Archive for the ‘Informational’ Category
Friday, December 16th, 2011
Your home is your sanctuary, and odds are you have invested quite a bit of money into the place. You want it to be nice and you want it to be comfortable. When the furnace and air conditioning system are due for replacement, you are going to want to make the best investment for your home. Most homeowners are initially driven by price when comparing and contrasting furnaces and air conditioners, but what they should really be looking for is the best value for their needs. When comparing your offers, you will look for a system that offers comfort, lower utility bills and an increased resale value on the home if possible. If all you are looking at is price, chances are you won’t find all of these things. You need to consider both the quality of the contractor you are going to make this agreement with and the true value of the investment you are about to make.
Choosing Your Heating and Cooling Contractor
When deciding on what equipment and what company will do the best job, it is essential to do your homework. Is the company accredited with the BBB, what is there rating on social media sites. What brand HVAC equipment do they offer, what are the guarantees, are they open 24 hours a day for your needs, do they charge additional fees for evening, after hours, weekend or holiday service. These are questions that when answered will lead you to the best company to meet your HVAC needs. (more…)
Tags: 24 hour repair service, BBB, best value, Chicago, cost, Four Seasons, furnace and air conditioner, heating and cooling, Hines, HVAC contractor, IL, Indian Head Park, installation, lowest price, maintenance, replacement, warranty
Posted in Air conditioning, Furnace, Heating, Informational, Quality, Savings, customer service | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Does it sound like a rushing wind is whistling through your ducts every time the furnace turns on? If so, you are not alone. Many homeowners that are still operating old furnaces in their homes put up with problems like this on a daily basis. Noisy motors have been waking up homeowners for years, but luckily there is a solution to this pesky problem. Last week we talked about how variable speed motors can save you money on your energy bills, but another benefit that comes along with this type of motor is its ability to operate almost noiselessly. The furnace will come on and off and you won’t even realize that it is doing its job. This is how furnaces should work and Lennox furnaces from Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning can give you this type of performance.
Ramping Up and Ramping Down
The reason variable speed motors are able to offer near silent performance is because they don’t just kick on full speed and start pumping air into the room. This is how your current motor is probably running. Instead, they slowly ramp up to speed and when the cycle is finished, they slowly ramp down again. The furnace starting up and shutting down is virtually undetectable amongst the typical noises of everyday life in your home, and it will defiantly not wake you up at night! (more…)
Tags: blower motor, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Four Seasons, Furnace, Heating, installation, Lennox furnace, quiet operation, replacement, sales, variable speed furnace, variable speed motor
Posted in Furnace, Heating, Informational, Quality | 1 Comment »
Monday, December 12th, 2011
Hundreds of furnaces across the Chicagoland area are way too big for the homes that they are installed in. How did this happen? Well, there are two possibilities: either the furnace was installed back when the motto, “Bigger is better” rung true, or the installer decided to take you for a ride by selling you a larger and therefore more expensive unit. No matter your situation, having a furnace in the home that is bigger than needed has probably already caused you problems. The only way to repair this problem is to either expand the size of your home or get a new unit, but how are you going to know if your furnace is over sized in the first place? Leave it to Four Seasons.
What Size Should Your Furnace Be?
Next time you need something heating or cooling related performed in you home, call Four Seasons. Our servicemen are heating and cooling experts and they will be able to do the appropriate assessments on your home to determine the proper size furnace you should have installed. Or, if you are looking to install a new furnace anyways, schedule your free estimate with your Four Seasons Home Comfort Specialist. Where other contractors may base their estimate off the size of furnace you already have in the home, Four Seasons is willing to take the time to find out what size the furnace should be. (more…)
Tags: assessment, Aurora, Chicago, Four Seasons, free estimate, Furnace, heating and cooling, Hickory Hills, IL, installation, oversized, replacement, service technician, short cycling, sizing
Posted in Boiler, Consumer protection, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Informational, Quality | Comments Off
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
As winter approaches and the weather changes, we become more concerned with our furnaces, and we stop thinking about our air conditioning units until summer returns. One group of people that won’t forget about your air conditioner is thieves! They know that the copper in your air conditioning unit is worth money and realize that winter is the perfect time to strike since people aren’t using and are therefore not thinking about their air conditioner. Countless homeowners will call in at the beginning of the cooling season with complaints about their air conditioner only to find that the system or the copper within the system was stolen when they have one of our servicemen investigate the issue. This doesn’t have the situation in your home, but you have to take certain steps to protect your system from the hands of thieves.
