HVAC Blog | Climate Control Services LLC

How much does furnace repair cost?

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:07:00 GMT

Before researching furnace repair costs, read this guide.

When your furnace requires repairs, rely on the trusted local company that your Elgin, IL, neighbors depend on: Climate Control Services LLC. Enjoy cost-effective, top-notch service that ensures your home stays warm and comfortable.

Why does the furnace always seem to malfunction at the most inconvenient times? Whether it's the coldest winter night or just before guests arrive, the heating system always demands attention when it's least convenient.

One of the first questions customers ask when they reach out to us for assistance is, "What is the cost of furnace repair?" Often, they've already searched for " furnace help near me " before contacting us, hoping to find the most budget-friendly option. However, various factors influence furnace repair costs, making it challenging to provide an exact amount over the phone or online.

To offer you a better understanding of the factors impacting the cost of repairing a furnace in Elgin, IL, and how you can manage your expenses, the team at Climate Control Services LLC has compiled this guide.

What goes into furnace repair pricing?

Heater repair costs range from under $100 to over $1,000, depending on the issue. A professional evaluation is essential for an accurate estimate, with factors impacting costs.

The HVAC service's hourly rate includes the service call charge.
The most expensive replacement parts, such as the draft inducer motor, blower motor, circuit board, and heat exchanger, could cost several thousand dollars to replace.
Emergency service charges may apply for repairs outside regular hours.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to the cost of furnace repair. Get a quote from a company to get an accurate estimate. Pricing is based on hourly rates, which can greatly impact the final cost. For instance, replacing an air filter is quick, but fixing a heat exchanger takes longer and costs more.s

What to expect with an estimate?

Many reputable HVAC companies provide customers with the opportunity to receive a complimentary assessment for furnace repairs. A skilled and experienced technician will come to your location to thoroughly inspect, diagnose, and present a comprehensive breakdown of costs, encompassing parts, labor, service fees, and any potential additional charges. It's important to note that the initial estimate provided may differ from the final bill, which could be either higher or lower.

In the event that the estimated costs significantly deviate from your expectations, it is advisable to seek a second opinion whenever feasible. Depending on the age of your furnace, it may be wise to explore the potential costs associated with purchasing a new furnace . The average lifespan of a furnace is approximately 15 years, so if your unit is older, it may be more economically viable to consider replacement rather than investing a significant amount in repairs.

Can I repair the furnace myself?

Attempting to fix your furnace on your own might appear to be a budget-friendly choice, but most experts advise against it. The task itself can be hazardous, and improper execution could put your family's safety at risk. Gas furnaces, in particular, demand specialized expertise to prevent the release of harmful gases into your home, as well as the potential for electrical shocks or fire. Opting for a qualified professional and covering HVAC service costs ensures effective, secure, and precise repairs. Furnaces contain intricate components, and a misdiagnosis can lead to wasted time and money on the wrong issue. DIY furnace repairs could also void equipment warranties and hinder the ability to file an insurance claim in the event of accidents.

When to call for furnace repairs?

If your heating system doesn't turn on and the temperature in your home starts to drop, it's important to quickly reach out to a certified technician for help. It's also crucial to get in touch with a local service provider if you notice any of the following issues.

Uncommon sounds coming from the furnace, like banging, rattling, or humming.
Unusual smells, such as a burning odor or the scent of rotten eggs.
Elevated utility expenses are currently being experienced.
Inconsistent heating in your entire home.

The sooner you schedule repairs, the lower the risk of receiving a substantial bill when inquiring about the cost of furnace repair. A malfunctioning furnace not only causes discomfort at home but also increases the chance of frozen plumbing pipes on extremely cold days, potentially leading to further damage and the need for more costly repairs.

H ow to prevent expensive furnace repairs?

It's often said that prevention is better than cure, and when it comes to furnace maintenance , this couldn't be more accurate. The cost of maintaining your heating system is minimal compared to the hefty price tag of a major repair or replacement. By investing in regular maintenance, you not only save money but also enjoy the peace of mind that your heating system will stay in top-notch condition, providing reliable comfort throughout the seasons. Many reputable companies offer affordable annual maintenance visits, making it a small price to pay in the long run for the assurance of a well-functioning and efficient heating system. Regular maintenance also helps to extend the lifespan of your furnace, ensuring that you get the most out of your investment and avoid unexpected breakdowns. With the added benefits of improved energy efficiency and lower utility bills, prioritizing furnace maintenance is a wise decision that pays off in both financial and practical terms.

Additionally, regular maintenance can help identify small issues before they become major problems, potentially saving you even more money and hassle in the future. Taking a proactive approach to furnace care can also contribute to a healthier indoor environment, as a well-maintained system is less likely to circulate dust, allergens, and pollutants. By staying on top of your furnace maintenance, you're not only protecting your investment but also ensuring a comfortable and healthy home for you and your family.

Get affordable, reliable furnace repairs from Climate Control Services LLC

When Elgin, IL, homeowners encounter issues such as a whistling furnace or lack of heat, they turn to Climate Control Services LLC for assistance. Our award-winning, certified HVAC company is committed to delivering prompt, precise, and cost-effective heating and cooling solutions.

If it's determined that you require a new furnace, we can guide you in selecting the one that best suits your requirements. We stock the leading brands of heating equipment and provide access to hassle-free financing options to assist with the expenses.

For inquiries or to schedule an appointment, contact us today at (630) 906 9768 . Whether you're seeking information on "How much does furnace repair cost?" or need to arrange maintenance, feel free to reach out to us at any time.

What’s the difference between a heat pump and air conditioner?

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:29:00 GMT

The difference between a heat pump and the air conditioner is the valve.

At first glance, a Heat Pump and Air Conditioner appear nearly identical. However, one functions with greater versatility. The Heat Pump not only provides heating and cooling like an air conditioner but also has the ability to reverse the refrigeration cycle, allowing it to provide both heating and cooling functions from the same unit. This means that a Heat Pump can be a more efficient and cost-effective option for home comfort, as it can effectively regulate indoor temperatures throughout the year. Additionally, the versatility of a Heat Pump extends to its ability to provide dehumidification, improving indoor air quality and comfort. In contrast, while an air conditioner is an effective cooling system, it lacks the ability to provide heating and dehumidification, making it less versatile in terms of home comfort solutions. Therefore, when considering options for your home's heating and cooling needs, the greater versatility of a Heat Pump should be carefully considered.

While the heat pump and the air conditioner both rely on the fundamental refrigeration principle and share identical cooling mechanisms, they differ in one key aspect: the direction of operation. In a heat pump, a reversal in refrigeration direction results in warm air being circulated through the vents inside your home!

Unlike an air conditioner, a heat pump is equipped with a reversing valve that automatically alters the direction of the refrigerant flow to provide heating instead of cooling. The refrigeration cycle operates on the principles of heat transfer from hot to cold, and the expansion of a liquid into a gas extracting heat from its environment. In the heating mode, the reversing valve switches the refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside air, causing the outdoor coil to become cold. This is in contrast to the cooling mode, where heat is drawn from the indoor air by the indoor coil.

The functions of a heat pump:

1. The reversing valve changes the direction of the refrigeration cycle, causing the outside coil to function as the evaporator and the indoor coil to function as the condenser.

2. As the refrigerant flows through the outdoor coil, the refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid as it absorbs heat from the outside air.

3. Although outside temperatures are cold, enough outdoor heat energy is absorbed by the chilled external coil and released inside by the warm indoor coil in the air handler.

4. Cool air from the inside of your house is pulled into duct work by a motorized fan in the air handler.

5. Once the heat energy is transferred from the indoor coil to the cool indoor air, it becomes warm.

6. A pump, called a compressor, is used to move the refrigerant between the two coils and to change the pressure of the refrigerant.

7. This warm air is pushed through connecting ducts to air vents throughout the home, increasing the interior temperature until it reaches the set point on your thermostat or control system.

8. When the indoor temperature reaches the set point on your thermostat or control system, the heat pump pauses until your indoor air gets too cold.

9. The refrigeration cycle continues, year after year, providing a consistent method to keep you warm.

If you are looking for a dependable energy efficient system, a heat pump can make an excellent choice. Not sure exactly what to choose from? You can turn to your neighbors at Climate Control Services in Elgin, IL. We will provide you with the best year round comfort for any home and budget that is built to last!

A Homeowner's Guide to Successful Home Maintenance

Wed, 18 May 2022 12:28:00 GMT

No one said homeownership was easy. Along with fiscal stability and long-term security, owning your own home can come with other inconveniences and frustrations such as seasonal stressors, unexpected repairs, and various rehab projects. While homeownership can sometimes seem like a never ending string of responsibilities and menial tasks, the statistical data is very clear: The frustration is worth it. Homeownership has significant benefits that can build both emotional and financial wealth over the years. Over three decades of studies have shown that homeownership leads to higher test scores for children, improved mental health outcomes, and a more stable retirement for adults.

In other words: Homeownership is worth the occasional frustration.

