The Truth About Power Surges and Surge Protection

December 17th, 2018

lightning-boltHomes have more precision electrical equipment in them than ever before. You probably have multiple devices connected to the power supply at any time, with many power charging stations handling your portable devices. What is the best way to protect them in case of a power surge? It’s important to know this, because a voltage spike can cause irreparable damage to complex electrical equipment.

“I’m not worried! I’ve got the power strips in place at the outlets all over the house!”

If this is your answer … well, we have to talk a bit more about power surges and what you have to do protect equipment from them.

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Boiler Problems: Time to Repair or Replace?

December 3rd, 2018

boiler-residentialWe all have been there: do I buy a new car, or do I spend the money to fix the one I own? Do I buy the latest cellphone, or do I get the broken screen fixed on mine? Well, you should be asking yourself these questions when it comes to your boiler, too.

We know it can be a daunting task. Deciding where to put your money can be stressful, but we are here to help! Scheduling a visit from one of our friendly technicians can help you make the right choice for your home.

In the meantime, we have provided a few hints about what your boiler might be telling you:

The lifespan of a boiler is typically between 15 and 20 years. However, the actual lifespan of your boiler depends on the type of boiler you own, the size, and if it is regularly maintained.

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Drain Cleaning: This Is One of the Best Times of the Year for It!

November 19th, 2018

cleaning-sideviewDrain cleaning is a service we often recommend to our customers. When someone has a serious drain clog or irritatingly slow drain in their home, they don’t need reminders about drain cleaning: it’s time to call a Chicago, IL plumber and have the obstructions removed. (Yes, you can try to use a plunger or a handcranked drain snake on clogs you run into, but if these don’t work, skip the chemical drain cleaners and call a licensed plumber.)

The drain cleaning we recommend when people don’t have immediate clogging issues is preventive drain cleaning. Just as the AC, heater, and water heater in your house need annual inspections and maintenance, your drains need attention each year from a professional. During drain cleaning, a plumber will use powerful tools such as motorized drain augers, hydro-jetters, and Bio-Clean to scrub and scour the inside of all a house’s drainpipes. This removes all build-up inside them, which not only removes a major source of clogging, it makes it hard for build-up to start again. Cleaning also protects the drain from suffering damage because of the build-up. Soap scum, for example, can cause a chemical reaction that corrodes metal pipes.

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Heating Services You May Need This Coming Winter

November 5th, 2018

frosty-glassAre you a “winter person”? You certainly live in a great place to enjoy a wonderful winter season! But no matter how much cheer the season brings to you and your family, it can turn miserable if you don’t have a home heating system to hold off the cold. To make sure your winter isn’t memorable for all the wrong reasons, make sure you have a contractor who offers quality residential heating services in Chicago, IL. You can always trust us, since we’re open all day, every day!

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Replacing Your Heater—Some of Your Choices

October 22nd, 2018

hands-over-a-radiatorEach fall we stress to all our customers (and future customers) how important it is to schedule regular maintenance for their heating system—whatever type of heating system they have. There are many benefits of having this done, and one of them is it can help you find out if your heater is no longer up to the task of a Chicago winter. When you have a heating system that’s more than 15 to 20 years old, it’s probably ready to retire. During maintenance, a technician can tell you when it’s best to install a new heater.

You have a range of choices for central heating, and you may wish to consider changing to a new type or staying with what you already use. Below are a few of the systems available to warm your home. We hope this helps you start thinking about the replacement system you want.

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Heating Maintenance—Now’s the Time!

October 8th, 2018

calendar-scheduling-bookThere’s always a special feeling in the air when October arrives. No matter if the weather is still occasionally warm, the crisp fall is arriving—and around the corner is the cold of winter. October means Halloween to many. To HVAC professionals, it means it’s time for heating maintenance. Have you signed up for your fall heating maintenance in Evanston, IL yet?

What’s This Heating Maintenance of Which You Speak?

Heating maintenance is an annual visit from an HVAC professional to inspect your home’s heater and take care of adjustments, cleanings, and tune-ups. We recommend it each fall for all types of heating systems, from gas furnaces to heat pumps. The job takes around an hour and is easy to schedule through our MAX Comfort Plan.

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High-Efficiency Furnaces—Are They Worth It?

September 24th, 2018

man-putting-money-in-piggy-bankFall is here: time for homeowners to evaluate their readiness for cold weather. For many, this means replacing an old gas furnace.

If you are one of the homeowners hunting for a new heating system to help you through another winter in Chicagoland, then we need to discuss high-efficiency furnaces. You’ve probably already given some thought to going high-efficiency, but aren’t sure if it’s worth the additional cost to upgrade. We’ll shed some light on the question of whether a high-efficiency gas furnace is worth it. When you’re ready, call us to arrange for furnace installation in Winnetka, IL or elsewhere in Chicagoland, and we can help you make the best unit choice and have it put in place.

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How to Find Out (Politely) the Age of Your Air Conditioner

September 10th, 2018

air-conditioners-recyclingIt’s not polite to ask people their age—unless they’re children, in which case they’ll probably tell you their exact age to half a year without you having to bring it up.

You never need to worry about offending your air conditioner by asking its age. But you may not know how to go about “asking.” This can be a problem if you’re debating whether to replace the system before next summer. An AC’s age is a vital piece of info for choosing “repair vs. replace.” If you didn’t originally install the air conditioner, you may have no idea how long it’s been in your home.

We can help. Discovering the age of a cooling system is simple once you know how. (Figuring out what to do afterwards is the tricky part!)

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What Does MERV Mean and How Can I Use It to Pick Air Filters?

August 27th, 2018

air-fliter-cuIf 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.

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The 5 Most Common Reasons for AC Problems

August 13th, 2018

Air-conditioner-repairmanAugust is often the hottest, most grueling month of the summer—and it’s a time when many air conditioning systems will start to experience malfunctions because of all the stress that’s been put on them. This is a good time to go over a list of the most common AC problems that can crop up, because this is when you’re most likely to run into one of them and have your comfort put in jeopardy!

If your AC runs afoul from one of the troubles below, you can find excellent professional repair service for your air conditioning in Northbrook, IL with just a call to our team. We’re available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

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