If you’re looking for a great air filter, you need to know the term MERV. MERV is an acronym coined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Engineers (ASHRAE) meaning Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. MERV is a scale used to measure the efficiency of an air filter. Air filters are rated from 1-16. MERV might be a new term to you, but it’s routine to our knowledgeable technicians trained to get you the best air conditioning in Oak Park, IL.
ServiceMax Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category
What Does MERV Mean and How Can I Use It to Pick Air Filters?
Monday, August 27th, 2018Help Your Furnace, Water Heater, and Ducts Recover from Flooding
Monday, August 14th, 2017
The Chicagoland area, in particular many of the northern suburbs, was hit with severe flooding this summer from heavy rains. Flooding advisories along the Des Plaines and Fox Rivers as well as the North Branch of the Chicago River led in some cases to evacuations and record high flood levels (up to five feet deep in some places) and causing other damage like sink holes.
The flooding and heavy rains are gone now, but that doesn’t mean that everything goes back to normal. Flooding leaves damage to a home and in particular it can harm parts of the HVAC system, such as furnaces, air conditioning, and ductwork. Now that the rains have receded, it’s time to have repair work done to any parts of your home’s HVAC system that may have sustained water damage. Our team has the experts to contact for this service: we have years of experience with the effects of local weather conditions and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all of our heating, ventilation, and water heater services in Highland Park, IL and elsewhere.
What Does “Relative Humidity” Mean, And How Does It Affect Comfort?
Monday, July 3rd, 2017
At Malek Heating & Cooling, we understand that helping people find ideal comfort in their homes means more than ensuring they have an air conditioning and heating system that will provide the right temperatures around the year. It also means finding the correct balance of relative humidity, keeping the air from becoming too muggy or too dry. That’s why we install both whole-house humidifiers and whole-house dehumidifiers for our customers’ homes.
But what is “relative humidity”? It’s a phrase you’ve probably heard before, yet not known exactly what it means or why it’s important when it comes to comfort. Let’s take a look at this term and why high and low relative humidity can both be problems.
Handling the Allergies of Spring with IAQ Solutions
Monday, April 10th, 2017
As 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.
Air Filtration Systems vs. Air Purifiers: How to Choose for Your House
Monday, January 16th, 2017Air filters, pl. noun: Devices that remove air contaminants by using a mesh of filters to trap particles in the air flow that moves through them.
Air purifiers, pl. noun: Electronic installations placed into HVAC systems that use ionization, UV radiation, oxidation, or other methods to eliminate pollutants without using filtration. Syn: air scrubbers, air cleaners.
Now that we’ve put up those two definitions, the next question is, “Okay, which one is the best for improving my home’s indoor air quality?”
The Choice: Energy Recovery Ventilator or Heat Recovery Ventilator?
Monday, January 2nd, 2017During 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.
Do You Need a Humidifier in Winter Because of the Furnace?
Sunday, October 23rd, 2016One of the important indoor air quality installations that we handle for homes in Chicagoland is a whole-house humidifier. During the winter, moisture freezes out of the air and often leads to air with less than 30% relative humidity—too dry for comfort. When the humidity is this low, it adds an unpleasant edge to the already cool temperatures because heat can leave the body quicker. It also allows for the quicker spread of illnesses and can create damage to wooden and painted surfaces.
Benefits of Installing a Whole-House Dehumidifier
Monday, June 27th, 2016As the temperature heats up now that summer is here, you can expect to run your air conditioner far more frequently. But high heat isn’t the only enemy of comfort during the summer. High humidity is also a serious problem. Because of the extra moisture in the air when relative humidity rises above 60%, it becomes harder for the human body to release heat through the skin by evaporating sweat. So even though high humidity doesn’t raise the temperature around you, the air will feel much hotter because extra heat is trapped inside your body.
UV Air Purifiers Can Help with Your Air Conditioning This Summer
Monday, May 16th, 2016An indoor air quality solution that we often install in homes is the UV air purifier. This device safely eliminates bacteria and microbes, including harmful viruses and germs, from the air within a home. The ultraviolet radiation of the UV lamps in the purifier disrupt the cellular functions of organic pollutants without needing to resort to any chemicals that can have negative impact on air quality.
Make Air Duct Cleaning Part of Your Spring Cleaning This Year!
Monday, April 25th, 2016“Spring cleaning” can mean many different things to many different people: often it’s not about cleaning a home but taking the time to organize other parts of your life, such as finances or a schedule of interests outside of your job. But it’s always a good idea to use “spring cleaning” as a reminder of regular tasks in the house that need to be taken care of. One of these is scheduling professional cleaning for your air ducts.