When faced with the year-long series of home maintenance tasks, both expected and unexpected, it can become overwhelming for the average homeowner. However, with a tiny ounce of prevention, home maintenance and repair can become far less daunting. By tackling some basic home maintenance seasonally, you will add value to your home while circumventing costly crisis’s later down the road. Here are some quick, easy, and simple home seasonal maintenance tips and tricks that will save you time, money, and hours of frustration.

Spring:

Spring is known as a time of renewal and rejuvenation, and as the winter months subside, it becomes an outstanding time to clean up whatever issues the snow was hiding and prepare for the warmer days of summer ahead.

Give Your Property the Once Over Once the snow has melted, do a walk-through of your property. Make note of any branches that might have fallen, shingles that need to be replaced, or damage that might have been sustained from shoveling or plowing.
Get the Gunk Out of the Gutter Winter is notorious for overwhelming your gutters. By doing a quick sweep of your gutters, you will significantly reduce the risk of leaks or water damage throughout the entire year.
Inspect the Sump Pump Spring can lead to lots of water, whether from melting snow or heavy rains. Do a quick test of your sump pump to ensure that if flooding occurs, you won’t be left under water.

Summer:

This is the season for outdoor projects. While the weather is warmer and there are fewer obstructions from fallen leaves or piling snow, there are several small tasks that can provide huge results the whole year long.

Trim the Trees and Clip the Landscaping Believe it or not, one of the biggest risks to your home is the very thing that adds beauty to your property. Fallen, sick, or unruly branches or vegetation can cause major damage to your home. Cutting and removing damaged trees, branches, or bushes can help protect your home.
GFCI Outlets Should Be Tested Much like smoke alarms that need to be tested yearly, GFCI outlets should also be inspected annually. GFCI outlets reduce the risk of fire or electrical catastrophe.
Power Wash Your Property Mold, mildew, algae, and various other forms of rot can do massive damage to house and home. A quick power wash of your house, patio, and driveway can add years of life to your property.

Fall:

Fall is arguably the most crucial when it comes to preventative maintenance. Battening down the hatches for winter will lead to a more stress free holiday season and significantly reduce the risk of having to undertake major repairs during the colder months.

Inspect and Tune Your HVAC System This is arguably the most important maintenance item on the entire list. Having an HVAC professional do a quick clean and inspection of the HVAC system can prevent massive expenses or downtime during the cold winter months. If faced with only completing one task on this list, every homeowner should make this item a priority.
Safeguard the Pipes The damage inflicted by a burst pipe can result in thousands of dollars in damage. Add insulation to all interior exposed pipes and be sure to turn off the water to any exterior pipes.
Consider a Chimney Sweep Chimney fires are nothing to be trifled with, and a quick inspection of your chimney and a sweep can prevent devastating fires.

Winter:

If everything goes to plan and all of the other seasonal maintenance tasks have been properly handled, winter is a time for logistics and quiet preparation, and far less physical tasks.

Review Insurance Policies Sip on your hot chocolate and review your homeowners policies. Consider updates that need to be made, or review coverage that is outdated.
Update Your Alarm System and Test the Smoke Detector Updating passwords and alerts can protect your home, while testing the smoke detector can save your life.
Inspect Your Furnace Filter Give this a quick once over and see how it is holding up – chances are it needs replacing. Replacing your furnace filter increases efficiency, reduces costs, and keeps your family warm during the winter months.

With these quick, easy, and simple tasks taken care of quarterly, homeownership can be a breeze – reducing costly repairs, maintaining property value, all while enjoying all of the wonderful benefits that owning your own home can provide to you and your family for years to come.

Part Replacement Of Split A/C Systems

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:12:00 GMT

Things To Look Out For When Replacing Part Of a Matched A/C System

Split air conditioners have an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit is on an outside wall near the space to be cooled and houses the compressor and the condenser and expansion coils. The indoor unit contains a cooling coil, blower and air filter.

Sometimes – it may be through storm damage or for some other reason – one part of the system needs to be replaced and the other does not. If the cause is storm damage, the outside unit is most often the one in question. When you buy a new one, you know that at some point the inside unit is also going to need replacement so there’s an incentive to get the cheapest on the market. We do understand that. It isn’t always as simple, though, as just paying a contractor to slap up a nice low-cost unit.

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) measures the efficiency of central air conditioners. Since 2006, the minimum SEER for new A/C units and heat pumps is 13. Any air conditioner made before 2006 may well have a SEER of less than 13. Why that matters is that putting together outdoor and indoor units with different SEER ratings will reduce efficiency and can actually damage the units, causing early failure.

There’s also the question of the kind of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant used. New systems generally use a non-ozone depleting HFC; older units typically don’t. Once again, using units that don’t match will cause early failure.

The solution? Get expert advice. We want you to save money as much as you do, but installing something that will die on you far earlier than it should (and probably won’t give anything like the cooling performance you’d like in the meantime) isn’t really saving money, except in the shortest term. All our technicians are NATE certified. They know what they’re talking about; they know what they’re doing; they’ll give you the information and advice you need and they’ll give it to you straight.

If you have any concerns at all, call us. That’s why we’re here

HVAC: Unraveling Mysteries

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 22:58:00 GMT

HVAC: How Air Source Heat Pumps Work

Most of the heat pumps you’ll see are splits: they have an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. Occasionally, you’ll come across a packaged system where everything – compressor, condenser, coil and fan – is in a single (outdoor) cabinet.

Heat pumps do two jobs, at least in Illinois (the heating isn’t needed in tropical climes): they heat the place during winter and cool it in summer.

Cooling

The way a heat pump works in cooling air during hot periods is very similar to how air conditioners operate. What does the cooling is the action of converting a liquid to a gas. The liquid/gas is the refrigerant – a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), which these days is almost certain to be non-ozone forming (though there are still plenty of older units around that don’t have that environmental protection). The evaporator coil is in the indoor unit; it transfers the warmth (in the form of gaseous HFC) and humidity you don’t want inside the house to the outdoor unit (which is why those units are so hot in summer) and the condenser and compressor in the outdoor unit expel the heat and convert the gas back into a liquid to return indoors and keep repeating the cycle. The liquid, meanwhile, drops into a tray in the outdoor unit and is fed into a drain.

Heating

To do its winter heating job, the heat pump simply reverses direction. It’s important to understand that cold winter air is only cold to humans, plants and animals – being cold doesn’t mean it contains no heat. In fact, all air warmer than absolute zero contains some heat (otherwise, of course, it would be AT absolute zero), so what the heat pump does is to extract heat from the outside air by evaporating the refrigerant. That warmed air is passed to the inside unit and – hey presto – the house is warmed!

Need advice on choosing the right HVAC set-up for your needs? If you’re anywhere near Elgin, Illinois, give us a call. That’s what we’re here for.

Get Ready for Next Summer with an A/C Tune-Up Now

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 22:15:00 GMT

It is the dog days of summer. As the temperature outside climbs to 90F and above, we are all definitely giving our air conditioning units a workout to stay cool inside. But now that mid-summer is here, it’s time to start thinking about the season change. Once we start sliding into fall, it’ll be time to pack up A/C units and crank up the furnace. This means that often A/C units are put into storage or HVAC systems sit idle for months without a proper inspection and cleaning first.

Routine maintenance on air conditioners is key to ensure your expensive equipment continues to function at a high level for years to come. Setting up an inspection, cleaning, and maintenance with a qualified HVAC tech now is also perfect timing! The demand is low so it’s fast and easy to schedule and sets you up well for next year.

Why should you have your A/C unit tuned up now?

Give them a spruce. We like to used the analogy of boats. If a boat is going to be put into storage, it needs to have be prepared to ensure it’ll survive on dry land. Without doing this, it can be incredibly expensive to get the boat back in shape and ready to head out onto the water. HVAC units are similar. They get dirty with use as air is pumped through them. Cleaning now can help keep units in prime condition instead of sitting caked in grime and unused for months. Instead of letting your HVAC unit go dormant for the winter where it could possibly rust or fall into disrepair, a tune up now can save a lot of hassle later.
Ensure they have proper maintenance. Just like with a car and oil changes, your A/C unit needs regular maintenance even if it appears to be working just fine. This gives a qualified technician the chance to look over every inch of your equipment and fix any small problems before they become big issues down the road.
Reduce your cooling bill. Without regular maintenance your A/C unit just simply won’t run at its peak performance. What does that mean? A drain on electricity as your unit strains to do its job, which can spike power bills. Prepping your appliance for winter dormancy is a great way to ensure it’ll be in good shape for next summer.
Extend the life of your A/C. A well-maintained air conditioner will last much longer and perform better than an air conditioner that struggles to cool through a layer of dust and grime. Not to mention that finding and fixing small problems now is much cheaper and easier than investing in a new cooling system replacement.

The great news is that now is the perfect time to schedule your air conditioning maintenance. You will be ready to go next year when the weather starts to heat up again and avoid the early summer rush of repair calls HVAC techs get. This is especially important for anyone with young children, elderly folks or anyone susceptible to heat living in their homes so you can be sure the temperature stays safe.

If you’re in the greater Elgin, Illinois area, consider booking an appointment with Climate Control Services. We are a full heating and cooling service company with over 20 years of experience. All of our installers and service technicians are factory trained, familiar with all models, and certified to handle all types of refrigerant. Needless to say, whatever cooling system you’re using, we’ve seen it and we’ve fixed it before.

