ServiceMax Blog: Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category

What’s In Your Home’s Air That Might Be Harmful?

Monday, February 8th, 2016

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.

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Why You Should Consider Installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator This Winter

Monday, January 11th, 2016

Winter 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.

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Why You Should Consider Installing a Whole-House Humidifier for Winter

Monday, October 19th, 2015

Temperatures 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.

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Warning: Your Air Conditioning System Is Not a Dedicated Dehumidifier

Monday, August 17th, 2015

High humidity is a major problem with staying cool during the summer. Especially during the late summer. The high levels of moisture in the air make it harder for your body to release heat through sweating, and that trapped heat makes the hot temperatures feel even hotter. There isn’t much you can about this when you’re outside… but you can change it inside your home.

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Which Type of Air Purifier Is Best for My Home?

Friday, March 20th, 2015

If you assume that the air in your home is cleaner than the air outside, you may be mistaken. For many homes in the United States, this is not the case. We keep our homes sealed up tight, but contaminants in the home can still thrive. Besides, this often means that circulation in the home is less than ideal, which makes the air stale.

The best way to get rid of contaminants in the air of your home is by scheduling services with an indoor air quality specialist in Winnetka, IL. Call us today at Malek Heating & Cooling for air purifiers and more.

Air Purification Systems

Any of the following air purification systems may be best for your home. We recommend that you consult with a technician before deciding on a system and scheduling professional installation only.

  • Mechanical Filter: The filter in your air conditioning and heating system right now may not be of the highest quality. Usually, the MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating of your filter—the way you can tell how effective a filter is—is not as high as it can be. Home filters often have a MERV of about 1-4, while the scale does all the way up to 16. Ask a technician which type of filter will work best for your home.
  • Electronic Air Purifier: An electronic air purifier uses ionization to attract particles and keep them out of the air in your home. This includes particles that are much smaller than those which can be filtered with a traditional home filter.
  • UV Air Purifier: A UV air purifier contains UV lights which kill small organic matter like bacteria and viruses, which are detrimental to those with immune disorders in the home.

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we offer these systems and more in order to improve the air quality in a home. Not only to we offer filter and purification service, we also carry heat and energy recovery ventilators for better ventilation, dehumidifiers, and professional air duct cleaning. An IAQ specialist will help you to decide which system or service is right for you.

Call us today for our professional air purifier installation or repair in Winnetka, IL, or to learn more about how to keep the contaminants in your home under control.

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Do I Need a Humidifier for My Home?

Wednesday, December 17th, 2014

People often associate discomfort with high humidity. When the moisture levels in the air rise too high, it makes it difficult for the human body to release heat through perspiration, and this makes warm temperatures feel even hotter.

However, low humidity causes problems with comfort as well, and if your home is suffering from dry air, you may need a whole-house humidifier installed into the HVAC system. A humidifier will not only help keep you comfortable during colder temperatures (by preventing excess heat from escaping your body), it will also help prevent damage to your home and create a healthier environment.

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The Benefits of a Humidifier in Evanston, IL

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

You may have heard once before that too much humidity makes people feel sticky and uncomfortable.

People often complain about the problems associated with having too much moisture in the air, as it can cause an exaggerated feeling of warmth on a hot day. Your body cannot properly evaporate sweat, and you may notice a stuffy, musty feeling in the home or even the gradual development of mold and mildew.

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How Low Humidity Can Affect Your Household

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

Many people are aware that high humidity can be a problem, mostly because of how uncomfortable it can make you feel. Low humidity can be an equal problem, and one of the best ways to reduce the effects of low humidity is with the installation of a humidifier in Evanston, IL. The effects of low humidity may not be as readily seen as those of high humidity, so we’ll describe some issues that can develop from low humidity below. If you opt to install a whole-home humidifier, make sure you hire professionals you can count on. Malek Heating & Cooling has been serving Evanston and the surrounding areas since 1988, so call us today!

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Why Is Air Duct Cleaning Necessary?

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

For most homeowners, air duct cleaning is something that rarely ever gets done. This is usually because they can’t see the benefit to investing that much time and money in cleaning a part of their house that they never see anyway. It’s not like the ducts are some complicated mechanism with lots of moving parts that may need maintenance. They’re long rectangular boxes or tubes designed to direct air flow, and that’s about it.

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Some of the Benefits of Air Duct Cleaning

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Winter is on its way, so it’s time to start preparing your HVAC system for the heating season. Scheduling annual maintenance is always important, but what about your ductwork? When was the last time you scheduled professional air duct cleaning in Evanston, IL? It’s recommended that ductwork be professionally cleaned every 3-5 years, so if it’s been longer than that since your last cleaning, call Malek Heating & Cooling and schedule a cleaning appointment with one of our experts.

Reasons to Schedule Duct Cleaning

There are a few reasons to consider scheduling duct cleaning before winter:

  • Improved indoor air quality – dirt and dust will build up in your ductwork over time. These contaminants enter the airflow and are delivered directly into your living spaces. This can be particularly problematic for allergy sufferers.
  • Increased energy efficiency – a large enough build-up in your ductwork can lead to air flow restriction, which can force your HVAC system to work harder. By removing the build-up with a professional air duct cleaning, you can regain energy efficiency you may have lost.
  • Less stress on your system – the air flow in your home circulates, so dirt and dust don’t just stay in your vents, they also coat other parts of your system. Dirty, dusty components can’t work as well as they should, which puts stress on your system. Removing the dirt and dust from your vents can greatly reduce the amount of dirt and dust that enter other parts of your system.

Why Do I Need a Professional?

Duct cleaning involves far more than just vacuuming the registers and the easily-reached parts of your ductwork. With a professional duct cleaning, your entire system is accessed and cleaned, using a variety of specialized tools and professional-grade vacuums. There is also special storage for contaminants collected during the cleaning process.

With a professional duct cleaning, you can improve your energy efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality. Call Malek Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

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