Posts Tagged ‘moisture’
Monday, December 19th, 2011
Excess moisture and negative odors are two things that every homeowner wants to get out of their home as quickly as possible. It is for this reason that our bathrooms and kitchens are equipped with exhaust fans and ventilation systems. However, if we are not taking that moment to flip the switch to turn the fan on, we aren’t going to reap the benefits of these valuable fans.
Why Your Exhaust Fans are so Important!
The first step it to get used to turning on that fan with every hot shower, but if you are still noticing sweat on the walls and ceilings, there may be a problem. Many homes are equipped with fans that move very little air and therefore allow loads of moist air to remain inside the home after hot showers. This could lead to mold and mildew growth that will cause even bigger and more expensive problems.
The Tissue Test
What you need to do is test your fan. This is easy enough to do on your own with a piece of tissue paper. Simply hold a tissue up to the fan and let go. The fan should be able to hold the tissue securely to its grills. This is a good indicator of the strength of your fan. If it can hold the tissue, odds are it is strong enough. However, if there is still excess moisture in the bathroom long after the showers are done for the day, your fan may not be large enough and therefore not powerful enough to remove the needed amount of moisture from the room. (more…)
Tags: bathroom, Chicago, exhaust fan, Four Seasons, handyman services, Kildeer, kitchen, La Grange, Lake Bluff, mildew, moisture, mold, repair, testing, ventilation systems
Posted in Air Quality, Air filtration, Home Improvement and Repair, Home Services, Tips and Suggestions, maintenance | Comments Off
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
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
At this time of year, most people are fussing about their furnaces and many forget to even take a second glance at the humidifier. The unit has been off all summer, but as the temperatures plummet, the humidity levels in your home will sink too. The heat from the furnace will dry out the air in your home to desert like conditions, and you don’t want to go turn on the humidifier only to find that it is not working properly or worse that it is leaking. Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning includes a free humidifier inspection with every furnace or boiler tune up that we perform, and we can help you get the humidifier back up and running before the air in your home becomes too parched.
Leaks, Clogs, and Filter Pads
Humidifier maintenance is fairly simple. If you keep on top of filter changes, you should never have any real problems with the system, but if you ever do find something wrong with the unit it is usually manifested as a leak. An old filter and a clog in the water line are the two most common causes of the leak, but many homeowners don’t spend enough time around their system to even notice if there are any issues. First let’s talk about that filter. It needs to be replaced yearly in order for the system to work properly, and if it isn’t, it becomes a breeding ground for mold. Mold in the humidifier can quickly become mold all over your home if you are not careful. The humidifier feeds moisture directly into the air circulation of the home, and with that moisture, it can also spread the mold. (more…)
Tags: air circulation, Arlington Heights, Chicago, cleaning, filter pad, Four Seasons, Furnace, humidifier, humidity levels, leaks, maintenance, moisture, mold, St. Charles
Posted in Air Quality, Furnace, Health, Heating, maintenance | Comments Off
Thursday, August 18th, 2011
The heat and humidity that this summer has brought us has created a plethora of problems for people across the Chicagoland area. From broken down air conditioners to irritated allergies, almost everyone has been negatively affected in some way. However, those that suffer with asthma or other respiratory problems have had it much worse than the rest of us. When the humidity and the heat are high, breathing becomes a difficult task for anyone with asthma. Imagine breathing thick moisture laden air through a straw on a very hot day, and you may be able to picture what it is like for someone with asthma to breathe during this season. Their only source of relief can be found in a well maintained air conditioning unit, and if you have been suffering with asthma without one, it is now time to call Four Seasons.
How Air Conditioners Relieve Asthma
The biggest impact that air conditioners have on asthma symptoms is found in their ability to remove humidity from the air. Excess moisture in the air can really make getting a full deep breath difficult, but every time the air conditioner turns on, its first task is to remove as much excess moisture from the air as possible. Once the moisture is gone, it begins to cool the home which further eases difficulty breathing. Another big benefit that comes from having an air conditioner is its ability to remove asthma irritants from the air in the home. When equipped with a clean and high efficiency filter, your air conditioner will filter out mold, pollen, dust, and many other pollutants that can exacerbate asthma symptoms. (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, asthma, Chicago, cleaning, Cooling, filter, Four Seasons, Health, heat, humidity, IL, maintenance, moisture, New Lenox, pollutants, repairs, summer, symptoms, Tune Up, Wheaton
Posted in Air Conditioner Repair, Air Quality, Air conditioning, Health, maintenance | Comments Off
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Many homes are well equipped with either a whole house humidifier or strategically places portable units. These systems disperse particles of water into the air in order to add moisture to the environment. During the winter months, the furnace tends to dry out the air, and the humidifier becomes a valuable device for maintaining home comfort. However, what many homeowners don’t know is that the humidifier needs to be shut down at the end of every winter season. During a spring air conditioner cleaning from Four Seasons, our servicemen will often shut down these units for our customers and educate them on the importance of keeping these units off until the next winter arrives.
Take a Load Off of the A/C
We do this because excess humidity is not something you want in the air of your home during the summer season. Here in Chicago and all of the surrounding suburbs, the humidity is often about 80% for the majority of the summer season. Humidity is sticky and thick and makes it very difficult for comfort to be achieved. Your central air conditioner works extra hard to remove excess humidity from the air in your home, but your humidifier could be holding it back! The extra humidity will make your air conditioner work twice as hard to keep your home comfortable. In some cases, like with older air conditioning units, the system cannot keep up with the overabundance of moisture and home comfort begins to suffer. (more…)
Tags: air conditioner, Chicago, comfort, Cooling, dehumidifier, Four Seasons, humidifier, humidity, IL, Justice, moisture, South Holland, under-sized, Westchester
Posted in Air Quality, Air conditioning, Informational | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
Is maintaining the right amount of moisture in your home a problem? As we have discussed previously in other blog articles there are many choices for humidifiers from tabletop models to larger portable models available at most retail stores. One of the most cost effective and all around effective options is whole home humidifier unit that is part of your central air system. The Lennox Healthy Climate WB12 whole house humidifier provides cost effective whole-house humidity control for standard-sized homes.
The Lennox WB12 humidifier works with your HVAC system to maintain the right level of humidity by directing humidified air equally to the entire home. It operates more precisely keeping humidity levels constantly in the comfort range 30-60 percent humidity – humidified air feels warmer allowing you to lower the thermostat and still be comfortable. (more…)
Tags: heating & air conditioning, humidifier, humidity, moisture, mold, Whole House Humidifier
Posted in Air Quality, Health, Heating, Quality | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 14th, 2010
Fall in Chicago is a great time of year. The temperatures are poised between the remnants of summer and the chill of winter, and the furnace usually only has to be ran for a few hours here and there in order to keep the house comfortable. However, every day we get closer to the dreaded below zero temperatures that force us to use the furnace around the clock. As a result, our homes become arid and dry, and for some, winter may be characterized by dry skin, sore throats, and colds.
With all of the time that we spend indoors during the winter, we need the space to be as comfortable as possible. You could compensate for the dry air by lathering on lotion every ten minutes, or you could deal with the real source of the problem: low humidity. (more…)
Tags: Air Quality, Four Seasons, humidifier, IL, moisture, Oak Lawn, portable humidifier, professional installation, Westmont, Whole House Humidifier, Willowbrook
Posted in Air Quality, Air filtration, Health, Heating, Informational, maintenance | Comments Off
