We are now moving into heating season, which means it is time to start keeping an eye out for potential problems with your heating system. If you are one of those homeowners with a furnace, as is the case with most people, read on for a list of some of the more common furnace problems. If you notice any of these issues affecting your furnace, call for repairs as soon as you can.
Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heating’
Furnace Issues to Watch for This Season
Monday, October 5th, 2015Do Ductless Systems Need Maintenance Twice as Often as Other Systems?
Monday, September 21st, 2015We’re almost to the end of summer, and for people who use normal air conditioning systems that means that it’s time to turn them off for another year. Ductless systems, however, work a bit differently. Ductless mini splits are able to act as both heating and air conditioning systems, which means that you’ll likely keep using your ductless system on a regular basis all the way through winter. This also means that you’ll have to treat your system differently than more traditional climate control systems, starting with maintenance. Read on to find out whether ductless systems need maintenance more often than other systems.
Why You Should Schedule Fall Heating Maintenance
Monday, September 14th, 2015Fall is almost upon us, and soon you’ll be turning off your air conditioner for another year. Though you may not be using your heating system right away, you should be sure to schedule maintenance for it before the winter begins. This is because the added stress of daily use during the winter will make it far more likely for problems to occur in your system. Let’s take a look at the benefits of fall heating maintenance.
Why You Should Consider Installing a Ductless Heating System
Monday, September 7th, 2015Heating season is just about here, and it’s time to start thinking about your plans for keeping your home warm throughout the fall and winter. While central heating is always an option, you should consider the advantages of a ductless heating system. Let’s take a look at what a ductless heating system is, and the advantages that it can offer you.
3 Ways Heat Pump Installation Can Benefit You
Monday, April 6th, 2015As we move out of the winter season and into spring, people are starting to think less about their heating systems and more about their air conditioners. While it is totally understandable to become more focused on staying cool as the days get warmer, there is a way to address both heating and cooling concerns at once: installing a heat pump in your home. Let’s have a look at 3 of the ways that installing a heat pump can benefit you.
Heating and Cooling Modes
All heat pumps are capable of working in both heating and cooling modes. This is due to the way they operate, which involves evaporating and condensing refrigerant to move heat from one place to another. In heating mode, the heat pump will absorb thermal energy from the outside air and bring it inside to heat the home. In cooling mode, the heat pump reverses the flow of refrigerant to absorb heat from inside and release it outside. By installing a heat pump, you are saving thousands of dollars that would otherwise be spent on separate heating and cooling systems.
Energy Savings
Because a heat pump simply moves preexisting heat from one space to another, it has no need to burn any sort of fuel. This makes it one of the most energy-efficient heating systems on the market. A heat pump will pay for itself in savings within a few years of installation, after which any money saved on your heating bill goes directly into your pocket. If you’re looking for a way to lower your home’s operating costs, a heat pump is a great option.
Going “Green”
Any combustion-based system, especially one that uses natural gas, is going to create a number of byproducts that are then vented into the atmosphere during operation. These include the deadly gas carbon monoxide. A heat pump does not produce any of these gases, making it safe both for you and the environment.
If you would like to know more about heat pumps, call Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning. We provide heat pump services throughout Chicago, IL.
How Zone Systems Help with Heating
Wednesday, January 14th, 2015One of the drawbacks of a standard forced-air central heater—such as a furnace or heat pump—is that it is an “all or nothing” device: when it comes on, it sends heated air to every room connected to the ventilation system, regardless of whether the room actually requires heat at the time. For smaller homes, this is often not a serious issue. But for larger ones, heating rooms needlessly contributes to significant energy waste during the year.
There is a solution to this problem that doesn’t involve using a completely different type of heater: you can have heating experts install a zone control system in your house. Zone control divides up the ventilation system into separate regions (or zones) using dampers inside the ducts, each of which connects to a local thermostat. The dampers can shut off heat to their zones, allowing for specific heat control. If you are interested in having zone control installed with a new heater, or if you want your current HVAC system retro-fit for zone control, call Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning today and speak to our Evanston, IL heating professionals.
Here are some of the ways that zone control will benefit a home’s heating:
- Energy saving: Keeping a home warm in the Chicagoland area can get expensive during the winter. Using zone control lets you cut back on these cost by only providing warmth for occupied rooms. This is especially beneficial for larger homes, or homes that have a guest room that only receives use for short periods of time during the year.
