ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Skokie’

How Long Does It Take to Install a Ductless System?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we often recommend that customers who are constructing new homes, remodeling a current home, or who live in an older home with limited space, consider installing a ductless mini split heat pump as their principle comfort system. Ductless mini splits provide both heating and cooling, and they work with great energy efficiency that will save money compared to using a standard furnace/air conditioner combination. They also help with increasing indoor air quality, and the lack of ductwork makes them flexible for numerous building and remodeling projects.

A question that customers who are interested in installing ductless heating in Skokie, IL often ask: “How long will the installation take?” The good news is that installation of a ductless system in most cases will not take longer than installing any other type of new heating or cooling system. In fact, in many ways, installing a ductless mini split heat pump is easier than putting in traditional comfort systems that use ducts. It’s a more complicated installation than putting in a small window unit, so it isn’t a job you should attempt on your own; you must look for qualified and licensed technicians familiar with the product. But for those skilled professionals, installing a ductless mini split is usually a fast job that will go without complications.

The average installation job takes one or two days. The actual length depends on the size of the system, in particular how many indoor air handlers need to be mounted inside the home. Each air handler must have a mounting frame put in first and a 3″ hole drilled through the wall to allow of power cable and refrigerant lines through. If you have a large home that requires many air handlers in multiple rooms, the installation process will take longer.

However, not only will the final results be worth the small investment in time, but the installation process is not disruptive. Much of the work occurs outside, setting up the external unit. Mounting the air handlers is usually a fast job for seasoned and trained professionals.

To find out more about outfitting your house with ductless cooling and ductless heating in Skokie, IL, as well as an estimate for how long the installation will take, call our ductless mini split experts at Malek Heating & Cooling. We are licensed Mitsubishi ductless mini split installers, and have helped keep homes in the Chicagoland area comfortable since 1998. Give us a call today.

Tags: Ductless Heating, Skokie
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What Is a Ductless Heating System?

Thursday, February 5th, 2015

It wasn’t too long ago that your choices for home heating were limited to a furnace or a boiler. These days, homeowners have a number of choices for heating systems, including ductless heating. Many people wonder how ductless heating works and if it’s sufficient enough to heat the home, so we’ll explain below how ductless heating can be a great option.

Ductless Components

A ductless heating system uses the same components to heat your home as a ductless air conditioning systems uses to cool, but there’s one key difference: heat pump technology. Ductless systems are comprised of an outdoor unit and individual indoor blowers; a single outdoor unit can support up to four indoor blowers. The indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit via a conduit in an exterior wall. This conduit contains a power cord, refrigerant line and condensate drain pipe. The indoor blowers contain a small fan, small air filter and the coils through which the refrigerant cycles when an indoor blower is in operation.

How a Ductless System Provides Heat

The heat pump technology is what allows a ductless system to provide your home with heat. Heat pumps are equipped with a component called a reversing valve; this valve can switch the way the refrigerant flows in the system, allowing for the device to operate in either cooling mode or heating mode. As the homeowner, you’ll have a dual-mode thermostat, so all you have to do to switch modes is press a button.

Benefits of Ductless Heating

There are a number of benefits a ductless heating system offers that can make a good option for homeowners:

Very good energy efficiency – ductless heating systems offer very good energy efficiency for two reasons: first, they use only a small amount of electricity to operate and second, there is no worry about air loss from ductwork.

Long lifespan – heat pumps have an average lifespan of 20-25 years, whereas a combustion heating system has an average lifespan of 15-20 years.

Customized comfort – each blower operates individually, allowing you to have zone comfort.

If a ductless heating system seems like a good fit for your home in Skokie, call the experts at Malek Heating & Cooling and schedule an appointment today!

Tags: Ductless Heating, Skokie
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How to Decide Between Electric and Gas Furnaces

Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

It’s a good thing to have options, especially when it comes to whole-home systems, but sometimes the choices can be confusing, overwhelming or both. When it comes to choosing a furnace in Skokie, IL, homeowners have two main choices: electric or natural gas. Each can heat your home sufficiently, but choosing one will depend on your needs, the available resources of your home and your preferences. One of the best ways to ensure that you choose the right heating system for your home is to work with an expert. The trained and certified specialists at Malek Heating & Cooling can help you with any furnace installation from start to finish. If you are ready for a new heater, call us today!

