Archive for the ‘Air Quality’ Category
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
As Americans, we inherently have busy lives full of things to remember on a day to day basis. Maintaining the heating and cooling system may not be a task that needs to be completed every day, but for most, checking the furnace’s filter just once a month is still too much of a task to remember. In order to make sure things continue to work properly, many homeowners will invest in fancy filters that can last for multiple months, so that they don’t have to remember to change the filter every 30 days. However, some of these homeowners are finding that despite the manufacturer’s claims that the filter should last 3 months or longer, the filter still needs changing every 30 days. Before you blame the manufacturer, take a moment to consider that the problem might not be your filter; it might be your HVAC system and the air quality in your home!
Finding the Source of Air Quality Problems
It is recommended that once you replace your filter or upgrade to a new type of filter you check it every 30 days to make sure that it is able to handle to air quality in the home. For some, 30 days comes and the filter that is made to last 3-6 months is still in good conditioner. For others, the filter already needs to be changed. The problem lies within the home’s air quality. You may have animals or other factors that are contributing to the dirty air in the home or you may just have filthy ducts. As the furnace circulates air through them, debris is picked up and caught by the filter. When this debris is excessive, it can waste a filter in 30 days or less. (more…)
Tags: 30 days, air conditioner, Air Quality, Chicago, cleaning, Duct Cleaning, Evergreen Park, filter replacement, Flossmoor, Forest Park, Four Seasons, Furnace, furnace cleaning, furnace filter, IL, maintenance, Tune Up
Posted in Air Quality, Air filtration, Duct Cleaning, Furnace, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, furnace filtration | No Comments »
Monday, January 30th, 2012
You can’t always control the way that your home was built. When you purchased the home odds are you were looking for the obvious flaws and when those were ruled out, everything seemed to be in order. However, many older homes suffer from problems that lie beneath the surface. The problem is that the older the home is the less air tight it was made. Insulating the walls and attic were not a priority at the time and many of these older homes experience air leaks and drafts that not only disturb comfort but they also cost the homeowners big bucks in energy costs. In the past, the only way to get in and add more insulation was to tear down the walls, fill, and then reseal them. However, with blown-in insulation from Four Seasons, you can add insulation to nearly any crevice in the home without tearing the walls down.
Popular Places to Add Insulation
- Attics: Attics in older homes often have little to no insulation within them. Any insulation that was placed has long since settled and is offering little protection. Have Four Seasons pump in a fresh thick layer of fiberglass and give your home an air tight cap to help keep heat in this winter.
- Crawl Spaces: Many older homes have crawl spaces that lack insulation. A crawl space can be as cold as the chilliest of winter nights and that cold air will seep into your warm home if you do not prevent it from happening. Simply have Four Seasons fill in the spaces with fresh insulation and eliminate this source of heat loss. (more…)
Tags: air tight, attic, basement, Burnham, Chicago, cost effective, drafts, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, garage, heat gain, heat loss, IL, Insulation, Rolling Meadows, Savings, un-insulated rooms, walls
Posted in Air Quality, Heating, Home Services, Savings, attic insulation | No Comments »
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Having work performed in the home can create quite a mess. From dirty floors and walls to construction dust on every surface, getting the home back to its original condition after the repairs or remodeling jobs have been completed can prove to be quite a task. Many construction companies will clean up after themselves, but nearly all of them forget about the mess they made of one very crucial system in the home: the HVAC system! All of that dust, debris, and odor will be swept up into the duct work to be transferred through the furnace and then re-circulated throughout the home. Depending on how extensive the work was, you may have a serious air quality and furnace efficiency problem leftover. You are going to need someone to clean up this system, and Four Seasons has got your back.
Cleaning Up After Construction
- Duct Cleaning: Many homeowners have never had the ducts cleaned in the home, so odds are they are not only full of construction debris but also years and years of particle build up. A professional duct cleaning from Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning is the only way to restore this part of the system back to peak performance and bring clean air back into your home. Without this service, you could be left breathing in construction dust for years to come.
- Heating and Cooling Cleaning: With all of that debris circulating through the ducts, it will have to pass through the furnace and air conditioner as well. If you aren’t using advanced filtration system to capture these particles before they dirty up the furnace, then you probably have a mess inside your system that could be causing a massive decrease in energy efficiency. Burners and heat exchangers that are coated in a layer or dust and debris cannot transfer heat as effectively and energy efficiency suffers. You will end up paying more to use the furnace every month because the system will need to burn more fuel to keep up. (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, Air filtration, Air Quality, Chicago, cleaning, debris, Duct Cleaning, duct work, dust, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, Furnace, IL, maintenance, professional, remodeling
Posted in Air Quality, Air conditioning, Air filtration, Duct Cleaning, Heating, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, furnace filtration | No Comments »
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
One of the top complaints when it comes to home comfort is temperature inconsistency from room to room. Drafts and inadequate circulation are often the source of these types of problems, and many homeowners feel that they are at a loss when it comes to finding a solution to this issue. Many people can’t afford to blindly spend their money in search for an answer, but Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning has a few suggestions that any homeowner can cheaply implement in the home.
