DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog

How Furnace Maintenance Can Prevent Furnace Repair

March 7th, 2014

Regular maintenance for a furnace is an essential part of taking care of your home’s heating. Unless your furnace receives an annual visit from a heating maintenance specialist, it will be prone to malfunctions and breakdowns, ultimately leading to poor performance, power drain, and a shorter service life. Regular maintenance will help prevent many unnecessary repairs.

Here are some of the ways that maintenance will reduce your needs for furnace repair in Romeoville, IL. To sign up for a great maintenance program today, call DuAll Heating & Cooling.

Ways Maintenance Will Prevent Furnace Problems That Need Repairs

  • Removing dirt from the burner: One of the key steps of maintenance on a furnace is cleaning it. And there’s no place more important to keep clean on a gas furnace than the burner where the gas jets ignite. If grime begins to coat the burner, the restriction of oxygen will make it difficult, even impossible, for the jets to turn on and create heat. Maintenance will take care of cleaning the burner unit at each visit to stop build-up.
  • Checking electrical problems: Electric furnaces need to have their wiring and circuitry checked to make sure the heating elements don’t fail during regular operation. Electrical checks are important for modern gas furnaces as well, since they use electronic ignition and electric safety devices.
  • Replacing cracked heat exchangers: If the heat exchangers in a gas furnace develop cracks due to corrosion, it can lead to dangerous situations where carbon monoxide leaks can enter the cabinet or your home. Maintenance technicians will catch heat exchangers that have cracked or are on the verge of cracking and replace them.
  • Testing airflow for air handler problems: During a maintenance check, a technician will measure the airflow from the vents to see that the air handler is working correctly. If it isn’t, the technician will see what issue needs to be addressed, such as replacing blower motors.

Make Sure You Have Maintenance

If you are looking to start a maintenance program to keep away furnace and other heating repairs in Romeoville, IL, or if you want to find a new one, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling. Our Maintenance Savings Plan not only brings you the tune-ups you need, but it also gives you a 10% discount on parts and labor, priority service, and a satisfaction guarantee. Let us help you keep your furnace running without repairs for many years to come.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on How Furnace Maintenance Can Prevent Furnace Repair

Winter Furnace Mileage

March 5th, 2014

This year it seams, that we are getting more than normal amount of problems of no heat late in the season. These are from people who have had their furnaces cleaned this season. What you need to know is that, like your car, it is not the time since last cleaning, but how many hours of operation. This has been a pretty brutal season on everyone’s furnaces and what was considered normal, is not this year. So, if you’ve had your furnace cleaned this season and it’s starting to act up, or in worst case, stopped working, know that it may just need to be cleaned again. We’ll get through this together. Stay warm.

Continue Reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Winter Furnace Mileage

Why Should I Flush Out My Water Heater?

February 28th, 2014

Running hot water is one of the greatest home conveniences ever invented (after indoor plumbing, of course, which was the first step toward running hot water). But your supply of cleansing hot water depends on the steady operation of your home’s hot water heater, and like any mechanical system, it can sometimes develop faults or even shut down.

Flushing the tank of a hot water heater is an important step in maintaining the system and keeping it healthy so you always have hot water ready for you. Flushing is done to remove sediment that can begin to develop at the bottom of the heater’s tank. This task can be done as part of annual routine maintenance, or performed when a specific problem has started to threaten the water heater’s operation.

Whether you need flushing for maintenance or water heater repair in Plainfield, IL, you should have professionals take care of this job. Contact DuAll Heating & Cooling for water heater flushing or any other problems with your system.

Why Flushing The Water Heater is Beneficial

Sediment build-up inside a water heater tank can cause a number of problems that will lead to repair needs—or even a full replacement. The sediment will often prevent the drain valve from working, and this will cause the system to run inefficiently, draining power while providing substandard heat.