Building Energy Management Systems Aren’t Just For Giants

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:16:00 GMT

The savings from intelligent HVAC systems are for us all to share

Building energy management systems (BEM) have been around for ten years or more but were mostly restricted to large facilities where they produced big cost savings and allowed management a better understanding of what went on in their buildings. That has been changing, and systems are now spreading among the managers of smaller facilities, to the extent that Navigant Research says the market, currently worth $235 million, will reach $1.6 billion by 2025.

Until recently, BEM companies have focused on facilities in the 100,000 square feet and upwards bracket. Now, though, Navigant states that the development of intelligent buildings means that BEM is giving a good return on investment to owners of buildings of between 10,000 and 100,000 square feet.

Building Energy Management is not just about cutting bills

Unless the building was already being run at peak efficiency – and, without the aid of a sophisticated computer program, achieving that is difficult – being able to control and manage heating and cooling systems is almost guaranteed to reduce the amount of energy used and, therefore, the cost. That is not, though, the only gain from BEM. Collecting data from the entire facility and offering a variety of filters through which to look at it means you can check performance, all the way from an integrated view of the facility as a whole down to each specific machine and device. If a single furnace, compressor or fan unit is letting down the whole system, you can identify it – and then do the math. Cheaper in the short/medium/long term to keep it and pay for the energy it uses? Or to invest now in a replacement and reap the benefits in lower bills?

Putting Building Energy Management information where it’s needed

The Navigant Research report lists the people it’s designed to help. They mention:

The people who sell building automation systems, and the people who sell IT systems generally
Tech startups
Electric utilities and ESCOs
Investors

The list ends there. Well, whoa! Isn’t there someone missing here? What about the people – maybe the family company; maybe the husband and wife team – who build or buy a medium size facility not as an investment but as a place to run their business? What about the big warehouse operator, the big factory owner, the big retailer? What, in short, about people like you?

Okay, so maybe you’re not the kind of people Navigant Research thinks about when it writes its reports. But you’re the kind of people Climate Control Services thinks about – seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year. If you have a building in which you’re afraid energy costs are getting out of hand, and you want expert advice, call us. Giving expert advice is what we do.

SEER standards and how they affect Illinois

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:19:00 GMT

New SEER standards can help you improve living conditions and cut operating costs

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio and refers to the performance of air conditioners. New air conditioners must be manufactured to reach a minimum SEER level, which varies according to where in America the system is to be installed. The minimum levels are set by the Department of Energy (DOE) working with manufacturers’ trade groups. To the question: What has what I buy to do with the DOE?, the answer is that supplies of energy are not unlimited and the State has a vested interest in good performance levels. To the question: Why does the DOE consult with manufacturers?, the answer is that such controls work better when they have been agreed by the people most subject to them, rather than imposed.

Window A/C units are not affected

We should make clear that SEER applies to all air conditioning systems except window units. Window units, therefore, usually have a much lower SEER rating than other systems and, measured by the cost per BTU, are more expensive to run.

What SEER ratings mean

SEER is a measure of how efficiently an air conditioner does its work. In practical terms, it is the ratio between the cooling the system delivers, measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), and the amount of energy consumed, measured in watt-hours. It therefore tells you just how much cooling you are getting for every dollar you spend on energy to run it. The lowest rating is 9 and the highest is 75 but for normal domestic air conditioners somewhere in the teens is generally sufficient.

What SEER rating you actually need varies according to where in America you live. The current legal position is that new systems in Illinois have to have a SEER rating of not less than 14. And, if you want an Energy Star qualified system, that rises to 14.5. The efficiency of the heat pump must be a minimum of 15.

It isn’t all spend – the higher your unit’s SEER rating, the lower your gas bills should be.

SEER is not the only thing you need to take into account when you contemplate new central heating. Give us a call and take advantage of our 20 years experience of guiding people to the best system for their particular circumstances.

Why summer is better than winter for servicing the furnace

Sun, 11 Jul 2021 14:22:00 GMT

Winter will be here before you know it. Get that heating system maintained now – before you need it.

Here we are in July and at six in the morning the temperature is 75 degrees. By early afternoon, it’s going to be in the mid 90s. And we’re talking about winter? Get outta here!

Well, okay. But we’re now into the second half of the year. The summer solstice – the longest day of the year – is already three weeks in the past. Sooner than you want to imagine, winter is going to be here. Take a look at the temperature charts for Elgin and St Charles and you’ll be reminded of what you already know – these mid 80 temperatures are our max. Twelve weeks from now, we’re going to be in the forties overnight – and the trend will continue down for a while after that.

No-one can change the weather. But everyone can be prepared.

The biggest cause of failure in domestic heating systems is lack of maintenance. That’s when most people call for help – when the furnace isn’t working, or it’s working but the heat isn’t getting through, or the heat is getting through but it’s patchy and there isn’t enough of it. People call, and we answer their call and we do our level best to get there as fast as we can. We don’t want to see our customers suffer. But sometimes – and especially if we get a sudden hard, cold snap – there’s a bit of a wait because the guy coming to fix your problem can’t leave till he’s fixed the problem he’s already working on.

The service will be as fast as we can make it – but it will never be faster than it will be if you call us right now, when demand is low. And, what’s more, you’ll go into those cold winter months knowing that your central heating system is as right as it can be.

You should in any case be asking a professional to check over your heating system once every twelve months, and it makes sense to do it now, when demand is not so great and, perhaps even more importantly, when discovering that the system has a problem which will involve decommissioning it for a while won’t cause discomfort. Better now than when you’d need to put on a ski jacket and warm gloves to eat breakfast!

Call us now. Peace of mind is only a phone call away.

The growth of ductless HVAC

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 14:26:00 GMT

What is ductless air conditioning and when is it the right choice?

First, a word of caution. When we don’t recommend going ductless, it isn’t because we have the ability to cut sheet metal on site and we want to use it. Ductless air conditioning is not for everyone and nor is it for every location. There are disadvantages, which we will list. Nevertheless, there are times when ductless is right – indeed, there are times when only ductless is possible – and the amount of ductless HVAC in America is increasing, so let’s talk about it.

So What Is Ductless A/C?

We’ll start with a summary of what we mean by ductless. Ductless air conditioning is sometimes called a mini split or a ductless split system because it has two parts:

A compressor installed outside the building; and
An indoor fan unit installed close to the ceiling on an exterior wall.

These two components are connected by copper lines that carry refrigerant and pass through holes drilled through the wall. The indoor unit gets its electricity from the outdoor unit and there is no need for additional wiring in the cooled room.

Where Is Ductless A/C Installed?

Ductless air conditioning systems can be installed almost anywhere, but in fact it only accounts for about 5% of the total American market, so clearly it is far from being the automatic choice. There are places where either installing ductwork or extending an existing ductwork system is not possible; clearly, if you’re going to have A/C there, it must be ductless. That can be the case particularly in very old buildings or (and this may often be the same thing) in those where the brickwork is too hard or the stonework is too thick to make installing ducts possible either at all or without a great deal of expense.

Houses that already have non-ducted heating systems – radiators, space heaters or hot water heat – are also candidates for ductless A/C, as ae multi-family homes where to have or not to have air conditioning will be a family-by-family choice.

Again, a ductless system may be preferred where only one or two rooms are to be cooled but the use of window units is frowned on either for security reasons or for lack of somewhere to store the units during the colder parts of the year.

Advantages of ductless systems

Where the choice is between a ductless system and a window unit, the ductless system will usually be much more energy efficient and therefore cheaper to run.
A ductless system may also be cheaper to run (and possibly make less noise) than a central system.
It’s possible to have more than one (and up to four, depending on the load each will be required to bear) indoor units connected to one outdoor compressor.
Ductless systems can be very flexible, and indoor units may be suspended from the ceiling as well as hung on a wall. If you have a drop ceiling, the unit can actually be embedded so that from inside the room it is flush with the ceiling.

Disadvantages of ductless systems

The cost per ton of cooling capacity is likely to be 30% more than a central system would cost and double the cost of window units.
You need an expert installer, because if the size and location of each indoor unit is not very accurately appraised then running costs are likely to go through the roof because of short-cycling (that is, too frequent on/offs). This will also cause temperature and humidity to be significantly different from what is intended.
Appearance can be a problem; central ducted systems are scarcely visible, but there is no missing a ductless unit.

For all that, the ductless market is here and it is growing. Make sure you get the best advice on the right system for your home or office by calling Climate Control Services today.

How much should an air conditioning system cost?

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 14:38:00 GMT

Budget is one important factor – but what else goes into arriving at choosing the right system for you and fixing its price?

How much should an air conditioning system cost? It’s a question we hear a lot, being in the business we’re in, and it’s really very difficult to answer. We do know that it tends to be lower in Illinois than in, say, Texas, but if we say, “Well, look, on average you’re going to come out a shade under $4,000,” then how much have we actually told you? Because “on average” means…what, exactly? How big is the house? How many rooms and how many floors? And what system have you decided on? Because that $4,000 figure probably relates to installation of a central A/C unit – you might pay less than a tenth of that for a window unit to cool one room.

