Posts Tagged ‘energy savings’
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
Nothing is more satisfying on an icy cold winter day than taking a nice hot shower or bath. Unfortunately, there are countless people that attempt to enjoy this simple pleasure and find themselves with a scald burn. Many of us will leave the tub or shower unattended while it warms up, but set the dial too far to the left and you could cause some serious damage to your skin. This can be even more so damaging to the skin of small children if they are placed into a bath with too hot water or if they are new to taking showers. It is easy enough to prevent this from happening in your home and all it takes is a simple adjustment of your hot water tank’s thermostat.
Set the Tank Temperature Back!
Go down to your hot water tank and check what temperature you currently have it set at. If it is set higher than 120-130 degrees, here is your potential problem. Roll back the thermostat to 120 degrees and see if you notice a difference. Odd are your showers will be just as comfortable as they have always been, but you will not longer stand the risk of burning yourself or your family members. (more…)
Tags: bath, Chicago, Crete, Crown Point, degrees, energy savings, Four Seasons, Heating, hot water tank, IL, Lockport, protection, Safety, save money, scald burn, shower, temperature, thermostat, winter
Posted in Heating, Hot Water Heater, Informational, Plumbing Services, Safety, Savings, Tips and Suggestions | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
As many may have already noticed, it is back to school time for children across the Chicagoland area. Unfortunately, this also means that the summer season is nearing its end. Many of us are trying to cram every last bit of summer fun possible into this incredibly short season, but as we head further and further into august, you need to ask yourself one question. Did you ever have the air conditioner checked? If not, you are one of the few lucky homeowners that made it through the heat wave with an air conditioner that was never properly cleaned for the season. Luckily, at Four Seasons it is not too late to get your air conditioner back on track! (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, august, breakdowns, clean and check, energy savings, Four Seasons, IL, maintenance, Palatine, Palos Forest, Park Ridge, summer, Tune Up
Posted in Air Conditioner Repair, Air conditioning, Tips and Suggestions, maintenance | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
Air conditioner sales have been booming ever since the heat wave hit. The majority of homeowners that purchased a new unit did so because their old system was no longer working, but the interesting point that we noticed was the type of air conditioners that these customers were buying. The current state of the economy would lead us to believe that most homeowners are only going to purchase the bare minimum that will keep the cool and comfortable. This year, that has not been the case because homeowners have been upgrading to super high efficiency systems! The only reason we can think of to explain this trend is that these homeowners are weighing future savings against the initial out of pocket cost and finding that the savings in the future are hard to pass up!
The Top of the Line Difference
If you haven’t replaced your air conditioner in the past five to ten years, nearly any replacement will be an upgrade. However, top of the line air conditioners like the XC21 and the XC17 from Lennox will offer a substantial efficiency increase over a baseline unit like the 13ACX. Those that purchase a high end system will enjoy noticeable savings every month, and that will add up to more money in your pocket during a time when you are sure to need it most! (more…)
Tags: Air conditioning, Chicago, Cooling, economy, energy efficiency, energy savings, Four Seasons, IL, incentives, installation, Lennox, Naperville, rebates, sales, Savings, top of the line, upgrade
Posted in Air conditioning, Sale, Savings, customer service | Comments Off
Monday, July 11th, 2011
When it comes to corporate responsibility, environmental accountability is the number one concern among people in the United States. Carbon footprint reduction is the main goal, and as a company, you can either make an effort towards having a greener operation or you can neglect the responsibility all together. At Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning, we take our corporate responsibilities very seriously, and we have made several steps towards becoming a more environmentally friendly organization.
Four Seasons’ Recycling Habits
When deciding where to begin our improvements, we first took a look at our recycling habits and made several changes. Being in the HVAC business, we acquire hundreds of old burnt out air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, and hot water tanks throughout the year. Our customers no longer have any use for these units and getting rid of systems this large is often more trouble than many homeowners can handle. In the past we would simply haul away the old units to be disposed of in a large dumpster at our warehouse. However, we realized that much was going to waste by not recycling these systems. Now we peel apart these units and recycle nearly every last bit of material. By setting up a break down and sorting station in our warehouse, we are able to easily prepare these old systems for recycling centers to collect and put to good use once more. (more…)
Tags: affordable, Chicago, Cooling, corporate responsibility, coupons, discounts, Downers Grove, energy savings, Four Seasons, Go Green, Heating, IL, Naperville, recycling, Savings
Posted in Air conditioning, Heating, Savings, customer service | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Here at Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning, we perform tune-ups and repairs on air conditioners seven days a week from the time it starts to heat up in the spring to the last warm days of fall. During these services, we see every types of issue that you could possibly imagine, but the most common problems we find are air conditioners that are not providing the energy efficiency level promised by their label. For example, an old 10 SEER unit that has this problem may only be delivering 5 or 6 SEER and is therefore contributing an increase in energy cost for this homeowner. Your system could be doing this to you, and odds are you wouldn’t even know that it was happening. Luckily, there is something you can do about it!
Your Number 1 Enemy: Dirt!