3 Ways to Even Out Your Home’s Temperature:
- Furnace Fan: The first step towards improving circulation in the home would be to turn the furnace circulating fan to “On.” The fan is most likely set to the “Auto” position which would only allow the fan to run when the furnace is generating heat. By turning the fan on all of the time, more air exchanges will be made through the ducts of the home which will lead to better circulation and disbursal of air in the home.
- Ceiling Fan: During the winter months, changing the direction of flow of the ceiling fan will help aide circulation in the home as well. A fan set to run clockwise will push air up. This effectively pushes that hot air that has risen to the ceiling back down into the room. This will help eliminate temperature variances from room to room and help optimize use of the heat created by your heating system. (more…)
Tags: attic insulation, Cary, ceiling fan, Chicago, circulation, comfort, Four Seasons, Furnace, furnace fan, Heating, Homewood, IL, insulation services, temperature variances
Posted in Air Quality, Heating, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, attic insulation | No Comments »
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Juggling a busy schedule is part of the day to day life of an average American. We all work long hours to provide for our family. We spend time caring for children and spending time with our loved ones and all of this leaves little time for anything else. As homeowners, general home maintenance is just one of the many responsibilities that come along with having a home. Finding time for this responsibility is the problem. There are other priorities that must come first, and if this sounds like your home life, odds are you could use a helping hand. This is where Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning and Four Seasons Home Services can lend a hand.
Licensed Pros for Every Need
At Four Seasons we have professionally trained and licensed plumbers, HVAC technicians, handymen, window installation experts, and air duct cleaners. We can handle nearly any job around the home from furnace maintenance and repair to toilet replacements and gutter cleaning. Big or small, we value every customers needs no matter the cost of the job. Our goal is to make living in your home as comfortable as possible, and to make the space work for you and your family. Don’t put off your home’s much needed repairs any longer and rely on Four Seasons.
Tags: affordable, air duct cleaning, Chicago, Crystal Lake, Des Plaines, Four Seasons, handyman services, home maintenance, home repair, Home Services, hvac maintenance, HVAC repair, IL, Plumbing Services, window installation
Posted in Air Quality, Air conditioning, Furnace Repair, Heating, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, customer service, maintenance | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
There are certain times in life where second best simply is not good enough, and the when it comes to the indoor air quality in your home, settling for second best shouldn’t be an option especially if you have people in the home that suffer from respiratory conditions. The air you breathe during the winter months is full of leftover pollen from the previous season and heaping amounts of dust that accumulate during the long months spent inside. These contaminants are often the cause of respiratory illnesses, asthma and allergy flares, and bad smells in the home. These things will not go away without intervention, and now is the time to do something about it. At Four Seasons we offer our customers the number one rated professionally installed whole house filtration system from Lennox.
Get Cleaner, Healthier Air Today!
The Healthy Climate 16 Media Air Cleaner is one of the most impressive air cleaners out there. The unit is professionally installed into the duct work of any forced air heating and cooling system, and as air circulates through the home it all passes through this high tech system to be purified. Here are some of the many perks of choosing this air cleaner for your home:
- No additional energy costs beyond what you already pay to operate the furnace or air conditioner (more…)
Tags: #1 air cleaner, 16 Media filter, Air Cleaner, air purifier, Air Quality, cartridges, duct work, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, hvac system, indoor air, installed professionally, Lennox, microns, purity
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Thursday, December 29th, 2011
Your furnace is your home’s source of comfort. As long as that unit keeps running and continues to keep you and your family warm, there is a sense of security in the home. However, your furnace can quickly turn into a source of danger if you don’t take the proper precautions. Having a furnace in the home is like having a well ventilated and circulated fire in the home. It is able to keep everyone warm, but in the process is creates harmful combustion gases that must be expelled from the home. When everything is working properly and well cared for, venting these harmful gases is not a major concern. Yet, when maintenance falls by the wayside, the furnace can cause dangerous problems for your family. Luckily Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning is around to help you keep your furnace in check.