The sediment that develops in your tank often comes from impurities inside the water, such as the minerals found in hard water. When these minerals begin to gather inside the tank, they can cause the water to become discolored and promote the development of rust inside the tank. Flushing will not only eliminate short-term problems with sediment, but it will help prolong the system’s life.

As the sediment level increases, the available volume for the water in the tank will decrease. When this happens, the tank will start to overheat and increase the water pressure throughout the system, a frequent cause of leaks.

Take Care of All Your Water Heater’s Needs

Flushing out a water heater is only one of the ways to help your system have a longer service life with fewer repairs. Our staff at DuAll Heating & Cooling has the training, equipment, and experience to perform any of the work you need to repair a malfunctioning water heater. We also offer regular maintenance, one of the best ways to keep away the need for water heater repair in Plainfield, IL. Call us today and trust our NATE-certified technicians to handle the job.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Water Heaters | Comments Off on Why Should I Flush Out My Water Heater?

How to Tell if You Need an Emergency Heating Repair

February 19th, 2014

Nobody ever wants to make an emergency call, no matter what the emergency is. But it’s necessary to have emergency services available to us for the important part of our lives. In Illinois, having your heater working during the winter is crucial for your comfort and your safety—so you need to have a repair service that can deliver 24/7 assistance. Call DuAll Heating & Cooling when you need service fast, any time of the day or night.

Here are a couple of warning signs to heed that tell you it’s time for emergency heating repair in Naperville, IL.

Warning Signs You Need Emergency Repairs

  • The heater will not come on: This is the big one—a possible full breakdown. Although it seems obvious that you should call for repairs when this happens, people sometimes wait to call for help because they think the issue is temporary and the heater will kick back on soon. But, even if the heater does come back on at some point, any failure indicates there is a serious flaw in the operation that will lead to more breakdowns and very inefficient, energy-draining operation.
  • The heater starts making loud, unexpected noises: You should always call for repairs when your heater makes noises that you don’t expect. But when these noises are particularly loud—such grating, grinding, and screeching—there is something amiss in the heater that needs remedy as soon as possible. Shut the heater down and call for repairs.
  • Acrid smells come from the vents: If you have a forced-air system in your home, smells from the vents are major warnings of repair needs. If you smell an acrid scent, like burning, it could indicate failing motors inside the heater’s cabinet, and you need repairs before the heater breaks down entirely.
  • Your carbon monoxide detectors go off: If you have a gas-powered heater in your home, we recommend that you have CO detectors put in your house as well to warn you of an increase of carbon monoxide (which is colorless and odorless). Should these detectors go off, leave you house and call for professionals.

Make Sure You Have a Contractor With Emergency Service

Not all heating repair contractors offer 24-hour emergency service. Since heaters rarely break down at convenient times, you’ll need a contractor ready to rush to your aid when you require with heating repair in Naperville, IL. DuAll Heating & Cooling has technicians standing by for your emergency needs, whatever they may be. We can also provide you with maintenance and installation for all types of home heaters.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on How to Tell if You Need an Emergency Heating Repair

Other Anniversaries of Valentine’s Day

February 14th, 2014

For more than a hundred years, people in countries around the world have marked the 14th day of February as a time for lovers to give each other gifts and for children to write cards to each other and eat heart-shaped candy. But Valentine’s Day isn’t the only important event to occur on February 14th. There are many other anniversaries to mark on this day. Here are a few:

1400 – The death of King Richard II: The same English king whose engagement resulted in the first love poem mentioning Valentine’s Day (from court poet Geoffrey Chaucer) dies in prison in Pontefract Castle after his cousin Henry overthrows him. He probably starved to death, although another famous author, William Shakespeare, would portray his death as murder.

1859 – Hello, Oregon: The Oregon Country is admitted to the United States of America as the 33rd state.

1876 – Who invented the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell applies for a patent for his new invention, the telephone. Another inventor, Elisha Gray, applies the same day for a similar device, sparking a long controversy over who invented what first.

