many property owners pay very little attention to their air filters during the warm seasons. perhaps because we think of warm seasons as lasting only a few months, however it does not take very long for a filter to become dirty or clogged. changing the filter on a monthly basis is beneficial not only because it will reduce the allergens such as pollen and dust within your house.
Archive for the ‘replacement’ Category
changing air filters in the summer
Monday, September 19th, 2011water logged insulation
Friday, July 8th, 2011floods, cracking roofs, and frozen pipes all can cause varying degrees of water damage in a house. the understood up process is often tedious and time consuming, but of the items that need to be replaced due to water exposure, isolating should be near the top of your list. crawl spaces, attics, walls, and channel application are standard places that isolating can become water damaged, and although it may be tempting to ignore this issue, the consequences of failing to remove wet isolating material can be detrimental to your homes safety and comfort level.
normal functions of isolating
for those that do not know, the isolating in your house works as a heat barrier. when it is located in the loft, the walls, the floors, and the crawl space, it is working to keep the heat in the house during the cold seasons and keeping the heat out during the warm seasons. when isolating is located surrounding your channel application, it acts as a heat barrier to protect the conditioned air from temperature loss before it reached the various rooms in the house. your insulation’s ability to do this is rated on an efficiency scale called its r-value and the higher the r-value the higher quality. however, water interferes with your insulation’s ability to carry out this purpose in two ways.
- power efficiency: leaving wet isolating in your house could actually increase the cost of your power bills. how is this possible? well, when isolating becomes saturated, its r-value or efficiency level is directly affected. water is a great conductor of heat, so instead of being a heat barrier, your isolating now allows heat to flow freely through the water that it is in. some types of isolating materials can regain some of their r-value back, but many are irreversibly damaged. when the heat barrier is diminished, the heater and cooling system are forced to application twice as hard to get your house to a comfortable temperature, and therefore consume more fuel than should be necessary.
- mould increase: even if you don’t care about power efficiency, you should defiantly care about the potential for mould increase in your house. wet isolating in a dark and nutrient filled area of the house becomes the perfect place for mould to grow. attics and crawl spaces are standard places to find mould setting up look, and unless the problem is addressed quickly the cost can get out of hand. mould removal can become very expensive very quickly, but not removing it is simply not an option. the health consequences are not worth the risk, and if you have someone in the house that suffers from susceptibilities, asthma, and any other respiratory problem, mould can worsen their already fragile condition.
don’t take a chance with wet isolating and have it removed and replaced as soon as possible! look for a reliable handyman service that can also rebuild the source of your water crack so that this costly problem doesn’t happen again. water damage of any kind can be a hassle to understood up, but in the chaos, do not forget to review your isolating as well!
bad dog!
Monday, July 4th, 2011every year for the past four years i would do a spring time understood and review on my friend’s air conditioning unit. the understood and review usually took about an hour to do. we would understood his unit and then cook a few burgers on the grill and drink a few beers. well for the past couple of years i told him the corrosion on his coil was getting worse and that it looked like a dog was urinating on the coil of his air-conditioner. i warned him he needed do something to keep it from ruining his a/c. for some reason he didn’t believe me until his unit sprung a crack early last warm seasons. he waited too long to react. it was way too late.
the effects of urine on you’re a/c
the chemicals in the urine start to eat away at the aluminum and cooper coil very quickly. the aluminum will start to turn white or gray and then it will just crumble away. the fins start to crumble and fall off in big patches. all of the tubing will start turning green where ever it’s exposed to these chemicals. under the right conditions in just one cooling season an air-conditioning condensing unit can be destroyed.
my friends misfortune
i don’t know how he found out the golden retriever from two doors down was the culprit, but he did. he took a few pictures of the dog urinating on his ac and confronted the dogs’ owner. needless to say the neighbor didn’t reimburse him for a new air-conditioner, and he avoids my friend as much as possible.
from what my friend said, he thinks that dog was making a bee line to his unit every time his master let him out. i’m not sure how many times a dog goes every day, but i think every time it did go, it was on my friend’s cooling system. that unit was trashed in just a few years.
rebuild or replace?
the cost of rebuilding this twenty year old air-conditioner would probably have been close to the price of a new one. the coil is a major component and, if the parts would have been available it would have been expensive. he ended up deciding to replace the unit instead of rebuilding his old one. his new cooling system is a lot more efficient than his old one was, and a lot quieter. both he and his wife are really happy with his new unit so far, but they seem to be worried that the neighbors’ dog might return and ruin this one too.
