ServiceMax Blog: Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category

Why Do Boilers Tend to Last Longer Than Furnaces?

Monday, February 27th, 2017

The two most common types of heating systems found in homes are gas-fired boilers and furnaces. The furnace is by far the most popular type of home heating system in the U.S., but the boiler has remained competitive for a number of reasons. Boilers require fewer repairs on average, can cut down on energy costs, provide heat without blowing around dust, and operate at quiet levels. They also tend to outlast furnaces. The average furnace life expectancy is 15 to 20 years. Boilers can last up to 30 years, letting a whole generation grow up in a house with the same heating system.

But it isn’t enough to simply know a boiler lasts longer. Why it last longer helps to understand how boilers work and why they have so many other advantages. Let’s take a closer look at boiler longevity.

Tags: Boilers, heating replacement, Heating System Maintenance, Winnetka
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Can I Save Money on Heating by Shutting Vents in Empty Rooms?

Monday, February 13th, 2017

piles-of-large-currency-bills If 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?

Tags: Heating Installation, Skokie, Zone Control Systems
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Furnaces Are More Efficient Than Ever: Here’s Why

Thursday, February 2nd, 2017

Heating technology doesn’t stand still. It is constantly advancing, and that’s why modern gas furnaces are more energy efficient than the furnaces of 30, 20, or even 10 years in the past. But simply saying that “technology got better” isn’t really saying that much. What exactly makes the new furnace so efficient?

And New Furnaces Are Indeed Much More Efficient

Before we get into why furnaces are more efficient, let’s look at exactly how much more efficient they are today than in the past.

Tags: Evanston, gas furnaces, Heating Installation
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My Furnace Keeps Tripping My Circuit Breaker

Tuesday, January 10th, 2017

The last thing you want to happen on a cold winter day is to turn on the furnace to heat your home, only to have the furnace immediately stop working. When this happens, we recommend that you check on the electrical panel to your home to see if a circuit breaker has been tripped. If one has, reset the breaker and try the furnace again. If the furnace turns on, but then immediately trips the circuit breaker again, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

(Yes, a gas furnace can trip a circuit breaker. Natural gas furnaces do rely on a number of electrical components, such as the blower motor fan and the electronic ignition system. This isn’t just an electric furnace problem.)

Tags: furnace repair, gas furnaces, Winnetka
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Things Your Heat Pump May Do in Winter (That Aren’t Really Problems)

Tuesday, December 27th, 2016

So, is this your first winter using a heat pump to provide cozy comfort to your house? Whether it’s because you have moved into a new home that has a heat pump installed, or you had the heat pump installed yourself earlier this year, you need to know a few things about what happens during winter. There are some behaviors you may notice from your heat pump that seem alarming. But they are actually normal and not necessarily indications of malfunctions that require repairs:

Tags: Evanston, Heat Pumps, Heating Repair
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Why Is There a Burning Smell from My Furnace?

Monday, December 5th, 2016

We’ve now come to the time of year when furnaces fire up and stay running for long stretches at a time. But as you get ready to enjoy a cozy home, you may detect an acrid odor coming from the vents. Does this mean there’s something seriously wrong with the furnace, possibly something that’s a safety hazard? Do you need to call our technicians to come fix it?

We’ll take a look at what these burning odors may mean, and what to do about them.

Tags: furnace repair, Heating Repair, Skokie
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ALL Heating Systems Need Maintenance!

Monday, November 28th, 2016

During the fall, we make a major effort to stress with our customers and potential customers the importance of arranging for heating maintenance before winter cold arrives. And as you can probably guess from the calendar, winter is not that far away. If you haven’t yet arranged for your annual heating maintenance, right now is the time to jump on it. It’s easy: you only have to call us and ask about our Residential Maintenance Agreements.

Here’s something we need to stress: all types of heating systems require these pre-winter inspections.

Tags: Boilers, Evanston, furnace maintenance, Heating System Maintenance
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Why Radiant Heating Is Great for Winter Warmth

Monday, November 21st, 2016

The term radiant heat refers to any kind of heat that comes off a heated surface. You feel radiant heat coming from the metal of the sides of buildings during a hot day, or coming up from asphalt. But when it comes to home heating, radiant heating means a particular type of comfort system: hot water circulated from a boiler raises the temperature of pipes running through a subfloor, which in turn heats up the floorboards. These heated surfaces then send heat waves into the room. (You can also have radiant heating through room radiators or baseboard heaters.)

Tags: radiant heating installation, Wilmette
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3 Furnace Warning Signs as Cold Weather Starts

Monday, November 7th, 2016

‘Tis November, and that means the winter is just looking over the edge of the calendar. The colder weather is already starting as temperatures routinely drop down into the 50s. Much worse is coming, of course, but this is a time when you can expect to start running your gas furnace on a regular basis. And it’s also a time to pay close attention to how it runs. If there are any minor issues with it during the early season, you want to have them repaired before the extreme cold hits and HVAC technicians have crammed schedule. Early repairs will also help stop an emergency when the furnace stops working altogether on a freezing cold day.

Tags: furnace repair, gas furnaces, Heating Repair
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Tips to Keep Safe with a Gas Furnace This Winter

Monday, October 31st, 2016

Do you have a natural gas furnace to provide your home with warmth over the winters? Chances are good that you do, since gas furnaces are the most common type of residential heater in the country—and their powerful heating ability makes them especially popular in in places like Chicago that experience harsh winters.

Although a gas furnace is a great way to heat your house, it can present a number of safety hazards without proper care. These aren’t difficult or arduous steps, but they can make a big difference for your home:

Tags: Evanston, gas furnaces, Heating Maintenance
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