The Wrong Duct Work for Your Dryer Vent

How are you going to know if your dryer vent is using the wrong duct work? Well, when the dryer is out of the way, check to see if you have the accordion-like duct work leading into the wall. It will either be white and made of plastic or look like foil. This is a dangerous type of duct work to use for this application for 2 reasons. First, this duct work creates plenty of grooves for lint to get caught up in. When highly flammable lint becomes trapped in the dryer vent and becomes a fire hazard. The second reason this type of duct work shouldn’t be used is because it is flammable itself. You don’t even need the lint to get stuck in the vent to cause a fire and put your family and your home in danger.

Restoring Dryer Vent Safety

If you find this type of duct work in your dryer vent or if the vent is packed with lint, call Four Seasons. Our duct work specialists can clean any clogged dryer vent and make it spotless. They are also talented with duct work replacement. Accordion-like duct work should not be in use in this application, and our specialists will switch it out for rigid ducting. Both of these services help restore safety in your home and with the number of fluffy, lint-producing sweaters we will all be drying this winter, this service couldn’t have come at a better time. Don’t hesitate and contact us today!

Ductwork Types and Your Dryer Vent | Blue Island, Bedford Park is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Improperly Venting Dryer Ducts

• Encouraging Mold Growth: As your dryer dries your clothes, it vents out large amounts of hot humid air. In homes that don’t have a proper venting system, all of this hot air could be filling up the damp dark spaces under floorboards and inside the attic. All of this excess moisture creates the perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive! We have discussed in the past the many dangers of having mold growth in the home, and allowing a problem like this to go unchecked could be encouraging this very serious issue.
• Highly Flammable Lint: Not only is that improperly installed dryer vent pumping large amounts of moisture into the home, but it is also pumping in huge amounts of highly flammable lint. A problem like this could lead to a house fire at the slightest spark. Remove this hazard from your home can call Four Seasons now!

Professional Assessments

Four Seasons Home Services has the professional home repair servicemen that you need to get your dryer duct venting properly. Duct problems of any kind can cause a plethora of issues within the home, and if you suspect that your home may be having these types of issues, a Four Seasons technician can help you find out for sure. Don’t put the safety of your family in jeopardy and get Four Seasons out now!

Dryer Venting Dangers | Fox Valley, Glendale Heights, Warrenville is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Frequent Filter Change and Duct Cleaning Services

Try to plan repair projects for times of the year when you can expect fair weather. Mild temperatures will allow you to shut down the HVAC system and prevent the circulation of any particles created by the remodeling job. Then all you have to do is close off the vents in the area that is being worked on, and any mess will be contained to that one area of the home. However, weather is unpredictable and living in Chicago usually means that there aren’t many mild days where you can afford to go without heating or cooling. So, when you have no choice but to run the system, protect it as best you can by frequently checking and changing the filters and having the system cleaned once the work has been completed.

We Will Take Care of the Mess

The frequent filter changes will limit the amount of buildup inside the furnace and air conditioner coils. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be enough to keep the system cleaned. That is why you need Four Seasons out after your remodeling project is complete! We will clean the entire HVAC system. That includes your furnace, air conditioner, and duct work system. Our professional servicemen know how to effectively remove this dust and debris from the system without causing damage to any of the vital components of your units. A professional duct cleaning from Four Seasons will restore energy efficiency to your system, and these services make cleaning up after your remodeling project extremely easy.

Remodeling Your Home? Protect Your Ducts! | Maywood, Evergreen Park is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Warning Signs of a Clogged Vent

If you have a dryer vent in your home that has never been cleaned, there are a few things you should be looking for:

• Musty smells on clothes
• Longer drying times
• Removable filter does not collect a lot of lint
• Lint present in the tub of the dryer
• Multiple cycles to dry one load
• Overheated laundry
• Burning smell
• Lint coming out of outdoor exhaust pipe
• Not much air escaping through the exhaust pipe
• Outside of dryer is hot to the touch when cycling

Any one of these symptoms could be indicating a clogged dryer vent. Vents that are left in this state cause the dryer to run for longer cycles, and the excess waste of energy drives up the energy bills in your home. If the problem becomes severe enough, it could blow out the dryer. You could end up spending thousands on new systems in a matter of years before you ever find the real problem. The only problem worse than this is the potential for dryer vent fires. The build-up of heat in the tub causes sparks to ignite the excess lint. This is a real problem that accounts for 15,000 house fires a year. A simple cleaning is all that is needed.

