5 Facts about Santa Claus

December 25th, 2014

Many holiday traditions involve the story of Santa Claus, the lovable old man who spends most of his time at the North Pole taking a single evening to deliver presents and candy to children everywhere. But since Santa Claus is so elusive (unless he happens to be visiting your local shopping mall), how do we know so much about him? Where exactly does his journey begin? Our holiday guide details 5 of the most common traditions associated with Jolly Old Saint Nick.

  1. The Origins of Santa: The name “Santa Claus” comes from St. Nicholas (a name which became Sinter Klaas for short in Dutch), a Christian Bishop from 4 A.D. who was known for giving his fortune away to those in need in Turkey. Santa Claus’ first associations with gift-giving comes from Holland’s St. Nicholas’ feast day, during which children would leave out their shoes overnight and find presents waiting inside the shoes on the next morning.
  1. The Stocking by the Chimney: While many people associate Holland’s shoe tradition with the origins of hanging a stocking, this isn’t entirely accurate. Hanging stockings instead comes from the legend of a time St. Nick helped a man afford to marry off his daughter by throwing a bag of gold down the chimney, which landed in a stocking that was hanging up to dry.
  1. St. Nick’s Outfit: Santa got his fashion sense from a wooden cutout handed out during a meeting of the New York Historical Society in 1804. But it wasn’t until a 1930s Coca Cola advertisement that his traditionally blue, white, and green outfit was transformed into a big red suit.
  1. Leaving Cookies out for Santa: Food was traditionally used as ornamentation during the holidays in medieval Germany as apples and cookies commonly adorned the home at wintertime. When the Christmas tree became a common symbol of the season, edible treats began to vanish, a phenomenon which became attributed to Santa Claus’ snacking habits.
  1. Why Santa Drives a Sleigh: Santa gets his sleigh from a tale spun by Washington Irving, the same author who brought us the Headless Horseman. He wrote down an account of a dream in which Santa Claus drives a weightless wagon through the sky, and the stories became so popular, they stuck around.

Here at Malek Heating, we hope that you have a joyful and safe celebration, no matter what holiday traditions you engage in this year. Happy holidays!

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Do I Need a Humidifier for My Home?

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

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

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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Will Thanksgiving Turkey Really Make You Sleepy?

November 27th, 2014

We’ve all heard it before: you feel so sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal because of the main event: the turkey. For years, people have credited extraordinary levels of tryptophan in turkey as the reason we all feel the need to nap after the annual feast. But contrary to this popular mythology, tryptophan is probably not he largest responsible party for your post-meal exhaustion.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means it’s something that our bodies need but do not produce naturally. Your body uses tryptophan to help make vitamin B3 and serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that sends chemicals to the brain to aid in sleep. But in order to get this essential amino acid, we have to eat foods that contain it.

Turkey has somewhat high levels of tryptophan, but so do many other foods, including eggs, peanuts, chocolate, nuts, bananas, and most other meats and dairy products. In fact, ounce-for-ounce cheddar cheese contains a greater amount of tryptophan than turkey. In order for tryptophan to make you feel sleepy, you would have to consume it in excessive amounts, and serotonin is usually only produced by tryptophan on an empty stomach.

The truth is, overeating is largely responsible for the “food coma” many people describe post-Thanksgiving. It takes a lot of energy for your body to process a large meal, and the average Thanksgiving plate contains about twice as many calories as is recommended for daily consumption. If anything, high levels of fat in the turkey cause sleepiness, as they require a lot of energy for your body to digest. Lots of carbohydrates, alcohol, and probably a bit of stress may also be some of the reasons it feels so satisfying to lay down on the couch after the meal and finally get a little bit of shut-eye.

If you feel the need to indulge in a heaping dose of tryptophan this year, go ahead! Turkey also contains healthy proteins and may even provide a boost for your immune system.

Here at Malek Heating & Cooling, we hope your Thanksgiving is full of joy and contentment this year. Happy feasting!

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Why Is Air Duct Cleaning Necessary?

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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Why Is My Heat Pump Still Blowing Cool Air?

November 12th, 2014

It’s officially heating season and time to switch your heat pump from cooling to heating mode. Heat pumps don’t blow blasts of hot air out like forced air systems do, so the air coming through your vents or ductless blower can feel cooler than some traditional heating systems. However, if you feel air that is definitely cool/cold, there may be an issue with your heat pump in Wilmette. Heat pump systems are complicated, so if you experience any type of problem with your system, call Malek Heating & Cooling and schedule an appointment with one of our heating experts.

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What You Should Look for in a Heating Maintenance Plan

November 5th, 2014

Your heating system benefits greatly when you enroll in a quality heating maintenance program. Heating maintenance is a service in which a technician visits your home in order to make a few adjustments to your system, clean dirty components, and perform a full inspection so you can find out about any failing parts that may need replacement. This could make your system last longer and operate efficiently among many other advantages.

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Some Common Boiler Repair Needs

October 29th, 2014

Boilers have many significant advantages when it comes to keeping a home warm through even the harshest Illinois winters. One of them is they usually need fewer repairs than other heating systems, such as furnaces and heat pumps. The reason for this is that it requires a small number of mechanical parts—the components that wear down quickest from use—to circulate hot water from a boiler throughout a house to radiators and baseboard heaters.

Of course, you cannot expect a boiler to run 100% free from repairs, and it’s important to schedule regular maintenance for a boiler to prevent malfunctions. On occasion, no matter the precautions you take, you may need to call for heating repair in Winnetka, IL to fix an ailing boiler. Malek Heating & Cooling is here to provide you with excellent service for boiler repairs whenever you need them, any time of the day or night.

Here are some of the more common boiler repairs:

  • Fixing the circulator pump: This is one of the mechanical components in a boiler, and therefore a part that will start to decline over time. The pump handles moving hot water from the tank and sending it through the pipes to terminal points around the house. If the circulator pump breaks, it will need repairs (or replacement) to restore the boiler’s operation.
  • Repairs to the expansion tank: If you look at your boiler’s water tank, you’ll notice a small cylindrical tank attached to a pressure cage on top of it. This is the expansion tank that maintains water pressure inside the boiler and helps prevent the pressure from spiking. But should the membrane in the expansion tank break, it will place the tank in danger of high water pressure, which can lead to numerous problems. It requires professionals to handle repairs to the expansion tank.
  • Flushing the system: Sediment can sometimes begin to build up inside the boiler tank because of underground breaks in the piping. This build-up along the bottom of the tank may cause the boiler to overheat or develop corrosion. Technicians will flush out the water from the system to clean it.
  • Sealing leaks: This is probably the most common trouble a boiler can encounter. Leaks from old pipes or at poorly soldered connection (a frequent trouble that stems from low-quality initial installation work) will start to cause water damage in your house and lead to a boiler losing its heating capability. Professionals will track where leaks are occurring and seal them or replace the pipes.

Never wait when it comes to calling for boiler repairs: the problems will rapidly worsen if you delay, and the possibility of water damage or completely losing your heating are simply too high for you to risk. To ensure that your boiler has a long service life, call for a skilled heating repair service in Winnetka, IL and throughout Chicagoland from Malek Heating & Cooling. Our professional services will restore your cozy home environment. Contact us today to set up a service appointment.

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Some of the Benefits of Air Duct Cleaning

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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