1912 – Hello, Arizona: Continuing the statehood tradition that Oregon established, the Territory of Arizona is admitted to the U.S. as the 48th state. Women are granted the right to vote in Arizona the same year, eight years before the rest of the nation.

1929 – The world’s most infamous mob hit: Unknown assailants shoot down seven people in Chicago, IL. Six of the dead are gangsters in the mob of Bugs Moran, an enemy of Al Capone in the business of selling Prohibition bootleg liquor. No one is ever arrested or charged for the crime—but there isn’t much doubt who masterminded it.

1931 – “I am… Dracula”: The most influential vampire movie ever made, and the start of Universal Studio’s famous monsters series, Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, premieres in theaters. Universal cannily uses Valentine’s Day to promote the film as “The Story of the Strangest Passion the World Has Ever Known!”

1961 – The Periodic Table becomes larger: The 103rd chemical element, Lawrencium, is discovered at the University of California. The name comes from the laboratory where it is synthesized, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

2005 – Now it’s easy to watch funny animal videos: A group of college students launch a video sharing website call YouTube.

Even if Valentine’s Day itself isn’t a major holiday for you, February 14th has many reasons to celebrate—unless you are a member of Bugs Moran’s gang or a supporter of Richard II. All of us at DuAll Heating & Cooling would like to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day, however you observe it.

Continue Reading

Tags:
Posted in Happy Holidays | Comments Off on Other Anniversaries of Valentine’s Day

Problems Caused by a Poor Furnace Installation

February 5th, 2014

When it comes to saving money on home heating, you have many options: thermostat upgrades, window caulking, improved insulation, replacing an aging heater. One option you shouldn’t choose to save money: hiring amateurs to install your furnace. (Or install any heating system, but we’ll stay with furnaces for this post since they are the most common in homes.)

We can’t emphasize enough how important it is that you only hire licensed professionals to handle furnace installation in Naperville, IL. If you have a gas furnace, local codes may even prohibit anyone but a licensed contractor from installing it. But beyond legality, the reason you want experts on the job is that poor furnace installation can lead to numerous problems, some of them dangerous.

Our staff at DuAll Heating & Cooling wants you to have the best furnace installation possible, and we strive to deliver top quality with each job. Call us today to schedule a service appointment.

Here’s What Could Go Wrong Because of a Bad Furnace Installation

  • Gas leak hazards: This is the #1 reason you don’t want amateurs putting in a gas furnace. If they make poor connections between the furnace and the gas main, it can lead to leaking of carbon monoxide. CO is colorless, odorless, toxic, and combustible… you want it kept inside the pipes where it belongs. Professionals take special precautions and run tests to make sure your furnace doesn’t have CO leaks.
  • Electrical wiring problems: If you have an electrical furnace, you won’t have the worries about carbon monoxide—but you can run into serious issues with faulty wiring unless you have professionals on the job. A poor wiring job can lead to a furnace that constantly trips circuit breakers, drains power, and may even become a fire hazard.
  • Faulty ductwork connections: A furnace needs to be hooked up to ducts so there is a complete seal between the furnace at the ventilation shafts. If this job is done poorly, it will cause a loss of air pressure throughout the ductwork, and a subsequent loss of heating power.
  • General inefficiency: Even if the amateur installers avoided creating major problems, the furnace will likely have numerous smaller issues that will lead to it running inefficiently and draining power. This is why amateur installation won’t save you money: you’ll end up paying more in energy bills (and probably repair bills).

Start out right with your new furnace: have professionals with years of experience as well as the proper licensing and insurance do the job. Already too late? Make sure to give us a call to learn mroe about your furnace repair options. Our technicians can remedy an issue before it becomes a long-term problem. For furnace installations and other heating services in Naperville, IL, call the experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling, where we take pride in our professional service.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Problems Caused by a Poor Furnace Installation

Water Heater Problems Caused by Hard Water

January 31st, 2014

Hard water. You’ve probably heard the term before, but may not have known its exact definition. Basically, hard water is water with a high mineral content. The most common minerals found in hard water are calcite, gypsum (which both contain calcium), and dolomite (a magnesium mineral). Hard water does not pose any serious health risks to drink; but it does pose serious health risks to your plumbing and any appliance hooked to it, like your water heater.