- Individual comfort: People have differing climate needs; an indoor temperature that may feel too warm to one person will feel too cold to another. This makes it difficult to please everyone within one household. With zone control, the people in a house can adjust the temperatures to fit their own comfort needs wherever they are by simply setting the local thermostat.
- Even heating distribution: Zone control grants you finer control over how heat spreads out through a home, making it easier to have even levels of comfort. For example, if you heat the upstairs and the downstairs with separate zones, you can heat the upstairs first, then shut it off and heat the downstairs; the heat from the downstairs will rise to the second floor, providing even heat instead of making the upstairs too hot.
Also keep in mind that if your air conditioning uses the same sets of ducts as your heater, you will have zone control for your cooling during the summer as well.
If you would like to find out more about zone control and how it can benefit your home, contact Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning. We have provided Evanston, IL with heating excellence for more than a century.
Alternate Heating Options for Residents of Evanston, IL
Wednesday, February 5th, 2014Heating systems used to entail very traditional methods, such as boilers or forced-air furnaces. But that’s no longer the case. New technology has made all kinds of alternate options available, many of them less expensive to run month to month than more established forms of heating. Every home is unique and every family’s circumstances are one-of-a-kind, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore every option available when it comes to a heating system. Here are some alternate heating options for residents of Evanston, IL.
- Radiant Heating
Radiant heating systems entails tubes filled with warm water (or in some cases electric coils) planted beneath the floorboards in your house along with reflecting tiles to help conduct the heat. That passes the warmth directly into your feet and the furnishings in the room, rather than leaving it to be pushed through in the air. It eliminates drafts and cold spots, making it very efficient. - Geothermal Heating
Geothermal systems run tubes of liquid through the ground in your property; temperatures below the earth remain constant, no matter what the weather is like outside. A geothermal system uses that fact to facilitate a heat exchange, pulling heat into your home or releasing it safely into the ground through the liquid in the tubes. Geothermal systems usually require a fair amount of space, but like radiant systems they are very cost-effective. - Heat Pumps and Hybrid Systems
Heat pumps use the same basic system as an air conditioner — circulating refrigerant to cool the air – but they also tap into the system’s heating potential to warm the house in the winter. Because they don’t function as well in extremely cold weather, they’re often paired with a smaller gas or electric furnace, forming a hybrid system.
Alternative heating options for residents of Evanston, IL means sifting through systems like these and determining which one works the best for your needs and budget. For questions regarding heating system services in Evanston, IL, you can count on the experts at Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning. We’ve proudly served the Chicagoland community for over 100 years, and we have the skills to install the right heating system for you. Give us a call to set up a consultation today!
What’s the Difference Between a Gas and Electric Furnace?
Friday, November 8th, 2013Since furnaces first came into existence, they have used many different fuel sources. The earliest modern furnaces in homes and businesses relied on wood or coal. Over time, furnaces became cleaner, more refined, and more efficient. Most contemporary furnaces use natural gas, electricity, or propane. Propane has started to fade, however, with many homes converting over to gas. If you are considering a furnace for your home for the coming winter, your choice will most likely come down to gas or electric.
In this post, we’ll explain some of the differences between the two to help you make a choice. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but since your home has specific heating needs (as well as fuel availability), you should turn to professionals to help you make the final decision and then install your new system.
Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning has a long history with gas and electric furnace repair in Winnetka, IL, and we’ve done numerous installations of both. Contact us for the help you need.
The two furnaces share a distribution system: blower fans that move heated air through ducts and out vents into your home. However, the way they generate that heat is where the differences appear.
When the thermostat signals to a gas furnace that it needs heat, a silicon nitride igniter activates the gas-powered burners. Gas jets ignite and create heat in a combustion chamber. The heat transfers to the air through a heat exchanger. Air blows around and through the heat exchanger (usually a series of steel chambers), and this heated air then gets picked up by the blower fans and sent into the ductwork.
An electric-powered furnace doesn’t have burners or a combustion chamber: instead, the cabinet contains an array of heating elements, which are sets of electric coils that burn hot when current runs through them. The more heat the thermostat requires, the more heating elements will turn on. The blower fans then distribute the air warmed from the heating elements.
