At ServiceMax, we offer a wide range of services for our customers. We’re both an electrical and HVAC contractor for Wilmette, IL and the rest of Chicagoland. This puts us in the special position of understanding the electrical issues that may affect an air conditioning system during the summer. That’s good news—because electrical malfunctions are the most common type in air conditioners. It only takes a few wiring glitches in your home’s AC to turn a pleasant summer day indoors into a sweatbox!
Electrical Problems in Your Air Conditioner Can Mean Big Trouble!
June 4th, 2018The Tricks to Catching AC Repair Problems Early
May 21st, 2018
As you get ready for the summer weather that’s on its way, you’ll want to make sure your residential air conditioning system is prepared to handle the heat. The best way to do this is to arrange for a system tune-up and inspection with our qualified professionals. We offer superb service for air conditioning and heating in Highland Park, IL, and that includes routine maintenance for both. Our MAX Comfort Plan will help your air conditioner avoid the majority of possible repair problems and prevent breakdowns by 95%.
However, maintenance can’t stop all problems. As your air conditioner starts to operate for the season, there are a few tricks you can use to catch an early developing malfunction. That way you can have it fixed before the serious heat arrives.
Spring HVAC Maintenance—Now Is the Time!
May 7th, 2018
You may already be looking ahead to your calendar toward the end of June and the official first day of summer. If you are, make sure that when you think of the coming summer you also think about handling the summer heat with an air conditioner in the best shape possible. If you haven’t arranged for professional maintenance for your air conditioner yet—the spring tune-up and inspection—now is definitely time to have it done!
If this is the first time you’ve heard about spring maintenance, we’re glad we got your attention. Find out more about this vital service below.
Dare You Switch to a Heat Pump This Spring?
April 23rd, 2018
The question in the headline may sound a bit melodramatic. But when it comes to home heating and air conditioning in Wilmette, IL, you don’t want to take chances. The summers are too hot, and the winters to intense, for you to end up with a subpar comfort system in your home. You’ve probably lived most of your life in homes that use a combination of an air conditioner and a furnace. Perhaps you’re accustomed to a boiler for winter heating and window units for cooling. Whatever the situation, you used two separate appliances for heating and cooling. A heat pump changes that—it’s a single appliance that provides central both heating a cooling. That’s a big change, and you don’t want to make the leap to using one unless you’re certain it’s the best move for your home.
An Electrical Caution if Your Home Was Built between 1950 and 1990!
April 9th, 2018
We hope we caught your attention with the headline, because if you live in a Chicagoland home built within that range, you may have a serious fire hazard in your home and not be aware of it.
The trouble is with panels installed between 1950 and 1990 by a now-defunct manufacturer called Federal Pacific Electric Company (FPE). These panels may contain Stab-Lok circuit breakers, which are defective and a serious fire hazard. Millions of these circuit breaker boxes were installed in homes throughout North America between 1950 and1990. Although these malfunctioning panels are responsible for thousands of fires every year, they were never issued a former recall after tests uncovered the defects. Professional electricians urge homeowners who live in houses built before 1990 to check if they have a FBE electrical panel with Stab-Lok breakers and call for an immediate replacement if they do.
Shutting Down Your Gas Furnace at the End of the Season
March 26th, 2018
The change of seasons is coming up, and I’m sure everyone here in Chicagoland is looking forward to warmer weather. We still have a few more weeks of temperatures in the 40s and possible cold snaps, but this is the time of year to prepare a home for the seasonal shift.
Should those preparations include a gas furnace shutdown? It’s a question people often ask, and we’ll provide you with an answer.
Electrical Problems May Be the Trouble with Your Heating, Not the Heater
March 12th, 2018
You need electricity to run your heating system. That’s true even if you have a gas-powered system like a gas furnace or boiler. Modern gas heaters use electronic ignition systems to fire up their burners and they also need electrical power for other components, such as the blower fan that sends heated air from a furnace and into the ventilation system.
If you run into trouble getting your heater to run, it’s possible you have an external electrical issue rather than an issue inside the heater. Regardless of what the source of the problem is, you’ll need experts—either in HVAC or residential electrical systems—to assist you with locating, identifying, and fixing the problem. Since we’re both electricians and HVAC technicians, you can trust us to find out what’s wrong with your heater and get your house warm again.
We Work on Lighting for Churches and Other High Reach Areas
March 9th, 2018
When the medieval cathedral evolved in Europe, the architects weren’t thinking about how to light them using electrical bulbs! In fact, they might have re-thought using such towering open spaces if they did. On the other hand, the acoustics of those cathedrals are too wonderful to dismiss.
Today, it’s still a challenge to light churches and other places of worship because of the high ceilings. This is true for any building with high ceilings, such as auditoriums and gyms. You need an expert electrical contractor who has the skill and equipment to take on this task.
And you’ve found the right people—here at ServiceMax! As part of our lighting services , we can replace and work on lighting in high reach areas at up to 40 feet ceiling heights. Churches are our specialty. We have special scaffolding and aerial lifts that allow us to handle such tricky jobs. (You can see a picture of one of our scaffoldings on this post, as well as an image of a completed job we’ve done once we’ve cleaned up.) Our team can get to all the hard to reach places and get the job done quickly and safely.
You only want the best electricians for any indoor lighting work. We’ve been in the service industry since 1998, and our electricians are licensed and experienced. Put us to work for your lighting in high reach areas and we’ll see you’re thrilled with the results.
ServiceMax serves Chicagoland, IL. We’re open all day, every day!
Ductless Heating Installation Is a Good February Choice
February 26th, 2018
Although February is still winter and a reprieve from the cold is a good stretch away (sometimes farther away than we’d like to acknowledge), it’s still a good time to make improvements to your home’s heating system—especially if you’ve noticed the heater hasn’t been doing its job as well as usual during the past few months.
You’re probably already thinking: “That sounds like it will take too much time, and I need my heating system—good or bad—right now.” This is one of the reasons we think installing a ductless heating system is such a good idea: it’s a fast installation that creates minor disruption to your home. When our professionals are finished, you’ll not only have a great new heating system for the rest of the winter, but you’ll have a jump on the coming summer weather as well. Why? Because ductless heating systems are also ductless cooling systems!
Why We Recommend AFCI and GFCI Outlets for Your Home
February 12th, 2018
The changes in electrical usage in homes over the last twenty years, even the last ten years, are nothing short of incredible. The average household now consumes more electricity than ever before because of the increase in charging electrical devices and powerful computers and home entertainment systems. Electrical circuitry and panels have to stay current with the rise in consumption, but the outlets have to change as well.
If your home still has two-pronged outlets or standard three-pronged outlets, we strongly recommend calling us to arrange for the installation of GFCI and AFCI outlets as replacements. What are these, and why should you make the upgrade? We’ll answer these questions for both outlet types below.