DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for the ‘Air Conditioning’ Category

3 Advantages of Zoning Systems

Friday, May 2nd, 2014

A zoning system is a method of dividing your home into separate sections, each with its own set of controls to adjust the heat and air conditioning systems. With centralized system, zone controls consist of a series of valves and seals in the ducts to direct the air flow. With ductless mini-split systems, zone control is usually a de facto reality, since the system involves numerous smaller units spaced throughout the home. When it comes to air conditioning, Romeoville IL residents should explore all their options, and zoning systems offer some tangible benefits that are often worth the cost of installation.

3 advantages of zoning systems that you should consider

  • Flexibility. Say you’re cooking in the kitchen over a hot stove. Another family member is reading in the living room. Zoning systems allow you to increase the air conditioner in the kitchen to help keep you comfortable, while letting the other family member maintain a warmer temperature in the living room: ensuring that you both feel cozy.
  • Savings. Zone control systems allow you to shut off the heat or air conditioning in parts of the home you aren’t using, which can save you a great deal in monthly energy expenses.
  • Longevity. Because zone control systems reduce the load on your heating and air conditioning system, they help your system last longer and reduce the risk of repairs. Again, the inferred savings might even be enough to offset the cost of installation, depending on the specifics.

Zoning systems are a standard option that many air conditioning companies can install, but as always, you want to choose a company with the skills and experience to do the job right. When it comes to air conditioning, Romeoville IL residents have a tried and true option in DuAll Heating & Cooling. We know the advantages of zoning systems and we can help you find the type of zone controls that are right for your home.

Our trained technicians can go through all of your options with you, then perform the installation with courtesy and pride.  Give us a call today to make an appointment.

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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!

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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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.

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How Can A Clogged Air Filter Damage My AC System?

Friday, October 18th, 2013

Air conditioning repair in Plainfield involves more than simply fixing problems when they arise. It means keeping your air conditioner in good shape so that it cools the air efficiently without developing any serious issues. That entails a regular maintenance program, which involves changing the air filters when they become clogged as well as scheduling a cleaning session from a trained service technician. That will prevent larger problems from starting, as well as lowering your cooling bills and extending the life of your air conditioner. “How can a clogged air filter damage my AC system?” you ask. The answers can illuminate just how important routine care can be.

The air filter serves to keep dust and dirt out of the air conditioner’s internal components, as well as preventing dust from circulating in your home. When it gets clogged, it can’t do that job, and dust begins to accumulate in your air conditioner. This can have a number of potentially harmful effects. On a general level, it increases the overall wear and tear on the system, forcing it to work harder and raising your energy bills in the process. Over time, it can cause a more severe breakdown, as an overloaded component suffers damage necessitating significant repairs.

Here’s a concrete example.  When dust gets on the evaporator coils, it interferes with the cooling abilities of the refrigerant inside the coils. The air around the coils doesn’t get as cool – a problem in and of itself – and more importantly, frost forms on the coils themselves. That frost can damage other components when it melts, as well as clogging the drain line and causing similar sorts of mischief. The coils need to be cleaned in order to let the cooling process continue, but unless the filter is cleaned or replaced, the whole process will soon start all over again.

You can prevent this by changing your air filter regularly and planning a maintenance call from a qualified professional. At DuAll Heating & Cooling, we handle air conditioning repair in Plainfield, as well as providing upkeep and maintenance designed to keep your system running the way it should. Call us today to make an appointment.

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Why Is My Air Conditioner Making a Weird Noise?

Monday, September 30th, 2013

The sound that an air conditioner makes during regular operation can provide soothing white noise: it’s a sound we are very accustomed to hearing during the summer and on into fall. But if a strange or unpleasant sound starts to interrupt your AC’s relaxing hum, it’s more than noise pollution. It might be a red flag that your system needs repairs. If an air conditioner making weird sounds is left without attention, it could lead to worse problems, causing a loss of cooling ability, increased energy bills, or even a complete breakdown.

Contact DuAll Heating & Cooling when you have concerns about your air conditioning in Naperville, IL. We’ll find out what is causing the strange sounds and get your AC the repairs it needs.

Here are some possible culprits for unexpected AC noises:

Compressor problems

If the sound you hear is a grinding noise, then the compressor that sends refrigerant through the air conditioner might be struggling. This can happen because of overwork or damaged wiring. You won’t get any cooling from your AC if the compressor fails; it will need to be fixed or replaced. The grinding noise may point to other problems—such as a refrigerant leak—so get professional help analyzing the problem.

Failing capacitor

The start capacitor sends the voltage to the motors that gets them running when the air conditioner turns on, and the run capacitor keeps them working. If you hear clicking or odd humming noises from your AC, one of the capacitors may be failing. Because of the risk of a high voltage shock, do not attempt to tamper with capacitors yourself.

