DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for June, 2014

How Do Energy Recovery Ventilators Work?

Friday, June 27th, 2014

An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is a home comfort and efficiency innovation that helps you circumvent a serious problem that many houses face today. Because of the heavy heat and air sealing on modern buildings to protect their energy efficiency (excess heat cannot enter in the summer, and cannot escape in the winter), very little fresh air circulates through the indoor ventilation system. This leads to stale and contaminated indoor air that runs through the ductwork gathering dust, dirt, debris, and other pollutants that can affect your health.

By installing one of the energy recovery ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL available from DuAll Heating & Cooling, you can bring fresh air into your home without losing or gaining heat; in fact, you will conserve power and “recover” energy that would otherwise be lost. To find out how our technicians can set up an ERV in your home today, call our expert staff. They can answer all your questions about ERVs and other indoor air quality appliances.

The operation of an energy recovery ventilators

An ERV brings in fresh air through and outside vent and into the ventilation system attached to your heater/air conditioner. Then, through a process called counter-flow heat exchange, the ERV runs this outside air past the stale air from the inside of your home. Energy transfers from one to the other, and the stale air gets removed without you losing or gaining heat.

During the summer, the warm air from outside your house transfers its heat to the outgoing air from inside, cooling itself down in the process and making your air conditioner need to work less to lower its temperature. During the winter, the warm indoor air transfers its heat to the cold incoming outdoor air, and your heater will need to work less. Before reaching the indoors, the air from outside runs through a filter to remove any particles that might have come in with it.

A properly installed ERV will recover 85% of the energy of the outgoing air, and so not only will you have fresh air brought into your home and better health, you’ll also save money on your utility bills each month.

We must emphasize “properly installed.” You cannot select and put in an ERV yourself; it requires the work of indoor air quality professionals with experience working with air conditioners, heaters, and ventilation systems. You’ll find the necessary skills at DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Our NATE-certified technicians handle installation of energy recovery ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL and many other ways to improve your home’s air and energy efficiency.

Tags: Bolingbrook, Energy Recovery Ventilators
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3 Reasons to Replace Your Thermostat

Friday, June 20th, 2014

Here’s a fact that many people don’t know about their heating and cooling systems: a good thermostat can make or break them. That small control unit on the wall is a lot more important than you realize. If you have a thermostat that doesn’t allow you to take full advantage of your HVAC system’s capabilities, or if it is malfunctioning, then you should look into having a replacement put in.

At DuAll Heating & Cooling, we handle many types of repairs for thermostats. But many times we recommend that customers leave the repairs behind and instead choose thermostat replacement in Plainsfield, IL. We offer a wide range of thermostat types from which to choose, so make us your first choice when it’s time to get rid of your old thermostat.

Here are 3 reasons to replace your current thermostat:

1. It is an old manual model

Does your thermostat have sliders and dials on it that came with your house? Then you are missing out on saving energy and achieving a higher level of comfort. Although manual thermostats can adequately perform their job of turning an air conditioner or heater on and off and raising and lowering the temperature settings, they cannot do so very precisely, averaging a 2–5°F margin of error, and that’s enough to make a significant difference in how much power the system uses and how comfortable you’ll feel. With a digital programmable model, you’ll have an enormous improvement in control and new ways to save energy.

2. You want wireless capability

Thermostats that connect wirelessly to the HVAC system are a new development that allows for a thermostat to be more freely positioned in a house. You won’t need to run new wires to fit it, and if you use a zone control system, it’s much easier to connect the multiple thermostats to each other. Many wireless thermostats come with remote control capabilities that give you a new level of convenience: adjust the temperature from across the room without getting up from the couch.

3. The thermostat was installed in the wrong place

One of the dangers of amateur installation of an HVAC system is the incorrect placement of the thermostat. If a thermostat is put in a location where it will pick up false readings (“ghost readings”) because of direct sunlight or drafts, or if it was positioned too far from the center of the house and therefore likely to read outlier temperatures, it will cause the heating and cooling system to behave erratically and wastefully. Have the thermostat replaced—and let a professional put the new unit in the right location.

A thermostat that is malfunctioning should always be replaced, but even one that is working fine needs an upgrade if it meets the above criteria. Never underestimate the power of a thermostat, or the benefits you can receive from a technologically advanced one.

DuAll Heating & Cooling is happy to assist you with your thermostat replacement in Plainsfield, IL so that the new unit goes in correctly and works as it should. Only trust this work to experienced professionals.

