Posts Tagged ‘Insulation’
Monday, January 30th, 2012
You can’t always control the way that your home was built. When you purchased the home odds are you were looking for the obvious flaws and when those were ruled out, everything seemed to be in order. However, many older homes suffer from problems that lie beneath the surface. The problem is that the older the home is the less air tight it was made. Insulating the walls and attic were not a priority at the time and many of these older homes experience air leaks and drafts that not only disturb comfort but they also cost the homeowners big bucks in energy costs. In the past, the only way to get in and add more insulation was to tear down the walls, fill, and then reseal them. However, with blown-in insulation from Four Seasons, you can add insulation to nearly any crevice in the home without tearing the walls down.
Popular Places to Add Insulation
- Attics: Attics in older homes often have little to no insulation within them. Any insulation that was placed has long since settled and is offering little protection. Have Four Seasons pump in a fresh thick layer of fiberglass and give your home an air tight cap to help keep heat in this winter.
- Crawl Spaces: Many older homes have crawl spaces that lack insulation. A crawl space can be as cold as the chilliest of winter nights and that cold air will seep into your warm home if you do not prevent it from happening. Simply have Four Seasons fill in the spaces with fresh insulation and eliminate this source of heat loss. (more…)
Tags: air tight, attic, basement, Burnham, Chicago, cost effective, drafts, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, garage, heat gain, heat loss, IL, Insulation, Rolling Meadows, Savings, un-insulated rooms, walls
Posted in Air Quality, Heating, Home Services, Savings, attic insulation | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
When customers call into Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning for a furnace repair service call, we always ask for a general description of the problem. The answer is usually some variation of, “The heat doesn’t work!” One such variation of this problem would be that the furnace is not producing enough heat. The vents are pumping out somewhat warm air, but the home just seems incapable of getting to the temperature set on the thermostat. If this describes your furnace, the problem may be located in the furnace or it could possibly be a problem elsewhere in the home that is affecting your furnace’s ability to keep you and your family warm. Four Seasons can help you sort it out, and below are some of the potential causes of your problem.
What’s Holding Back Your Furnace?
- Dirty Filter: Believe it or not, a dirty furnace filter could be what is stopping your furnace from working at its full potential. A clogged filter blocks airflow and the small amount of air that is getting by isn’t enough to heat the home efficiently. Given more time, the clogged filter will eventually choke the furnace and stop it from providing any heat at all! If you haven’t changed the filter in months and you have this problem, change the filter before you spend your money on a service call and see if you notice an improvement in your comfort.
- Filthy Burners: If the filter is clean, the problem may be located inside the furnace. Dirty, poorly adjusted burners can also be a source of this problem. A way to see if this could be causing your problem would be to take a peek inside the furnace while it is running. If you see flames that are any other color than clean burning blue, you have this problem. Orange and yellow flames aren’t as hot as blue flames, but a simple cleaning and adjustment from your Four Seasons technician could get things running normally once more. (more…)
Tags: burners, Chicago, filter, Four Seasons, Furnace, furnace filter, furnace repair, Hazel Crest, Heating, home comfort specialist, Homer Glen, IL, Insulation, not enough heat, replacement, sales, service call, sizing
Posted in Furnace, Furnace Repair, Heating, Tips and Suggestions, attic insulation, furnace filtration, maintenance | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Attic ventilation fans have many benefits to your home, in all seasons! The attic in your home is a living, breathing barrier from the harsh elements of the outside weather. A poorly ventilated attic is like having a home with a head cold. During the summer it is stuffy and during the winter it is wet and drippy! Both can cause major issues for your comfort and your home’s energy efficiency. Attic ventilation fans, coupled with adequate insulation, can cure your home’s head cold and prevent these problems from causing disturbances all year round!
How Poor Ventilation Affects Your Home
In the warm months of the year the attic can reach temperatures as high as 150 degrees or more when the hot summer sun is beaming directly onto your roof. That stored up heat can make your cooling costs rise significantly inside the home. The hot air trapped in the attic heats the ceiling in the floor below and with time seeps into the room and the rest of the home. This requires your home’s air conditioner to work even harder to keep up with the soaring outdoor temperatures. If you don’t have adequate insulation, the problem may be even worse, but even in attics with good insulation, poor ventilation can account for up to 35% of your total cooling cost during the hot summer months! This is a huge waste of money that can be corrected easy by installing an attic ventilation fan. In the winter months, a poorly vented attic space can result in moisture buildup, which can lead to wood deterioration, or even worse, mold spores. (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, attic ventilation fans, attic vents, cost, Four Seasons, head cold, installation, Insulation, La Grange Park, Lake in the Hills, moisture, repair, save money, summer, temperature, ventilation, winter
Posted in Air Quality, Air filtration, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, attic insulation | Comments Off
Monday, November 14th, 2011
Thousands of homeowners missed out on the tax credits that were handed out last year to those that made certain energy efficient improvements to their homes. The return was significantly greater in 2010, but the government did us all a favor and extended the credits for another year but at a reduced amount. However, the credits being offered are still quite significant. As we approach the end of this year, these credits are once again going to run out, and Four Seasons wants you to have every opportunity to take advantage of them before it is too late!