Trouble with the blower motor

If something goes awry with the blower motor, you’ll hear a noise similar to what you would hear from a bad car engine. The fan belt may have developed cracks or come loose and started rubbing against other components. If left unrepaired, this will cause further damage to the AC’s interior. Even if you have experience fixing car fan belts, blower motors in air conditioners are another matter and will require assistance.

It’s crucial to act on troublesome noises from your air conditioner as soon as possible. Because of the many different causes that might lie behind the weird sounds, it will take HVAC experts to correctly diagnose and repair the problem. Don’t hesitate to call DuAll Heating & Cooling when strange noises—or anything else unusual—starts to affect your air conditioning in Naperville, IL.

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Are Dirty Coils an Easy Air Conditioning Repair?

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

For almost any machine to operate as effectively as possible, it should be kept clean and maintained on a regular basis. Dirt interferes with mechanical operation, making a device inefficient and possibly leading to breaks and a complete shut down. Your air conditioner is no different from other machines in this way: if the unit becomes contaminated with too much dust and other debris, it will reduce the amount of cool air it provides you, cost more to run, and eventually require expensive repairs. Dirt blocking the AC’s coils is especially troublesome if it is neglected.

DuAll Heating & Cooling wants you to be comfortable in your home with an AC that does the best job it can. When you require air conditioning repair in Plainfield, IL, call on our reputable services for assistance.

The two sets of coils in your air conditioner, located in the indoor and outdoor units, are vital for the heat exchange that gives you cooled air. If either becomes too dirty, they can’t do the job of absorbing heat or releasing it.

Fixing dirty coils is not an easy repair job. You can’t just pry open the unit and use a damp cloth to wipe them down. To get a thorough cleaning requires removing the coils and then reinstalling them—and that means dealing with the refrigerant flowing through them. You should leave this to an HVAC professional, who will cut the refrigerant lines, take out the contaminated coil for cleaning, then reinstall it afterwards and recharge any refrigerant lost during the process.

Fortunately, dirty coils are easy to prevent. Make sure you keep a clean filter in your air conditioner so it will effectively trap dust and other particles. You should change the filter once a month during seasons when the AC operates regularly. Every three months is sufficient at other times. Scheduling regular maintenance with an HVAC company will help spot possible dust build-ups before they become serious, such as breaks in the ductwork.

If you experience troubles with your AC because of dirty coils, call on experts to handle the job. One of your first choices should be DuAll Heating & Cooling, where we take pride in our professionalism and quality work. For air conditioning repair in Plainfield, IL, turn to our highly-trained technicians.

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Why Is My Air Conditioning System Iced Up?

Monday, September 9th, 2013

You expect cold air to blow from the vents of your air conditioning system, so if the coils on the indoor unit of your AC start to ice up, you may imagine it’s something as simple as having the temperature turned down so low that it is freezing up your system. But a working air conditioner should be able to handle its lowest temperature setting without difficulty. Icing on the indoor unit is a sign of serious malfunction with your AC that needs immediate attention. For reliable Naperville air conditioning repair, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling to get your repairs started.

A common cause for icing on your AC unit is a problem in the thermostat. It may not be telling the air conditioning to stop cooling when it should. Modern thermostats are complex electronic devices, and need professional service to get them working correctly.

Another reason that the evaporator coils might ice over is one you probably haven’t thought of: a low refrigerant charge. The refrigerant running through your AC is fixed and does not get used up during evaporation and condensing. Losing refrigerant from a leak will likely cause the evaporator coils to freeze because they can no longer absorb enough heat. Not only will the leak need to be sealed, but an HVAC professional will have to recharge the refrigerant.

If the air inside your home is not properly reaching the coils to warm up the cold refrigerant moving through it, icing could also occur. The most common reasons for reduced air flow is a dirty or clogged filter, but the problem may be more complex, such as issues with your ductwork.

You need to stop your evaporator coils from freezing as soon as possible. If you let the problem continue, you could have a large block of ice preventing the coils from working effectively and making it difficult for your AC to do its job. You’ll need HVAC experts to diagnose the problem and find a solution, whether fixing a coolant leak, replacing the thermostat, or repairing problems with ducts and filters.

When you need to get your iced up air conditioner fixed—or any other problems you may have with your AC — DuAll Heating & Cooling is ready to give you the high quality service you deserve. With 12 years of experience in Naperville air conditioning repair, we can make sure that ice stays out of your AC system.

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Why Is My Air Conditioning System So Loud?