A Four Seasons Security Cage
At Four Seasons we recommend you protect your investment this winter with a Four Seasons Security cage! Our cages are made of iron and painted with high polish, black gloss paint so it won’t rust. We offer the most durable and sturdy cages on the market, so when thieves drive by, they won’t even think to mess with it. Give us a call today and we’ll provide you with a free quote. For all the right reasons, call Four Seasons!
Tags: air conditioner, Chicago, copper, Four Seasons, Heating, Home Services, IL, iron security cages, protection, security cage, spring, stolen, theives, winter
Posted in Air Conditioner Repair, Air conditioning, Consumer protection, Home Services, Informational, Tips and Suggestions | Comments Off
Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Everyday Four Seasons gives 100% of ourselves to each and every customer that allows us to enter their home for one of our many services. From the moment you pick up the phone to call for help, you are engulfed by the caring hands of a Four Seasons associate. We walk you through the entire process and try to make everything from fixing your furnace to getting new windows as easy as possible for you the homeowner. This customer service ethic is something that we have worked on through the years, and we have recently been recognized for this dedication to customer care for the second year running!
Developing Life Long Relationships
The Dave Lennox Award is given to 25 companies out of the thousands that offer Lennox products across the nation. These 25 companies have to demonstrate sound business practices that have lead to growth, but they also must have an outstanding customer service history. At Four Seasons we do things differently. Where other companies may just look at you as a job that they need to milk for every penny, Four Seasons is looking to develop a life long relationship. (more…)
Tags: 2010, 2011, Chicago, Cooling, customer service, Dave Lennox Award, Four Seasons, growth, Heating, Home Services, IL, Quality, windows
Posted in Informational, Quality, Tips and Suggestions, customer service | Comments Off
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
How would you like to take two years to pay off your new furnace or air conditioner interest free? Well, if you choose Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning for your HVAC installation, this could be possible. The winter season is also the holiday season and with all of the gift buying and expensive get togethers, odds are your wallet has been stretched rather thin. Many homeowners find themselves in this position and then the worst happens: the furnace needs to be replaced. Four Seasons understands that sometimes you need someone to give you a break and make things a little easier. That is why we went out of our way to set up financing options that will remove the stress of paying for a new heating system.
Flexible Financing Around the Clock
The Four Seasons Financing Department is available to you around the clock. If your furnace breaks down in the middle of the night and you want to get a new one put in as soon as possible, we will get the ball rolling right then and there. Or, if you are just curious as to whether or not you will qualify for financing, contact Four Seasons anytime to run an application. You will get a decision back quickly and you will know your credit limit before you ever have the salesman out to your home! We try to make the process as easy as possible and we are always available to answer your questions. Don’t hesitate and call today!
Tags: 24 hours, around the clock, Berwyn, Chicago, Cicero, financing, Four Seasons, Furnace, HVAC replacement, IL, installation, interest free, sales, winter
Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Quality, Tips and Suggestions, customer service | Comments Off
Friday, November 25th, 2011
Not all furnaces are created equal, and if you have had a high efficiency furnace installed in your home over the past couple of years, you may have already begun to notice some of the differences between your new unit and your old system. The biggest difference is seen every month on your energy bills. Most homeowners that upgrade find that they send much less on energy to heat the home and yet receive more comfort than the old system was ever able to provide. However, Four Seasons wants to point out one difference between the old system and new system that may require you to make one more maintenance check periodically throughout the winter.
Technological Improvements Save Energy
Traditionally furnaces were vented through the chimney of the home. This was an inefficient way of getting the excess combustion gases out of the home, but in the process actually spent more energy than the furnace used to create heat. Hundreds of your hard earned dollars were being wasted in the combustion process and were never actually turning into usable heat for the home. The new high efficiency furnaces sought to improve upon this by creating a more efficient combustion and venting process. (more…)
Tags: Algonquin, blizzard, Chicago, combustion, Four Seasons, Furnace, Heating, IL, maintenance, obstruction, PVC pipes, save money, service call, snow, venting, winter
Posted in Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Safety, Tips and Suggestions, furnace filtration, maintenance | Comments Off
Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Last week we talked about how the federal government is offering tax rebates for those that upgrade their HVAC system, but The Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010 will expire December 31, 2011. Under the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service is implementing consumer tax credits for homeowners who make these qualified improvements. This is your last chance to take advantage of up to $500 in direct federal tax credit for the purchase of high efficiency heating and cooling products from Lennox. However, there is a bit more time to take advantage of the tax credits offered by Nicor, Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas, but why should you miss out on any of these rebates when you could call Four Seasons today?
