DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for April, 2014

3 Reasons to Install a Ductless Mini Split System

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

Once upon a time, all forced-air central heating and cooling systems needed to use ductwork to distribute comfort through the rooms of a house. However, the invention of the ductless mini split heat pump changed this. Although ductless systems at first remained limited to commercial use, they have now entered homes as an alternative to standard ductwork-based air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces.

Ductless systems work through blower units mounted on walls in different rooms. Each blower contains a fan and refrigerant coil to send conditioned air directly into a room. Each of the blowers connects separately to the single outdoor unit through a condensing, refrigerant, and power line. Otherwise, the ductless system operates identically to a central heat pump.

To find out more about ductless heating and air conditioning installation in Naperville, IL, call DuAll Heating & Cooling today. We can help you discover if ductless will work for your home.

Why go ductless? Here are 3 reasons!

Save money through zone control: Because a ductless system uses individual blowers mounted in different parts of a home, you do not need to cool or heat the whole house every time the heat pump turns on. You can shut off the blowers in rooms that aren’t being used, and this will result in large energy savings. (It also means improved comfort for people in your house, since they can adjust the blowers nearest to them.)
Remove air quality issues due to ducts: Ducts develop dust, dirt, and other contaminants over time, and without regular cleaning they can negatively affect your indoor air quality. Because ductless mini split heat pumps do not use ducts at all, you will have higher quality air—and no need to spend money on duct cleaning or duct repairs.
Add-on rooms: You don’t have to replace your old system with a ductless mini split; you can make it an addition to cool and heat new rooms. If you add on a new room to your home, you don’t need to worry about linking it to the current ventilation network or requiring a replacement installation for your current HVAC system because it cannot handle the new space. You simply install a mini split heat pump for the new room.

Also keep in mind that ductless systems are heat pumps, so you will have both your heater and air conditioner needs taken care of with one system. As a replacement for separate air conditioning and heating systems, a heat pump is a great way to save money and space.

Ductless systems will not work ideally for every home, so call DuAll Heating & Cooling today and make an appointment to learn your best options for heating and air conditioning installation in Naperville, IL.

Tags: Air Conditioning Installation, Naperville
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Replace vs. Repair Your Water Heater

Thursday, April 24th, 2014

No home appliance lasts forever, and with any one of them you will eventually face the question of whether you should continue with repairs to keep the device running, or invest in a replacement.

A storage water heater lasts, on average, between 10 to 15 years. (Tankless systems tend to last longer.) The longevity depends on the model, the quality of water from the municipal source, the regularity of maintenance and repairs, and other factors. The manufacturer of the water heater in your home should have listed an estimated lifespan for the system on the tank. But even with this guideline, it often isn’t easy to tell when you should repair or replace. We’ll help focus your decision when it comes to the “repair vs. replace” debate. However, you should still seek a professional opinion before you make the choice. For a water heater in Bolingbrook, IL, call the experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling for advice, repairs, and installation.

Repair?

If your water heater is still under the estimated lifespan by a few years, and especially if it is still under the manufacturer’s warranty or an extended warranty from the installer, you should look into repairs first when the system shows signs of malfunctions. If you have kept up with annual routine maintenance, the system should still be in good enough health that a targeted repair from a professional will restore the system and keep it moving toward its estimated lifespan. (And don’t delay with any repairs; prompt action is the key to a long lifespan.)

Replace?

If a water heater is 15 years or older, you should already be thinking of replacing it even before a malfunction occurs… but a malfunction should serve as the final warning flag. If a water heater is close to the end of its estimated lifespan, pay special attention to problems like less available hot water or rusty-colored water coming from the taps. Rust inside the tank is usually a strong sign the system is close to a complete and final failure.

If you do choose to replace the water heater, you may want to consider going with a tankless model. These systems have greater longevity and energy efficiency, and they do not run out of hot water. Ask your installer about this option to see if it fits your home.

DuAll Heating & Cooling is ready with repairs for your water heater in Bolingbrook, IL, or with advice for new installation—whichever ends up the case we’ll help you make the right choice.

Tags: Bolingbrook, Water Heater
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Who Should You Trust to Check Your Home Systems?

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014

If you’re like most folks, your home is your most valuable financial asset. The systems that run your home represent a sizeable part of your investment, of course. So you’ll only want reputable, qualified and competent contractors to take care of them for you.

When you need service done, many of you ask family, friends and neighbors for names of companies, and that’s a great way to check for a sound reputation. You can also take a close look at the testimonials from satisfied customers. Get a sense of how the company presents itself on the Web and in other advertising.

Your trust should grow the more you know. But when there’s something in the back of your mind that says you’re not sure about what you’re hearing, stop and reassess. For example, the Federal Trade Commission says tip-offs to rip-offs from a less-than-reputable contractor could include any of the following: solicits door-to-door; only accepts cash payments; does not list a business number in the local telephone directory; pressures you for an immediate decision; and asks you to pay for the entire job up front.

If you’re tired of people touting services that are too good to be true, you’re not alone.