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

Few things are as irritating as a loud noise emitting from one of your home appliances. You should expect a reasonable amount of noise during your air conditioner’s operation, but a particularly loud or unusual sound is often an indication that something has gone wrong with your system itself. We have seen a wide variety of issues in our time, but a loud noise is one of the most frequent signs that a problem with your AC should be fixed. If you find that your air conditioning system has become noisy, then you should call for professional air conditioning services in Naperville, IL from DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Let’s take a look at  few different loud noises that may frustrate your cooling experience as well as their possible causes:

  • Banging. If you find that your AC emits a banging noise, it could be a strong indication that there is some kind of loose part within your system. This is probably responsible for the metal-on-metal sound. But another possible cause is a bent or damage part whose deformed shape is now hitting an adjacent component. For example, your AC may have a bent fan blade that now hits the interior surface of the unit as it spins.
  • Buzzing. If you hear a loud buzzing noise emitting from your AC, then it could be an indication that your system has an electrical problem. This is potentially hazardous so it’s best not to tamper with any parts on your own. It’s far better to ensure that your AC is serviced by a professional. Electrical “arcing” can be hazardous to your home and your health.
  • Grinding. If you hear a grinding noise, you should shut off your AC and call for professional assistance. This is likely an indication of dried-out bearings, whether at the blower motor or somewhere else. It’s an indication that there is something seriously wrong with system, and continuing to operate it could potentially lead to serious damage and major component replacement.

Call DuAll Heating & Cooling today for all of your air conditioning repair needs in Naperville, IL., or learn more about our company.

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What’s the Difference Between Central Air Conditioning and a Heat Pump?

Monday, August 19th, 2013

One of the great luxuries that homeowners enjoy today is the wide selection of cooling systems available for installation in their homes. There is no need to feel as though you have to stick with what you know. As energy prices continue to rise, more and more homeowners are looking for more efficient, effective ways in which to cool their homes. If you are interested in exploring your air conditioning options, contact the Bolingbrook, IL air conditioning professionals at DuAll Heating & Cooling. We have many different air conditioning systems for you to choose from, and we can help you determine which is best for your home. Here is some information to consider about what sets a heat pump apart from central AC systems.

Here Are the Differences Between Central AC and Heat Pumps

Heat pumps and central air conditioning systems are actually very similar in many ways. Both feature an outdoor condenser unit, and both use a ductwork system to distribute cooled air throughout your home. The big difference between the two is the way in which they work to cool that air. Traditional split central air conditioners rely on the consumption of fuel in order to cool air. Heat pumps, on the other hand, utilize the heat transfer process. It is this innovative operation that allows them to operate so efficiently.

By transferring ambient heat out of your home (as well as back in when the heating season arrives), a heat pump is able to cool down your house while consuming just a small amount of electricity. The less energy your air conditioning system consumes, the less money you have to spend to operate that system. This means that you can cool your home more affordably and in a more environmentally friendly way. Contact a member of our team today if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of cooling your home with a heat pump.

Stop paying too much money to cool your home down. Schedule a heat pump or air conditioning installation with the Bolingbrook, IL air conditioning professionals at DuAll Heating & Cooling. No matter how you decide to cool your home, we can help you do so in the most efficient and reliable way possible.

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Why Does My AC Keep Making a Rattling Sound?

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

Your AC system has a lot of moving parts that can break down and cause problems for your home’s comfort. Often, your air conditioning system will start to make a new noise when it needs service. Rattling is a common issue that we get called to fix and we wanted to share some of the likely causes for this problem.

Give us a call here at DuAll Heating and Cooling if you need any Naperville, IL AC services.

Naperville, IL AC Services: AC Making Rattling Noises

If your AC is rattling, call us here at DuAll Heating and Cooling for Naperville, IL AC services. Here are a few of the possible causes:

  • Fan cage – Your air conditioning system has two fans: one inside and one outside. The cages around them protect you and also protect the fan from any injury or damage. But if the cage becomes damaged, it can rub against the fan and cause a rattling noise. If this is the case, make sure that you turn off your AC right away in order to avoid bending your fan’s blades.
  • Motor – The actual fan motor can become damaged and start to make a grinding or rattling noise. Sometimes it’s just that the motor needs to be lubricated or the bearings replaced.
  • Debris – If any branches or twigs get into your air conditioning fan it can cause it to rattle against the blades. This can also cause damage to your fan blades which could require that you replace them.
  • Loose parts – Your air conditioning system has a lot of moving parts it in that can come loose and start rattling. The only problem is that to find the loose part you will have to take off the panel for your air conditioning system and poke around inside. Doing that is usually unadvisable and should only be done by a professional air conditioning contractor.

We know that when your air conditioning system starts to make any new noises that it can be extremely frustrating, and even uncomfortable when guests are around. That’s why we work so hard to respond quickly and provide you with the quality of service that you deserve.

If you need any Naperville, IL AC services just call the specialists at DuAll Heating & Cooling.

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