Heat Exchanger Deterioration
Not maintaining the furnace yearly could lead to a variety of problems that will require any number of repairs. But, the problems that a lack of maintenance can cause for your furnace’s heat exchanger are what truly concern us. The heat exchanger expands and contracts with every cycle of the furnace. Over time this will lead to the development of cracks and holes in the steel of the heat exchanger. Nearly all furnaces will meet this fate if they are in operation for long enough, but the goal is to prevent this from happening for as long as possible. That means that you must have yearly furnace cleanings performed on the system along with regular filter replacements. (more…)
Tags: air flow, Alsip, Chicago, comfort, filter replacement, Four Seasons, Furnace, furnace cleaning, Hanover Park, heat exchanger, Heating, heating problems, HVAC contractor, IL, maintenance, maintenance checks, over heating, Safety, yearly cleaning
Posted in Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Safety, Tips and Suggestions, furnace filtration, maintenance | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
You have seen the ads in the newspaper, on television, and on the highway. Duct cleaning seems to be a pretty popular but you have probably also heard much of the controversy that surrounds this service as well. Is it worth having done? Is it all just a scam? How much should having your ducts cleaned really cost? All of these questions could stop you from even considering this service, but then you take a peak down one of your return vents and you suddenly realize that something needs to be done. Four Seasons will show you what real duct cleaning service is suppose to look like, and all you have to do is call!
Dishonest Duct Cleaning Services
The scam artists out there like to pry on this service because the homeowner has little ability to see if the job was actually done properly. For the most part your ducts are hidden from view and without camera evidence of the cleaning being performed any scam artists can walk in, pretend to clean, and walk out with your money. Many of these companies will also throw on extra charges at the last second that you weren’t expecting, and when it comes to money, no one wants to be surprised by what they owe. These types of tactics are what shy people away from this valuable service, but Four Seasons offers the customer a much different experience. (more…)
Tags: air ducts, camera evidence, Chicago, cost, coupon, discount, Duct Cleaning, Four Seasons, HVAC, Justice, Orland Park, professional cleaning, scam artists
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
From time to time Four Seasons offers a deal that you would have to be crazy to pass up, and one of these deals is the buy one get two free offer. Right now through the end of the year, Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning will give you the option to choose from 4 different HVAC accessories that will go great with your new furnace or air conditioner. Now is truly the best time to buy because if you wait, you will not only miss out on this offer, but you will also miss out on the tax credits and rebates that expire at the end of the year too!
It’s All about How You Accessorize Your HVAC
When you take advantage of the substantial savings that are to be had on some of the most energy efficient furnaces and air conditioners that Four Seasons has to offer, you will get to choose 2 of the following 4 accessories to go along with your purchase:
- Whole House Humidifier: Humidity is a problem in many homes during the winter months. If you have never had a humidifier before now, you will be amazed by the way that is enhances the comfort offered by the furnace. No more static and no more dry, cracked winter skin. If this sounds like something you need in your home, choose this accessory with your new furnace.
- 12 Years Parts and Labor Warranty: This is one of the most popular accessories that homeowners will pair with their HVAC purchase. This warranty guarantees 12 years of care free operation for your furnace. (more…)
Tags: accessories, Air conditioning, Chicago, Evanston, Four Seasons, Furnace, Heating, IL, Naperville, parts and labor warranty, rebates, sales, Savings, tax credits, thermostat, whole house air cleaner, Whole House Humidifier
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Monday, December 19th, 2011
Excess moisture and negative odors are two things that every homeowner wants to get out of their home as quickly as possible. It is for this reason that our bathrooms and kitchens are equipped with exhaust fans and ventilation systems. However, if we are not taking that moment to flip the switch to turn the fan on, we aren’t going to reap the benefits of these valuable fans.
Why Your Exhaust Fans are so Important!
The first step it to get used to turning on that fan with every hot shower, but if you are still noticing sweat on the walls and ceilings, there may be a problem. Many homes are equipped with fans that move very little air and therefore allow loads of moist air to remain inside the home after hot showers. This could lead to mold and mildew growth that will cause even bigger and more expensive problems.
The Tissue Test
What you need to do is test your fan. This is easy enough to do on your own with a piece of tissue paper. Simply hold a tissue up to the fan and let go. The fan should be able to hold the tissue securely to its grills. This is a good indicator of the strength of your fan. If it can hold the tissue, odds are it is strong enough. However, if there is still excess moisture in the bathroom long after the showers are done for the day, your fan may not be large enough and therefore not powerful enough to remove the needed amount of moisture from the room. (more…)
Tags: bathroom, Chicago, exhaust fan, Four Seasons, handyman services, Kildeer, kitchen, La Grange, Lake Bluff, mildew, moisture, mold, repair, testing, ventilation systems
Posted in Air Quality, Air filtration, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, maintenance | Comments Off