Four Seasons Can Help

Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning cleans both HVAC duct work and dryer vent duct work. Have us inspect your dryer vent today, and prevent any of the costly problems associated with stopped up dryer vents. The winter weather here in Chicago calls for warm sweaters and bulky blankets that produce loads of extra lint for your dryer vent to dispose of. So, call Four Seasons today and schedule your dryer vent cleaning this winter!

The Forgotten Vent | Streamwood, Bolingbrook, Lyons is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

One method of prevention is to get your dryer vents cleaned by a professional service that has the type of equipment and expertise to perform the job correctly. There are some duct cleaning companies that perform dryer vent cleaning as a separate service. There are many factors to consider whether your dryer vents should be cleaned. As “white goods” (dryers, refrigerators, washers) tend to last longer than ordinary appliances it is conceivable that you can go 10 years without cleaning your dryer vents. If you move into a new house there is no way to tell the condition of the new home’s dryer vents. For added peace of mind you should consider dryer vent cleaning and research an qualified professional duct cleaning service that can successfully and correctly perform the job.

Another useful resource is a recent consumer reports article that has some preventive measures you can use

Dryer Vent Fires| Lemont, Carol Stream, Lynwood is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

An air duct cleaning can help avoid system failures by reducing the dust and dirt that build up on coils and parts and motors within the furnace system. In many cases customers also see savings on their heating and cooling cost as their system now performs more efficiently.

The Duct Cleaning Difference! | Oak Lawn, Maywood, Alsip is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

There are many benefits to air duct cleaning such as the removal of dirt and dust that have accumulated in the duct system over many years.  Additionally,  the removal of pollen, dander and dust particles which can aggravate allergies will be removed.  While the BBB article serves as a warning to consumers, rest assured that you can find qualified, responsible and trustworthy companies that perform duct cleaning services. Four Seasons is a member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, and only employs NADCA certified duct cleaning specialist.

If you are interested in a free estimate give us a call and our Four Seasons Home Services division will be glad to speak with.

Chicago BBB Warns of Deceptive Air Duct Cleaners| Northlake, Oak Park is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

There are two easy things you can do to keep them that way. First, FILTER YOUR AIR!!! Make sure that you have the best possible filter in place and that it is properly installed. Your Home Comfort Specialist at Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning would be more than happy to help you with this. Second, make sure that you clean your furnace and air conditioner regularly. The importance of this cannot be overstated. There wasn’t much point in cleaning your ducts if you are going to allow your furnace or air conditioner to get filthy right away!

But there is another very compelling reason to have your heating & cooling system cleaned. Did you ever consider the reason that manufacturers require regular maintenance in order for the warranty to be valid on any piece of heating or cooling system they produce? Contrary to what you might think, it is not to “get out of” honoring the warranty. It is because dirty, unmaintained systems fail much more often than clean, well maintained systems do. It’s simple dollars and cents.

While the EPA says that there is no evidence that cleaning your duct work will result in better health, it stands to reason that cleaner air ducts will improve the quality of the air in your building or home.

I’ve had My Ducts Cleaned, So Now What?| Alsip, Evanston, Bridgeview is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Given the fact that any new furnace that you have installed will likely have a blower that is more powerful than the one in the furnace you are replacing, you will likely be stirring up even more dust. This is why ONE OF THE BEST TIMES TO HAVE YOUR DUCT-WORK PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED IS WHEN YOU’RE HAVING A NEW HVAC SYSTEM INSTALLED.

When deciding who to use to professionally clean your ducts, be sure to use a REPUTABLE HVAC CONTRACTOR such as Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning. Professional duct cleaners provide a valuable service that will give you cleaner indoor air, lower energy costs, and longer equipment life, as your HVAC system will perform more efficiently.

