Posts Tagged ‘Boiler’
Monday, January 9th, 2012
Boilers have a very long lifetime especially when they are cared for properly. At Four Seasons, we have seen old boilers last 20, 30 and even 40 years before breaking down to the point that they need to be replaced. So, how old is your boiler? Is your boiler still the original unit that was there when you moved into your home? If so, you can save money and energy by replacing that old system with a new high efficiency boiler from Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning.
Overpaying Every Month
You run into two problems when you allow an old outdated boiler to run in your home. The first problem is the cost. The older the boiler the odds are the less energy efficient it will be. Some older boilers waste as much as 50% of the natural gas they consume during the combustion process. That adds up to a hefty cost every month on your utility bills and for most of us, overpaying every month by 50% is simply not an option! (more…)
Tags: age, Boiler, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, heat exchanger, Heating, hot water, installation, Peerless, replacement, Safety, save money, steam, utility bills
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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
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Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
Not only does Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning install and service water heaters and boilers, we are also in the business of protecting them from damage. We do this in a couple of ways, but if you have hard water in your home, your system is definitely at risk. Four Seasons now offers their customer’s full installation of water softening systems that can save your home from the damage hard water can do. For those of us that don’t have hard water, we still need to protect the system, and Four Seasons has a way to make that possible too!
Damage Cause by Hard Water
As hard water flows through your pipes, water heater, and boiler, it leaves behind deposits. Calcium and magnesium are usually the biggest culprits and over time, they can become caked inside these parts of your home. Pipes will loose their ability to transfer water effectively, and the water heater and boiler will loose energy efficiency. This happens as the buildup covers the burners. The boiler and hot water tank must then use more gas to heat up the water that will be transferred through the home. With time, these deposits will damage the systems beyond repair and will require replacement. A water softener will remove these deposits from your water before it ever comes in contact with your plumbing, your water heater, or your boiler. (more…)
Tags: Boiler, breakdown prevention, Chicago, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, hard water, IL, Lake Zurich, pipes, plumbing, protection, Round Lake, water heater, water softener, yearly maintenance
Posted in Boiler, Heating, Home Services, Hot Water Heater, Plumbing Services, maintenance | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
Once again the flu season is upon us and many of us are attempting to ward off this illness by getting a flu shot. We take this proactive step so that we don’t find ourselves laid up in bed for several days sneezing, coughing, and wheezing. Getting sick costs us money and comfort. We loose money when we have to miss work or pay for babysitters when our children have to stay home from school, and we loose comfort because no matter how many bowls of chicken noodle soup you may consume, you are still restless, agitated, and sick. With this in mind, it makes perfect sense that we spend a little money every year to get a flu shot as a prevention tactic.
Proactive Furnace Cleaning Services
This type of thinking can be applied to a variety of situations, but we would like you do ask yourself this winter, “Does your furnace need a flu shot?” Sounds funny but furnaces can get the flu too! They can wheeze and cough and fail to keep you warm. This usually happens at a very inconvenient time and it defiantly costs you money and comfort as you wait for a repair to be completed. What can you do to prevent this from happening? You can take a proactive step and call Four Seasons. We make house calls! (more…)
Tags: Boiler, breakdowns, Chicago, Cicero, cleaning, comfort, cost, flu season, Four Seasons, Furnace, Heating, IL, Lake Villa, Lansing, maintenance, pretention, proactive, save money, sick furnace, Tune Up, winter
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Monday, October 24th, 2011
Now that the cold has returned, the call center at Four Seasons has been flooded with customers scrambling to get their maintenance check performed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they are not the only people wanting a technician out to their home. The emergency furnace repair calls have also begun, and as more and more people turn on their system, there will be more and more of a wait to have your cleaning performed. Having no heat in your home in Chicago is an emergency especially for the elderly and those with children. These calls must be our priority, and unfortunately, those that need their cleaning done may have to wait a few days.
Clean and Check or Emergency Service?
If you are looking to have a cleaning performed, your furnace should be working. This service is simply meant to keep the unit in its functional condition all winter long and to help the unit run more efficiently during that time as well. Although cleaning off certain parts may solve some problems you may have with the unit, a cleaning is not meant to be a repair. If the furnace doesn’t turn on when you start it up for the season, you fall under the title of “emergency service.” Don’t sit around in the cold waiting for a cleaning with a broken furnace! What you really need is a repair technician at your home today! We feel terrible when we arrive at a customer’s home for a cleaning only to find that they have gone a week without heat waiting for the maintenance check that won’t necessarily solve their problem. (more…)
Tags: 24 hour service, Berwyn, Boiler, Chicago, cleaning, emergency service, fall, Four Seasons, Furnace, furnace repair, Heating, Hinsdale, IL, maintenance, service, winter
Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Tips and Suggestions, maintenance | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Many of us have already fired up the boiler for at least a few days when the weather first began to change, but despite this warm spell we are experiencing, everyone is going to have to accept sooner or later that summer is over. With the end of summer comes a time to get the heating system out of hibernation and ready for a long winter ahead. For those that own boilers, the long hibernation of the system may present greater problems than forced air heating systems. This is because boilers rely on water to heat the home, and when it water sits for extended periods of time, problems arise and the heat may not work as expected.