Your water heater in Plainfield, IL, can suffer damage from hard water that can require repairs or perhaps even a replacement. We’ll look at some of the problems hard water can cause. When you encounter malfunctions with your water heater—no matter the cause—call DuAll Heating & Cooling right away. We have emergency services available for when those hot water failures come at the worst time.

Hard Water and Your Water Heater

When hard water is raised to a high temperature, as occurs inside the tank of a water heater, it releases its minerals, which then develop along surfaces as limescale. Hard water entering a water heater’s tank will soon start to lay down a layer of limescale along the tank’s interior. Limescale works as an insulator, and this means it will unbalance the heat levels inside the tank, restricting heat from escaping and leading to overheating. An overheated tank will begin to spring leaks and may even rupture.

Another place where hard water can cause trouble for a water heater is when it causes a build-up of calcites on the surface of the heat exchanger of a gas-powered unit. These calcites will block the movement of heat from the combustion gas to the water in the tank, which will severely limit the ability to warm up the water, leading to a loss of hot water around the house.

Finally, the calcite deposits will start to develop inside the pipes leading from the hot water heater (indeed, it will affect pipes of all kinds around the house). The more the calcite deposits grow, the higher the pressure inside the pipes as the available room shrinks. This will lead to leaking at pipe connections that will continue to grow worse unless the issue is addressed.

Make Sure Your Water Heater is Regularly Maintained

There are a number of ways to deal with hard water, but here we are specifically concerned with the damage done to your water heater. Regular water heater maintenance is the best way to discover if calcite deposits or limescale are causing damage to your heater, and technicians can eliminate the problem by removing the build-up, or if necessary, replacing the heat exchanger. Technicians will also take care of leaks before they cause damage.

At DuAll Heating & Cooling, we’ll make it our priority to provide you with the best water heater service in the Plainfield area.

Continue Reading

Tags: , ,
Posted in Water Heaters | Comments Off on Water Heater Problems Caused by Hard Water

3 Causes of Ductless Heating System Repairs

January 28th, 2014

Ductless heating systems are energy efficient and allow you to tailor the temperature in individual areas of the home as you see fit, and even turn off the heat in parts of the house you aren’t using. Ductless heating systems are very efficient, but they break down just like any other heating system, and when they do, you need to be ready to correct the problem.

Here are 3 causes of ductless heating system repairs:

  • Broken fan. The fan is responsible in each indoor unit is what distributes the heat in your home. If it encounters problems, then the air flow will be severely restricted, and possibly halted entirely. Fan problems can stem from bent or broken blades, from a faulty fan motor, from a frayed fan belt, or from electrical problems with the system’s wiring.
  • Low refrigerant. Your ductless heating system is a heat pump, and it relies on cycled refrigerant to condition your air. When the refrigerant leaks out, the heating and cooling process is severely restricted, and may even halt the process entirely. You can spot leaky refrigerant by the formation of ice on the evaporator coils (the outside coils if you’re using the heating cycle).
  • Leaking water. Ductless heating systems can sometimes produce condensate, which gathers in a pan and is removed from the system via a drain line. If the drain becomes clogged or the drain pan is misaligned, you’re bound to get leaky water from the system. This can damage other parts of the unit, as well as creating a hazard around the heating system.

The good news is that, because ductless systems are modular, you’re probably not looking at a problem that affects the whole house. Once you spot the causes of ductless heating system repairs, call on the experts at DuAll Heating and Cooling to help. We can handle heating repair in Plainfield, IL and throughout the surrounding areas, and we’ll get your ductless system up and running again. Give us a call today!

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on 3 Causes of Ductless Heating System Repairs

When Should I Schedule a Professional Duct Cleaning?

