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

Why Ductwork Repairs Will Save You Money

Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

You can’t see most of the ductwork in your home, and that unfortunately makes it easy to forget that it sometimes requires professional repairs. If you start to notice warning signs that you have damaged ducts, such as odd smells coming from the vents or a decrease in airflow, you must contact duct repair professionals right away to take care of the problem.

Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning has the experienced team to handle what work you need done to fix your home’s ductwork in Winnetka, IL. We have been in the business of handling home comfort needs for more than a hundred and ten years now, making us one of the best names to trust when it come to your home comfort needs.

The money savings from ductwork repair

Fixing broken and leaky ducts does more than ensure that your air conditioning and forced-air heating system distribute air properly around a home to maintain comfort. Duct repairs will also help you save money.

Ductwork is designed to have an airtight seal to prevent a loss of pressure inside the vents. If air pressure starts to drop inside the ventilation system because of gaps, holes, and breaks along the ducts, it will force the air conditioner and/or heater to work harder. This can lead to a large jump in energy bills, often increasing your costs to heat and cool your home by a third. Broken ducts will also allow in large amounts of contamination that will coat the duct walls and place extra resistance against airflow, another source of energy inefficiency. Once you have professional ductwork repairs done, you will see a substantial drop in your monthly power bills.

Ductwork repairs will also help you save money by lowering the number of repairs you will need for the heater and air conditioner and prolonging their service lives. The less stress a comfort system experiences, the less likely it will start to encounter malfunctions due to wear and tear, and the longer it will last. You don’t want to pay for unnecessary repairs for your heater and air conditioner, and you certainly don’t want to pay to replace a heater or AC years ahead of its time.

You deserve to have an HVAC system in your home that works its best so your family will enjoy comfort and high indoor air quality—and so you will enjoy lower bills. If you think that your ductwork needs professional repair work, don’t hesitate to call Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning to schedule the job. We provide high-quality repairs for ductwork in Winnetka, IL and throughout Chicagoland.

Tags: Ductwork, Winnetka
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How Are Ductless Mini Splits Installed?

Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

A ductless mini split works similar to a standard heat pump: refrigerant cycles between an indoor and an outdoor unit, absorbing heat from one location and then releasing it in another in order to warm or cool the indoors. The difference between the two systems is that a mini split system uses multiple indoor air handlers instead of a single larger unit connected to ductwork. The individual air handlers contain blowers and refrigerant coils and send out conditioned air directly into the rooms.

Although these air handlers are miniature compared to the indoor components of a standard heat pump, ductless mini splits still require professionals to install. If you want fast and effective ductless mini split installation in Winnetka, IL or other parts of Chicagoland, call on the team with more than a century of experience of delivering home comfort: Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning.

What Happens During Ductless Mini Split Installation

When technicians install a ductless mini split heat pump for a home, they first determine the best location for the outdoor unit and which rooms will have separate air handlers. After figuring out this general layout, the installers will place and secure the outdoor unit; this part of the installation process is similar to how a standard heat pump or air conditioner is installed.

The next step is to put in the air handlers. The technicians will find wall locations in the rooms that are strong and not subject to excess vibration. They then drill outlet ports through the wall so the air handler can access the outdoor unit of the heat pump. Next, a mounting plate goes onto the wall. The technicians make sure the plate is secure and can handle the weight of the air handler while leaving no space behind where condensate leaking might damage and weaken building material. (This is one of the major dangers of amateur installation: wall damage that might cause the air handler to rip away and fall.)

After the mounting plate is in place, the installers connect the power cable, refrigerant piping, and drain hose through the outlet ports. The air handler now goes into place, connecting to each of the lines first before it is secured tightly onto the mounting plate.

Once all the components are set up, the installers put refrigerant into the system and test the electrical connections. You should have a fully working new ductless mini split after this.

We Can Install Your Ductless Mini Split System

At Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning, we have experience installing all types of heaters and ACs. We can help you decide if your home will benefit from ductless heating and cooling, and then handle all the steps so you have a new system working for you in no time. Depend on us for ductless mini split installation in Winnetka, IL. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

Tags: Ductless Mini Split Systems, Winnetka
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Can Geothermal Systems Work With Any Home?

Friday, December 6th, 2013

Geothermal systems are probably one of the most efficient systems on the market. They use the endless and free energy of the earth to provide heating and cooling for your home. However, because of how they work, they require certain accommodations that not all homes can provide. Here at Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning, we offer total geothermal installation, repair, maintenance and replacement. We wanted to let our customers know about some of the limitations that geothermal systems have.

Call us today if you have any questions or if you need heating service in Winnetka, IL.

A Look at How Geothermal Systems Work

If you dig down into the ground, the temperature there will be about 55° F all year long—no matter what temperature the air is above ground. Geothermal systems use that temperature consistency to provide both heating and cooling. However, in order to do that, geothermal systems need a long series of pipes that are filled with refrigerant and buried in the ground. This is referred to as the ground loop. In heating mode, the geothermal system will use the pipes to absorb heat and bring it into your home. In cooling mode, the unit will absorb heat out of your home and exhaust it into the ground.

So while geothermal systems are very efficient, your home must have enough space to accommodate the long series of pipes buried in the ground. Typically, the ground loop is installed horizontally. However, for homes that have less space, the ground loop can be installed vertically.

If you have any questions or if you’re ready to have one of our technicians visit your home to talk with you about the possibility of a geothermal system, then call the Winnetka, IL geothermal system experts at Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning.

Tags: Geothermal System, Winnetka
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What’s the Difference Between a Gas and Electric Furnace?

Friday, November 8th, 2013

Since 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.

Tags: Electric Furnace Repair, Heating, Winnetka
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Common Ductwork Repairs

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

You probably have ductwork in your home to allow your furnace or AC to channel air to different rooms. Problems inside your ducts will affect your entire HVAC system, and they need to have repairs as soon as possible. However, you shouldn’t attempt to access your ducts on your own to attempt to fix them: you will likely cause further damage. When your ducts need repairs, you should call in trained technicians to handle the work.

For your Winnetka, IL ductwork repairs, trust Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and Lifetime Workmanship Warranty on all the jobs that we do.

Common ductwork repairs we often perform include:

Sealing leaks

Homeowners often think that leaks in their ducts don’t need professional repair. After all, there is this wonderful miracle product called “duct tape” that can handle it! Well, duct tape isn’t for ducts (in fact, its original name was “duck tape,” which it likely earned because of its water resistant properties) and laboratory tests have shown duct tape won’t hold up as a repair for breaks and leaks in ductwork. Professionals use special metallic tape and resin-based sealants to stop up places in your ducts where you will lose air pressure and reduce your HVAC system’s efficiency.

Replacing worn insulation

Ducts need to remain sealed systems so that they won’t lose air pressure. An important part of keeping them sealed is insulation. This prevents heat from entering the ducts during the cooling season and heat from escaping them during the heating season. Ducts that lose insulation from age or water damage will lose their effectiveness, whether they’re bringing you hot or cold air.

Mold remediation

The dark recesses of ducts are ideal spots for mold and other micro-bacteria to grow. This poses a danger to your air quality, and is difficult to remove with standard cleaning. Fortunately, modern technology offers a solution: UV germicidal lights. These lamps project ultraviolet light that destroys the structure of the cells of micro-bacteria, killing them as well as discouraging their return.

For over a hundred years and four generations, Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning has delivered Chicagoland quality home comfort service. Who better can you trust with your repairs then a company with a century of experience? Contact Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning today when you need repairs on your ductwork or any other HVAC services in Winnetka, IL.

Tags: Ductwork, Winnetka
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