my suggestion to him or anyone that might have this type of a problem is to put a fence around it to protect it from the neighbors’ dog. the fence only has to be about 18” formidable, and just far enough away from the unit that the dog can’t hit it. this would effectively protect his new system and wouldn’t cost much to complete. with the formidable cost of replacing his cooling system fresh in his mind, i can only hope that he takes this advice.
your channel application experts| palos park, shorewood, crest hill
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011take a moment to consider the age of your house. unless you recently moved into a new construction, odds are your house is somewhere in the 30 to 50 year old range. even if you live in one of the more recently developed suburbs, your house is probably getting closer and closer to 20 years old with every passing year. most people are faced with the task of replacing the heater and cooling system in their house at least once depending on the amount of time you spend living there. if you have lived there for life of the house, odds are you have replaced the systems at least a few times, but what you may be forgetting is that you have probably never replaced the entire heating, ventalation, and air conditioning system.
old, crumbling channel application
the channel application is a vital component of your heating and cooling system, and if it hasn’t been replaced or at least inspected since the house was built, you may already be experiencing some of the problems that are caused by old channel application. air flow is usually the biggest problem and it is a hard one to solve without addressing the ancient channel application. you can get a heater with highest speed blower on the market and still not get adequate airflow to all areas of the house. cracks and even crumbling parts of the system will prevent correct airflow, but four seasons can solve this problem for you!
a warranty to back it up!
our expert technicians are also skilled in the creation of channel application systems for any type of house. they will examine your existing system and also offer any recommendations that may make the system application more efficiently than before. the best part about having four seasons replace or setup your channel application is the 10 year warranty that the application is covered by. a first class installation and a hassle free warranty are what make choosing four seasons easy. so, if you finally want to solve your channel application problems once and for all, call four seasons now!
your channel application experts| palos park, shorewood, crest hill is a post from: heating and cooling heater rebuild
flooded heating, ventalation, and air conditioning to be trashed, not salvaged
Monday, June 27th, 2011fire, flashbacks, electric shock, and explosions are not things you want happening inside your house. however, everyday that you use a flood damaged heating unit you are risking one of these disasters under your roof. according to a gama, gas appliance manufacturers association, news release, gas, oil and electric control devices that are found on heating equipment and hot water tanks can malfunction if they are exposed to water. this can result in a disaster much bigger then the original flood that caused the problem. it is this fact that should convince you of the importance of replacing the units in the event that they become flood damaged.
spring cooling system sale! | steger, forest park, woodridge
Sunday, June 19th, 2011as with most problems in life, you can only put them off for so long before you finally have to do something to solve the issue, and problems with your air conditioning system are no different. this spring, many property owners across the chicagoland area are realizing that their cooling system is in no shape to begin another hot warm seasons season. many put off repairs or replacement all cold seasons long, but as we enter the thick of spring, many are resolving to finally take care of their air conditioning problems once and for all, and there really could not be a higher quality time to do so! from now through april 15th, four seasons is running our annual spring air conditioning sale! during these few weeks, you can save thousands on top of the line, power efficient lennox centric air conditioning systems.
benefits beyond belief
during this sale, four seasons is able to offer our customers other special benefits. many of these are standard guarantees that come with every four seasons system, but we also threw in a few add-ons that we simply will not have once the real warm seasons heat arrives. these guarantees include:
- 2 year 100% satisfaction guarantee
- guaranteed same day installation
- 24 hour service guarantee
- your choice of 2 free add-ons when you purchase an xc21 & slp98- choose between a free whole hour air cleaner, a premium programmable thermostat, or 12 years parts and labor coverage
- we will never use subcontractors
- flexible financing options
don’t wait call today!
stop throwing hundreds of dollars into your old broken down cooling system every year and finally upgrade to a new centric air system from lennox. when you have one of these systems installed by four seasons, you will rest in comfort all warm seasons long and also have the peace of mind that you are covered for many years to come! take advantage of these offers before they are gone and get on the phone with four seasons today!
spring cooling system sale! | steger, forest park, woodridge is a post from: heating and cooling heater rebuild
energy efficiency and your channel work
Saturday, June 11th, 2011during the course of making our homes more power efficient, many property owners look to the heating, ventalation, and air conditioning system for savings. an old and inefficient heater and cooling system could be the source of your power waste, but what if the problem really lies in the third component of your heating, ventalation, and air conditioning system. the channel application is often left out of the power efficiency equation, and those that live in older homes, the channel application could be the real source of their power problems. homes that are 40, 50, or even 60 years old or more have probably ran through at least a few furnaces and air conditioners, but many still rely on the same old channel application system to deliver heating and cooling to all of the rooms in the house. doesn’t really make sense does it? if you have had to replace a heater because it was old and rusted out, just imagine what the ducts look like hidden away in your walls, floors, and ceilings.