Electric furnaces have the advantages of lower initial installation costs and generally smaller sizes. If your home doesn’t have a gas line, an electric furnace is usually the best option. Electric furnaces also have no safety issues from potential gas leaks. However, natural gas furnaces tend to cost less to run because gas is a cheaper energy source than electricity, and they usually provide more effective and even heating.
Don’t try to make the decision between electric or gas on your own. A technician from Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning can come to your home and help determine which one will do the best job for you.
For installation, maintenance, or repair on an electric or gas furnace in Winnetka, IL, make Shavitz your number one choice. And of course, feel free to learn more about all of our Winnetka heating services.
Common Boiler Problems
Thursday, November 7th, 2013Boilers have provided heating for homes in Illinois for well over a century. There are good reasons that the ol’ boiler has hung around as long as it has. Boilers provide even and effective warmth without the air quality worries that you sometimes encounter with furnaces. Because they have few moving parts, boilers do not age as fast as other types of heating systems and usually last for many years with only a few repair needs. However, no heating system is indestructible. At some point, you will need boiler repair in Lincolnwood, IL.
When you do, trust to a company that’s been in business installing and repairing boilers since ’04… that’s 1904: Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning.
Here are the most common problems we see in boilers when we do repairs:
Overheating
If the underground pipes in your home develop breaks, it can cause sediment to enter the boiler’s water tank. When the sediment begins to build up, it will reduce the water volume in the tank—causing the water to overheat and spiking the pressure to the point where it can cause serious leaks. Flushing the tank will remedy this problem most of the time. Make sure you get regular maintenance on your boiler, since flushing the system is a regular part of an inspection and tune-up.
Corrosion
Any place where metal meets water can lead to corrosion, a chemical reaction that will severely weaken your boiler’s water tank and cause it to start leaking. An anode rod on the top of the water tank helps prevent corrosion from getting inside, but if this rod rusts through entirely, the boiler will be at risk. If you get corrosion attended to early enough, technicians will usually have few problems removing the affected parts and replacing them. If the corrosion continues for too long, however, it could mean need to replace the whole tank.
Failed pilot light
This occurs in gas-powered burners, the most common models. If the burner develops too much grime, it can cut off the oxygen necessary for the pilot light to ignite, which will keep the burners from turning on. There might also be a problem with the gas line. If you can’t get a pilot light relit after it goes out, don’t try to fiddle with the burner or the gas line: get an HVAC specialist on the job.
If possible, you want your boiler to work past its manufacturer’s estimated lifespan. To help it do that, make sure you schedule repairs as soon as you need them. Also sign up for a maintenance program that will see that your boiler gets an annual inspection and any necessary tune-ups. With proper care from Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning, you should have few worries: so call us today for your Lincolnwood, IL heating service needs!
Best Ways to Maintain Your Park Ridge Heater
Wednesday, October 9th, 2013Are you concerned about the condition or functionality of your heater? Do you find that your heater does not meet your expectations? Are your energy bills high? As the heating season rapidly approaches us here in Park Ridge, IL, residents throughout the area are looking to make sure that their heaters are prepared to combat the low temperatures and dry air. Whatever type or brand of heater that you have, it needs to be properly cared for throughout its service life. There’s no better time than right now to get your heater in good working order. Here are some things that you can do to maximize your heater’s performance this winter.
- Schedule a tune-up. First and foremost, schedule a heating tune-up. This is the best way to ensure that your heater has everything it needs. A comprehensive heating maintenance service visit incorporates inspection, cleaning and adjustments. A pro inspection is important because it lets us find any issues that may be lurking with your heater. It’s a great idea even for systems that are relatively new. A comprehensive cleaning of your entire system gives your heater the opportunity to function like new, and any electrical or temperature adjustments keep everything in good working order.
- Regularly change the air filter. It’s important to change the air filter if you own a furnace or heat pump. The reason for this is simple. The air filter is designed to protect your system components from debris, but when it becomes clogged, it can actually have an adverse effect on the ability of your heater to function. It cuts down on efficiency and can inhibit the passage of heated air.
- Use appropriately. Do you know how to operate your heater for maximum effectiveness? Speak to your local heating technician for some tips, and to learn more about upgrades. A programmable thermostat may be able to improve your energy savings and comfort this heating season, and installing a zone control system is a great way to improve control over your system.
Call Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning today for all of your heating service needs in Park Ridge, IL. Let us take care of your heater so that it works well all winter long.