Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Chicago’

The Weather Outside is Frightful, and… My Heater Just Broke Down?!

Monday, December 14th, 2020
couple-sitting-on-couch-shivering

This is clearly a scenario that no homeowner wants to face—being home on a chilly day during the winter, with snow falling outside, when all of the sudden their furnace just stops working.

Ideally, you’d never face this kind of issue, because you’d ensure your heater was properly maintained. What we mean when we say this is that you should be scheduling professional maintenance for your furnace or boiler system once a year, and if you have a heat pump system twice a year. Maintenance allows our technicians to thoroughly inspect, clean, and adjust your heater to make sure it performs as best it can. It also extends the lifespan of your heater and makes it a lot less likely that you’ll run into something like an emergency breakdown.

Still though, sudden breakdowns happen. When they do, we’re here for you! In the meantime, however, we’re sure you’d like to know how to stay warm while you wait for our techs to arrive.

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4 Sounds You Don’t Want to Hear from Your Furnace

Monday, November 30th, 2020
woman-holding-hand-to-ear-to-listen

We’ve written on this topic before, but it’s definitely one of those that deserves a refresher, especially around wintertime and especially for anyone who hasn’t used a furnace before (perhaps you’ve been utilizing space heaters or a boiler system).

But we really cannot overstate how important it is that you know the signs of a furnace in disrepair. When you have yours professionally installed and maintained by our experienced team, you’ll definitely have less to worry about on this front. Still though, it’s a good idea to know these signs. This means you will know to call us sooner, and we can help you avoid harmful problems with your heater.

We are here to protect your family and your home! Give us a call if you hear any of the following suspicious noises, and please don’t ever hesitate to come to us with your questions or concerns. We are here to help and would much rather have you safe than sorry.

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Is a Heat Pump a Good Investment?

Monday, November 16th, 2020
vent-near-floor

With that familiar chill in the air, many homeowners are starting to turn their attention away from air conditioning to their heating systems. Is yours in good shape? If not, you may be considering the installation of a new heater. There are a number of options to choose from! This includes the versatile heat pump system.

Heat pumps are great HVAC units for many reasons. First off, they’re year-round. So if you have an aging heater and an aging air conditioner, this could be the ideal replacement for you. Imagine buying just one system for your home comfort needs all year, instead of two separate systems. Read on as we uncover just why a heat pump may be a good investment for your home.

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Get Your Heating System Installed the Right Way

Monday, November 2nd, 2020

So, maybe you’ve been following our blog posts for a while. You’re always keen on following our advice, and to the best of your knowledge, we’ve said everything right so far. “Wow, these Shavitz people really know what they’re talking about when it comes to HVAC work, if only I had a good reason to switch over from my normal HVAC guy.”

Well, you’re kind of right. You don’t have a good reason to switch to us. You have several good reasons to switch to our service.

As winter approaches, heating service in Chicago, IL is going to become more and more important. You’re going to get into tussles with your “HVAC guy” and sometimes you’re going to wish there were a better crew out there that really understood your comfort needs. Well, take a look at why you might be in the perfect position to switch to our team.

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Time for This Important Furnace Service!

Monday, October 5th, 2020
technician-inspecting-gas-furnace

Temperatures are starting to cool down, and you know what that means. It’s time to make sure your heater is ready to be used throughout the day, every day.

There are a number of steps you can take to get your home properly prepared for the heating season, and scheduling maintenance for your furnace or heat pump system is one of them.

Keep reading to learn why this service is so important not only for the health of your system, but for your budget too. And remember, if you want to get the most out of your heater then you’ll want to schedule a tune-up through our team!

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Why You Need a Quality AC Installer

Monday, August 10th, 2020
picture-of-techs-shoulder-and-tools-in-pocket

The reason you need a quality, professional, AC installer, is because they know the intricacies involved in every step of the installation process. Sure, we can share those steps, and we’re about to below. But air conditioners are complex–we aren’t sharing these steps to encourage you to do it on your own. We’re sharing them to show why it’s important to hire a professional.

We understand, however, that if you’re on the lookout for an AC installation company this time of the year, you’re probably desperate for a new cooling system. But even though you need one now, we really encourage you to take your time finding the right installer. Rushing into a decision like this can leave you with an ineffective or inefficient cooling system.

So, what are the 3 steps, and subsequently 3 reasons you need a quality installer, for AC installation? Read on!

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Your Ductless AC Might Need Repair If…

Monday, July 27th, 2020
air-handler-up-high-on-wall

Air conditioning repair is not a service you should wait on when you know or suspect you need it. This is especially true for ductless cooling and heating systems, that have unique qualities and equally unique repair needs.

While an air handler can be easily replaced, it’s not the cheapest purchase to make, especially if the problem that led to the replacement could have been avoided. And then if the outdoor unit–namely, the compressor–fails, you’re really out of luck!

Essentially, the longer you wait to have your air conditioner professionally repaired, the higher chance there is of a complete system breakdown. And when you do need AC repair, we’re the team to call! But how do you know when there’s a need? Read on as we uncover a few of the top ways to tell if your ductless air conditioner needs repairs.

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“My AC Compressor Failed! What Do I Do?”

Monday, July 13th, 2020
HVAC-technician-working-on-ac-outside-unit

If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you might have seen us refer to the thermostat of your HVAC system as the brain of the system. If it fails, you lose all control of your air conditioner and cannot possibly get it to function and cool your home properly. Fortunately, thermostats are relatively easy to replace, and affordable as well, when compared to other AC components.

Take the compressor, for example. This is considered the “heart” of your air conditioner. Unfortunately, when this component fails, the fix is typically an expensive one. And your air conditioner can’t do any part of its job with a failed compressor. Because this is such an essential component, actually, homeowners have an important decision to make if theirs fails. Read on as we uncover what your options are at this point, and if you’ve come across this problem give our team a call for further guidance.

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AC Not Performing As It Should? Here’s Why

Monday, June 29th, 2020
woman-sitting-in-front-of-fan-trying-to-cool-off

Nobody needs to explain to you why an air conditioner is beneficial. Air conditioning is more than just a luxury these days, it’s a necessity to stay comfortable and even healthy inside of our homes. If you have a whole-house air conditioner in place, however, and it’s not performing as it should, it could leave you frustrated and miserable.

We would like to help you avoid this! There are a few AC performance problems in particular that homeowners will often ignore or neglect at first, because “it’s not that bad” or they’re afraid that a repair will be expensive. The truth is, though, that the longer you wait on fixing a cooling system problem, the worse the problem can get—until you’re stuck with a completely broken down system.

So, read on as we uncover these few common AC problems and what they may mean for your air conditioner.

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Can Your Air Conditioner Cause Allergy Symptoms?

Monday, June 1st, 2020
woman-blowing-her-nose

Using your air conditioner can cause your allergy symptoms to flare up if you aren’t utilizing the right indoor air quality practices and products.

Ideally, you are well aware that your central air conditioning system has a filter in it that you should change on a regular basis (every 1-3 months, to be exact—it depends on the type of filter and the level of contaminants in your home). A clean air filter helps your cooling system operate as it should. What it won’t do, however, is filter out all the allergens and contaminants that can cause you to have flare-ups.

The standard air filter is actually designed with the purpose of protecting the air conditioner itself. It should provide a basic level of filtration, but may not be all you need. In fact, it probably isn’t. Read on as we explain.

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