the problems caused by old channel application
old ducts are often the cause of air flow problems in the house. cracks, cracks, and collapsed areas in the system don’t allow air to flow correctly through the house. this wastes power because the heater and cooling system will have to run for longer periods of time in order to adequately heat and cool the house. if the problem is bad enough, you may even have rooms that don’t receive adequate conditioning at all. before you make another power efficient purchase anywhere else in the house, dedicate some time and money to a channel application inspection.
not an easy task
a expert heating, ventalation, and air conditioning craftsperson should have the tools needed to navigate your channel application system and identify potential areas that need rebuild or replacement. though this task may be a little more difficult than others, neglecting to have it taken care of could mean years and years of wasted power in the future. not many people can afford to pay extra on their utility bills than absolutely necessary, so have your ducts inspected this spring before the warm seasons heat arrives.
what is gama? | harwood heights, villa park, oak lawn
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011i had a customer last warm seasons who was one of the hundreds of chicagoans that had a flood in their basement. she was very upset with us when she found out we were unable to rebuild her heater. it had been submerged under a few feet of water, and according to gama, any gas appliance that has been under flood waters is unsafe to operate. these systems must be replaced. but, who is gama, and why would they care what i do?
who is gama?
gama stands for gas appliance manufacturer association. they are the national trade association that represents the manufacturers of gas appliances like furnaces, boilers, and hot water tanks. gama makes sure that the gas appliances we buy meet stringent safety standards, and they are the reason we cannot fix flooded equipment. well, to be fair, they aren’t the only reason. standard sense also tells us that trying to rebuild water damaged equipment is a terrible way to conduct business, and gama simply reinforces standard sense.
flooded gas valves
in the gama report on flooding, they point out different problems that have occurred in the past from operating flooded equipment. these include: run away gas valves, gas valves that have bleed through, and of course intermittent operation.
- run away gas valves: a run away gas valve means it opens when turned on but it won’t close when turned off. this is a very bad situation. your heater could conceivably run until it destroys itself.
- gas valves that bleed: a valve that is experiencing bleed through will shut off when it’s supposed to but not completely. every time i have seen bleed through, the gas is cracking out in such a small quantity that the flame is extinguished, but the there is a real strong gas smell around the heater. this type of crack needs to be repaired immediately.
- intermittent gas valves: an intermittent gas valve will start and stop at inappropriate times. this condition is really frustrating for the property owner, because you will never know when it will just stop working. your heater could act up in the middle of the night or during the coldest day of the year. this problem is not only inconvenient to have to deal with, but it will also seriously compromise your family’s comfort.
more problems caused by flood damage
those are just a few of the examples given as reasons to replace flooded units. the truth is every electrical component that is exposed to the flood water can and more than likely will fail eventually. the control board on all new furnaces is a logic board. logic board is another name for a simple computer. the control board is programmed to turn components on and off in a specific order and at a specific time. the safe operation of the heater can be altered by corrosion. a shorted control board could turn things on when it is suppose to be off. one major issue is the gas valve could be turned on at random. this could cause a catastrophic event, and make the evening news.
mould and mildew dispersal
another problem that the technicians from four seasons have noticed when examining flood damaged units is the increase of mould in the cabinet’s isolating. this i think is one of the sneakiest problems. every time your ac or heater starts, it is blowing mildew and mould spores throughout your house. this will have you scratching your head, wondering why everyone in the family gets sick so easily. it is especially dangerous to people with asthma, infants and the elderly.
one of the more important points that gama brings up in their report is that problems will some times show up months after the flood is forgotten. dirt and other residues will adhere to everything the flood touched and in a short amount of time will have corroded the critical parts of your heater, cooling system, boiler, or hot water tank. electrical parts will short out and motors will burn out. most of these problems may go undetected for months or maybe even a few years, but why wait for an expensive and possibly disastrous breakdown to have your unit replaced?
a four seasons promise
at four seasons heating and air conditioning we abide by the recommendations set forth by gama. the last thing we want to do is put our customers in danger, and if we were to rebuild flooded units, we would be doing just that. fires and potential for other serious breakdowns are enough to convince us that these systems should not be operating, and we defiantly don’t want to put the four seasons name on a system that could seriously harm one of our customers. we will do everything in our power to make replacing the system as affordable as possible and even setup the system in a way that it will be protected in case of future floods, but we will not jeopardize your safety. the only advice that we can give is to never rebuild a flooded appliance.