Tags: Plainfield, Thermostat Replacement
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Common Repair Problems with Commercial HVAC Systems

Friday, June 13th, 2014

The equipment for light commercial HVAC systems is more durable and sturdier than those found in homes… but that doesn’t mean they will experience any fewer repair issues. Commercial air conditioners, heaters, and packaged units must undergo much more stress than residential comfort systems, and that means they will need occasional service from trained experts.

Whenever you experience issues with your business’ heating or cooling system, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling for the service that will restore your workplace to the level of comfort your employees need and your customers/clients expect. We handle light commercial HVAC repair in Naperville, IL.

Here are a few common problems with commercial HVAC systems that our technicians encounter on the job:

Damage to the fan

The majority of commercial comfort systems are rooftop packaged units: all the components are housed in a single cabinet kept on the roof. Although the roof offers a large amount of isolation and therefore protection for the unit, it also exposes it to the elements. Debris can sometimes infiltrate the cabinet and cause damage to the large fans necessary for the heat exchange cycle. Loss of the fans will affect heating and cooling within the building and will require professional repairs.

Thermostat troubles

Even light commercial HVAC systems can use a complex series of thermostats and controls, far more intricate than those found in homes. Businesses frequently have zone control systems set up to allow different temperatures in different parts of the workplace, and errors with the thermostats can cause zones to lose conditioned air. It takes experienced commercial repair technicians to track down and figure out thermostat problems.

Insufficient heating/cooling

If air is blowing out of the vents, but it isn’t the expected temperature (room temperature instead of cooling or heating), you’ll soon start to hear complaints about it. The trouble may be in the thermostat, but it’s more likely a problem within the rooftop unit, such as a leak in refrigerant. If the rooftop unit is a heat pump, the problem could be a broken reversing valve, which will prevent the system changing form one mode to another.

The right time to call for commercial HVAC repair in Naperville, IL is immediately. Our NATE-certified light commercial HVAC specialists are ready 24 hours a day to help keep your business at the right temperature.

As soon as you notice a change in temperature, hear loud sounds from the ductwork, or detect a drop in airflow from the vents, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Tags: Commercial HVAC Repair, Naperville
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How Energy Recovery Ventilators Improves Indoor Air Quality

Friday, June 6th, 2014

On average, people in the U.S. spend 90% of their time indoors, and that means the quality of the air found inside homes and buildings is vital for good health. Unfortunately, too few buildings have the proper ventilation to remove stale air, and the indoor air quality suffers as a result. The quality of your home’s air is probably much lower than it should be.

To combat this decline in air quality, you can open up your home to the outside through the windows and doors. However, this ends up breaking the energy efficient heat seal on your home, making it harder for you to keep cool in summer and warm in winter. During an Illinois winter, you especially don’t want to have windows and doors open!

But there’s a way to receive fresh outdoor air without energy loss and discomfort: have installation of energy recover ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL. Our team at DuAll Heating & Cooling is familiar with these helpful devices, and we’ll explain how they give you better indoor air quality.

How energy recovery ventilators work

Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) are installations in the ventilation network of your HVAC system that remove the stale air from your home—without losing excess energy, either too keep you cool or keep you warm. An ERV returns approximately 85% of its outgoing energy to the incoming fresh air.

Here’s how an ERV does this: The ventilation system runs to the outside of a home and pulls in fresh outdoor air. The ERV draws the stale air from inside the house and runs it past the incoming fresh air, and a process of heat transfer occurs between the two that is called counter-flow heat exchange. If the air from outside is cold, then the stale indoor air transfers its heat to it, helping you receive warm fresh air. If the air outside is warm, it will lose its heat to the colder air from indoors, helping you to receive cool fresh air.

So whether its winter or summer, you receive fresh outdoor air that has been conditioned to fit your temperature needs. This will also reduce the stress on your heating and cooling system.

An energy recovery ventilator is like having your home’s windows and door always open to fresh air—but without any of the inconveniences. In fact, you’ll save more energy than ever before.

Professional installation

ERVs are complex devices, and it takes professional installers to set them up so they fit a home’s HVAC system and ductwork.

Call the indoor air quality specialists at DuAll Heating & Cooling for fast and knowledgeable work installing energy recovery ventilators in Bolingbrook, IL. Our NATE-certified technicians are ready to tackle the job.

Tags: Bolingbrook, Energy Recovery Ventilators
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