • Sealing leaks: This is probably the most common trouble a boiler can encounter. Leaks from old pipes or at poorly soldered connection (a frequent trouble that stems from low-quality initial installation work) will start to cause water damage in your house and lead to a boiler losing its heating capability. Professionals will track where leaks are occurring and seal them or replace the pipes.

Never wait when it comes to calling for boiler repairs: the problems will rapidly worsen if you delay, and the possibility of water damage or completely losing your heating are simply too high for you to risk. To ensure that your boiler has a long service life, call for a skilled heating repair service in Winnetka, IL and throughout Chicagoland from Malek Heating & Cooling. Our professional services will restore your cozy home environment. Contact us today to set up a service appointment.

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Why Boilers are a Good Choice for Heating in Winnetka, IL

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014

When you think about heating systems, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably a furnace. Forced air systems have been the norm throughout the country for some time, and boilers have become less and less common. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. A boiler system has a number of advantages over a traditional forced air system. Read on to find out why you should consider upgrading to a boiler system this year.

Efficiency

A forced air system loses roughly 30% of its heat to duct leaks in transit from the furnace to the vent. A radiant heating system loses almost none of its heat in transit. This is due to the leak-resistant tubes that circulate the hot water throughout the house. Forced air systems can also create uneven heating striation in a room.

When heated air is pumped through a vent in a room, it immediately rises to the ceiling. Once it cools, it descends to the floor. This creates cold spots where the upper part of a room is warm while the lower area is still quite cold. Radiant heating solves this by transmitting heat through solid objects. As things like chairs and couches absorb heat from the walls and floor, they transmit this heat to the occupants of the room. This ensures that the room is always heated evenly and without striation. A radiant system can also improve your indoor air quality.

Air Quality

When a forced air system circulates air throughout the house, it also carries any particulates that may be present in the air. Allergens, viruses, bacteria, and dust can be spread around your house in this fashion. A radiant heating system does not circulate, and so completely avoids this issue. If you have allergies, or get sick often during the winter, this could be a major benefit to you.

If you are thinking about upgrading to a boiler system, call Malek Heating & Cooling. We offer professional heating services in Winnetka, IL.

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Why Furnaces Are Still Great Ways to Heat a Home

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

Today, there are many different types of heating systems to choose from when you need a heating installation service. Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling to a home while boilers may need fewer repairs over time. Yet with all of these features, one of the most common systems found in homes today is still the furnace.

Gas furnaces pull in the air from your home and burn fuel to heat the air and distribute it through the ducts. With proper care and maintenance, these systems will last for many years and provide efficient, effective heating throughout their lifespans. For the most accurate information about installing furnaces in Evanston, IL, you can contact the technicians over at Malek Heating & Cooling. But as a primer, here are some of the reasons a furnace is still a great choice for many home heating needs.

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Some of the Advantages of Installing a Boiler in Skokie, IL

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

There are a lot of choices homeowners can make for heating their homes: heat pumps, furnaces, geothermal systems and boilers, just to name a few. All have proven energy efficiency, but each one brings something different to the table for your home. Today we’re going to talk about the benefits of installing a boiler in Skokie, IL and some of the advantages this heating option can offer you. Heating equipment is complicated to install and repair, so it’s important to hire professionals for any heating work you may have. For over 15 years, Malek Heating & Cooling has helped install, repair and maintain heating and cooling equipment for multiple customers, and we can help you from start to finish with your boiler installation.

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Have Your Furnace Tuned-Up Now to Prepare for Winter

Friday, September 12th, 2014

The heavy cold in Illinois is still a few months away, but you shouldn’t delay when it comes to making winter preparations for your home. Part of that is to schedule a pre-season tune-up for your heating system. Take advantage of the slower September and October period to arrange a visit from skilled HVAC technicians to look over your heater and make sure it is ready for the work ahead.

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