Air conditioning system cost: what kind of air conditioning?

So let’s start by looking at the systems available. (We won’t go into great detail on any of these – they each deserve their own blog post and we’ll get to all of them in the coming months).

Central A/C System

Cools the whole house, using the same duct system as the heating system uses.

Split A/C System

Two separate systems, one inside the house and one outside. Can be ducted in the same way as a central system, or ductless.

Portable A/C System

Can be moved from place to place in the house. May be a split unit as above; alternatives are hose systems and evaporative systems, though an evaporative system is best suited to very dry areas and is not the obvious choice for Illinois.

Window A/C Unit

A single unit that fits in a window and cools only that room.

Deciding how big your air conditioning system should be

Clearly, one important factor in choosing an A/C system is price. If you tell us we have to bring it in under $500, we’ll know there are some options that can’t be pursued. If the budget is more flexible, the next thing we need to look at is the size of the home. Getting this right is important because, although a larger house will need more cooling, too big a system cycles on and off frequently which wastes energy and makes a noise you’d rather not have. On the other hand, a system that’s too small will run all the time and won’t give you efficient cooling.

To prepare a cost estimate, our technicians will measure the rooms to be cooled, but they will also take account of other factors – insulation, building materials, number of windows, exposure to wind and sun among them. The next thing is to think about EER and SEER – that is, Energy Efficiency Rate and Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rate. SEER wouldn’t matter if you lived in, say, Panama where the temperature stays much the same and the only things that mark out the passing of the months is whether it’s dry season or wet season, but our customers live in Illinois where summers can be very hot and winters can be very cold.

The EER tells us how efficiently a unit cools the air and we calculate it by dividing the rate at which the air cools (in BTUs, or British Thermal Units) by the rate in watts at which the unit uses energy. Taking db as dry bulb and wb as wet bulb, we’re looking as an ideal for about 80 db and 67 wb inside and 95 db/75 wb outside.

We arrive at the SEER figure by dividing the cooling output in winter by the electrical input in winter and the higher the figure, the more efficient the unit is.

Those EER and SEER figures matter because they enable us to tell you which units will most efficiently cool your home.

You still haven’t answered the question: How much should an A/C system cost?

No, we haven’t. Because, without coming to look at the house or office building you want the system installed in, we can’t. But we’ve told you some of the things that will affect the price. Others will include:

Is there ductwork already in place, and does it need any work?
Does the ductwork dictate what kind of unit can be used? (And what kind cannot?)
Is there anything about the building that will make a clean airflow more difficult?

If you’re ready to take this further, get in touch and let’s get one of our people out there to start the measuring and pricing process.

How to get the best out of zonal heating systems

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 14:43:00 GMT

Zonal heating – what it is and why you need it

When central heating first came in, the usual system had only one thermostat. In private homes it would frequently be in the hallway and it would be set, not at the temperature the family wanted the hallway to be at, since there wouldn’t normally be people there, but at the temperature that produced the most satisfactory results in more frequently used rooms.

This approach is still common, and it always results in a compromise because most people would like different temperatures in different rooms and at different times. For example:

They will want the main family room to be comfortably warm during the hours when people are most likely to be there watching TV, talking, listening to music or simply hanging out together;
Kitchens will normally have a heat source of their own (such as a range) and may become uncomfortable if anything more than background heat is provided;
Bedrooms are used, for the most part, at night-time when the other rooms are empty and can reasonably be left unheated, but most people probably prefer to sleep in a bedroom that is reasonably cool – but not cold.

Remember, also, that warm air rises – so, if you heat the whole house using just one thermostat, chances are upstairs will be warmer than it needs to be and, in fact, warmer than is really comfortable. And you’re paying to heat those rooms to that temperature – and you’re probably not even in the upstairs rooms during the day!

The solution to this conundrum is zone heating. Radiators (which aren’t radiators at all – they heat by convection rather than radiation – but that’s probably a topic for another post) usually have thermostatic valves but varying the temperature there is no substitute for separate zonal systems. The speed at which a room warms up is determined by the size of the furnace, its heat setting and the size of the radiator and not by setting the radiator valve high.

Zonal energy use is already commonplace in America. You go into a room and turn the light on – for that room. Lighting up the one room you’re in doesn’t involve illuminating the whole house. You take a shower – running the shower does not mean having water pour from every faucet in the place. That’s zonal lighting and zonal water. So why not zonal heating?

There are various approaches to zone heating; the most far-reaching and effective is whole-house zone heating. The building is divided into zones and each has its own heating system with its own thermostat. The initial cash outlay is higher than for non-zonal systems, and studies have shown that in the warmer southern states the payback period would be long. In the colder north, however – and where is Illinois if not in the colder north (brrrr)? – those same studies have shown an energy reduction of 11.8% in the coldest eight weeks of the year between two identical houses where one used zone heating and one was conventionally heated.

And that 11.8% feeds straight through to your utility bills.

How many zones your house needs is a matter for discussion. Let’s talk about it. And, while we’re talking, let’s take a look at your insulation, the state of your weather strips around doors and windows, and the vents and other outlets you’re using. It’s possible to spend a little more now and save a lot over the years to come.

Should I hire someone to repair my A/C?

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 14:47:00 GMT

When is it okay to repair your own air conditioner and when do you really need a pro?

The answer to this question depends, to a great extent, on who asks it. If you have good D-I-Y skills, feel comfortable using tools and have a healthy and informed respect for electricity, then the answer will be twofold:

For some kinds of faults, yes, you should.
For some other kinds of faults, no, there’s no need – there’s repair work you can do yourself.

If, on the other hand, you’re not an accomplished and confident D-I-Yer then an air conditioning unit may not be the best place to start.

But let’s go with Option 1 and look at A/C repair options open to the reasonably skilled.

Should I hire someone to repair my A/C? Step 1: the easy stuff

Here are some things you should do whether you’re good with your hands or not. First, check the thermostat. Has it somehow been incorrectly set? Then look at the route the air takes as it passes into and out of the unit. Is anything obstructing it? If so, remove the obstruction and test the A/C again. How about the registers (the grids that allow cool air into the building)? They’re not closed, are they? Finally, check the drain. Is anything restricting the outflow? If so, fix it – and, once again, re-test.

Should I hire someone to repair my A/C? Step 2

If Step 1 turned nothing up, check the coolant level because not having enough coolant will mean not having efficient cooling. If it’s below the maker’s recommended level, don’t top it up – you need to know where the leak is, and for that you need a trained technician. Call Climate Control Services and ask us to send one.

Should I hire someone to repair my A/C? Step 3

We’re still in the simple stages here. Make sure your thermostat knows it’s in A/C mode and turn down the temperature setting. Does the fan start running? If not, reset the circuit breaker, and if that doesn’t do the trick you need to call us because something is wrong that needs a techie to fix it.

Now step outside. Are the compressor and the fan running? (You should be able to hear the compressor and see the fan).

Should I hire someone to repair my A/C? Step 4: You’re going to need some tools

Equip yourself with a socket set, screwdrivers, a multimeter and a voltage sniffer. (If just looking at these makes you think you’re getting out of your depth, maybe you just found the answer to the question: should I hire someone to repair my A/C?)

Okay. This next bit is very important: turn off the power by pulling the disconnect block out of the electrical box near the condenser and use the voltage sniffer to make doubly sure it’s off. Then treble it by going to the main electrical panel and turning off the circuit breakers for both A/C and furnace. (You’ll recognize the disconnect block; it says “Disconnect” on it, probably in block capitals).

Clean the condenser coils. A garden hose will do the job. All sorts of rubbish gets stuck under the lid – clear it out. All of it. Did that work? If not, change the filter. (Maybe change the filter anyway – when was it changed last?)

Use the multimeter to check the fuses in the disconnect block. If they’re blown, that probably isn’t the ultimate problem – they blew for a reason and you’ll likely need a technician to work out what it was.

Should I hire someone to repair my A/C? Step 5

You have to decide whether this next D-I-Y step is for you. Your A/C system has at least one capacitor – possibly more. Before you can disconnect a capacitor, you must discharge it. If you’re happy doing that, then afterwards disconnect the capacitor wire by wire, attaching the wire to a replacement capacitor before moving on to the next wire. Then replace the old contactor with a new one, once again wire by wire.

Is your air conditioning now working again?

If so, congratulations! You’ve saved yourself some money and gained some new skills.

If not, we’re sorry, but now it’s time to hand over to a pro. Call Climate Control Services and make sure the job is done right.

As this has probably shown, some air conditioner faults are fixable by the home handyperson and some aren’t. But having a maintenance contract is probably a good idea in any case. Air conditioning is a serious investment and keeping it running at maximum efficiency for as many years as possible is expenditure well worth paying.

What distinguishes one furnace filter from another?

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 14:50:00 GMT

Types; life expectancy; efficiency rating. Everything you need to know about your furnace’s filter

There are some costs you can’t get away from. But some are optional – you only incur them because you overlooked something. Repairing furnace damage that came about because a filter wasn’t cleaned or replaced when it should have been falls in that category. So one purpose of this post is to remind you:

That your furnace has a filter; and
That the filter needs to be checked regularly to see whether it needs cleaning and/or replacing.