January 12th, 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.

Design and construction of ductwork in a house aims to keep the ducts as hidden as possible so they don’t interfere with the look of a home. But this means that you won’t often have a good idea if your ducts are developing infestations of dust, dirt, hair, pollen, or biological contaminants. All of these intruders into your ducts will contribute to lowering your indoor air quality and placing strain on your HVAC system that can lead to early repairs and higher power bills.

So how do you know you should schedule duct cleaning? We’ll offer some helpful tips.

Hints that it’s time to schedule duct cleaning service

  • An increase in energy bills: Regardless of whether you have your AC or heater sending conditioned air through the ducts, you will find an increase in energy use if the ducts develop too much contamination. Dust along the ducts will significantly increase air resistance; it will also clog up the air filter and restrict air flow. This will make your HVAC system work harder and drain excess power.
  • More dust in your home: If regular dusting and cleaning in your home starts to turn ineffective—the dust returns almost immediately—and dust bunnies start growing in the corners, then you may have vents blowing out a build-up of dust from the duct walls.
  • A rise in allergy-like symptoms: A decline in indoor air quality because of dirty ductwork is most noticeable in people who have allergies to airborne pollutants. But these same symptoms can appear in anyone to some degree. Symptoms to look for resemble a low-level cold or flu, with congestion, eye and nose irritation, coughing and wheezing, and headaches. Indoor air quality is often quite poor indoors, and keeping your ventilation system clean is an important part of improving it.
  • You haven’t done it in over a year: Even without any of these other signs, you should have duct cleaning done if more than a year has passed since you last scheduled it. A year is enough time for dust to settle inside ducts. Get potential problems eliminated before they can cause worse problems.

Summon professional cleaners

Duct cleaning isn’t something you can take care of by leaning into your vents with a whisk broom and bottle of spray cleaner. Professionals with tools like the Roto Brush will need to take on this task. Experts like those at DuAll Heating & Cooling can do the job fast and effectively. Call us for your duct cleaning in Plainfield, IL.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on When Should I Schedule a Professional Duct Cleaning?

New Year’s Traditions Explained

December 31st, 2013

2014 is almost upon us, and with the coming of the New Year, we thought we’d take a brief look at some of the more popular traditions associated with this holiday. It’s been around for at least 4,000 years: as long as we’ve figured out how long it takes for the seasons to come and go. Here’s a quick discussion about some of our more modern traditions and where they started:

  • Auld Lang Syne. The famous song began in Scotland, where it was published by Robert Burns in 1796.  He claims he initially heard it sung by an elderly resident of his hometown, which suggests it has traditional folk origins even before that. It became even more popular when big band leader, Guy Lombardo, started playing it every New Year’s Eve, starting in 1929 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
  • The Dropping of the Ball in Times Square. The tradition of dropping the ball in Times Square started in 1907. It was made out of iron and wood with light bulbs located on the surface, and the ball originally “dropped” over the offices of the New York Times at One Times Square. Dick Clark famously broadcast the event every year from 1972, until his death in 2012.
  • The Rose Parade. The Tournament of Roses Parade has been held in Pasadena every year since 1890; taking advantage of California’s warm weather to present a parade of floats, bands and horses. A football game was eventually added to the festivities in 1902, when Michigan dominated Stanford’s team by a score of 49-0
  • Baby New Year. The use of a baby to signify the New Year dates back to Ancient Greece, where it symbolized the rebirth of Dionysus (the god of wine and parties). Early Christians initially resisted the pagan elements of the story, but soon came to adopt it since it matched the traditional Christmas symbol of baby Jesus in the manger. Today, people of all faiths and traditions refer to the New Year as a baby, representing new beginnings.

Whatever traditions you choose to celebrate, we here at DuAll Heating & Cooling wish you the very safest and happiest of New Years. May 2014 bring you nothing but the best!

Continue Reading

Tags:
Posted in Happy Holidays | Comments Off on New Year’s Traditions Explained