***(As a side note, a programmable thermostat can save you a great deal of money in the long run as you can easily program the thermostat with a lower setpoint for all the hours that you know you will not be home. Why keep the house any warmer than you need to when no one is there? If you know that you usually arrive home from work at 6:00pm, for example, you can program the thermostat to warm your house up for you starting at 5:30 rather than keeping the house unnecessarily warm all day long).

On most recently manufactured furnace units, this causes an inducer fan to pull air through the unit establishing adequate combustion airflow. After proper airflow is established, the gas valve opens, which causes gas to flow through the burners where it is ignited by a spark or the heat from the ignitor. (Older units have a “standing pilot” which is a small flame that burns constantly to light the gas.)

After the furnace unit senses that the flame is lit, the spark or ignitor is disengaged. Normally, the gas will burn for approximately two minutes before the blower is started. This prevents blowing cold air out through your vents at the beginning of the operating cycle.

After the preset time or at a set temperature, the blower motor is energized and air is blown over the heat exchanger. The air is then heated and supplied to the duct system and begins flowing through your registers.

When the thermostat senses that no more heat is required, the gas valve is de-energized and no more gas is provided to the furnace. The blower motor will then run for a short period of time to cool off the heat exchanger. This process is controlled by a timer or a temperature switch. Want more info see www.fshac.com for more heating & cooling  information.

HVAC for Beginners- How A Furnace Works| Lynwood, Glenwood is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Before setting an appointment with a licensed heating & cooling company verify what they will perform during the cleaning process.  Here is a checklist to help you through this process.

• Clean Burner Assembly
• Tune Burners
• Clean Ignition Assembly
• Clean Heat Section
• Verify Flue Draft venting properly
• Calibrate Thermostat
• Test Refrigerant Charge
• Test Capacitors
• Test Crankcase Heaters
• Inspect and Check Controls and Safeties
• Adjust Fan Switch
• Adjust Balancing Dampers
• Clean and Replace Filter
• Clean and Adjust Blower Assembly
• Check Air Flow
• Visually Inspect Duct Work
• Tighten Electrical Connections
• Measure and Record Voltage and Amperage
• Lubricate all Moving Parts
• Clean Inside Evaporator Coil
• Clean Outside Condensing Coil
• Clean Condensate Drains
• Apply Protective Coating

Check and verify the following will be completed during your Spring Furnace or Air Conditioning Tune Up and you’ll enjoy nothing but roses throughout the season.

Spring Cleaning means its time for a Spring Tune-Up is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

In the spring or fall, most allergy symptoms are caused by pollen or mold spores, but other causes also play a part. In fact, up to 72 trillion allergens find their way into your home every day.

• Mold spores can irritate the respiratory passages
• Dander from pets can float in the air and cause reactions in sensitive family members
• Dust mites can lurk in bedding, upholstery and almost any other soft material, generating irritating waste particles that can become airborne
• Dust – the big culprit. The average home generates about 40 pounds of dust per year per 1,500 square feet of space
• Homes are built more airtight than ever, trapping more allergens and irritants indoors

Best way to combat this is with whole house air filtration and humidification and UV air purification system which can be purchased from heating & cooling company such as Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning in Chicago.

-Mad Max

Breathe Cleaner Air Burbank, Orland Park, and Frankfort! is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Houses that are more prone to ice dams often have inadequate insulation or major leakage of warm air from the home into the attic. Studies show that on average, 40% of your heat loss is through the ceiling and out the roof.

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t spend much time in the attic. In fact, the vast majority of Americans only go up to their attics only when dealing with a leaky roof or “animal intruders” like bats, squirrels, or raccoons. When it comes to heating & cooling issues in your home, the attic should not be ignored.

During the winter however, attics are vulnerable to an even greater and potentially more damaging problem: ice damming. Ice dams are large accumulations of ice that collect on the lip of your roof or in the gutters. Once they’ve set in, ice dams can cause melting snow or rain to accumulate under your shingles and seep into the attic and your home potentially causing expensive water damage.

Therefore, one way to avoid ice damming is to ensure that attics are well insulated.  The proper amount of attic insulation with the greatest R-Value for your region is a cost effective way to eliminate the potential for troublesome ice damming.

The large accumulation of ice at the eaves on a home is an excellent indicator of inadequate insulation.  Another indicator is when the snow that falls on your roof quickly disappears all the while the snow on an unheated garage or a well insulated attic will be around for a longer period of time.

By spending the time to fix the problem properly the first time, you’ll help prevent ice damming from occurring.

Heat Loss – Symtoms and Solutions| Bridgeview, Blue Island, Plainfield is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

A new energy star rated furnace will save the average homeowner approximately 40% on their natural gas bill.  The average home cost approximately $1500 to heat each year.  If you can reduce it by 40% with a new furnace, not only will you be saving money on your heating bill, you will also hear and feel the difference.

Today’s high efficient furnaces are much quieter than previous models.  You will have a hard time hearing it run, which depending on the location of your furnace, can be quite a delight.  Energy star furnaces also help heat your home more evenly by using variable speed motors as well as 2 and 3 stage heating.  The 2 and 3 stage heating will help stop the temperature swings that cause hot and cold spots in your home.

So if you live in Chicago and are considering a new furnace, don’t delay, the rebates are ending soon.

Peoples Energy Gas Rebate is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

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.

Get Nicor Rebates Now! is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Everyday people ask us to give them advice about their air conditioning system, or they may need a second opinion about a heating repair that’s been recommended. Sometimes they have troublesome humidity problems in their home; air quality issues, carbon monoxide fears or more.

Usually they’ve already had a diagnosis, but they just don’t understand it. Or perhaps they don’t trust it. We’ve found that most people simply want an honest opinion, instead of a sales pitch.

Well that’s why we’re here, and that’s why we’re writing this  – If you need a TRUE expert to tell you what’s really happening in your home, or you have a problem that up until now, can’t be fixed—call us. We can help. We charge an honest rate for expert advice, and we’ll never make you uncomfortable with a high-pressure sales pitch.

Expert A/C advice! is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Most HVAC contractors only size your system based on your old furnace & A/C size. The problem is that the new system is more efficient then your old system. For example: your old furnace is 60% efficient (afue) and has a 150,000 btu input. That means 40% of the natural gas or propane your furnace is using is going up the flue pipe into your chimney. Also your btu output of your furnace would be 90,000 btu’s (150,000 minus 40%). So if the contractor replaces your old furnace with the same size new furnace (new furnaces range from 80% to 95% efficiency) a 150,000 btu furnace at 80% efficiency would give you an output of 120,000 btu’s, which would give you 30,000 more btu’s then you have with your old furnace.

The most accepted method of calculating heating and cooling loads is to use ACCA, Manual J-compliant load calculation software. The technician would measure your home, windows, direction of walls & windows, type of windows, attic insulation, sky lights and much more. If you are replacing your HVAC equipment, I would highly recommend you only use those companies who measure your home and perform some kind of load calculation. You are making a 15 year plus decision and you can’t trade your new system in like your car if you don’t like it.

-MAD MAX

Sizing Your HVAC System is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair

Before you turn on your system this year, have it cleaned & checked out by one of our certified technicians. It’s the best way to prevent costly breakdowns and extend the life of your equipment! You may encounter that your system has an easy fix or you can be confident that your central air conditioning system will operate all spring and summer without worry.

Air Conditioning Repairs is a post from: Heating and Cooling furnace repair