What is a furnace filter for?

Let’s start with a common misconception. The filter is not there to decontaminate the air in the house. That’s a by-product. What the filter is actually there for is to protect the fan by removing dust, bugs and other stuff that would otherwise be sucked into the fan through the inlet ducts and either damage the fan or, at the very least, shorten its life.

MERV ratings and what they mean

Furnace filters are rated on the minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) scale, which runs from 1 to 16. 16 is the most efficient; a MERV 16 filter can remove the most particles. Really, we would not recommend a filter with a MERV value below 8 for most homes and nor would we go above 11 unless someone living there has an allergy (in which case, a very high value filter might bring relief).

Reusable and non-reusable filters

No filter lasts for ever, but there are some that will give five years effective life so long as they are regularly cleaned. Others have to be discarded after a set time – a pleated filter, for example, will probably last ninety days (and not the two years it regularly gets asked to survive) before needing to be replaced.

Filter types

We’ve already mentioned pleated filters; a disposable pleated filter is made of folded paper and polyester and does a good job but should be checked every month and replaced after three. Price varies according to size, material and MERV rating – and size is not optional; your furnace takes filters of one size and one size only, so that’s the size you need to fit.

Disposable fiberglass filters are the cheapest kind and you do get what you pay for – 90 days is an ambitious life expectancy for the poorest quality.

Permanent reusable filters are the most efficient and cost the most to install, though the fact that they should last five years if they are properly maintained makes them cost-effective over the longer term. (No, we agree; five years is not “permanent” – but it is when you’re a filter. And “properly maintained” means take them out at least once every three months (switch the furnace off first), vacuum them and then wash them and allow them to dry before putting them back).

Reusable and throw-away filters can be electrostatic ; electrostatic filters trap small particles so they’re good in houses with people who have allergies, or where there are pets or smokers. Not all furnaces can use electrostatic filters, though, so check your furnace manual before trying to fit one.

Take care of your filter

You might be surprised to know how often, when we’re called to repair a furnace, we find that the problem began when a filter was left uncleaned or unreplaced for too long. Yes, filters cost money; generally speaking, repairing a furnace costs more. Look after your filter. It’s doing its best to look after you

Air Conditioning Repairs

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 22:37:00 GMT

If you think you’re A/C might need attention, don’t leave it!

We’re just coming out of winter, and the furnace is now becoming a topic of the past. You might have been wondering how efficient your furnace is, and whether or not it’s keeping you and your family warm. Even today, when we are well into April, we’re not expecting a high of more than 65 degrees and still most of us are using our furnace.

Maybe it’s time to remind ourselves that spring is here and summer is right around the corner. Next month we can expect to see an average high of 70 degrees. The month after that, it’ll be 80 and possibly even higher.

If your A/C is showing any signs – any signs at all – that it isn’t going to be operating at peak efficiency, best not wait till we’re all sweltering before doing something about it. The best time to be calling out an air-conditioning technician is not when half the population of the state is trying to do the same thing.

Maybe you don’t know, yet, how your A/C is going to be, because you haven’t attempted to use it yet. Fine – but think back. Did you decide, last Fall when the mercury was falling, that the air-conditioning needed attention but it could wait until it was needed again? Or is it just a long time since you last had an expert look at it?

Air conditioning repairs don’t need to cost the earth, and they’re less likely to be expensive if they are done before any problems with the system have been allowed to dig themselves in and become serious.

There are some things you’ll want to do before you call Climate Control Services. Make sure the switch hasn’t been accidentally flipped; you don’t want to call someone out, only to find that the reason the A/C isn’t cooling the house is because it’s been told not to. Check the thermostat, too, just to make sure it’s set where you want it to be.

Now, take a look outside and make sure that nothing is blocking the flow of air to the condenser. Next, ask yourself when you last changed the filter. It should be done every month, and if yours was last changed so long ago that you simply can’t remember it being done, filter replacement is now long overdue.

Do you have a window unit or units? If so, do you clean them every month? You should.

If all that fails, or if you simply realize that it’s been too long since you last had the air-conditioning serviced, call us. Whoever we send will be NATE certified; they’ll know your equipment and how to maintain it; they won’t do anything until they’ve told you what it is they plan to do and how much it’s going to cost and you have agreed. Climate Control Services is a family-owned business that has been looking after HVAC in Elgin, Illinois and it's surrounding suburbs for more than 20 years. We live here – just like you do. It’s in our interests to make sure that people don’t start shouting after us in the street. There’s only one way to make sure of that, and that is by providing first-class service, every time we’re called on. If you check our Google ratings, you’ll see that that’s what we do.

License to Chill: Is a New AC Unit Really Worth It?

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 22:12:00 GMT

Most of us have had the debate either out-loud with a family member or in our heads. It usually happens sometime around the first really hot day of the summer, sweat beading off our brows as we drink what seems like endless buckets of water to fight off the dehydration. Sometimes the debate happens in the middle of a miserably hot night as we lie awake, unable to rest because of the heat.

“Do you want to get a new AC unit?” This usually turns into the question, “Can we afford a new AC unit?” At some point there might even be a moment where you wonder, “What exactly would be the benefit of a new AC unit, other than not sweating to death?” And it usually comes around full circle with, “Do I need a new AC unit?”

Allow us to answer those questions, in order: Yes, you do. Yes, you absolutely can. More than you are probably aware of. And finally, yes, you absolutely do.

A new AC unit shouldn’t be seen as a simple luxury, but rather a key element in your comfort and your health, and in the long run, a new AC unit can actually have long term cost savings over the life of the unit. The reality is, an AC unit is more than just a machine that keeps you cool and comfy.

Cool Down for Your Health The most obvious health benefit that comes with a new AC unit is a significant reduction in stress and anger. As the mercury rises, so do the tempers and the stress, and having an AC in the home can help take the edge off that. There are far more health benefits that go beyond just staying cool. A new AC unit can help reduce asthma attacks, reduce the number of insects and parasites in the home, promote better sleeping, and in some studies, reduce the number of heart attacks.

Your Electronics Will Thank You Electronics and appliances in the home are more likely to burn out and break due to overheating than any other reason. Keeping an AC unit going in the home will keep the electronics at a reasonable temperature and reduce the risk of blowing a fuse, frying a motherboard, or killing your refrigerator from overworking in the high temperatures.

Long Term Cost Savings These aren’t your grandmother’s AC units. Growing up, AC units seemed to be hugely expensive to purchase, run, and repair. Modern AC units are less expensive to purchase, significantly cheaper to run day to day, and more reliable, meaning fewer visits for AC unit repairs. But did you know that an AC unit can actually save your family money? The average family without an AC unit in the home uses nearly eight fans in the home to fight off the heat in the summer at a kilowatt use of 9.6 per hour, roughly $1.12 an hour to run. A modern and efficient AC unit uses roughly three kilowatts per hour at a cost of only $.36. That means a daily savings of $18.24 a day. That can really add up.

Stop debating. Don’t let another summer come and go with you sweating, suffering, and waffling on getting a new AC unit. Your health, your sanity, your electronics, and your wallet will thank you.

When to Call an HVAC Service Technician

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 22:20:00 GMT

Your HVAC system is a key component that works actively to keep your house comfortable and safe year ‘round. DIY-minded homeowners can often fix minor problems around their homes, but when it comes to your HVAC system, how do you know when it’s time to call for a technician?

Here are four instances when it’s time to pick up the phone.

#1: It’s time for your annual tune up.

We’ve written about the powers of an annual tune up before , but in short, an annual tune up will catch any small issues before they have time to become big problems down the road. Just like a car needs regular oil changes, your HVAC system should be inspected annually. You’ll see a reduction in the cost of running your HVAC system and an increased lifespan for your furnace and A/C. Investing in annual check-ups reduces the chance that you’ll need to call an HVAC service tech the rest of the year.

#2: You’re buying a new house or you’re building an addition.

Just like with an annual tune-up, when you purchase a new home, it’s a good idea to get an HVAC service technician in to take a look. You don’t know the service record of your furnace and A/C up to this point and so your technician can make sure everything is in tip top shape. On the same note, if you’re building an addition onto your home, an HVAC expert can help you determine the best way to expand your heating and cooling systems so that your new room(s) aren’t left out in the cold.

#3: You notice hot or cold spots around your home.

Sometimes our clients will call because there are cold or hot spots around their home either because the furnace or A/C is working overtime or underperforming. If you walk into a room and notice a temperature shift, it could signal that your HVAC system is not working optimally.

#4: When something breaks!

If your HVAC system begins making loud noises, leaking fluids, or refuses to turn on or off, it’s time to call in the experts. Savvy homeowners can do small maintenance jobs like changing air filters, but when it’s apparent that something is wrong, only a trained HVAC expert will be able to accurately diagnose and safely repair the problem the first time. Putting a Band-Aid on a serious problem can just inflate your repair bill when you finally do call in the experts.