You should never use a “duct cleaning service” touting prices that sound too good to be true. Like anything in life, things that sound too good to be true usually are. It is fairly intuitive that no company could send out two men and a truck equipped with modern and sophisticated duct cleaning equipment for $59.00 or $69.00 (Four Seasons only uses equipment that boasts 3 stage HEPA filtration, eliminating 99.97% of all particulants from the system). It just doesn’t make sense. A thorough duct cleaning should take several hours, and according to the EPA should come at a cost of between $450 and $1,000.

What these “duct cleaning services” are doing is obvious. They advertise an extremely low price to get their foot inside your home and then count on their high pressure sales tactics to sell add-ons, accessories, and other unnecessary services to unsuspecting homeowners. This is one thing you will never have to deal with or even worry about when you choose Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning.

Professional duct cleaning by Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning is the lowest price you will find at the level of service that customers of Four Seasons have become accustomed to. You will receive the same courteous, prompt, and honest service that Four Seasons offers all of its customers, whether it be for duct cleaning, attic insulation, heating or air conditioning.

When choosing a professional duct cleaning service, even if you decide not to use Four Seasons, please make sure that they are NADCA ® certified. This is the one tool that you can use to separate the honest, ethical companies which provide a valuable service from the rest. Additionally, you can count on a quality job the first time around. No one becomes NADCA ® certified unless they have undergone rigorous training and passed a comprehensive examination. All of Four Seasons duct cleaning technicians are NADCA ® certified.

New HVAC System? Get Your Ducts Cleaned! Joliet, Plainfield, Aurora is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

A-Many companies will exaggerate the condition of your furnace or duct work in order to scare you into becoming a repeat customer. The problem is that few of these companies can actually provide any sort of evidence of dirt or debris in either system.

At Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning, we begin by evaluating the individual needs of your family. If your family has pets, health concerns like asthma or allergies or if you have recently done some remodeling in your home, you are going to need your furnace and duct work cleaned more frequently that someone who doesn’t have to compensate for these issues. Furnaces usually need to be cleaned yearly despite these factors, but the frequency of duct cleanings can vary from home to home. Our goal is to create a trusting relationship with you before we ever step foot in your home to perform any kind of service.

Q- Will you have the equipment needed to properly clean my system when you arrive to perform the service?

A- The HVAC cleaning industry is plagued with illegitimate companies that pop up for a season, and then they disappear for good. These companies will rent cheap portable equipment that isn’t able to clean every inch of your duct work and furnace. This is the last kind of person that you want messing around with your furnace or duct work.

Four Seasons has a fleet of 275 trucks that are fully equipped with the state of the art equipment that is needed to properly clean a furnace or duct work anywhere in the Chicagoland area from Streamwood, to Chicago Ridge, to Hickory Hills. Our duct cleaning crews consist of two men that will use a three stage filter system to remove 99.97% of the dust and airborne particles in your duct-work system. They also use compressed air and rotary brushes to make sure that every inch of your system is spotless. Our furnace maintenance technicians hand clean and check over 20 different points of your furnace system to ensure optimal efficiency and to prevent part failure.

Q- Do your technicians have training or schooling?

A- There are many companies in this industry that hire technicians and corporate employees who are inexperienced and have little to no training. All that these companies care about is getting into your home, getting your money and getting out.

At Four Seasons, we back up the work that each and every one of our technicians performs with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. The only way that we can do that is by having the utmost confidence in the abilities of our servicemen. Any technician or office worker that is a part of the Four Seasons family has undergone rigorous training and proved their abilities before they ever encounter a customer. Your furnace and duct work are vitally important systems in your household, and when you choose Four Seasons you are putting those units in good hands.

Q- Will there be any hidden costs?

A- Many companies like to hide additional costs until they get in your home. They fool you with a ridiculously low price over the phone, but when they arrive to perform the work, suddenly the price is 4 times the amount you thought you had discussed. This is a dishonest way to run a business.

Four Seasons doesn’t want to manipulate their customers into paying outrageous prices for heating services. Whether you have a furnace repair, furnace cleaning, installation, duct cleaning, or any one of the other services that we perform, we promise to quote you the price of the service down to the penny before we ever begin to do work. The price we quote at our free estimates is the price you will pay on the day of the installation.

We have provided these questions as a way to help you protect yourself in this cut throat industry. There are far too many companies who try to profit off of consumers who do not know anything about their HVAC systems. Take the time to become an educated consumer, and I have a sneaky feeling that you will find what you are looking for in an HVAC company at Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning.