The number one energy thief is dirt. The air that we breathe is full of it inside and outside the home. If you have a hard time believing this fact, look at your furnace filter after about thirty days of using your furnace or air conditioner or take a look at your coffee table after a couple weeks without dusting. That dust that the filter catches or that settles on your furniture is your worst enemy. Dirty filters, dirty condensing coils, and dirty duct work will cut into the energy efficiency capabilities of your air conditioner. (more…)
Tags: Chicago, cleaning, dirt, energy bills, energy efficiency, energy savings, filters, Four Seasons, IL, maintenance, Orland Hills, Palos Heights, save money, summer, Tune Up
Posted in Air Quality, Air conditioning, Duct Cleaning, Savings, Tips and Suggestions | Comments Off
Thursday, June 16th, 2011
Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning specializing in central air conditioning installation, service, and maintenance, but there are thousands of people in Chicago that rely on window air conditioners to cool their homes. We couldn’t leave them out! At Four Seasons Home Services we take care of those that need their window air conditioning units replaced professionally. These systems offer an affordable option for many, but we find that these units are rarely installed properly. That is why we have specially trained handymen that can put in a new window air conditioner in any room of your home this summer season! (more…)
Tags: Chicago, comfort, Cooling, energy savings, Four Seasons, Four Seasons Home Services, handyman services, Hometown, installation, professional, South Holland, window air conditioner
Posted in Air conditioning, Home Services, Savings | Comments Off
Friday, May 20th, 2011
For many, the idea of converting your home to solar power seems unattainable and out of reach. In the past, this may have been true, but with each passing day, solar power becomes more and more realistic for homes all over the United States. Here in Chicago and the surrounding suburban areas, Four Seasons can help you get started! You may be confused as to how a heating and air conditioning company can help you go solar, but when you consider that your air conditioner consumes anywhere from 12 to 17% of the energy in your home, it starts to make a bit more sense.
Start Small and Add on Later
A solar system consists of a series of panels that are placed upon the roof of your home and hooked into your home’s electrical supply. The number of panels dictates the number of appliances that you can run the system off of. Many homeowners will begin by getting just enough panels to cover the air conditioner’s operation. During the daylight hours, the air conditioner will be powered by the energy created by the panels of the roof as they absorb the sun. When the air conditioner is not in use, the panels can power other appliances in the home. When your home creates its own energy, you pay less for energy provided by the big power companies! The more panels you have, the less you will pay every month on your energy bills! (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, Burr Ridge, Chicago, electricity, energy savings, Four Seasons, grid system, IL, Lennox, power company, solar power, SunSorce, Villa Park, Wood Dale
Posted in Air conditioning, Go Green, Savings | Comments Off
Friday, December 17th, 2010
Living in a home with multiple people requires a lot of compromise. We compromise on dinner plans, on television channels, and on who will get to use the shower first in the morning. However, there is one thing that no family member should have to compromise on: comfort. In multi-level homes it is often difficult to get even temperatures throughout every room, and as a result, thermostat wars begin. Each person has their own opinion on what temperature the home should be, and compromising on this issue often leaves someone out in the cold. Luckily, Four Seasons can help you end the thermostat wars once and for all with a furnace zoning system!
What is a Zoning System?
A zoning system can be installed into your existing duct work and furnace, and it allows each zone in the home to be controlled by a different thermostat. It consists of a series of dampers that will open and close to varying degrees, so that the homeowner can regulate which rooms of the home need the most heating and which ones need less. Some of the benefits of a zoning system include: (more…)
Tags: Chicago, comfort, energy savings, Four Seasons, Frankfort, Furnace, heating services, IL, Lyons, save money, Streamwood, zoning system
Posted in Furnace, Heating, Quality, Savings | Comments Off
Friday, December 10th, 2010
The holiday season for many involves a house full of guests, presents, and food, and for most of those people, it also means spending extra money to accommodate everyone’s needs. An easy way to save some money during this season is by saving money on your heating bills. With the help of Four Seasons, saving energy and saving money is easier than you may think.
- Maintenance: If you have not had your heating system cleaned by one of the servicemen at Four Seasons, that is your first step to more efficient heating this winter. Our 20 + point certified tune up will get your furnace or boiler running as efficiently and reliably as possible. So when your guests arrive you can focus your time on family and friends and not on your heating system and unwanted breakdowns.
- Thermostat Settings: Set the thermostat back two degrees all season long and you will increase the amount of savings that you will earn this winter. Also, when the holiday parties are in full swing, turn the thermostat back a little further. The added heat from cooking and extra bodies will keep the air in your home warm, and your normal setting may be too high to keep everyone comfortable. (more…)
Tags: Boiler, Chicago, energy savings, Four Seasons, Furnace, Heating, Hisdale, holiday season, home comfort, humidifier, Maywood, programmable thermostat, save money, Westchester
Posted in Air Quality, Heating, Savings, maintenance | Comments Off
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
You have heard Four Seasons talk about how important it is to have a properly insulated home, and we often put special emphasis on the attic space. This is the area of the home where insulating will have the greatest impact on your comfort and your energy bills. Here at Four Seasons, we use blown-in fiberglass insulation for all of our insulation services. If you have never added insulation to your attic, chances are, the builder installed “batts” of fiberglass insulation. Over time, the batts have settled, and its costing you big bucks year-round on your energy bills. Four Seasons uses a different style of fiberglass insulation because it solves the problems that old batts leave behind.
The Problem with Batts
Batts of fiberglass insulation come in the form of giant rolls, and they are laid out and then stuffed between the floor joists in the attic. With proper insulation, this style of insulation can be effective initially, but any gaps between the joists will only get worse with time. The effectiveness of the material, or the r-value, is diminished as the insulation settles and as more gaps are formed. The barrier created by the insulation is ineffective when it is full of leaks. You could install another layer of batts, but you would still end up with the same problem all over again in a matter of years. Wouldn’t you want to solve the problem for good? (more…)
Tags: attic insulation, batts, blown-in, Chicago, Downers Grove, energy savings, Evanston, fiberglass, Plainfield, professional installation
Posted in Heating, Home Services, Savings, attic insulation | Comments Off