Climate Control Services has been a trusted member of the Chicago land area for over two decades. We service all types of air conditioners, furnaces, and HVAC systems. If you’re experiencing a problem, call us to book an appointment or get a free estimate.

3 Reasons Why Routine Furnace and AC Maintenance Matters

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 23:23:00 GMT

There is one question we hear over and over again from our customers, “Routine furnace and AC maintenance: is it really necessary?”

The answer we always tell our customers is yes.

That’s the short answer. The long answer is that not only do routine furnace and AC maintenance help keep your heating and cooling systems from breaking down when you need them most, it also saves you money in the long run and extends the life of your appliances.

Routine furnace and AC maintenance is ideally performed annually, usually right before the season when you’re going to be using your heating or cooling system.

#1: Give your appliances a tune up before they’re put into action.

Everyone knows that cars need regular maintenance – they should be taken in for oil changes and regular upkeep on a consistent basis. Most car owners won’t drive their car until it breaks down to wait to take it into a mechanic. And just like with a car – your furnace or air conditioner also needs those regular tune-ups. When large appliances like your heating and cooling systems have sat dormant for months, they collect dust, may start to rust, or generally fall into disrepair. A yearly maintenance check-up will ensure that everything is cleaned up and ready to go. For example, if you schedule maintenance on your cooling system early, you won’t be scrambling to find a technician on short notice during the dog days of summer to fix an AC on the fritz.

#2: Reduce your heating and cooling bills.

Without an annual tune-up, your furnace and AC won’t run at the peak of their performance. This means that your costs for heating and cooling will go up. Prepping appliances after a long dormancy is key to ensure that they’re in good shape and ready to jump into action. If your heating and cooling system isn’t running well, it’s going to become an energy drain and that means an increased cost to you. If you’ve noticed a pattern of excessive electricity charges every time you turn on the heat or air, it might be because your systems need a check.

#3: Extend the life of your furnace and AC.

As the saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Not only can big repairs equal big repair bills but replacing a furnace or AC gets expensive fast. Finding and fixing small problems before they balloon into big problems will keep your appliances working for you longer, increasing the years you have before you need to get a replacement.

Routine furnace and AC maintenance is the easiest, most cost effective way to keep your family comfortable, your electricity costs down, and your furnace and AC working for you for many years into the future.

If you’re ready to schedule a furnace or AC maintenance, consider Climate Control Services. We’re your local heating and cooling specialists. We bring over 20 years of experience to the table so you can rest easy knowing we’ve seen it all – and we’ve fixed it all.

Get in touch today.

Furnace Humidifier Installation

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 23:40:00 GMT

Why an Illinois home can be drier than the Mojave Desert

Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air, and we usually talk about relative humidity because the amount of water vapor the air can hold varies with the temperature. (That’s why, in temperatures of 10oC, relative humidity of 40% doesn’t feel particularly damp, but at 30oC, it does – because it is. There’s a lot more water in the air). And humidity is a funny thing. In the Mojave Desert, it can be as low as 10% during the day, but it can also be as high as 30% -- and, at night, it can even reach 50%. What’s funny about that? Only the fact that, in places like northern Illinois, where winter temperatures can be COLD, the humidity inside a centrally heated house can be lower than 30%.

That’s right. A modern, centrally heated Illinois home can be drier than the Mojave Desert.

That may help you understand why, in winter, you or members of your family may experience skin problems, breathing problems, and a general feeling of malaise. If you were actually in the Mojave Desert, you’d carry a bottle of water with you, but whoever heard of carrying a bottle of water for protection in your own home? In any case, a bottle of water wouldn’t be enough – you’d also need to be rubbing moisturizer into your skin three or four times a day and washing with aqueous cream instead of soap. OR, if you have ducted air conditioning, you could avoid all that by fitting a whole house humidifier to your furnace.

Go that route, you’ll find there’s a bonus – if you keep the humidity at around 40% (fit a humidistat as well as a humidifier, and then you’ll know), the house will feel warmer. So, you can set the thermostat that little bit lower, save on fuel costs and still be more comfortable (and healthier) than you were before. And 40% humidity means there’s no greater risk of mold than there was before.

There are three kinds of furnace humidifier: drum, flow through, and mist (steam). The mist/steam option is easily the most effective as well as being the easiest to adjust; it also costs more than the other two. Give us a call; we’ll take a look, discuss your needs and concerns, and recommend which is best for you.

5 Tips for Staying Warm in Cold Weather

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 23:43:00 GMT

Illinois weather this weekend will be cold. Stay safe, and stay warm.

Weathermen have all sorts of expressions to explain fairly simple things. If you live in northern Illinois, you know all about weathermen. You also know all about fairly simple things – like the kind of cold, exacerbated by wind chill, that can make you feel as though someone is trying to cut right through you. And that they just might succeed.

The weatherman’s expression in this case is “polar vortex.” We don’t know anyone who feels better because it’s been explained to them that the vicious, inhuman cold that has descended on this part of the country is caused by a polar vortex. Who cares what caused it? It’s coming, and this weekend it’s going to be here. We don’t even want to think about what the rest of winter may be going to turn into; it’s enough to know that this weekend is going to be bad. It’s going to be very bad.

So let’s think about what to do about it. Here are five things that can help us all get through how this winter is shaping up to be without freezing solid.

1 Start with your feet. And your hands

When polar explorers and climbers in the Himalayas get frostbite, it isn’t their tonsils that drop off – it’s their fingers and their toes. If you’re venturing out this weekend, make sure you’re wearing the right kind of gloves, insulated against the cold, and that your feet are similarly protected. An extra pair of socks is a good idea, worn inside insulated shoes or, better, boots. The extra socks mean you need more space in the footwear, which may be a good reminder that air between layers insulates, so roomier boots are the way to go in any case.

2 Now wrap up the rest of you

Okay, you’ve seen to your hands and your feet – now make sure everything else is properly wrapped up. And we are back to layers, because putting on a T-shirt and then a shirt and then a sweater and then a jacket is much better against the cold than just pulling on the warmest ski jacket you can find. The same holds true for lower down, and don’t be precious about long underwear. It’s saved a lot of lives in its time. Don’t forget your head, either – the old idea that 80% of body heat goes out through the top of your head has been disproved, but you still need to keep it warm.

3 “Comfort food” is warm food

The kind of meal people mean when they talk about comfort food – stews, chilli, fish pie, rice pudding, chicken soup (ideally with barley) – that’s the kind of stuff you want inside you in weather like this. And an oatmeal breakfast will do you a lot more good than a bagel. Yes, we know all about those New Year resolutions and the determination to lose weight but, listen: this is simply the wrong time of year to make resolutions about eating less. If you lived in Australia, where New Year’s comes in August, well, fine. But you don’t. You live in a place that might as well be Alaska at this time of year.

4 Your pets need care, too

Just because your dog or cat is covered in thick fur, doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel the cold. It does. Make sure the cat can get inside, and don’t take the dog out for too long at any one time. 10 minutes is probably quite long enough to walk a dog this coming weekend. And when you get back in, just take a look at their paws and make sure there’s no ice trapped there.

5 Treat driving with respect

We’re not just talking here about having the right tires. If you’re going further than just round the corner, make sure you have everything in the car that you might need. Salt. A shovel. Emergency lighting. Blankets, and maybe a sleeping bag, just in case you find you’re spending longer in the car than you expected to.

And one more thing. When did you last have your furnace repaired, maintained, or tuned up? We’re not exaggerating what this weekend is going to be like. Have you listened to the forecasts? Do you understand what’s coming? If you have the slightest doubt about the fitness of your furnace to keep going, call us now. That kind of disaster is best avoided.

Heating in Illinois in December

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 23:45:00 GMT

Cold is a killer. When it feels like the Arctic outside, make sure indoors is comfortable.

Our name is Climate Control Services, but don’t let that fool you; there’s nothing we can do about changing the weather. This weekend is going to be a stunner. Have you checked the mercury today? It’s zero degrees out there. And that’s before you take the wind chill into account. This is no time for standing on street corners, shooting the breeze about how the Bears are going to do against the Packers on Sunday. (Did you know air that cold makes the football harder? Well, it does. And just think what it does to a receiver’s hands).

You want worse news? Here it is :-(

The winter advisory that takes effect this afternoon (Friday) says we’re looking at steady snow from the west, anything up to eight inches, and then – joy of joys – the snow will transform to what the weather boys call a “wintry mix.” That’s a mixture of freezing rain and sleet as well as snow. Sunday temperatures will have a hard time getting over zero, but it won’t feel like zero – the wind chills of up to minus 25 will see to that. Oh, boy.

As we say, we can’t change the weather – at least, we can’t change how it feels outside. Inside, though, is another matter. You need all your heating apparatus in prime condition right now. Furnace working perfectly, vents clear, pump shifting warm air to all corners, and reliability guaranteed. This is no time for an HVAC hiccup.

If you have any heating problems, or even if you think you might be about to have them, don’t delay. Cold kills. Call us. We’re on alert 24/7, our technicians are trained to the max, we’re the guys to solve your troubles fast. So pick up that phone and let’s get you out of trouble.

There’s snow on the ground! How’s the furnace?

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 23:47:00 GMT

When winter returns, you know you were wise to check the furnace.