Electric Furnaces

Electric furnaces have come a long way over the years. While they were once considered to be inefficient, they have since become some of the most efficient furnaces available. Additionally, they have a slightly longer lifespan than combustion furnaces.

Electric furnaces work by generating heat from a component called a heating element. This component has a number of tightly-wound metal coils that, when electrified, become red-hot and generate heat. Once the air around the heating element has reached the right temperature, the furnace’s fan turns on and blows air over the heating element and pushes the warmed air into your home via ductwork.

One of the biggest benefits of an electric furnace is that it doesn’t require any kind of fossil fuel for operation. Not all homes have access to a natural gas line, so this can be an important factor to consider.

Gas Furnaces

Gas furnaces are some of the most common heating systems around, making them very easy to repair and replace as parts are readily available. Additionally, the convenience of fueling via a gas line means you’ll have a constant flow of fuel for your heating system. Gas furnaces provide heat for your home via combustion; an element known as the burner heats another element known as the heat exchanger. As with an electric furnace, once the air around the heat exchanger reaches the right temperature, the warm air is blown into your home. Gas is the cleanest-burning of all the fossil fuels, making them the most environmentally friendly.

Which Is Best for You?

First, you need to see if you have the availability of a gas line in close proximity to your home; if not, you may have to consider an electric furnace. Second, you’ll want to consider your preferences: some people prefer the quick, efficient heating of a gas furnace while others may want to stay away from fossil fuels. Your furnace will be with you a long time, so if you need help in choosing a new furnace for your home, make an appointment with the experts you can count on: Malek Heating & Cooling.

Tags: Furnaces, Skokie
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What You Should Look for in a Heating Maintenance Plan

Wednesday, 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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How Insulation Makes Your Home More Energy Efficient

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Insulation in Skokie isn’t just about keeping your home warm during winter; it’s about making your home energy efficient all year long. This is why it’s important to have good insulation in your home from top to bottom. The main job of insulation is to slow the transfer of heat, which is important for both heating and cooling your home efficiently. If you are concerned about the level of insulation in your home, call the professionals you can trust: Malek Heating & Cooling.

Why Insulation Is Important for Energy Efficiency

There are 3 ways in which heat moves through your home:

Convection – the way heat circulates through liquids and gases
Conduction – the way heat moves through materials
Radiation – heat that travels in a straight line and is absorbed by anything exposed to it

Heat will always move toward colder environments; this is a basic law of thermodynamics. As such, during the winter, your heat will want to travel toward cooler spaces; insulation slows this process considerably. During the summer, heat tries to move into cooled indoor areas, and insulation helps prevent this heat transfer.

Without proper insulation, your HVAC system will have to work harder, whether it’s cold or warm outside. Any time your system has to work harder, it uses more energy. Good insulation helps to retain the air in your home, lessening the load on your system.

Types of Insulation

There are four main types of insulation, and they can be used in combination with each other to maximize insulation capability:

Batt insulation (roll insulation) – the most common type of insulation, typically rolled out in layers on floors and in walls.
Foam board/rigid foam insulation – stiff board insulation that is best used in walls, ceilings and floors.
Loose-fill insulation (also known as blown-in) – made of 100% recycled materials, loose fill is great for retro-fitting older homes needing more and better insulation.
Spray foam insulation – a very popular choice, spray foam is an adhesive that when sprayed, expands up to 100 times its size. Spray foam forms an air-tight seal wherever it is applied.

Good insulation in Skokie can increase your energy efficiency and comfort, and reduce stress on your HVAC system. Call Malek Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our insulation specialists.