Tax Credit Eligible Products from Four Seasons:
- Furnaces and Air Conditioners: Furnaces from Four Seasons that have an AFUE rating of 95% or better are eligible for a $150 tax credit. 16 SEER air conditioners are also eligible for a tax credit of $300. This credit can make up for the extra cost that goes into purchasing a more energy efficient system. Sure other, less efficient, unit may be cheaper in the short run, but these units have long term returns and benefits in addition to these tax credits.
- Insulation Services: According to Energy Star, adding insulation is one of the most cost-effective home improvements that you can do! That is why when you use Four Seasons blown-in attic insulation services you can get a return of 10% of the cost up to $500! (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, attic insulation, Chicago, doors, Dundee, Elgin, Energy Star, federal, Four Seasons, furance, government, Heating, Home Services, IL, installation, Insulation, Mc Henry, sales team, Savings, tax credits, tax return, water heater, windows
Posted in Air conditioning, Furnace, Heating, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Hot Water Heater, Savings, attic insulation | Comments Off
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Looking for an affordable energy efficiency upgrade this fall? Many homes suffer with old heating systems that gobble up energy like there is no tomorrow, but replacing these old units is not always in the budget, especially with the holiday season on the horizon. However, many of us can’t afford to keep spending so much on our energy bills every month, and we need a more affordable solution. Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning recognized this need, and that is why we offer affordable insulation services to homeowners across the Chicagoland area. The energy efficiency boost you will get from having this service performed could be just what your budget needs this winter.
From R-Value Minimum to Maximum
An attic with inadequate insulation is usually the problem. Chicago and the surrounding areas fall within an area of the country that requires insulation with an R-value between 38 and 60. Many of us are probably way below this level, and you could check for yourself. Simply take a meter stick or other measuring devise and travel up to your attic. Measure the depth of the insulation, and if it is below 14 inches, you insulation’s R-value is lower than the required minimum. This could be what causes the icicles to form on your roof and the temperature differences within the home during the chilly winters here in Chicago. If you find that your insulation level is lower than 14 inches, have Four Seasons perform a free assessment and give you a free estimate on blown-in insulation. (more…)
Tags: assessment, attic, blown-in insulation, comfort, cost, energy bills, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, Fox River Grove, IL, Insulation, Mount Greenwood, R-Value
Posted in Boiler, Furnace, Heating, Home Services, Savings, attic insulation | Comments Off
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
1. Question: Do you have single pane windows in your home?
- Answer: Single pane windows have one pane of glass separating you from the elements of nature. This doesn’t offer much protection and can be a major source of heat gain during the summer or heat loss during the winter. New windows from Four Seasons have a variety of features that can increase your home’s protection from nature.
2. Question: Can you feel drafts when you sit near a window in your home?
- Answer: If you answered yes to this question, you are probably also one of those homeowners that are constantly adding weather stripping and caulking around the windows to try and keep the drafts out. This is a short term fix, but new vinyl windows from Four Seasons can eliminate these drafts completely for years to come. (more…)
Tags: broken windows, Chicago, Four Seasons, heat gain, heat loss, Insulation, maintenance, Orland Park, Palos Hills, vinyl windows, window replacement, wood rot
Posted in Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions | Comments Off
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
Having a garage attached to your home is highly convenient for many homeowners. It eliminates long trips from the garage to the house transporting groceries or other purchases. It eliminates the mad dash into the home from the car when there is pouring rain, and there are probably many more uses for attached garages that homeowners across Chicagoland enjoy. However, your attached garage could be the reason why you are having trouble making your home more energy efficient and green friendly. Luckily, Four Seasons can eliminate this energy waster with a few simple improvements and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg!