That’s why for our customers we keep it plain and simple: 24 hour service; 10 year system warranties; hassle-free Maintenance Savings Plans; “Fixed Right” guarantee; 30% energy savings guarantee; on-time service guarantee; up-front pricing; free energy survey.

If you want your air conditioning to stay reliable all summer long, doesn’t it make sense to call a reliable company for your tune-up?

We’d be honored to have you trust your system to us. Give us a call today!

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Connecting the Dots to Your Call

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

When we get a call or email from someone in Naperville, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Lisle, Woodridge or any of the surrounding communities, asking for service or repair on an air conditioning system, that means we’ve done something right. And we’ve got an opportunity to do something even better.

Here’s what I mean. When we get a call from someone who invites us into their home, there are several reasons why we just got that opportunity. One, we advertised in a way that increased your trust in us. Two, we performed a past service for you that made your home more comfortable. Or three, someone you know told you to give us a call.

Now, when we get that call, we get to come to your home – an honor indeed. Whether we provide service on your air conditioning and heating, or install a new system, this is our chance to exceed your expectations so that you’ll want to call us the next time you need us.

Frankly, we don’t know a better business strategy than developing strong relationships with our customers. So we’re sticking with that one.

Of course, others choose a different strategy. And you’ll hear from them too.

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Don’t Put Off Air Conditioner Repair Until the Summer

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

Procrastinating is the art of delaying doing something until the point where you must do it out of desperation. That’s not something you want to happen with your air conditioner! Although it’s tempting during the cool spring days to put away thoughts of repairs for your air conditioner—especially if the repair need seems minor, like an odd noise, and it isn’t noticeably lowering the AC’s performance—you should always move on scheduling air conditioning repair in Plainfield, IL as soon as you know there’s a malfunction.

Fortunately, it’s easy to have repairs taken care of, fast and accurately: call DuAll Heating & Cooling today and talk to our air conditioning specialists. We have emergency repairs available as well.

Beware the spring heat shocks

Here’s one reason that repairs are important before summer: spring can pull out some surprisingly hot streaks, and if your air conditioner is skirting around a major malfunction, this is the moment when it will topple over the edge and break down. The closer we move to summer, the more you’ll need your AC at a moment’s notice. Be prepared!

Avoid wasting money on a poorly operating cooling system

An air conditioner may seem to run fine with a malfunction, but it’s likely working harder to overcome that fault to provide you with the same level of comfort. And overworking means higher power bills. As long as your AC runs with repairs that should be taken care of, it will cost more to run.

Take advantage of the slower spring season

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for HVAC technicians: they have to answer numerous emergency calls when overtaxed air conditioners start failing. You’ll have a more difficult time scheduling a convenient appointment for repairs if you wait until the crunch time.

Breakdowns are the worst

Even if your malfunctioning air conditioning system makes it to summer without failing, the chances of a breakdown will increase tremendously when the summer heat starts. Breakdowns will not only leave you stranded in the heat until repairs arrive (remember, it’s a busy season for repair technicians!), but they are also costly to fix—and you may even need to have the broken air conditioner replaced.

An air conditioner repair doesn’t need to be a major hassle. A company like DuAll Heating & Cooling, with trained and experienced repair technicians, can solve most repairs fast and with little inconvenience to you. Call us right now for air conditioning repair in Plainfield, IL and make sure your AC is ready for anything.

Tags: Air Conditioning Repair, Plainfield
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Why Schedule Duct Cleaning at the End of Heating Season

Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

*DuAll Heating & Cooling no longer offers duct cleaning services. Take a look at our other indoor air quality services to find the best solution for your needs.

A heating system in Illinois never fully closes down during the spring or summer: we can expect a few cool days to come along when we’ll need to turn the furnace back on, or switch the heat pump from cooling back to heating mode. Nevertheless, by the end of April we’ll start scaling back on how much work our heaters do.

This is a good time to schedule duct cleaning to clear away the dust, dirt, lint, and other contaminants that have entered your ductwork. We’ll look into why you should have duct cleaning in Naperville, IL done at the tail end of heating season.

Duct cleaning at the end of winter

If you have a heat pump or furnace, then your heating relies on the same ductwork system that your air conditioner will use. When the AC comes on for the first time during a hot spring day, you’ll want the air coming from it to have the smoothest, cleanest path to reach the vents. All the dust that can build up during the winter from your closed-up house can gather thickly along the ductwork walls, and this will place resistance against the AC’s airflow. The harder the air conditioner has to work, the more expensive it will be to run.

You can also expect lower air quality because of dirty ducts. The air conditioner will spread around the build up inside the ventilation system throughout your home. You don’t want to spend the summer battling congestion, skin and eye irritation, asthma, and other symptoms similar to the cold and the flu—but this is what will happen without clean ducts.

Winter snows also bring moisture that enters ductwork. This can lead to one of the major troubles that can start inside ventilation systems: the growth of mold and bacteria. You’ll need duct cleaning, and possibly UV germicidal lights, to stop this before it adversely affects your indoor air quality.