You didn’t check the furnace? Oh. Well, look; it’s only been five inches of snow this year but this is Illinois, so it’s going to get worse before it gets better, right? And if there’s one thing you want, it’s to share a nice, warm home with your family as the snow gets deeper and the winter gets colder.

Christmas is just under three weeks away and we all enjoy those songs about chestnuts and open fires but, even if you actually have an open fire, you don’t want to be huddled around it afraid to move very far because anywhere outside the charmed circle of that fire is Cold with a capital C. You want every corner of the house to be warm, so the pipes don’t freeze and neither do the kids.

Don't Wait Until Something Breaks

Even if the furnace runs like a trouper all through the winter, it’ll cost you less if it’s running at peak efficiency. And furnaces run at peak efficiency for the same reason spouses do: because they get lots of TLC – Tender Loving Care.

So, if you’ve got any concerns AT ALL about that furnace, or even if you haven’t had it checked over for a while and you think maybe a few dollars on a service check now could save you a heap of fuel costs as winter proceeds, get us out there to take a look at it.

Call Climate Control Services because the technician we send will be NATE certified, well trained and qualified. You know the reason we get all those 5 star ratings is because we give excellent service, always tell you what it’s going to cost before we do anything, and will never say you need a service when, really, you don’t.

Get in touch. The only thing we like as much as we like being warm is knowing our customers are warm, too.

The Cheapest HVAC service isn't always the best move

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 23:49:00 GMT

Quality Over Price

There’s a guy we know who’s been a salesman for as long as we – or he – can remember. He is often entertaining, has a lot of stories (as you expect from salespeople), and when he talks to you he makes you laugh. Often. As you also expect from salespeople. One of the things he insists on is that, if there is no problem, there is no sale. What people buy is the solution to a problem, and if they don’t have a problem, the best salesman in the world can’t make a sale.

That seems true enough to us.

Something else he says is, “Hit and run sales are no good to anyone. What you want is a customer that you can go back to again and again. Someone who becomes your customer for years. Ideally, for life. And the only way you get that is by delivering immaculate service – by giving the customer not just what the customer wants, but what the customer really needs.”

But a remark made by the same salesman, especially when their product or service is not the cheapest – was this: “You pay for what you get. We offer the best quality because people will remember the quality long after they’ve forgotten the price.”

High Quality HVAC Service Is Important

That so well mirrors the Climate Control Services philosophy. We live in a time when, for most of us, budgets are tight. Price competition on most things is severe and becoming more so. All of us like a bargain – we do, and we are sure you do, too. But what looks like a bargain is sometimes something else.

Here at Climate Control Services, we understand that a dollar is a dollar and that a working Joe can’t afford to be throwing around more of them than are necessary. That’s why we focus on value for money – high quality at a competitive price – the best you can get within the budget. It’s also why, before we do any work, we are careful to tell you exactly how much it’s going to cost, and what we’re going to do for that money. And that attention to our customers’ interests is what has got us so many five-star reviews on Google. It’s what’s behind the fact that the great majority of our new customers come to us after recommendations from an existing customer. We care about our customers – just like the salesman we mentioned above, we want you to go on being our customer year after year. And we know the only way to make that happen is by delivering the best possible customer service.

There are times we quote for HVAC work – a furnace repair, an installation, an air conditioner tune-up, an upgrade – and we know at the moment we submit the quote that we are not going to be the cheapest the customer hears from. But we will be the best, because cheaper at this moment isn’t always cheaper in the long run. If you’re juggling figures and you want some no-obligation advice (or, maybe, just to talk it through), call us. We’ll be happy to talk about what we believe is best for you. And if, on that occasion, best for you is not Climate Control Services, we won’t hesitate to tell you so.

Furnace Repair

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 22:52:00 GMT

Furnace repairs you can do yourself – and some you Can’t

Not everything that goes wrong with a furnace means you have to call for professional help. There are things everybody can do for themselves, and there are other things that anyone reasonably handy can do – and then there are the times when you need us. Let’s take a look at some of these.

Things (almost) anybody can do themselves

Check the fuses/circuit breakers – at the main panel. Blown or tripped? Fix or restore.
Is there a switch somewhere that’s supposed to be on that is, in fact, off? There are people who call out a technician to turn the switch on, but not many.
Make sure the thermostat is set at the temperature you want it at, that the registers are open and that they’re not blocked by furniture or drapes. (It doesn’t matter how warm the air is, it can’t get through a closed or blocked register).
If the blower simply won’t stop, look at your thermostat and make sure it’s set to AUTO, and not ON.

Things the reasonably handy can do themselves

Dirty filters and clogged blower assemblies get in the way of good central heating performance. If they are dirty enough or clogged enough, they do more than get in the way; they stop it working entirely. A competent handy person can clean a filter and clear a blower assembly without too much trouble. And filters do need regular replacement.

When you need a professional

For almost anything not covered above, you need a professional. Unless you’d rather not deal with it and risk breaking your furnace, please contact us any time.

If you’re in or around Elgin, Illinois, you need Climate Control Services. When only absolute professionalism will do, we are here.

Falling into Autumn: Time for a Furnace Check-Up

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 22:28:00 GMT

The mercury has been swiftly dropping as we’ve slid into fall. When the temps fall, we see an increase of calls from families that have realized their furnace is on the fritz. That’s not a position anyone wants to be in, but unfortunately, each year families across the Chicago area will realize that their furnace is not ready for the winter.

Furnaces require routine maintenance.

A good general rule of thumb to follow is to have your furnace inspected at the beginning of fall. At that point, your technician can pinpoint any problems and correct them before you find yourself in the middle of a freezing night and realize you have no heat.

It’s easy to forget about maintenance for a furnace. We get it. The furnace is hidden away. It’s not something that you’re looking at or thinking about on a regular basis. It helps to think of your furnace like your car. Regular maintenance for your car – whether that’s oil changes, air filter swaps, or new tires – keeps your vehicle in great shape to safely transport your family around the city.

This is especially important for cars that have been sitting in your garage for six months. You want to do a little tuneup to ensure that your car will run smoothly and not leave you stranded. Annual furnace maintenance is like an oil change for your heating system. Your furnace has been sitting idle for the last six months so now is a prime time to pop the hood.

It’s also a safety issue.

Not only does regular furnace maintenance keep you house toasty warm, but it also keeps your family safe. Broken furnaces can be a source of dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for over 500 deaths in the U.S. each year. Furnace inspections are an easy way to get some peace of mind and know that your family will be safe through the winter.

Not all HVAC services are made equal.

Of course, a tune up is only as good at the technician doing it. You’ll want to choose the right expert for your needs, but it can be hard to know what qualifies an HVAC technician to do a check-up on your furnace.

First off, you’ll want to eliminate any companies that do not offer NATE-certified technicians. North American Technician Excellence is a professional certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration technicians. Basically, if your technician is NATE certified, you know that they know their stuff.

Secondly, you’ll want to look for a company that can clearly list their services included during an annual maintenance check up. Some services to look out for include:

Checking settings like the thermostat, and start up and shut down controls
Inspecting to ensure easy ignition and flame control
Lubricating moving parts
Changing filters
Performing a safety carbon monoxide check
Inspecting electrical connections and fixing those that are loose
Inspecting drains for blockages
Checking the blower access door to ensure a tight seal
Cleaning the blower wheel Inspecting for rust or corrosion

This list isn’t exhaustive – your technician might include additional services, but it is important to know exactly what your HVAC company offers during their annual maintenance check.

We’re here for you.

Climate Control Services are your local HVAC experts. Our technicians are NATE-certified professionals. We don’t do any work that you haven’t expressly agreed to beforehand so you’ll never get slapped with a bill you weren’t expecting. It’s our goal to offer our customers fast, expert service with prices they can rely on.

The only thing more important to us than keeping your heating system in tiptop shape is making sure your experience is wonderful. We offer furnace installations, replacements, repairs, and annual checkups and maintenance. If you have an emergency, we’re here for you – day or night.

Don’t wait until it’s freezing outside to have your furnace serviced. Call us today to schedule your furnace inspection.

Stay Friends With Your Furnace

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 22:55:00 GMT

The furnace is your friend. Don’t let it become an enemy

When you live in Illinois, you develop a close relationship with your furnace because the furnace stands between you and a very cold winter. It’s a good idea, then, to stay on good terms with your furnace. We don’t mean treat it like a pet – don’t offer it carrots, or put down a bowl of milk, and, whatever you do, don’t suggest taking it for a walk. Think of it more as a mother-in-law: it can be really great to have around, so long as you treat it with respect and don’t neglect it.

A furnace can be fueled by oil or gas. Gas – whether natural gas or propane – burns cleaner than oil and a gas furnace can be easier to get along with, but it has the potential to be lethal. Your gas furnace will have an automatic shut-off to prevent leaks, and the automatic shut-off will almost always work. Since a gas leak you don’t know about can kill you, “almost always,” while good, is not quite good enough.

Don’t panic!

Let’s not get this out of proportion. In an average year, 17 people in America die because of natural gas leaks (and none because of propane leaks). If you still find that number frightening, you might like to know that, in that same average year, 450 Americans die from falling out of bed.