North Shore Gas, Nicor, and People Gas
Nicor, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas are all participating in rebate programs that could dave you big bucks on a new furnace, boiler, or hot water tank this winter. Nicor is offering $200 to $250 for high efficiency furnaces, $350 to $450 for high efficiency boilers and $200 for high efficiency water tanks. People Gas is offering $350 to $400 on high efficiency furnaces, $500 to $600 on high efficiency boilers, and $100 on boiler reset controls for exiting units. North Shore Gas is offering $200 to $250 off high efficiency furnaces, $350 to $450 on high efficiency boilers and $100 on boiler reset controls for existing units. As an added bonus, Lennox is offering its Fall 2011 Consumer Promotion with rebates all the way to $1850 on qualifying equipment. (more…)
Tags: Boiler, Chicago, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, Furnace, gas company, high efficiency, home comfort specialist, hot water tank, IL, Lennox, Nicor, North Shore Gas, Peoples Gas, tax credits, tax rebates
Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Hot Water Heater, Informational, Savings | Comments Off
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
We have heard some pretty horrible stories over the years concerning contractors that scam their unsuspecting customers, but this one has to rank among the worst. The worst part about it is that the homeowner could leave the sale thinking that they got what they wanted until years down the line when things start to fall apart. They were robbed blind and the work that they had performed is littered with garbage materials. This type of sleazy business is not something that Four Seasons would ever be guilty of or even be associated with, but understanding how another company may try to use this scam could help you protect yourself during future repair and remodeling jobs.
Installing Imposter Materials
This scam involves playing on the homeowner’s ignorance of the industry. You go into the project asking for certain materials to be used in the home. Let’s say you want an exotic type of wood to be used in your new hardwood floor installation. You know that this type of wood will cost you extra, but you are choosing the more expensive material for its longevity and beauty. The contractor, on the other hand, has another plan in mind. He knows that he can find a cheap substitute that will give the homeowner nearly the same looks as the exotic wood they originally wanted. Instead of buying the more expensive material, he purchases the cheap substitute and pockets the extra cash you paid expecting the more expensive product. If you don’t have a well trained eye for the difference between materials, you won’t notice the scam until years down the road when there is a breakdown in the flooring, or you go to sell the home advertizing high quality flooring. (more…)
Tags: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, cheap substitute, Chicago, Consumer protection, Four Seasons, fraud, home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, Home Services, IL, materials, scams
Posted in Consumer protection, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Informational, Quality, customer service | Comments Off
Monday, November 21st, 2011
Very few things are more annoying than when batteries die on a vital appliance in the home. Next thing you know you are digging through drawers or stealing batteries from your children’s toys. Why not be proactive this year instead? There are three appliances in the home that most defiantly need to have their batteries changed twice a year: once before the summer season and again before the winter season. If you haven’t changed the batteries in these appliances in a while, now is the time to get back on top of this home maintenance task!
Beeping, Breakdowns, and Batteries
- Smoke Detectors: These crucial appliances are there to give your family advanced warning in the event of a fire in the home. When the batteries fail in these systems, the unit will beep incessantly until the battery is replaced. You may find yourself tempted to simply disconnect the unit until you get a new battery, but we urge you not to get in this habit! You may forget to replace the unit promptly and you will leave your home and your family vulnerable in the event of a fire.
- Thermostat: The thermostat controls the comfort level in the home, and the majority of these units run on batteries these days. If your thermostat is running on batteries that haven’t been replaced in ages, they may fail without your notice. You will think that there is a problem with the furnace and end up spending your hard earned money to have technician out to tell you that you need to change the batteries. The thermostat may even appear to be working normally, but the batteries simply don’t have enough juice to communicate properly with the furnace. (more…)
Tags: 24 Hour Repair, Alsip, batteries, Blue Island, carbon monoxide detector, Four Seasons, Furnace, IL, Oak Lawn, proactive, protection, Safety, smoke detector, thermostat
Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Informational, Safety, maintenance | Comments Off
