Posts Tagged ‘Air conditioners’
Monday, April 11th, 2011
Does it seem like your air conditioner works fine except when it gets real hot out side? If so, I have a few areas you can check that might help you to resolve this problem:
1. Change your furnace filter: The number one reason furnaces and air-conditioners don’t work up to the customers expectations is a dirty filter. Reduced air flow caused by a dirty furnace filter can add 10-25% to your electric bill. It can also shorten the life of your heating and cooling equipment.
2. Check your air-conditioners condensing unit: Your condenser should be on the side or behind your house. Is there a bunch grass or weeds growing around it? Does the coil look clean or is it covered with fuzz and dirt? Reduced air flow around and through the outside coil can cause the unit to run longer and not cool as quickly as it should.
3. Feel the Ceiling: You’re going to love this one! Feel your ceiling mid-afternoon on a day when the air-conditioner doesn’t seem to be keeping up. If your ceiling feels warm to the touch you probably don’t have enough insulation in your attic. Heat is building up in the attic space and seeping through into the livings spaces of your home. Think of the French fries at your local fast food place. You are the French fry and your ceiling is the heat lamp. Makes sense right!
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Tags: air conditioner, Air conditioners, attic insulation, Broadview, Chicago, Cooling, Dolton, energy bills, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, heating and cooling, IL, Orland Park, R-Value, save money
Posted in Air conditioning, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, attic insulation | Comments Off
Monday, November 1st, 2010
Summer is officially here and it has made its presence known. Unlike the last few years, it looks like it is going to be a hot summer. If you have been delaying on scheduling an air conditioner cleaning and inspection, the time is now. Yearly cleaning of your air conditioner will not only keep you cool in the summer but will also help lower operating cost. Air conditioners are more efficient today and need proper cleanings and inspections to operate correctly. Do not wait until you have a problem or need an air conditioning repair. Once you have a problem, more serious costs are usually involved to get it to operate again. Check out the Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning web site or other advertisements for money saving coupons for cleanings and service. Schedule your cleaning today, it could save you big dollars as summer continues to turn up the heat.
Tags: AC inspection, air conditioner cleaning, air conditioner repair, Air conditioners
Posted in Air conditioning, Informational, maintenance | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the central air filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure. Help keep your furnace and central air conditioning system running at it’s peak all year long and ensure home comfort.
See the Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning website for more information; visit our Save Money page and view our Energy Efficiency Checklist for other ways to be energy efficient.
Tags: Air conditioners, Air conditioning system, Bellwood, Chicago, filters, Furnace, IL, maintenance, Melrose Park, Oak Park
Posted in Air conditioning, Air filtration, Furnace, Informational, maintenance | 1 Comment »
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
When you think of summer we all think of hot sun outdoors and keeping our homes cool by running our air conditioners. Were there are other ways besides an air conditioner or fans to stay cool indoors. What people often ignore is the amount of attic insulation they have in their homes. That is understandable since the attic is a place we seldom go to, and is not a primary living space. However, if you do not have adequate attic insulation you may be paying more to keep your home cooler this summer.
Here is why, insulation helps to maintain uniform temperatures throughout your house. It keeps walls, ceilings and floors warmer. Over time insulation settles and does not provide the barrier it did when first installed. If you have gaps in your insulation then cold air and warm air will mix minimizing the effectiveness of your cooling system. During the summer heat transfers from outside into your home so your cooling system works harder to remove that warm air.
The best way to know if you have sufficient attic insulation is to have a professional company like Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning come to your home and measure. The performance of insulation is measured by R – value, and every region of the United States has a recommend level of R-value depending on that regions climate. If you have an uncovered attic floor and your attic insulation is below the attic floor joist it is likely you do not have sufficient insulation.
Just as we mentioned when we started the whole point is to keep your home cool while saving money and attic insulation will help to reduce your cooling cost. This savings can be significant, plus keep in mind that through the end of 2010 the government is providing up to $1,500 in tax credits when you purchase attic insulation. In effect the attic insulation will not only save you money but also help pay for itself in the form of tax credits.
For more information on ways to save money, be green and save energy see these sites.
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Tags: Air conditioners, attic insulation, cooling system, stay cool, tax credits
Posted in Air conditioning, Go Green, Informational, Savings, attic insulation, maintenance | Comments Off
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Beginning May 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, residential rebates are available to Nicor Gas customers for purchases and installation of the following high efficiency products. Rebates as much as $400 on boilers, between $200 – $250 on furnaces.
The eligible products include high efficiency water heaters, furnaces, and gas boilers. These products must be installed by a professional heating & cooling contractor. Your purchase must be made between May 1, 2010, and May 31, 2011. Your application must be received by Nicor, and be postmarked no later than 60 days after purchase. Unlike, some other tax credits or rebates, this one is available to landlords.
This is a great time to capitalize on the Nicor rebate if you are a Nicor customer because you can also take advantage of manufacturer discounts and the federal tax credit on energy efficient products like furnaces, air conditioners and boilers. A reminder, purchase and installation of attic insulation also qualifies for a tax credit of up to $1,500.00.
Tags: Air conditioners, attic insualtion, boilers, furnaces, heating cooling, Nicor Gas, rebates
Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Informational, Savings | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
The recent deluge of rain that has hit Chicago multiple times this summer has caused a great deal of flood damage throughout Chicago. Because many basements were flooded untold number of furnaces and air conditioners may have been damaged by flood waters. The Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association is recommending that heating, cooling equipment or water heaters be replaced and not repaired as a matter of safety. (more…)
Tags: Air conditioners, Chicago, flooding, furnace repair, water heaters
Posted in Air conditioning, Consumer protection, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Informational, Safety | Comments Off
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Installation and Servicing your Air Conditioner
R-410A systems are only capable of delivering environmental and energy savings when properly installed and serviced. Make sure your contractor employs skilled technicians who are specifically trained and certified to work with R-410A systems.
System Matching
If you purchase an air conditioner that uses R-410A, your HVAC technician will need to inspect your indoor unit to see if it meets the performance requirements of the R-410A system. If the indoor unit is older, it will likely need replacing.
Retrofitting
R-410A cannot be substituted into existing systems designed to use R-22 refrigerant. Use of R-410A in any cooling system not specifically designed for this new refrigerant can damage the equipment or cause it to malfunction.
- MAD MAX
Tags: Air conditioners, cooling services, energy savings, HVAC contractor
Posted in Air conditioning, Furnace, Informational, customer service, maintenance | 4 Comments »
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Since we have had consistently hot days with temperatures nearing 90 degrees or higher our AC units have been working overtime. The increased demand that is being placed on air conditioners to keep our homes cool also puts older units at risk of failure. If you find yourself in a situation where you are without central air conditioning and you need a repair the first thing you should do is look for a qualified HVAC company. (more…)
Tags: AC repiars, Air conditioners, central air conditioning, Cooling, HVAC company, repair coupons
Posted in Air conditioning, Consumer protection, Informational, Quality, customer service | Comments Off
Monday, July 5th, 2010
As we begin the month of July, and the heart of summer we often associate hot weather with the cost of keeping cool. We use electricity to run our room air conditioners, central air conditioners, fans, and refrigerators. During the summer months our utility bills are sure to see a spike in costs. In April of 2010, The State of Illinois offered consumers rebates on energy efficient appliances including the aforementioned refrigerators and central air conditioners. This and other programs have helped to transform consumer habits in terms of purchases and how they use energy. (more…)
Tags: Air conditioners, energy efficient, Energy Star, rebates, tax credits
Posted in Air conditioning, Go Green, Informational, Savings | Comments Off