Furnace and Duct Cleaning Questions in Streamwood and Hickory Hills is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

1. If you have an air conditioner tune up performed it will do a better job of dehumidifying your home, plus save you money by operating more efficiently. Combined with regularly changing your filter and your are well on your way to making the air in your home cleaner.
2. There are many indoor air quality products that can help purify the air in your home which can be added to your system. If you do not have an Air Cleaner or Air Purification system the next best thing you can do is to have a professional cleaning and inspection of your furnace and air conditioner.
3. The duct systems in many homes often get ignored when it comes to home maintenance. Oftentimes the duct  system is responsible for the dust particles, pet dander and pollen that travel through your home as it gets repeatedly cycled through your system. A professional duct cleaning as part of your HVAC maintenance can help remove the dust particles and other irritants associated with household allergies.
4. Regular maintenance and cleaning of your heating & cooling system will save you money by keeping your system running efficiently and using less energy. Ultimately the greatest benefit to having your system cleaned  is that it can make the air that circulates inside your home cleaner. This should help reduce symptoms of allergies and reduce irritants that can alleviate asthma conditions making your everyday life more enjoyable for you and your family.

Why May Is A Good Time To Clean Your HVAC System is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

By having your air duct system cleaned you remove the dust particles, pollen, dirt and debris that circulate throughout your homes heating & cooling system. These particles, dust and debris may also keep your heating and cooling system from running efficiently. They also decrease the quality of the air in your home and contribute to allergies. Over 60 million people in North America suffer from some form of allergy, with children and the elderly being most affected by respiratory problems.

Many forms of mold, mildew and other bacteria can easily form in the dirt and dusty pollutants that are found within the air ducts of your ventilation system. Some indications that you may have a problem with your air duct system can include:
- The air return grilles in your walls have a black fuzz of dust along the vanes
- A layer of dust returns a few hours after you’ve dusted your home thoroughly
- The filters in your air system have black dust on them
- Dry and stuffy air throughout your home or office
- Higher than normal utility bills due to poor heated air transfer
- Heat registers on the floor have dirt and dust in them
- Sneezing more frequently, especially after air starts to flow
- More frequent cases of attacks in anyone with asthma in your home or office

Getting the air ducts cleaned if you are purchasing a new home is also recommended. You can arrange this service at the same time that you get either the furnace or air conditioner’s yearly maintenance. This will help insure that all systems will run at their optimum, that you have improved indoor air quality and that you don’t run into any unexpected problems down the line.

Do my Air Ducts need to be cleaned? is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

August and September are very popular months for moving into new homes. Many homeowners anxiously await the opportunity to finally make changes to their new home such as painting and small remodeling projects. One of the things that often gets ignored is having the air ducts cleaned. If you are moving into a new home or a newly constructed home consider having the air duct system cleaned so that you can have the peace of mind that things are exactly as you would like them.

Choose the Right Company

After all the construction dust has settled from a newly built home or after all the painting and cleaning have been done and the old carpets have been removed does it make sense that air that gets circulated throughout your home has remnants of the past? There are many advantages to having your duct system cleaned so it’s important to choose the right company. There are many small and cheap companies out there but consider choosing a company that has been certified by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association and has the proper equipment to fully clean the ducts.

The Four Seasons Difference

Four Seasons Home Services employs 2 trained duct cleaning specialist for every duct cleaning job. Each job may take anywhere from 3 – 5 hours to complete as we insure that every vent is thoroughly cleaned with some of the most powerful agitation devices and the most efficient vacuum system around. Take advantage of our $100 duct cleaning discount online and call for a free estimate. You will have the certainty of knowing our price will not change once we enter your home. There are many options from low-priced competitors to questionable companies but Four Seasons Duct Cleaning has proved to offer the finest duct cleaning service and provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Four Seasons also offers dryer vent cleaning, get better efficiency from your dryer, reduce the potential from lint build up and back up which can cause overheating and/or dryer fires. Dryer vent cleaning is one of the best safety options you can provide if you’re moving into a older home and keeping the existing dryer vent setup.

Is it Moving Time? Consider Duct Cleaning is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair