ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Skokie’

Handling the Allergies of Spring with IAQ Solutions

Monday, April 10th, 2017

As we move into spring, we’re finally going to start enjoying warmer weather. But along with warmer weather comes a spike in the pollen levels. And you know what that means: allergy season! As the cold and wet weather fades, plant blooming leads to an increased pollen count, which is responsible for numerous allergic reactions that can make this season a miserable one. And pollen is only one source for allergies this time of year: mold starts to grow in the wake of the wet weather, creating dangerous mold spores in the air.

There are medical steps people can take to lessen the problems of allergy season. But many homeowners don’t realize they can improve their health during spring allergy season with the proper professional indoor air quality services in Skokie, IL.

Tags: Air Filters, Air Purification, Dehumidifiers, Skokie, UV air purifiers
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Can I Save Money on Heating by Shutting Vents in Empty Rooms?

Monday, February 13th, 2017

piles-of-large-currency-bills If you use a furnace or heat pump to warm up your house, the heated air travels to the various rooms through ductwork and then out vents. Most vents have levers on them allowing you to adjust the louvers behind the grill. This way you can direct which way the air flows when it first comes out of the ventilation system. In fact, you can adjust the louvers to lie flat, shutting off the ventilation opening.

Does this mean that you can shut off airflow into an unused room by doing this? And is this a way to effectively reduce energy costs during the summer?

Tags: Heating Installation, Skokie, Zone Control Systems
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The Choice: Energy Recovery Ventilator or Heat Recovery Ventilator?

Monday, January 2nd, 2017

During yet another cold winter in Chicago, you may not realize that a key part of staying comfortable inside your house is maintaining a good level of indoor air quality. This is one of the unpleasant little secrets of the modern home: they don’t “breathe” well. This keeps heat from escaping in winter (and keeps the heat out in the summer) but it ends up trapping contaminant-filled, stuffy air indoors, and that can be a problem.

Tags: energy recovery ventilators, heat recovery ventilator, Skokie
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Why Is There a Burning Smell from My Furnace?

Monday, December 5th, 2016

We’ve now come to the time of year when furnaces fire up and stay running for long stretches at a time. But as you get ready to enjoy a cozy home, you may detect an acrid odor coming from the vents. Does this mean there’s something seriously wrong with the furnace, possibly something that’s a safety hazard? Do you need to call our technicians to come fix it?

We’ll take a look at what these burning odors may mean, and what to do about them.

Tags: furnace repair, Heating Repair, Skokie
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Your Heat Pump Won’t Switch to Heating: Here Is What’s Wrong

Monday, October 10th, 2016

The weather is finally starting to cool down along with other signs that fall has truly arrived (i.e. Halloween merchandise in all the stores). If you have a heat pump to provide comfort for your house, now is a good time to switch it over to heating mode to see if it’s working correctly. If the heat pump comes on and either blows out cold air or room temperature air rather than the warm air you expect, you want to know about the problem now rather than when the serious cold weather arrives.

Tags: Heat Pumps, Skokie
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A Seasonal Maintenance Q & A

Monday, September 12th, 2016

The early fall is the best time of year for homeowners to prepare for the winter ahead. One crucial task for cold weather preparedness is to schedule heating maintenance from a professional HVAC technician. (And yes, as we talked about last week, this must be done every year.) Maintenance provides numerous advantages: energy savings, protection against emergency breakdowns and repairs, and extended equipment life. But some homeowners still feel on the fence about signing up for a regular maintenance program. We’d like to address some of the common questions that people ask about one of these programs.

Tags: Heating Maintenance, Skokie
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Why Do I Need Generator Maintenance?

Monday, August 15th, 2016

We’re still enjoying the summer weather, but now is also a good time to think ahead toward the end of the year and period when you may need to rely on your whole-house generator in case of an extended power outage. Sometime during the next few weeks is an excellent period to arrange for your annual generator maintenance.

Tags: Generator Maintenance, Skokie
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Benefits of Installing a Whole-House Dehumidifier

Monday, June 27th, 2016

As the temperature heats up now that summer is here, you can expect to run your air conditioner far more frequently. But high heat isn’t the only enemy of comfort during the summer. High humidity is also a serious problem. Because of the extra moisture in the air when relative humidity rises above 60%, it becomes harder for the human body to release heat through the skin by evaporating sweat. So even though high humidity doesn’t raise the temperature around you, the air will feel much hotter because extra heat is trapped inside your body.

Tags: Dehumidifiers, Skokie
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Ways You Can Stay Cool This Summer—And Give Your AC a Break!

Monday, June 6th, 2016

The cost to run an air conditioner during the summer can be pretty steep. However, it usually doesn’t have to be as high as it is. Aside from making sure that your AC is well-maintained so it doesn’t waste energy (schedule professional maintenance ever year to take care of this!) there are a number of other ways you can help to lower your electrical bills while staying cool over the next few months.

Tags: Air Conditioning Repair, Skokie
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4 Common AC Installation Mistakes Amateurs Make

Monday, May 30th, 2016

The summer’s almost here, and that means some blistering hot days ahead. Do you trust that your home’s current air conditioning system will make it through the heat and get to the fall without suffering a major malfunction? If you’re not sure, or if your AC is older than 15 years, now is an ideal time to arrange for a new installation to replace it.

It’s vital that you only call on experienced HVAC professionals to handle the installation job. Don’t let the promises of low costs from amateurs lure you! There are too many risks involved in having non-professionals try to install something as complicated as a central air conditioning system. Below are 4 mistakes that amateurs often make:

Tags: Air Conditioning System Installation, Skokie
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