Nevertheless, if you have a gas furnace, be aware that if you realize that there is a leak, “Strike a light!” Is a very bad piece of advice. What you should do, in fact, is leave the house and phone the gas company or the fire department. (You’ll know about the leak because you’ll smell it. Natural gas is actually odorless, but the gas company puts a smell into it for the very reason we are talking about).

Right, that’s got that out of the way and we’ve mentioned it only as a public service – remember that automatic shutoffs do work almost every time and that almost no-one ever pays the supreme penalty because their furnace was leaking. If you’re going to have a problem with the gas furnace, it’s likely to be around the thermocouple, the pilot light or the electrics. More to the point, because gas burns more cleanly than oil, gas furnaces probably need cleaning less often.

If all else fails, read the manual

When your furnace was installed, either you or the person living in the house at the time was given a manual, and the manual described all the bits and pieces that make up a furnace. It’s a very good idea to read the manual and it’s unfortunate that many people can’t do that because they threw the manual out with the packaging the furnace arrived in. However, that’s no longer the problem it used to be, because almost every manual is available online. Enter the make and model number of your furnace into a search engine and you’ll find you can download it.

Keeping things tickety-boo

What you should get out of reading the manual is advice on the things you can and should do to keep it working well and make sure it’s delivering you and your family the highest level of warmth and comfort and the lowest risk of failing when it’s 30 below outside and you’ve just welcomed a new baby into the home. (Congratulations, by the way!) And what you will also get is an indication of behavior the furnace might start to show that says this is not a matter for you and you’d better call us ASAP.

When you need us, we’ll be there. Fixing furnaces is what we do.

HVAC and the Internet of Things

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 22:57:00 GMT

Tomorrow is coming fast, but HVAC still needs attention

At Climate Control Services, we don’t usually talk much about science fiction. We are more interested in what our customers need, and how we can best meet those needs and give customers what they want. And the Internet of Things (IoT) has seemed like science fiction. It’s also seemed dangerous; we’ve seen reports of criminals who hacked people’s garage door openers and let themselves into houses they should not have been in. Sounds like the sort of thing sensible people stay away from.

Nevertheless, the IoT is here and it isn’t going away. The latest report we’ve seen says that there are already 15.4 billion IoT devices installed and in just four years’ time there’ll be twice that number. And it becomes interesting to anybody in our business because a start-up company in California called Tekpea has patented a system for converting the protocols that utilities use to monitor electricity, gas and water usage to TCP/IP, which is the protocol that passes data and information up and down to the Internet. They call what they are doing, “Connecting Continuous Process Industry to the Cloud.” What Tekpea are talking about is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which is a close relation of the Internet of Things but one that generates money (often in large amounts) for the people who use it.

So it seems that even a family-owned and family-run HVAC company in northern Illinois needs to be aware of the Internet of Things because it’s going to affect our customers, and what affects our customers matters to us.

What is there that we and our customers need to know? Well, first of all, we need to know that, increasingly, the meters that register our use of electricity, gas and water will have monitoring devices in them. The monitoring devices for a whole subdivision will be connected – by cable, by Wi-Fi, by something – the information they collect about how much power and water each consumer has used will be collected together, and it will be transmitted to the utility so that we can all be charged the correct amount. This is called Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI). It’s being used here in America; it’s being installed in Colombia; it’s been in operation in remote areas of India for some time. It’s not the future; it’s the present.

AMI will allow the utilities to get our bills out faster and to be sure they are right. But it will also offer help to us, because smart devices are at the heart of the Internet of Things, and we as consumers will receive guidance on how we can reduce our energy consumption. That will be forced on the utilities, because it’s in the national interest and government wants it to happen. It may not simply be guidance, either – it will almost certainly be possible to sign up to programs that allow the system in our home to run devices when energy usage is lower and therefore the price to us will also be reduced.

There’s more. It won’t only be the utilities’ meters that can send information up the line – the manufacturers of our furnaces, our air conditioning units and every other domestic appliance we have will be able to do the same. Their ability to communicate is already there – that’s what the IoT means – but given what Tekpea offers, which is the ability to send information to the cloud, it will be possible for the manufacturer to detect a malfunction or a potential failure before the homeowner has any knowledge of it at all. We, as HVAC installers and maintainers, can certainly see the advantage in knowing before our customer experiences an equipment outage that there is a problem, and that we have a way to fix it.

It’s a brave new world, and we are probably lucky to be living in it. However, there is still a life to be lived with the equipment we have. If you’d like to meet to discuss your present setup, how it could be improved and how, potentially, we can save you money, get in touch. That’s what we’re here for.

Get Your Furnace Repaired Before Winter Hits

Sat, 22 Aug 2020 22:35:00 GMT

When temperatures stay above 80, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is your furnace. You’re probably thinking about sipping on a cocktail poolside.

But you should be thinking about your furnace.

Winter Is Coming

While the dog days of summer might make fall feel like a far-off event, it’s coming around the corner faster than you think. And with the fall comes a drop in temperatures. Trust us – it’ll be nice to have the peace of mind that that first chilly morning that you wake up and turn your furnace on, it works. T

he best time to be calling someone to take a look at your furnace is not when every homeowner in the state is doing the same. Calling someone to give your furnace a once over now is the best way to ensure that you’ll be ready when a cold snap strikes. Furnace breakdowns are not only inconvenient and uncomfortable, but they can also be costly. Regular furnace maintenance can help prevent a big breakdown and an even bigger repair bill.

Furnaces Need Routine Maintenance Once a Year

Did you know that? Regular maintenance ensures that your furnace is kept in tiptop shape. Think of your furnace like a car. Regular oil changes ensure that your car lasts well beyond 100,000 miles. Regular furnace maintenance ensures that your furnace will keep heating your house for years to come.

Not to mention regular furnace maintenance improves efficiency, reduces electricity costs, and prevents breakdowns. And all of that translates directly into savings you can take to the bank.

It can even help keep your family safe by revealing carbon monoxide leaks. Carbon monoxide leaks are responsible for over 500 deaths in the U.S. each year, so this is a great service that offers some extra peace of mind.

How to Choose the Right Heating Technician

You’ll find that there’s a wide variety between services offered by different HVAC experts. You’ll want to look for a company that offers NATE-certified technicians that can clearly list what services will be included under the title of an annual maintenance check up.

These are some of the services that should be routinely provided:

Lubricating moving parts
Changing filter
Checking settings, including the thermostat and start up and shut down controls
Inspecting electrical connections and tightening any loose parts
Performing a carbon monoxide check
Inspecting condensate drain for blockage
Cleaning the heating system
Checking blower access door for a tight seal
Inspection for rust or corrosion
Inspection for accurate ignition and flame
Cleaning blower wheel

This isn’t an exhaustive list. There might be more services your technician will provide under their service. It’s important to know what exactly they’re offering before you agree.

Don’t Be Left Out in the Cold

Climate Control Services is family owned and operated in Elgin, Illinois and the surrounding suburbs for over 20 years. All our technicians are NATE certified, meaning that they’ll know your equipment, how to tune it up, and how to fix it. They won’t do anything you haven’t approved. You’ll know how much it’ll cost before we do any work. We’re proud of our customer service history and we’d love the opportunity to show you what we’re all about.

We offer furnace installations, replacements, repairs, and routine maintenance. In case the worst happens, we also offer emergency services 24/7. We know that emergencies don’t plan themselves so we’re available when you need us.

We’ll give you a free estimate so you have nothing to lose. Avoid a frustrating, cold furnace breakdown with one simple phone call. Contact us today.

HVAC you can rely on

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 22:51:00 GMT

Rely on Climate Control Services and Chicago Cubs to get the job done!

Well, they did it. It took 108 years, but they did it. The Cubs have won the World Series. We haven’t fully taken it on board yet. Probably you haven’t, either.

We’ll be telling our great-grandchildren about this day. Those who made the journey to Cleveland will be talking about it forever. “I was there.” Those used ticket stubs, selfies and match programs will be collectors’ items.

The temptation is to pick out names. Ben Zobrist. Miguel Montero. Mike Montgomery. And, of course, Joe Madden and Theo Epstein.

But, really, that would be wrong. This World Series wasn’t won by individuals. It was a team that did it. A team victory.

Humankind has always known the value of team play and team spirit. Aesop, who died in Greece nearly 2,600 years ago, said, “In union there is strength.” Alexander the Great, who hailed from the same neck of the woods, had similar ideas 200 years later: “Remember: upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.” More recently, the immortal Babe Ruth said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.”

And that’s what happened in Chicago this season. A bunch of guys gave everything they had, not for individual glory but for the sake of the team.

We’re not going to horn in on the Cubs’ success. Yes, at Climate Control Services we, too, know all about team play and getting the job done by working together – but today is a day for the Chicago Cubs and their family of fans. We’ll leave you with one more quote – this time from a country where baseball isn’t even played. Danny Blanchflower, a one-time Northern Ireland soccer international, said, “The game is about glory. It’s about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.”

Too true. And there may well have been some heart seizures last night – but we can say with certainty that no-one died of boredom.