Air Pockets and Bleeding Your Boiler
We have had many homeowners calling in saying that their boiler is only heating a couple rooms in the home and that there are areas where the radiators or baseboards just won’t heat up. The most likely cause of their problem is air pockets within the system. When the boiler sits unused for a long period of time, like over the summer, air can get into the water lines and prevent the distribution pump from delivering hot water to those radiators. Luckily, Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning always has a solution. If you are having this problem, mention it to your Four Seasons serviceman while he is out for your yearly cleaning. While at your home, he will be able to bleed each of the radiators and remove any air from the system. This will allow for efficient operation all winter long with maximum warmth all over the home.
Tags: air, air pockets, bleeding, Boiler, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, cleaning, efficiency, Four Seasons, Heating, hibernation, Hometown, IL, maintenance, Oak Lawn, repair, warmth, water heating
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Thursday, October 6th, 2011
When it comes to winter weather, Chicago has seen some of the worst, and so far, it looks like this winter won’t be much different. It is being predicted that Chicago will have the worst winter in the nation this year, and this could be manifested as dangerously low temperatures and record breaking snow falls. As if the blizzard last year wasn’t enough, Chicagoans now need to get their homes ready for another brutal winter season, and Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning has the services you need to make sure that your family is warm inside no matter the conditions outside.
Preventative Maintenance
The first step towards having a worry free winter is having Four Seasons perform a 20+ point efficiency cleaning and tune-up on your furnace or boiler. This service will help identify problems early on that could cause a breakdown during harsh weather. For those that have a system in good condition, the cleaning will make sure that the unit is working at peek efficiency so that you can pay as little as possible for all of the extra time you will need to use your heating system this winter. (more…)
Tags: 20+ point efficiency check, 24 Hour Repair, Boiler, Chicago, comfort, emergency service, Four Seasons, Furnace, Grant Park, Heating, IL, Northbrook, repairs, Tune Up, Winnetka
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Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Many homes use forced air heating systems, like furnaces, to heat their homes during the winter months. However, there are plenty of homeowners that still rely upon boilers, either steam of hot water, to keep the home comfortable. These homeowners may be in the minority in the HVAC industry, but they still need to have a licensed serviceman that they can count of to take care of their system. Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning has the experts that these homeowners need to keep their system in check on a yearly basis. Neglecting to do so because you think there isn’t someone out there who can care for the system is not an option and it could have detrimental consequences.
What Does the Pressure Relief Valve Do?
The pressure relief valve on your boiler is probably the single most important device on the system. This one part is what could save you from a boiler disaster. All heating systems have built in safety devices and the pressure relief valve is a key safety feature of your boiler. This valve is what prevents a dangerously high pressure level from building up within your boiler. Pressure within the boiler can build up for a variety of reasons and without a properly functioning relief valve, the boiler could blow, and at the very least, the high pressure could cause some serious damage to the inside of the unit. (more…)
Tags: Bellwood, Blue Island, Boiler, Chicago, cleaning, comfort, Four Seasons, Highland Park, IL, leaks, maintenance, pressure, pressure relief valve, repair, safety device, testing, water, winter
Posted in Boiler, Heating, Hot Water Heater, Informational, Safety | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
As our winter shipments started to arrive, Four Seasons decided that we should kick off this season with savings and began our preseason sale a little early this year! Right now you can take advantage of some incredible offers that won’t be around once the snow begins to fall. From fantastic financing options to freebies, we are putting it all on the table! You know when its time to replace that old furnace, and if you have been putting it off and looking for the perfect deal, there couldn’t be a better time to choose Four Seasons.
Zero Percent Financing, Freebies, and Savings!
Ridiculously low prices on top of the line furnaces isn’t always enough to convince someone that they can afford a new system for their home. However, with financing options that offer 0% interest for 48 months, nearly anyone can afford a new system and pay it off before the 48 months is up! As an added bonus to anyone that purchases a new system from Four Seasons, we are giving away 2 free HVAC accessories with the purchase of a unit. Choose from a premium programmable thermostat, a whole house humidifier, and a whole house air cleaner. Any two of these will come with your new furnace or air conditioner fully installed for free! That’s a deal that very few people can afford to pass up, and trust us, you would be hard pressed to find a sale like this offered elsewhere. So take advantage of our preseason sale today and get on the horn with your Four Seasons Home Comfort Specialist now!
Tags: air conditioner, Boiler, Burnham, fall, financing, Four Seasons, freebies, Furnace, IL, Lake in the Hills, preseason, Sale, save money, Savings, top of the line, winter, zero percent
Posted in Air conditioning, Furnace, Heating, Sale, Savings | Comments Off
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Many heating and air conditioning companies will tell you horror stories about how your furnace will be taken over by mold if you do not have it cleaned every year. Well, there is some truth to their fear mongering, and though it may be rare, some families do end up with a furnace full of mold at the end of the summer season. However, it is much more likely that your furnace will simply be packed with dust and other debris from buildup over its long time in hibernation, but dust isn’t much better than mold when it comes to the damage it can do to your system and your comfort. Our Four Seasons technicians have seen first hand what years of dust buildup can do to a furnace and unless you want your furnace to meet the same fate, you may want to consider having annual maintenance checks performed by Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning.
What Can Dust Do to Your Furnace?
- Burning Smell: It is really easy to find out if you have a dust buildup problem in your furnace. Just as yourself one question. Does it smell like something is burning when you turn on the furnace? If you answered yes than you know the unit needs a cleaning. Every year you allow the dust to be burnt off like that you allow a fresh layer of baked in gunk to take hold of the inside of your system. (more…)
Tags: blower motor, Boiler, buildup, burners, burning smell, cleaning, comfort, dust, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, Furnace, heat exchanger, Ingleside, maintenance, Prairie View, Richton Park, save money
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