Blog | ServiceMax

Stay Safe with Your Home Heating This Winter!

December 7th, 2015

The cooler weather has arrived here, and the colder weather is right around the bend. You’re probably already running the heating system in your home, and it will start on its steady work routine during the next few weeks and continue running until the spring.

It’s important during the winter to make sure that your residential heating system operates as safely as possible. Safety concerns are not limited to natural gas heaters—although you do need to take some special precautions with gas-powered furnaces and boilers. Electric heaters can pose a number of risks as well if they aren’t properly cared for.

A Way Furnace Maintenance Keeps You Safe: Cracked Heat Exchangers

November 30th, 2015

Outdoor temperatures are dropping as we cross over into December, and we hope that you’ve already arranged to have maintenance for your natural gas furnace. If you haven’t, it’s still not too late to schedule it with us and have your heating system in excellent shape for when the cold weather really strikes hard.

We’ve written before about why a professional inspection and tune-up for the heating system is something that you must have done every fall. In this post, we’ll focus on a specific safety issue with furnaces you can avoid thanks to maintenance—just one of the many reasons to make maintenance an annual tradition for home comfort!

A Closer Look at How a Whole-House Humidifier Works

November 23rd, 2015

Earlier in the fall, we discussed why it’s advantageous to have professionals install a whole-house dehumidifier to prepare your home for the winter. Cold weather tends to draw moisture out from the air, and furnaces can also make the air in a home uncomfortably dry. A humidifier can counteract this so you have better comfort, less need to run the heater, and a decrease in the health issues associated with low humidity.

Don’t Forget Maintenance for Your Generator This Fall

November 16th, 2015

We’ve already talked a bit this season about the importance of scheduling heating maintenance in preparation for winter. You definitely don’t want to get caught without a working heater during a cold Illinois winter. But there’s another important maintenance job you should take care of this fall. A heating system won’t work without electricity (even a modern gas furnace uses some electrical power), so make certain that the whole-house generator that protects your home’s electrical system during a power outage is also ready for storm season.

Are Gas Furnaces Dangerous?

November 9th, 2015

The most common type of heating system in the U.S. is the natural gas-powered furnace. This fact alone tells you a lot about the safety of gas furnaces: if they were actually “dangerous” installations, there would be far fewer of them, and electric-powered furnaces would be far more popular.

A Matching System: Why You Should Consider Replacing Your Entire HVAC System

November 2nd, 2015

In some of our recent posts, we’ve discussed the possibility of arranging for installing a new residential heater during the fall. If you have an old furnace that no longer is living up to its former standards, then it is a wise idea to schedule a replacement before the winter arrives. That way you’ll be prepared for the cold and have a system that works at high energy efficiency.

Do Boilers Also Need Heating Maintenance Every Year?

October 26th, 2015

Although boilers are not as common residential heating systems as furnaces, they are still popular, and many homes today enjoy the even warmth and energy-saving performance of the hydronic heating from boilers.

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

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.

Furnaces vs. Boilers: What Is the Best Choice for a New Home?

October 12th, 2015

The type of heating system put into a home is often limited by the home’s construction. For example, a house that has a ventilation network of ducts in the walls and floors will benefit from having a forced-air system (such as a furnace or heat pump) that attaches to ductwork. In homes that lack ductwork, a boiler is often an excellent choice for heat distribution.

I’ve Got a Busy Fall: Can I Skip Heating Maintenance This Year?

October 5th, 2015

We understand that the fall season can often be one of the busiest times of the year. It hardly seems like the summer has ended before planning for Halloween and Thanksgiving and visiting relatives and kids going to school start consuming all the days of the calendar. With all that’s going on, do you really need to worry about one more thing like scheduling heating maintenance? Why not put it off until next year?