what is gama? | harwood heights, villa park, oak lawn is a post from: heating and cooling heater rebuild
does your house have a history of heat gain? | streamwood, harvey
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011over the years, some property owners begin to notice that their homes are not cooled as well as they once were. they may have the cooling system checked around the clock for problems, and even though many times there is not an issue with the system, still the house remains warm when the cooling system is running full power. though the sizing of your cooling system may be the source of the problem, there is another far more likely cause to this dilemma. it’s called heat gain, and there are several factors that could be contributing to this issue. luckily, identifying the problem and solving the issue is easy enough, and four seasons heating and air conditioning and house services can help you make the improvements needed to restore comfort to your house this warm seasons season.
sources of heat gain
- window inspection: take a moment to review the windows in your house. old, single paned or rotted windows could be the source of your heat gain problem. windows carry an r-value just like isolating does, and if your windows have a very low r-value, you could be allowing the sun to heat up your house. a temporary fix would be to drape your windows in thick curtains during the day light hours. this will help keep out the heat, but upgrading your windows is the true fix you should strive towards. four seasons house services can help you choose and setup new power efficient windows this warm seasons season.
- door inspection: crumbling weather stripping, low r-value, and badly hung doors could be the source of your heat gain issue as well. on a particularly warm day this spring or warm seasons, place your hand on the inside of the door. if you can feel warmth or heat from the outdoors, you defiantly have a problem. if the door is in preferred shape, simply have four seasons replace the weather stripping and re-hang the door. however, if the door is old and carries a low r-value, have four seasons replace the door completely with one that will provide a tight plug and a heavy heat barrier between your comfortably cool indoors and the blistering hot outdoors.
- isolating inspection: in the same way that you tested the doors for heat gain, you could also review the isolating material in your house. on the next hot day, place your hand on the exterior walls and the ceiling below the loft. warmth felt here indicates low isolating levels that are not providing an adequate barrier from the outdoor heat. instead, the isolating is allowing the heat to seep in and diminish the efficiency of your cooling system. four seasons is also your isolating expert, and we can help you determine exactly how much isolating your house needs, and offer our affordable blown-in isolating services.
heat gain can occur almost anywhere in the house, and you need the help of a expert to find the source of your problem. four seasons is that expert, and when you call now, we can help you resolve this issue before the true warm seasons heat arrives. give us a call today and take a load off your cooling system this warm seasons season.
does your house have a history of heat gain? | streamwood, harvey is a post from: heating and cooling heater rebuild
is your dog destroying your cooling system? | matteson, markham
Friday, May 27th, 2011when we consider our furry four legged friends and the destruction that they can cause, we often think of torn up furniture and pillows and yellow stains on the carpet. we may train our dogs to mind their manners indoors and teach them to do their business outdoors, but many of us are forgetting to protect one of our most expensive investments from the effects of our pets. the cooling system is especially vulnerable to damage done by male dogs and their urine. although it is not pleasant to picture, dog urine could be literally eating away at your cooling system, and the longer the problem goes unchecked, the more damage that is done. here at four seasons, we have seen way to many air conditioners suffer this fate, and with another air conditioning season on the way, there are sure to be many more.
damaged condenser
dog urine contains chemicals that are very preferred at eating away at metals, especially aluminum. unfortunately, many cooling system fins and coils are coated in this metal, and with time the fins become dust and the coils begin to crack. a crack in coils means that the unit is no longer a closed system. the refrigerant will crack out, and in a matter of hours or days the system could be emptied completely. when this happens to your unit, you risk burning out the condenser, and the holes created by the urine are often enough to destroy the unit completely. this entire process could happen in about a year’s time, and once that damage has reached this magnitude, replacement is really your only option.
how can i protect my a/c?
if you already have this problem or if you notice your dog has been using your cooling system as a toilet, you need to call four seasons. if the problem has not yet progressed to a crack or destruction of the fins, you may be able to save the system. first an expert craftsperson from four seasons heating and air conditioning will understood the coils and rebuild any issues that the unit may have. next, you will need protective fence installed around the cooling system to keep your dog from repeating the problem. one of our skilled handymen from four seasons house services can setup a protective fence for your cooling system that doesn’t restrict air flow or get in the way of annual maintenance checks. it will keep your pup a safe distance away and still allow the unit to cool your house efficiently.
if you unit is in need of replacement, four seasons can help you there as well. we have a full line of formidable quality lennox devices to fit nearly any budget, and we can get your new unit and your new protective fence installed before the real warm seasons heat arrives. it is difficult to stop a dog from destroying the cooling system on your own, but with the help of four seasons, you can protect your unit easily and quickly before a major investment is needed.
is your dog destroying your cooling system? | matteson, markham is a post from: heating and cooling heater rebuild