Tags: Insulation, Skokie
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Some of the Advantages of Installing a Boiler in Skokie, IL

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

There are a lot of choices homeowners can make for heating their homes: heat pumps, furnaces, geothermal systems and boilers, just to name a few. All have proven energy efficiency, but each one brings something different to the table for your home. Today we’re going to talk about the benefits of installing a boiler in Skokie, IL and some of the advantages this heating option can offer you. Heating equipment is complicated to install and repair, so it’s important to hire professionals for any heating work you may have. For over 15 years, Malek Heating & Cooling has helped install, repair and maintain heating and cooling equipment for multiple customers, and we can help you from start to finish with your boiler installation.

Tags: Boilers, Skokie
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Protection for Your Home with Whole-House Surge Protectors

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

Power outages can pose serious problems for your home and family, especially if they last for an extended period of time. Some of the reasons for loss of power from the grid include trees falling on power lines, severe wind conditions, lightning strikes, floods and heavy rainstorms, accumulation of ice and snow, accidents due to construction digging, and even interference from wildlife. Using a whole-house generator to shield your home from a long-term outage is wise planning and will provide you with peace of mind during the times of the year when the frequency of outages begins to rise.

Here is something else to consider: many of the above causes of power outages are also sources of massive power surges. You probably already connect the idea of power surges with lightning strikes and downed lines, but any event that could cause an overload of the power grid or a loss of power could also send a huge power surge into your home that could cause damage to appliances, especially precision equipment like laptops and home entertainment systems. A small power strip at an outlet can offer some protection from this, but not always.

At Malek Heating & Cooling, we advise that homeowners look into whole house surge protectors in Skokie, IL as an adjunct to their new generator installation. These systems installed into your electrical panel will guard your electrical system from both outside power surges as well as any malfunction that might occur with the generator. It will also help with the smaller surges that can occur without you realizing it, and which contribute to slow wear and tear on appliances.

These smaller surges are worth looking at a little closer, because many homes suffer from them. Whenever a large appliance in your home (such as a refrigerator or air conditioning system) makes too large a demand on the electrical circuits, it causes a momentary imbalance that sends a power surge through the lines. If you notice lights flickering whenever a powerful appliance turns on, then you are dealing with a power surge.

Worry about power surges is another reason that you must have professionals install your whole-house generator. If an amateur picks the wrong size unit of generator for your needs, the generator could cause a dangerous power surge in your home when it comes on, knocking out your lights and other appliances and possibly damaging them so that even when the power is restored, they won’t come back on.

Keep Malek Heating & Cooling in mind when you are thinking about whole house surge protectors and generator installation in Chicago, IL. Let our trained technicians know about your generator needs: we will keep your family out of the dark. Give us a call today.

Tags: Generators, Skokie, Whole House Surge Protectors
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Subpar Indoor Air Quality? Is Humidity the Problem?

Monday, July 28th, 2014

Maintaining great indoor air quality in Chicago, IL can be more difficult than you may initially expect. There is a lot that can go wrong with your indoor air quality, and the problems may be the result of environmental conditions which are simply beyond your control. While you may not be able to change the catalyst of your IAQ issues, though, there are plenty of tools to help you improve conditions within your home. Give Malek Heating & Cooling a call today, and we will help you to determine the best way in which to boost your indoor air quality. The culprits in such situations differ on a case to case basis, but humidity is one common issue that homeowners grapple with.

Humidity can go either way, meaning that too much or too little of it can be equally problematic. Whole house humidifiers and dehumidifiers are certainly your best chance of resolving humidity problems in your home effectively and efficiently. Just remember that such equipment must be installed and serviced by a professional IAQ technician. Before you even get to that stage, though, you must determine what, if any, the problem with your humidity levels are.

Very humid air has some pretty serious implications for your indoor air quality. You may find that there is a lot of condensation throughout your house, on your windows or exposed pipes and bathroom fixtures. You may also notice damp spots on your walls or carpeting, as well as aggravated respiratory issues. Humid air is conducive to biological pollutant growth, so this is a problem that you want to resolve as soon as possible. If you notice any of these conditions in your home, a whole house dehumidifier may be necessary.