Not Built Air Tight
When your home was built, it was created to be as airtight as possible. Several layers of insulation were put in place and cracks were sealed, but the garage was not built this way. The garage may have some insulation in the external walls, but the garage door and attic are often left open to the elements. Taking this into consideration along with the fact that the seals around the doors are probably not airtight, you can see how the temperature outside will be very similar to that inside the garage. This becomes a problem when it is able to creep into the main area of the home. We often find that many homes don’t even have adequate insulation in the wall that is shared with the garage. This leads to lower temperatures in the home during the winter time that the furnace must make up for. If your home was better sealed against the effects of the temperature in the garage, you could save tons of energy! (more…)
Tags: air leaks, air tight, attached garage, Des Plaines, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, garage, garage door, Go Green, Heating, home improvements, IL, Insulation, Riverside, save money, weather stripping, winter
Posted in Go Green, Heating, Home Services, attic insulation | Comments Off
Friday, October 7th, 2011
You could have the fanciest, most high tech, most expensive, and most well cared for furnace in your home, but if you do not have properly functioning duct work, it will all go to waste. If the furnace cannot deliver the heat that it creates to the rooms in your home, you loose both money and comfort. Leaks allow the air being pushed through the ducts to be released into the attic, between floors, and anywhere else the ducts may be ran through the home. This leads to rooms that aren’t warmed or cooled effectively and loads of wasted energy because the furnace has to run for much longer periods of time in order to meet the set temperature. What can you do about this problem? You can call Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning
Total HVAC Care from Four Seasons
Not only do we care for the maintenance and repairs of your furnace and air conditioner, we also manage the total care for your entire HVAC system and that includes the duct work in your home. Air duct sealing and insulating is not an easy task for the do it yourselfer. It takes a detailed understanding of how your furnace delivers heat and how to complete the task without causing damage to the integrity of the system. Our servicemen have years of experience sealing, cleaning, and insulating duct work and a variety of situations. We can also replace areas where the ducts may be beyond repair. If you think about it, you replace the furnace and air conditioner every 15 years or so, but the ducts have never changed. If you have never done anything to care for this vital part of your system, you need Four Seasons!
Tags: attic insulation, Chicago, cleaning, comfort, duct work, energy bills, energy efficiency, Four Seasons, IL, installing, Insulation, Itasca, leaky ducts, replacement, Richton Park, Rolling Meadows, Savings, sealing, winter
Posted in Duct Cleaning, Furnace, Heating, Home Services, Savings | Comments Off
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
What do you expect for your HVAC service technician? Most would probably say that all they are looking for is someone to fix their unit when it is broken, but what these people don’t realize is that they could be getting so much more out of each and every service call if their technician was a Four Seasons home comfort specialist. Yes of course they repair your system, but they are specialized problem solvers that have the ability to expertly assess the entire home for faults that may be contributing to your heating and cooling problems.
Home Comfort Experts
Many problems with the heating and cooling in your home may not actually be caused directly by the furnace or air conditioner. Duct work problems, air leaks, and insulation problems are also common sources of heat gain and heat loss inside the home. Many other heating and cooling companies in the area are not willing to even look into these problems. Why you ask? Well it’s usually one of two reasons. First, their technicians probably do not have the experience or the knowhow to tackle these issues. If the problem is not directly related to the HVAC they are clueless and will refer you to a different company to handle the problem. At Four Seasons, we believe that any factor that can contribute to the comfort level in your home is something that we are responsible for and we train our technicians accordingly.
Dedication to Comfort (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, Bloomingdale, Cooling, duct work, expert, Four Seasons, Furnace, heat gain, heat loss, Heating, home comfort specialist, HVAC, IL, Insulation, Orland Hills, Park City, repairs, technician
Posted in Air Conditioner Repair, Air conditioning, Furnace Repair, Heating, Quality | Comments Off
Monday, September 5th, 2011
We have now entered the half of the year that is packed with holidays. Today is Labor Day and before we know it, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will have all arrived as well. Many of us take the holiday season as a chance to redecorate the home in festive décor, and for most that usually means a trip to the attic to pull down boxes and boxes of decorations. While you’re up there, Four Seasons would like you to take a quick moment to have a look around. How does everything look? Is the insulation damp in area? Have you begun to notice dark spots forming in various places? Is the insulation level below the level of the joists? If so, your attic insulation may need some redecorating as well, and Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning is still your go to contractor.
Year Round Condensation Conundrum
Attics that are inadequately insulated have many problems, but today we are going to focus on the issue of condensation and the effects that it can have on your attic, your energy efficiency, and your home. Condensation can accumulate in a poorly insulated attic all year round. During the summer it can soak the insulation and cause mold growth and rot. During the winter, it turns to frost, and all year round this moisture diminishes your insulation’s r-value and therefore its efficiency. If left long enough, this water will eventually reach the level of your ceilings and cause unsightly staining. The insulation will need to be replaced and the ventilation problem corrected before you can ever hope to have a clean and energy efficient attic. (more…)
Tags: attic, ceiling, Chicago, condensation, Four Seasons, Fox Valley, Gilberts, holidays, IL, Insulation, leaks, mold, professional, repair, replacement, ventilation, water spots, Wheeling
Posted in Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, attic insulation | Comments Off