Because very dry air is just as problematic as overly humid air, you should also know some of the warning signs that a whole house humidifier is needed. Splitting wooden furniture or floorboards, dry, itchy skin, aggravated allergies, and sore throats or sinuses are all signs that your air is too dry. To ensure that you have the right amount of humidity in the air, a whole house humidifier just cannot be beat.

To learn more about the problems that inappropriate humidity levels can lead to, contact the IAQ pros at Malek Heating & Cooling. We are more than happy to help you enjoy improved indoor air quality in Chicago, IL. Call us today for more details.

Tags: Indoor Air Quality, Skokie
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Tank vs. Tankless Water Heaters: Some Pros and Cons

Monday, July 21st, 2014

You want to get the best performance that your water heater can possibly offer, right? Well, if you are looking for complete satisfaction from your water heater, you need more than just a great system. You must also ensure that you are using the type of water heater that best suits your needs and usage preferences. That is tougher than it may sound, considering how many options are available today. We are going to discuss some pros and cons of two of the most popular water heater options: tank and tankless models. If you have any further questions regarding water heaters in Chicago, IL, or if you are ready to schedule any water heater services, just call the pros at Malek Heating & Cooling.

When most people envision a water heater, they probably think of the tank models that so many of us grew up with. These do tend to be the most popular of all water heaters even today, despite a few drawbacks. These systems maintain a reservoir of heated water at all times. Due to heat transfer from the tank to the air outside of it, some energy loss is inevitable with such systems. Today’s tanks are more efficient than ever, though, and you can also add insulating jackets to water heater tanks in order to boost efficiency even more. The fact remains, though, that your system will need to continually heat that water to some degree as heat is lost. The major benefit, though, is that there is always a ready supply of hot water.

Tankless water heaters, as you’ve probably guessed, do not use storage tanks. Instead, they heat water on demand, as it is called for at different points of use. This is great for increasing energy efficiency and eliminating heat loss. However, it does take a moment for the water to heat up, and such systems can be overwhelmed if hot water is called for at different areas throughout the house. You can supplement your water heater with additional units, but this is a bit of a costly endeavor.

Ultimately, there is no such thing as the perfect water heater. There is one that is best suited for your needs and preferences, though, and we aim to help you find it. Give us a call today to learn more about available water heaters in Skokie, IL.

Tags: Skokie, Tankless Water Heaters, Water Heaters
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Why Schedule Professional Air Duct Cleaning?

Monday, July 14th, 2014

The ductwork upon which you depend to distribute heated and cooled air throughout your property must be kept in outstanding condition if you hope for your heating and cooling system to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. Because your ductwork is largely hidden from view and is quite inaccessible, though, you may not always realize immediately that there is a problem with its condition. That is why you must familiarize yourself with some of the warning signs that service is needed. Here is some information about the importance of air duct cleaning in Chicago, IL, why it must be completed by a professional technician, and ways in which you can spot the need for such service. Call Malek Heating & Cooling for more details.

Only a qualified technician has the tools and training to complete your duct cleaning thoroughly and effectively. You cannot just walk around from vent to vent with a role of paper towels or a vacuum cleaner. Your air ducts must be accessed, special agitating tools used, and a powerful industrial vacuum is needed for cleanup. Don’t risk damaging your air ducts attempting to open them up, only to find you lack the proper tools for the job anyway. Hire a professional duct cleaning technician.

There are a number of signs you may notice which can indicate the need for professional duct cleaning. For instance, you may find that your home is dustier or dirtier than usual. Allergy symptoms may also be aggravated, and it is even possible for heating and cooling efficiency to suffer. When dirt and dust build up on vital components of your system, your HVAC equipment is going to have to work harder than it should have to. To learn more about spotting the need for professional air duct cleaning, give us a call.

The benefits of cleaning your ductwork are many, provided that the job is done by a trained technician. Indoor air quality can be improved upon, as can your comfort. You may even be able to save money on energy costs, all while knowing that your HVAC equipment is protected. If you suspect that it is time to schedule air duct cleaning in Skokie, IL, Malek Heating & Cooling is the company to call.

Tags: Air Duct Cleaning, Skokie
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